Vague encounters of the likely perfectly explainable kind

I'd like to think it's not a coincidence that I'm always alone when these sorts of things happen. I'd also like to think that the Mayans didn't base their John Cusack blockbuster scenario on some funky Chinese calendar with math that computes to the lunar calendar year 2012 actually starting two months ago OMFG and when some drunk British guy on the sidewalk yells "we're being invaded!", the San Andreas Fault doesn't tear into a spectacular bottomless pit and aliens the likes of Babyfart Mcgeezax begin firing death rays upon us.



Some drunk Brit did yell "we're being invaded!" a couple of nights ago, but he stumbled off laughing with his fellow red coats and I was left standing there with a drunk homeless couple who had sauntered out of their storefront hotel for the night, the three of us staring up in the sky. I promptly pulled my video camera phone out and aimed it towards the four silent, independent, orange globes flying in formation over downtown. Only seemingly about three times the height of the tallest office building, they flew about the speed of a two-seater but without the typical flashing lights. Three of the four disappeared about the time they reached the water, and as the fourth flew off past the city line, I pressed the button to stop recording, and it began to record. Of course. By this time, a couple dozen passersby had gathered but no one dared overreact, so we all went on our way.

I've shared this experience a couple of times since, and I imagine the response I've received must be similar to when someone tells an acquaintance that their 5 year old has been murdering squirrels with sticks in the backyard "and isn't that the darndest thing?!"

I'm sure it was nothing. Maybe four weather balloons all got tangled in a cross breeze, creating friction that generated electricity and attracted a phantom lightning bolt, igniting each balloon in a hellacious blaze before gracefully coasting over downtown. That's probably what it was.