Sweat Baby James

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T11:26:00.011-06:00

And when the night is falling
Down the sky at midnight
Another year is stalling
Far away a good bye, good night
All that I want., all that I want, all that I want
So small a turning
The world grows older every day
An ache, a yearning
Soften when I hear you say
All that I want, all that I want
The Weepies

I certainly have many wonderful things to be thankful for on this fabulous holiday in 2011. I know I am not writing as often as I have in the past, but it's not due to a lack of love for you guys, it is simply that at times I struggle to find the creativity to be funny and the motivation to do what I should. That being said 2011 has just been a fabulous year with travel, wonderful old friends, amazing new friends, my family, and of course those three things that make me tick.... Sand Volleyball, Live Music, and Sports.

I sometimes stumble across old pictures that really make me smile like this one with Santa and others that make me cringe like that two others. Ugh :-/ I have talked about regrets and I try not to have them but I don't really remember being as fat as I am in some of these pictures. Don't get me wrong I have no memories of ever being not fat, and doubt I will ever not be fat or at least feel fat, but my goodness I look like a house and a house with a whole lot of chin. Good news is I don't think I look like that anymore. Unfortunately I don't have those blond locks like I used to either, or the ability to pull off wearing a jumper like that with a turtle neck.

My parents are moving a little further south in Florida and on my recent trip Mom pulled out the old baby books and it certainly made my day. Hauling them back in my suitcase wasn't as much fun. And while the pictures and notes are really cool I got to admit that having some hair from my first ever haircut is a little creepy. Anyway I am really thankful for all my old pictures, they all remind me of where I came from, even if I don't always like where I have been.

My house is really full of females. 18 legs worth of them :) They are always excited when I come home be it after an hour or after a week. And only three of them make me take them out to go to the bathroom. The other one makes me take her out to dinner :) I am really thankful for the love I feel at home. I am away a lot and it always feels good to come back to Madison and feel appreciated.

Jacky and I celebrated our 14th anniversary this year. We went bowling :) She pretty much kicks my ass on the rare occasions we bowl. I owe her a world of thanks as she has lead the really successful move of Sunshine Daydream into a bigger spot. And her, along with our staff, really have made our store the friendliest place to shop in Madison.

My friends just make me smile and laugh. I have so many different groups of friends. Volleyballers, Ridgers, College, High School, Fitness Northers,Facebookers and Madison. I got to mix a whole bunch of them this summer when a whole bunch came to town to party one weekend. I just want to say thank you to them for putting up with me, and for making me feel special. I'm not all that proud that I am in need of constant amusement but having my friends makes it a whole lot easier. So thanks to these friends I got to spend time with this year: Paul, Allison, Brad, Sara, Libby, Jon, Shannon, Alex, Nicole, Tim,

Tanya, Lisa, Jaime, Darlene, Merinda, Bernadine, Karen, Eric, Renee, John, Annaliese, Billy, Paul, Jay, Jeff,Danny and my twinsie Betsey.

Two of my favorite days of the year took place as far apart from each other as you could imagine. One was in the red rocks where I did something I hadn't done before. And the second was on a hike where I saw a waterfall. Each year brings some amazing life affirming visions, and I will look back on these two days with particular joy because even though they were two places a 1.000 miles apart they showed me I could do things I didn't know I could.

I owe a really big thanks to the staff at Fitness North. Leif, Sheryl. Jay and Kelly welcomed me into their family. They pushed me harder than I have ever been pushed. Made me do things I had never done. And built me back up after they broke me down. Plus they got me to see a very beautiful part of the country that I had never seen before. They really have an outstanding program that produces for everyone who attends. It's young and growing and will only get better. I'm happy I got there when they were so small they could take extra pleasure from kicking my ass.

It has been an amazing year for me music wise, I am so thankful that I got to see just an abundance of great shows. Including a trio of icons I had never seen before. I got to see Sara twice. Both times wonderful. And perhaps the sweetest thing I have ever heard out of my friend Allison's mouth came that night when after seeing Sara for the first time she promised to never mock me again for my obsession. I got to see Paul McCartney. My first Beatle ever in concert. And he did not disappoint at all. I also got to see Stevie Nicks and Gordon Lightfoot, who both sounded a little different and came nowhere near delivering the energy of Sir Paul. I also saw 3 dog night, Jimmy Buffett, Ben Folds, Little Feat, and scores of local acts.

