A friend I was talking to about my goals (see Goals entry, below) suggested I add “become a pilot” to the list. That reminded me of my cousin telling me after her first hot air balloon ride that apparently, you can acquire a certification or license as a hot air balloon pilot with something like just 10 hours training. So that’s what I told my friend. He met me with silence. I continued by saying how cool it would be to have this conversation at a cocktail party:

Stranger: So what do you like to do in your spare time as a hobby?
Me: Oh, I’m also a pilot.
Stranger: Really? That’s so cool! What kind of plane do you fly?
Me: None. I fly a hot air balloon.

My friend said, “You can take something so cool and make it so lame.”