Mr. Virgo and I started dating in 2005. He was working at a 5-Star hotel in Aspen at the time. In late January of 2006, he called me up and asked if I had a black cocktail dress. I assured him I did. There was a party that night at the hotel and he could get me in. Well, how often do you get to hobnob with the Aspen elite, right? I drove up in a whiteout blizzard and changed for the party.

There were all manor of beautiful people there…Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton, Heidi Klum and Seal. And off in a corner stood a young man with flaming red hair…holding court surrounded by other young men who wanted to be this guy. The room was so crowded it was impossible to “mingle”. The VIP section was roped off on the other side of the room. You could see all the rich people, but you had to be special to see the rich AND famous up close.

The evening passed in a blur and before I knew it, all the glitz and glamor was over and Mr. Virgo and I wandered around the dark and quiet hotel with the rich and colorful history. It is reportedly haunted. Mr. Virgo had several personal experiences there that were unexplained. We sat in the empty lobby and talked for a while.

I was enjoying the ambiance of “Colorado Ski Resort” opulence when Mr. Virgo chuckled. 

“What is it?” I asked.

“Did you notice that red headed kid standing in the corner with the crowd around him? That was Shaun White, the snowboarder,” he said.

“Really? Impressive head of hair!”

“What was more impressive was this. I went up to him and he said, ‘Dude! You want an autograph?’ I laughed and said, ‘No, dude…I want your beer. You’re underage!’”

I’ve watched that young man with the flaming red hair grow up and defy gravity and bring home the Gold in both the Olympics and the Winter X Games. And now, an older, wiser and dare I say, slightly more cautious Shaun White is bowing out after these Olympic Games. I feel a small sense of connection to him. After all, my Mr. Virgo put on his “dad hat” and dressed down the young dude in as tasteful a way as possible.

I hope he does well as the curtain goes down on this stage of his career.

?❄️❤️❄️?

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”

Proverbs 11:14 ESV