Oliver

When I was a middle school girl, someone in my family received a balloon as a gift. It was a Mylar, helium balloon Most balloons are vertical, but this one was horizontal...I still don't understand how that works. This balloon was red on the top and yellow on the bottom and it had two big eyes on one end! We named it Oliver.

My dad has always liked to play with helium balloons. Not as most do : Sucking the helium to speak in a tiny high squeaky voice. No, he likes to add paperclips and other miscellaneous items so that the balloon will hover and float around the house.

Oliver was very fond of discovering new rooms around my childhood home in Pittsburgh Pa. It was a two story Tudor with a full basement.
Oliver would pop behind someone while their picture was being taken at Christmastime.
He would jump out of a closet in the den when you walked in.
He would protect you from bad dreams at night then scare the dickens out of you in the early morning.
He would hide for days then suddenly appear around a corner.
Oliver even got into the basement storage closet and made my mother scream when she went to look for winter clothes.

For some reason, this little fellow has been a part of my childhood, young adult, and present life. Every time I receive balloons, I try to add paperclips so my "Oliver" with hover around the house.

I made an Oliver this afternoon with birthday balloons my friend Kimberly got me. I was waiting for my carpet to dry from the steam cleaning I gave it.
Should have done the dishes instead, but "Oliver" made me smile.

I'm still not as good as my dad at the hover technique.
He has the mind of an engineer, and I'm sure the next time he comes over, he will fix my balloons for me.
Charlie doesn't like Oliver too much though. Oliver snuck behind the couch today and floated above Charlie while he was sleeping. I'm still giggling at his leaping off of the couch and growling at Oliver. He gives Oliver a wide berth!

Anyone else do silly things like that?