Inflatable Christmas

So, we have this inflatable Christmas carousel in the yard. Its pretty neat, too. It has lights, is very colorful, with a bunch of characters merry-go-rounding inside.

However, this thing has a mind of it's own.

Every now and then, the characters get twisted up in a horrific mass of cold wet nylon. There is a fix, however it is not one I'd wish on my worst enemy.

Basically, while this thing is fully inflated, you have to tilt it and get directly underneath it. Once trapped between it's icy blue underbelly of nylon and the muddy lawn, you have to search for a 20inch zippered section.

This, my friends, is where you literally access the interior, or as folks in the outdoor nylon inflatable business call it: Where the air makes the magic happen.

Now I know, it sounds improbable that a grown man of 35 years could worm his way through a 20inch zippered opening and stand upright in the center of an inflatable carousel, but I am here to say that I have done it. Twice, actually.

And, it's a mess inside. In the midst of 42 degree weather, I find myself battling the electric blower, the nylon frenzy of mangled Christmas characters and wetness. A lot of bitingly cold wetness. 10 minutes I spend in this thing...carefully untwisting the center, all the while being whipped by rogue streaks of icy water and colorful nylon.

Once untwisted, the carousel characters come to life, which is good and bad. Good, because it's fully functional again. And bad, because I'm still trapped inside and quickly running out of real estate as the burgeoning mass overtakes the inflatable's innards.

Getting out was harder than getting in. I don't believe I've ever contorted my body in such an awkward manner before. But, ultimately, I slink my way out, spotted in mud, and thoroughly soaked.

I guess I should be frustrated and angry after all this, but my daughter's happy it's working again, and that's solace enough for me.

Merry Christmas!