Christmas gifts for husband

It is time for the yearly agony of deciding what gift to buy my husband for Christmas – besides another tie for his overflowing tie rack. He has about everything he wants … except a shiny red sports car. I considered the sports car, but decided on something a little less pricey this year.
He likes new adventures in traveling, eating and activities. I found the perfect hands-on gift: a weekend at Riddle’s Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary in the wilds of Arkansas. They promise a weekend of hands-on activities with their elephants, including opportunities to bathe the elephants, trim their toe nails, help with research observations, as well as twice a day opportunities to feed and water the beasts. Just the sort of thing my ‘get-involved’ guy needs – and all for a mere $550. When he isn’t busy working at one of the elephantine chores, the ad promises him plenty of elephant videos and discussions or time to sit and watch the elephants eat.
Speaking of eating, one of my first eating adventures with my husband happened at Wall Drug, S.D. where they sell buffalo burgers. He wanted to be sure that I had one. I couldn’t see what the big deal was – the meat comes from crossbreed of domestic cattle with buffalo to produce a marketable meat for the buffalo-burger.
As far as I could see the essential difference between a hamburger and a buffalo burger was the cost. After I ate one as did the rest of the family, I can truthfully say that at double the cost there was no essential difference in the taste of the burger.
The important thing to my hubby was the adventure of eating something new and exotic. He once returned from a business trip bearing a package of fried alligator strips for my eating pleasure. With such a thoughtful husband how can I not spend my time searching high and low for that special Christmas gift this year?
I was reminded of the buffalo burgers when I happened across a program to adopt a bison. The adoption fee is used for food, health checks and general buffalo herd management. Not as exotic as a weekend feeding elephants but at $40, it’s about 90 percent cheaper.
I don’t think the weekend with elephants included a ride on one, but that’s okay – my guy has had an elephant ride. What he has not had is a ride in either a glider or a hot air balloon. The Little Rock ad for $30 off an $80 ride says the beautiful gift certificate to soar is good for a couple of years. That should send his spirits soaring this year, he has never been in a hot air balloon.
Better yet for a soaring experience in the post 9-11 spirit of patriotism, I could buy him the thrill of not only flying in a W.W.II bomber but actually controlling the plane. In April a limited number of slots will be available for flying either the authentic 1945 Air Force AT-6 or the 1943 Navy SNG Texan with an experienced flight instructor from North American Topgun. For $190 and up I could buy him an opportunity to be in charge of a dual control plane as it flies over the countryside.
I realize none of these ideas equals the thrill of owning a shiny red sports car, but surely at least one of ‘em is be better than another new tie.