Living it UP high in the sky

If there is one place where you can just sit back and relax, it's 42-feet above the esplanade in an arm-chair.

When Disney's Up promotional team and Allied Advertising came to the Charles River Esplanade last Thursday offering free rides in their balloon-powered arm chair, I jumped at the chance. How many people get to chillax in an arm chair during work hours, over 40 feet above the esplanade for free?

When I sat down in the arm chair, I had to do an Indiana Jones maneuver with the last guy in the chair so that once his buns were off the seat, mine were firmly planted in the same position; this way the chair wouldn't go up, up away on the staff. Once in the chair, the staff had to load up secret compartments with lead rods because I was so light-- guess all that swimming is finally paying off! They then told me that if I started to soar away, I should cut the blue or purple lines, but never the white. I laughed, thinking they were kidding, but then they showed me the scissors and I knew it wasn't so funny. Ah well, if I landed in the river at least I know I can swim back! I just said a tiny prayer I wouldn't land on Storrow Drive and the staff let go of the ropes.  

Up I went, with the help of 68 giant balloons filled with helium. The balloons lifted me and the chair (fairly) straight off the ground near the Hatch Shell Dock. For about five minutes I got to experience a total serenity you are not likely to find in Boston on a weekday during the morning rush-hour.

But I wasn't totally slacking up there. I wanted you all to have a taste of the good time, so here ya go:

READ: Peter Keough's movie review of Up and an interview with Up's director, Peter Docter.