Sunday Bucket - Once in a Lifetime, Once a Week

There’s a little known secret about how to definitely make money at a casino: get a job there. But, since we’re both happily employed, we opted instead to carelessly flush money down slot-machine toilets with childlike optimism. But we had fun doing it, and that’s what counts.

This week’s pick was to visit a Casino — and Arizona has several to choose from. Last Sunday, we set out to Talking Stick Resort with another couple who could help show us the ropes. Any good casino adventure starts at the bar, which is where I met Anthony, a telecom industry sales representative from Australia who was in town for a conference. Anthony grew up in the Australian countryside with a family of sheep shearers. More on him later.

We moved on to the slot machines, which sometime in the last couple of years have spontaneously evolved into the most complicated way to lose money imaginable. But, the complexity seems to take the sting out of losing. You get so busy watching Dorothy tap her shoes or Nemo blow bubbles that you don’t really have time to comprehend the credits you’re losing. Before long, all we had left was a ticket for $0.29, which we kept as a souvenir.

In the end, the casino was a great atmosphere for a night out, despite our loss. If you set a limit on your spending, and focus on the experience rather than the temptation of jackpots, it’s no different than a special restaurant or a sporting event.

Back to Anthony. Before we left he said that he believes destiny puts a few choices in front of you, but it’s up to you to choose your path. Through Sunday Bucket, we’re being exposed to more choices through more experiences. And that’s worth more than anything we lost at the slot machine.

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For Your Bucket:

Cost: Varies!
Location: Talking Stick Resort