But my favorite concert, which also gave me my favorite picture of the year, was the night Jackson Browne came to town. He played a song for me, it doesn't get any cooler than that. Still running on empty for sure.

I did a few races this year. 4 to be exact, including one today, my first activity ever on thanksgiving that didn't involve the use of either a fork or a remote. I still get nervous, I still worry and I still feel slow but I'm doing it. Thanks to my workout partner for making me does this, because without her push I would have watched the Macy's Day Parade in my pajamas.

Got to spend some time in Florida this past month. So thankful my parents are both around and making me smile. Over 80 everyday, hanging out in the pool, walking on the beach. I have to admit I feel somewhat stupid that I live in Wisconsin when I spend time in the Sunshine state.

Thankful for Happy Hour with my Mom. I know she reads this so I hope she knows that I love her very much and feel like every good quality I have comes from her. As your father would always toast.... Here's looking up your address. :)

I am a pretty big fan of turtles... Never saw the dessert variety in Utah, never saw the beach variety before either. And this trip I walked off the beach and onto the boardwalk heading to the parking lot and there she was. She made her way back out to the sand and was paid a visit by a boy turtle who proceeded to bump shells with her... In case you were wondering how I knew she was a girl. So seeing two was really cool and unexpected. Go Terps :)

There really is nothing in my life I am more thankful for than my volleyball teams. Virtually all my current friends can be traced to my volleyball teams. I played on 3 fall teams including playing on two on Wednesday night. The tie-dye team one the Wednesday night regular season and tournament championship. My Monday night team went undefeated in winning both the regular season and tournament championship. And watching my other team improve and become fabulous at sets made my fall. I love all these guys and miss them when we are not playing.

We dressed up for our end of year tournaments including the tie-dyes above and Captain Planet and the planeteers next to this.

My favorite night of dressing for volleyball was Monday night when I joined Eyeore, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, and Christopher Robin. nothing beats a tubby cubby kicking some butt on the sand.

As always so much to be thankful for, and so much to be excited about going forward. I hope everyone has a great end of the year and may your next year be colorful, festive, fruity and frosty... That's all I want. Peace and Love, Jimmy

Fitness North 2 Wrap-up

2011-10-26T12:11:00.002-05:00

Oh my heart is tangled

all around you.

When you've got trouble,

I've got trouble, too.

Liz Longley

It was a little after noon on Thursday when I looked back over the last six hours and realized I had just finished a 6 am 5K walk, an hour long pool class built around deck push-ups and relays, a spin class, a kickboxing class, another spin class, a trx class and a 3rd spin class. But the cool part was even after all that I was going to experience something for the first time ever, that I can remember, and certainly the first time as an adult. Jimbo was headed into a gondola, and headed up the mountain the easy way. Why haven't I been on a gondola that floats through the air? I'm not afraid of heights, I'm not afraid of ski lodges although I never go to them, and I'm not afraid of riding in small compartments. I am afraid of snapping a wire, and then reading about the fat dude that snapped the wire... But I checked on the weight limit (680lbs) and while I have been in that zip code before... I have moved far away. Which doesn't mean I was willing to share my gondola ride with someone else, I'm not tempting fate :)

Trying not to move very much, rock the gondola at all, or actually breathe all that much either, I didn't do a great job of taking pictures but here is a deer that was grazing below me, or possibly by the looks of it a rhino.

So thanks to the fine wires at Lutsen Mountain in really northern Minnesota. I crossed another thing off my bucket list, well one that I didn't know existed until actually seeing the gondola's. But what the heck, I am going to enjoy my new found spirit of adventure.

The 4 alumni of fitness north got to take this little excursion while the newbies got their lecture in. We are way up in this picture and good ways from Lake Superior way in the background. From left to right...me, Lizzie, Zach, and Camille.

Here is the shore and lighthouse on the tip of Grand Marais, Minnesota. Grand Marais is about 30 miles south of the Canadian border. A fishing village with lots of cool shops and a whole lot of places to eat. Not that we got to sample the famous Sven and Ole's pizza but it's nice to know pizza hut hasn't run it out of town.

