Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Take Me to the Rodeo

Jeffrey wants to go to Las Vegas someday. I haven't been real encouraging because it just doesn't excite me, probably because I think of Vegas, and I think of casinos. Yes, I know people get into gambling, and there's the excitement of winning, right? I guess I'm just too practical or pessimistic or something, because I know the House is always going to win. So, if all there is to Vegas is gambling and casinos, then I'm not at all interested.

I have been doing a little Vegas research, and I realize my perceptions of Las Vegas aren't really true. There are so many other things to do. I bet you could even go to Vegas, never even set foot in a casino, and still have a good time. Of course, Jeffrey would have to try his hand at Texas Hold 'Em, so he'd want to visit a casino or two, at least once.

Something I'd be interested in seeing is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, held this year December 4-13. Now there's something that actually has winners. Back in 1984 Las Vegas Events (LVE) guaranteed the rodeo a prize fund of $1.8 million to the cowboys and $700,000 to the contractors to get them to move the rodeo finals from Oklahoma to Las Vegas. I'm sure that prize fund has increased over the two decades the rodeo has been held in Las Vegas.

When I was much much younger and my family still lived in California, we went to a rodeo and had a great time. I don't remember much about it except for the excitement and the horses. I was always crazy about horses. We knew a couple girls who had quarter horses and participated in barrel racing, though I don't know that they rode in that particular rodeo. Still, it made it more interesting. Since then I've only watched some rodeo on TV. I'm thinking that, if some small little rodeo was exciting enough that I remember being there all these years later, imagine how much better the National Finals would be. If Jeffrey said we'd get WNFR Tickets, I just might be talked into going to Vegas. December is a good time to get away from Wisconsin.