House of Bouncing

My sister Regan and I were lucky enough just to come across a bounce house on our bike ride. Just run right into it!! One second I'm just riding along then the next BAM! We were just about to pass the church park when out of the corner of my eye there it was: this big, beautiful, colorful, inflatable, house of fun.
Me: oh my! a bounce house!!! *veers sharply to the left* 
When we arrived at the house of bouncing we discovered that this bounce house had WATERGUNS on it!! like FULL-ON turrets with warning labels and everything."DO NOT shoot at eyes or face." AND a water slide into a little pool.
 How neat is that?!? 
That's pretty neat.

ME: DUUUUDDE...let's play on it! *scramble up* Oh my, who just leaves a bounce house here!?!Come on let's play. I bet you're glad you came on this bike ride now. Come up here! Come on! Get in there!!! Get in there and see how fun it is!!!
REGAN: aaahhh... I'm still kinda tired...
ME: WHAAAAT?!? Okay.... how many people when they stumble upon a bounce house whilst on a bike ride, would say 'Ahhhh, I'm kinda tired'? (Sorry I had to put that in here Regan but it's the truth. You weren't sold on the idea of playing on it.)
REGAN: Shut up.
ME: Saweeet!!! Lets set it up!
 There were all sort of tubes and whatnot that hooked to velcro along the edges of it and sprayed water down the slide and into the pool ,and out the water guns. We searched for a good fifteen minutes for the water valve. We found one, but the water had been shut off. So we opened another irrigation box and I turned a bunch of knobs.
ME: Okay, you stay here and turn this dial and I'll go over there and turn these knobs and if any water comes you yell
REGAN: mmmmkay.
ME: *turn first knob* Anything?
REGAN: No
ME: How about now?
REGAN : Nope
ME: Now?
 REGAN: Still nope
ME: Hoover dam! There has to be another box somewhere.


There bloody wasn't. Excuse my language my European friends. :)
Well there was only one solution: TO BRING IT HOME.

ME: That's it. We let's just take it home
REGAN: *uncertain look*
ME: We'll bring it back in the morning... (as I unhook all the stakes and turn the fan off.)Well go on, help me deflate it. Then we'll roll it up like a parachute and take it home
REGAN: What the parents think when they come home to a bounce house in the front yard?
ME: It will be funny. hehehe! Just a Giant bounce house on our lawn... It'll be a great story to tell!
REGAN: well then we should set it up in the backyard.
ME: Oh right right.. good thinkin'.


So we began to deflate it and roll it up. The thing still had water in it so it added like FIFTY extra bounds I swear. We were halfway through the job when: duh duh duh <- intimidating music, A truck entered the church parking lot!


REGAN: LINDSAY ITS A TRUCK, RUN!!!


I turned and grabbed my bike and ran for the pine trees near the brick wall surrounding the church and the field. I looked back to see three men getting out of the truck.

ME: WELL GRAB YOUR BIKE!!!


I had dropped my bike behind the first pine tree and kept running towards the ones twenty feet further that were pressed up against the wall.
Regan crashed through the pine needles seconds after me. She had been seen!

ME: quick! jump on my back!
I knelt down as she jumped on my back and over the wall. Then quickly scrambled up and over after her.
On the other side we both fell on the concrete and just laughed. We had almost gotten away with it. Stupid. We shouldn't have hesitated.
I consider this a learning experience. Next time: no hesitation. I'll just unhook the fan and deflate that sucker. Also I'll be careful to take it home the back way. Whichever way that is. Because even if Regan and I had had it deflated and bundled up, the truck would have run into us on our way out of the parking lot. How embarrassing would that have been? Very, that's how. 
(Men in truck: What are you doing with our bounce house? Us: Uhhh....What bounce house?) Very subtle.


We watched from the neighborhood next to the church as the men packed it up.
You're Welcome!!!  WE ONLY DID HALF YOUR JOB FOR YOU!!
We decided to run around back through our neighborhood and wait for them by the exit to the parking lot. Just to be funny.
They pulled up as we were just lounging on the grass by the flagpole real casual-like. When they pulled up I waved all friendly. They pulled up and unrolled their windows. Ooooh no.
"So, those your bikes?"
"Maybe..."
"They look real fun."
"mmmhhmm....
WE WERE GOING TO RETURN IT!!"

They just laughed as they drove away.
So there it is folks. Learn from our mistake. Don't hesitate. Just DO THINGS and THRILL PEOPLE. 








If you would like to hear this same story from Regan's perspective go here rsnuffer.blogspot.com