The aptly named Beaver House for some reason had a giant fish coming out of its storefront. Which got me thinking...maybe a giant hippie coming out of the awning at Sunshine Daydream would be cool? I think I will stick with what we got. And leave the Beaver House alone to tend to their live bait and glass bottle selling. Now that is some niche marketing right there.

Friday marked the last day of full exercise for the week. Again out into the brisk morning air for a 6 am walk. I was 4 for 4 on shorts in the am and I wasn't changing now. The car said 23 degrees as we headed to the start line, the wind coming of the lake made me a little cold, but I'm not giving in. I sort of shuffled/limped/waddled through the morning hike and was happy to warm up in the pool. My plan to defeat winter and wear shorts much longer is sadly a huge underdog to Mother Nature's plan to remind me she makes the rules. We had a 3 hour mixed body circuit/ab/ relay class in the morning that I thought was the toughest one yet.

The last hike of the week was at Split Rock State Park... Home of the Split Rock Lighthouse. I had been there before, but the waters kept me off the island before. I was ready this time with old shoes, and a determination that if I needed to get wet I didn't care. If I can ride in a gondola, damn it, I can get to the island. It was a school holiday and there were kids everywhere in the park. They were going to watch me get my way to that island. And they did. Of course, they were just walking next to me as the low tide made the walk out their dry, easy, and short. Still a victory in my book :)

You weigh out Saturday and it is certainly the way we like to measure the success of these programs. 10 people got on the scales that morning, 10 different body types, 10 different levels of fitness, and 10 different amounts of weight they wanted to lose.... And 10 people got off the scales happy. I had never seen that happen before on weigh-in day. Everyone had great losses with the smallest being 6 lbs which had to be in the 4% range for that person and 22lbs on top which was in the 6% range for that person. All told the 9 people lost a staggering total of 106 lbs in their week. They pushed themselves further and harder than they could imagine. They got the support and knowledge of the staff. They got friendship, inspiration, and understanding from each other in a small environment best suited for their needs. It was a successful week. It was hard but it was worth it. And I am certain all 9 of those other campers would agree. Peace, Love, and I love you mother nature...be nice, Jim

keep on keeping on

2011-10-21T21:36:00.005-05:00

There may come a time, a time in everyone's life
where nothin seems to go your way
where nothing seems to turn out right
there may come a time, you just cant seem to find your way
for every door you walk on to, seems like they get slammed in your face
that's when you need someone, someone that you can call.
and when all your faith is gone
feels like you cant go on
let it be me
let it be me
if its a friend that you need
let it be me
let it be me

Ray Lamontagne

So I certainly expected to be completely wrecked for at least two days, following my torturous Monday. But much like everyday here I was up again before dawn and heading down the road to the delightful sounds of my ipod. This picture is the Tettegouche Cove which is one of my favorite spots in all of Minnesota. The waves come breaking in from Lake Superior and meet the Baptism River flowing in to form a cove that is one of the most serene places on earth.

The less than happy news is you walk down a ridiculous amount of steps to see it, but I know this will shock you I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I don't think I climbed more steps on this trip but still a lot and I will let you in on a little secret.... It's getting easier and easier and my knee hurts less.

Wildlife is really abundant here in the North Shore. And much like my brother the black bear I am happy to dip my paw in the cove and grab a little snack. You may laugh but if I had run across this tasty gift from the lake yesterday about three hours into the hike I would have surely eaten it.

This little guy was just happily staring at the fish I was holding and admiring my talents. Truthfully, he or she, I wasn't checking which, blends so well into the scenery that I barely could see it. I'm not exactly what species of flying animals this was. I am guessing either eagle, hawk, or flying monkey. Although my humming of tunes from the Wizard of Oz did not elicit much response so I'm guessing one of the first two.

Here is the craziest of wildlife... A shocking and rare photo of a human encounter with a golden retriever. Not often seen in the wild, and rarely off their leashes in state parks, Izzy was a friendly sort who gave me a big kiss and shared some water from my water bottle. I think he was happy with the salty taste of my face. After all, I had spent the morning doing the pre-dawn 5K, and a pool class, had a bowl of Kashi cereal with fruit and then did a 3 hour class with a 1.5 hour leg circuit, a 30 minute ab's session, relay races that included sprints with kettle bells, and then a step class. It was a legit morning for sure. Followed by a fabulous and scenic hike. I was exhausted, sweaty, tired, and pretty damn happy with my first couple days. And I sure knew that there wasn't anything they could throw at me that would kill me.... at least I hoped so. :)

