We have the West wind, Ulysses

Sometimes I get the feeling that I have no idea what I am doing. I have never filled a giant balloon with helium without popping it, coordinated with a giant TV truck, modified cameras to run on battery power, predicted where a space balloon will land, used APRS GPS tracking to find a payload or led a team of riff-raff to glory. All of these things I will attempt to do on Saturday. I have also never tasted caviar or broken my foot. Perhaps we should throw those things in for Saturday as well. People are relying on me, counting on me to know the answers, have the supplies, be patient, pick them up and to remain calm while doing it. I saw a near balloon launch on the internets just a few short months ago and thought “I could do that.” I didn’t once stop to think if I actually could. I’m not too worried about that part, contrary to what my third grade teacher thought, my irreverent attitude has gotten me far.

I have been using online tools to predict where the balloon will go. I have been checking them everyday for the past two weeks as the weather reports come in. They all say the same thing. East. Sometimes it also goes North or South, but it always, always, always, always goes East. Right?

Wrong.

Did all of the sailors release the winds from the bag while I slept thinking there was gold in there?* Didn’t this very same thing happen to Ulysses (I mean after he decided not to get involved with those singing merladies)?

I just happened to meet a guy on Tuesday night who has been involved with over 60 of these launches. Clearly, he “knows things.” I sent him a predicted trajectory and he sent one of his own back to me; it was totally different. I immediately start faking a coronary episode, wondering if I used faulty software or if I had any idea what I was doing. I didn’t check the weather on Thursday. Didn’t have time, I was writing an exam for my Astro 104 class (muhahahahahahaha) and I thought no problem, it always goes East anyway. So I checked again. Sure enough, the damn thing goes West.

I didn’t realize that wind was in the bag--and just as Ithaca was in sight!

So take note, the winds have changed.

*stupid sailors, after this project I have no more gold left.