Redemption

My brother sent me a link yesterday with a video of the new free-fall ride, the SkyJump, at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas.  If you haven't heard of it or seen it, take a moment to follow the link below to watch a little clip about the ride.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=new/bizarre&id=7398166

Wow!  Now that looks fun!  Not quite a bungee jump, but a free-fall from the top of the Stratosphere has got to be quite the thrill.  At $99, it's not cheap.  But, it's also not outrageous when you consider bungee jumping is at least that expensive and this is, after all, in Las Vegas.  The price with the video adds an additional $15 and there are some other combos they will sell you with shirts, photos, bottles of the urine you lost on the way down, etc. So, I got to thinking today that a trip to Las Vegas and a leap off the Stratosphere might be the perfect reward for me reaching one of my biggest goals - getting under 200 pounds.  I told my brother of my plan today and he not only liked the idea, he wanted to join me and offered to pay for the ride!  What a guy!  No wonder he is my favorite brother. 

The more I thought of this, the more I liked the idea.  Those of you who read my opening post of this blog know the saga of my last trip to the Stratosphere.  Those who don't know are not reading all of this blog and not getting the full experience.  Shame on you.  Please go sit in the corner of the room for 15 minutes... right after reading that post.  That experience is still a painful memory and still a very fresh wound less than a year after the tragedy of not being able to ride the rides I love so much.  In fact, last month when I went to Vegas with the boys, I would every once in awhile look down the strip and notice the Stratosphere standing tall.  Taunting me.  Laughing at me.  Daring me to lose the weight and give those three thrill rides another chance.  And now, she has added a fourth.  I think a return trip to the Stratosphere with a thinner, healthier me would be the ultimate redemption and a proud moment for me.  I might even shed a tear jumping off that platform. 

Oh yeah, I know, I still plan to write about the topic that was planned for last night!  Here's to finding the ultimate redemption over 855 feet in 15 seconds from the 108th floor...