Speaking of rare pictures. Here is something you haven't seen in months and months... Jimbo in pants. I know winter is coming, it makes me sad but I am ready and I swear this year will be different. I have a workout partner lined up and I'm ready to go. We have ten fabulous, fun campers this week. And one, who decided to come after reading the blog, and who has made it through a few days without yet threatening to kill me. So I am happy for that. On we go through more walks, more classes, and more adventures and knowing whats coming is making it much easier, that and the amazing inspiring group of people doing all this with me. Peace, Love and Happiness, Jim

Hike Me

2011-10-19T09:06:00.005-05:00

The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before.
It always leads me here,
Leads me to your door

The Beatles

So, as I mentioned before, Monday was a very strange day for me. I felt really good all morning, even pushing the kettle bell while bear crawling across the floor. I was happy with my 5K and felt like I really pushed as hard as I could. I was in a good place and felt ready for the afternoon hike. I knew going in it was hard, I knew going in it was 5.5 miles. I didn't know the terrain was going to be extreme, I didn't know the ups and downs would get to me. I didn't know wobbly bridges would await me and I sure didn't ever suspect that I would be finishing in the dark.

I have done some decent sized walks in the past and been ok. I'm slow no doubt about it. I figured I would finish last of the campers who completed it. No big deal. What I have never done in the past is head out on a hike in the afternoon, after doing a 5 K in the morning and 3 .5 more hours of exercise on top of it. I remember seeing this sign and thinking that can't be right I had to have been hiking for at least two miles, no way can it be 4.6 miles back. I think I should learn to trust signs more than the faulty odometer in m mind. I was already starting to fatigue.

I saw a lot of stuff that looked like this. Steps going up, steps going down, and some that seemed to do both. I have never stepped over and around more tree roots, tree limbs, and tree branches... heck even whole trees.

I am not sure what is up with the wild life in upper Minnesota but it sure doesn't seem ver afraid of humans... This guy mocked me by literally posing about 10 inches from my foot.

Here's what the hoopla is all about. The famous split rock, that gives the river, the state park and the lighthouse its name. I know what you are thinking.... big damn deal its two rocks, I'm thinking the same thing

The running question through most of the first half of the hike was do you see a bridge yet? The bridge was identified as the halfway point. Although my wonderful guide Kelly assured me it was past half way, I think she was just trying to be nice. If you look close you can pretty much see the twofold terror in my eyes. First off the bridge I'm standing on is not exactly steel girders and cement and seemed to make a strange noise with each step and secondly I realized I was a little over two hours into this hike. And starting to feel all that exercise, and lack of food.

It started to dawn on me that this was going to take me 4+ hours. I wasn't sure I had it in me. I started to worry, started to think of alternatives. There were none. I was slowing down and we were on a loop hike and I was in the middle. Most everyone else had finished. Another guide and camper backed back out to check on me. I was pretty much a wreck both physically and mentally. I was in perpetual search for somewhere to sit my weary ass, back and legs. I found one but it was not happy when I sat on it cracking, sliding and dumping me to the ground.

I just kept walking as far as I could, assuming my bent over position and dropping F-bombs. we reached the top at late dusk and I asked how much farther. I was told about a football field. It was darkening by the second and after I walked my first football field. I didn't seem much closer. Never ask a non sports fan for an analogy. My guide was using the tiny flashlight on her walkie talkie and I was slowly walking down the mountain as it got back outside. I walked 4-5 football fields easy. I was happy to see the ride although felt bad that some other campers had to wait for their ride back. I came home, crawled up the stairs and climbed into bed. I wrapped myself and shook. Got lots of visitors to check on me, and congratulate me, although I felt more like the conqueree than the conquerer. I just knew I had to be wrecked for days, and was already thinking of an excuse to take tuesday off. I got up the next day and went on my 6am hike. Peace, Love and and a new foe, Jim

Continued

2011-10-18T21:08:00.003-05:00

I apologize for not being able to complete the previous post... I am really having computer issues. But i did want to at least add that upon returning I had convinced myself that it was impossible for this place to dish out anything harder than they had on my previous trip. I was mistaken. My monday afternoon hike took me 5 hours to complete, was the longest hike I have ever done over never ending steps and tree roots, bridges and planks, and ended with me coming down the mountain after sundown with a flashlight. But I finished and I will give you all the details tomorrow. Peace, Love, and pure imagination, Jim

