My wife and I haven’t really done anything special for our anniversary in about six years so we started talking about something big for our 31st, which happened on August 30.
I’m on a quest to finish off being in all 50 states by the end of the year and Alaska was on the list. What better way to get to Alaska than by boat. So, the cruise became our best possibility, and yet another Virgin Adventure.
When my wife and I get ready to go off for a weekend or a week, there tends to be a sense of urgency and motivation. For her, things speed up. Things have to be done. Lists are made and checked off. Stuff gets done. It gets done well. It gets done before a deadline. If it isn’t done, it’s hard for her to relax while away. So, needless to say, we get it done.
For the past 5-6 years I have carried an “emergency” $50 bill in my wallet. I’ve yet to come across an emergency that warranted using the cash, so I created a “Virgin Adventure Emergency.”
With said cash in hand I ventured into the Ameristar Casino in Blackhawk, CO with the intent of trying my hand at Casino Blackjack. By the way, I’ve never been in a casino before in my life. And… everything I know about gambling AND blackjack I learned from TV and the movies.
While haunting my favorite coffee shop and hanging with other “regulars”, the phrase “That’s such a first world problem” came into play as a topic of conversation. (It appears we had little else to do at the time.)
And so it began with the following statements of first world problems and issues…
Like just about every man, I forgot an item or two in my haste to get to my destination.
I forgot five items: my swimsuit, toothbrush, tooth paste, shaving gel and a razor.
I bled. Seriously bled. It’ll be a week before I can take a razor to my head again. I must take time to heal.
As a set group in musicians with a lead singer started their third song, a young man, Paul, stepped forward and sat down with the group. Opening his guitar case, he quickly joined in, playing along and singing, without amplification or a mike for his voice. Why did he do that?
