Skyhook

The Cartoons had shown us that, if you attach a fishhook to the seat of your pants, you can use a rod and reel to pull yourself up by the ass and into the sky. And even though I knew Wile E. Coyote occasionally employed some pretty dodgy physics, for some reason this particular set-up made perfect sense, and I was eager to try it out . . . the moment I saw Jerry’s new tow truck. We attached the hook to the rear bumper, turned on the winch, and stepped back. Lesson learned: Always try things out first on other people’s toys.