Back up North

2011-10-18T19:43:00.004-05:00

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Want to change the world, there's nothing to it

There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination
Living there, you'll be free
If you truly wish to be

Willy Wonka

First off, I am having huge problems uploading pictures for some reason so you are only getting words today and hopefully pictures tomorrow. I arrived up here on Sunday, weighed in and assumed my room in the Ski Lodge... Of course sharing the lodge with 5 women. I'll give them credit it was atleast 18 minutes before I heard the word period :) I did get the best room in the lodge as a consolation prize... Amazing view, personal jacuzzi, fireplace and a king size bed.

5:15 am comes so quickly here and it was still very dark as we undertook our first work of the day. 5K walk/run through the paths, streets, and parks of downtown Two Harbors. I felt good, actually really good, and traversed the path in my quickest time. So that made me happy. We followed that with an hour in the pool. I miss my noodle and some of the floating around in my old pools, because this is serious pool workouts. Deck Jumps where you are doing pushups on the deck, flutter kicks, relays, and laps. I love it and wish we spent more time there.

Next comes my favorite part of the day that doesn't involve water or eating. We head to a main room where there were 16 stations set up. The 10 campers each start at a different exercise and we spend a 45 seconds to a minute at each station and move on. We did the full cycle three times. Of course we get to run stairs, we get to do all sorts of arm work and we get to sweat unmercifully. We follow up that with relay races, some pusing kettle bells on the floor, doing bear claws, some running and some hauling 20 lb dumbells around.

Fall In Wisconsin

2011-10-08T08:24:00.004-05:00

Hark, now hear the sailors cry
Smell the sea and feel the sky
Let your soul

and spirit fly into the mystic
Van Morrison

It's officially fall in Wisconsin and that, of course, means the temperatures have been in the 80's all week. After playing Volleyball a few nights in 30 degree temps last month it has been just ridiculously nice here all week. Outdoor volleyball is winding down with just a couple weeks left, one of which I will miss getting my butt kicked up north. But thankfully my fall teams have had really good seasons going undefeated on Mondays and only dropping one match on Wednesdays, which happened to coincide with my last trip north :) We held our annual once a year Badger tailgate party this past Saturday to welcome Nebraska to the Big Ten. The Badgers are awfully good this year. And although Nebraska came to town some 40,000 strong they left with a butt-kicking. And thankfully left behind some Nebraska money at the store as well.

If there is one thing I have hated my entire life it is clothes shopping. Nothing ever seems to fit right, nothing in my size ever looks good and nothing makes me look decent. Well I finally broke down and bought some new clothes. Mostly because I was concerned my khaki shorts were going to fall off but also because winter is coming and I know I will need some warmer clothes. But I couldn't pass, up these shorts. You know why.... Because they fit right, they looked good, and I thought they made me look decent :) In fact I spent more money on clothes in this past week then in a very long time.

I have had a really good run this past summer :) Fun, productive, and rewarding. New friends, lots of volleyball, great music, and some interesting travel. It sort of turned when I got back from out of town in April, signed up for Weight Watchers and then again when I joined the Fitness North family in August. I don't follow the Weight Watcher's plan, but I do get on that scale each week and I need that accountability. That was my star from the weigh-in the day before the tailgate. Now I haven't been able to get back to the -49 this week after a full day of tailgating, but I will. And I don't mind because I think finding balance in your life is really the most important way you can be happy. You absolutely have to spend sometime working hard, sacrificing a bit, and being accountable, but you also need fun times, good friends and the enjoyment of great nourishment. I haven't quite figured it all out but I'm getting closer.

This time next week I will be back in Minnesota for my second week at Fitness North. This place was so hard the first time but also so worth it. I have never worked harder. I am about 99% excited to get back up there and of course about 1% scared they are going to kick my butt even worse. But that's why I signed up and they certainly proved I can work harder than I thought and I can learn about nutrition and come home and implement what I learned. I'm also excited because I learned there will be a pretty full group this time so a few more people get to share in the adventure. They told me they have one room left for Oct. 16th through the 22nd. so feel free to grab it up and join in the fun. I can not even imagine how amazing the place will look in full fall colors. It will be peak leaf changing and if the hikes weren't spectacular enough now they are going to be unbelievably beautiful. I really feel like a part of the family here and have been so impressed with their follow up after I came home. Can't wait to see them again. They asked me to pass onto you guys a really cool opportunity if you want to undertake a big change to start your year. They are offering a special 8 week session, with daily personal training, weekly life coaching, full personalized nutritional planning and an amazing start to your 2012. This is the info on the program from them:

The program runs from 01-01-2011 to 2-25-2011. The guest will stay in the Executive Lodge in a Master suite along with a FN Staff person. Your meal and exercise plan is totally customized for you. One-on-one personal training sessions/classes Eight health and wellness coaching sessions with Kelly. Through your coaching sessions, you'll get to know you and learn about both your goals and frustrations, while we create a realistic meal plan to help you lose the weight as well as set you up for success once you leave our program. We will talk to you about specific foods and how to incorporate them into your newly found lifestyle. You are no longer on a diet – you are changing your whole life! You will be taught and get hands-on experience making healthy, gourmet meals. You'll also go to the grocery store to learn how to shop for health and weight loss. You'll spend a lot of time in the produce section as well as discussing packaged products and how to read labels.

The cost is $2,500 per week. The cost covers everything related to the program, including the following: initial assessments, luxury accommodations; healthy meals, snacks, consultations with nutrition and fitness experts weekly health and wellness coaching sessions, ongoing evaluations; and indoor and outdoor exercise programs.

Fitness North is committed to helping you transform your body safely and quickly while learning habits that will promote Health fitness over the course of your lifetime. Your final weight loss journey begins here.

I hope everyone has an amazing week. I have something really special planned for Tuesday... I get to see my girl Sara Bareilles in concert. And I get to take 3 people to their first Sara show. Fun times before packing to head north... Peace, Love and changing leaves and lives, Jim

Wasted Time

2011-09-23T18:10:00.003-05:00

You didn't love the boy too much,
no, no, you just loved the boy too well.
So you live from day to day, and you dream about tomorrow, oh.
And the hours go by like minutes and the shadows come to stay
So you take a little something to make them go away
And I could have done so many things, baby
If I could only stop my mind from wondrin' what
I left behind and from worrying 'bout this wasted time

The Eagles

I wanted to write this week about an issue I have had to deal with over the last few years. It at times debilitates me, it at times drives me the exact opposite way it should, and it at times depresses the hell out of me. It also, has over the last few years, had me apologizing to a whole lot of women for actions of my gender. I assume I would hear the same thing from guys if only I had spent as much time around guys I have around girls at fitness camp. I wish there was an answer for it, because I truly think it effects virtually everybody at one time or another. I know a lot of people think about it as they get older and everybody thinks about it as they prepare for the end. Thankfully I'm not planning on preparing for the end anytime soon :) The issue is wasted time and the effect it has on you as you try to overcome the feeling that you have wasted a chunk of your life not being all you can be, not enjoying all life has to offer, not living and loving all you can, and not striving to be as happy as possible. I know there is certainly no blueprint for happiness. It's not that easy, but dwelling on the fact that some days, months or years went by without it does nothing to make today happier.

I had a really great life-coach meeting when I was at Fitness North. The life coach there is Kelly Krcmaric and the life coach session is included in your weekly session at no charge. Which is really good because otherwise I certainly wouldn't have met with her. She knows her stuff, that much was evident to me right away. We talked about how I suffer from feelings that much of my previous decade plus had been wasted because I was unwilling to try new things, go new places, see new things. I was so embarrassed by the way I looked, so ashamed that things 99% of the world took for granted I was petrified by. Every time I went out I was afraid someone would point, stare, mock me. It just became easier to stay home, watch TV and perpetuate what was making me miserable. No question the TV and the refrigerator didn't give a damn what I looked like. I skipped weddings, reunions, sporting events, and didn't meet friends I could have met. It bums me out. But like Kelly made me realize, having regrets is one thing, letting them haunt you is quite another. Because in reality there is nothing you can do about yesterday you can only change tomorrow. Thankfully I had the support of wonderful friends, family and my wife because I wasn't living. It still saddens me and I'm sure it always will. But with her help I promised that I would no longer let it influence me, insulate me from trying new things or influence the path I take in the future.

So by now you must be asking why exactly does that have you apologizing for your gender? Mostly because us men tend to not be the most caring, loving creatures that God created and I hear stories that make me shake my head in disbelief. And truly my one go to line when I am confronted with stories like this, is one I happily steal from The Eagles song 'Wasted Time'and rarely ever give them credit for. So if I have said it to you in the past and you thought I was extra smart, truth is I'm extra good at plagiarizing from those that make the big bucks coming up with with such great lines. I really love the the line " You didn't love the boy too much, no, no, you just loved the boy too well" I feel as if people fear wasted time, and they make decisions based on a fear that if they admit mistakes they are admitting wasted time. I do know that it is never a mistake to love someone with all your heart, and if they don't prove worthy of all your love you in no way wasted time loving.

So thanks to my new life coach I am pledging to no longer regret any of my former time that has passed me by. None of it was wasted time, because it was all necessary steps to get me to today. I can't change any of it now so regretting it is just a gigantic waste of time. What I can do is to try to continue living life to its fullest. Finding the right balance between fun and working hard, the right balance between what goes in my body and what I do to work it off. And of course loving with all my heart.

This is my friend Libby's horse Chance, she invited me out to meet him, Stetson and Lyric. I do really love horses and not just when they have a tiny man on them running in circles. I also want to thank my old college roommate for giving me 4 passes for the South Florida - Wisconsin volleyball match.Two things are for sure. I need to recruit some of those girls for my summer team, and volleyball on the hardwood is a much different game than sand. I had a great time and will for sure go back to see another match. Other than that more sand volleyball for me and the sand is getting colder. And I had a nice night with my friend Paul at the Gordon Lightfoot concert last week. If you could read my mind.....it would be thinking Peace, Love and Unicorns, Jim

Old Man

2011-09-12T13:59:00.006-05:00

Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
Bob Dylan

I celebrated another in a long line of birthdays this past Saturday. No matter what I do they just seem to keep coming year after year. The good news is I feel damn good, and I am guessing now, but I think that I am at my lowest weight that I have been at for a birthday since maybe 1987 or so. We had a wonderful fun International Pot Luck Birthday party and saw all my friends get very creative with their selections. We spanned the globe from Korea to Venezuela, Poland to Mexico and Cuba to Italy with a stop in Curacao and Ireland. We played a little trivia that shockingly consisted of questions about things like The Terps, Sara Bareilles, and horses. :)

I, of course, bypassed the international overworld and went with the underworld for my contribution.... Deviled eggs :)

Thanks to my week at Fitness North and some post program prodding from the life coach and trainer there I got to take home this little goodie from Weight Watchers. Now I have been going to WW since I was in second grade maybe. I have never picked up the trinket they give you for losing 10% of your weight. I think it is for that although it maybe after 30 some years they just felt sorry for me. The 10% is since June so not so bad. I do really owe a huge debt to the two people that take it upon themselves to put you on a plan when you leave and follow up with you regularly to make sure you are progressing Leif, the trainer and nutritionist and Kelly, the life coach. You receive a free session with Kelly when you are at the resort and two weeks of free follow up. You are also given a specific eating plan and exercise plan designed entirely for you, based on where you are with your fitness and diet. I really can't stress how different and appealing to me this difference is. It feels like you are a part of family and they truly care about you even after you have paid your fees and left the resort. I am really excited to be going back in October and will be at a new low when I get there....hopefully :)

Well it is that time of the year, and I look like a complete goofball clad in all red but got to support the Terps and the beautiful new flag based uniforms they unveiled in their Monday night win vs Miami. Best part about my silly outfit is the shorts I am wearing I couldn't put on 6 months ago.

Speaking of football, ESPN happily spread the sunshine with this short shot of Sunshine Daydream during the UW Badger game on Saturday. The Badgers look great this year with all eyes on their October 1st, welcoming of Nebraska to the Big Ten. I have to give a huge congratulations to my good friend Alex Gibson who this past week completed the Madison Ironman Triathlon. 16 hours of swimming biking and running. Or roughly about 8 back to back of the triathlon I did :) I hope everyone has a wonderful and fun weekend. Peace, Love and Turtles, Jim

Celebrate Me Home

2011-09-05T10:05:00.005-05:00

Before the breathin' air is gone
Before the sun is just a bright spot in the nighttime
Out where the rivers like to run
I stand alone and take back somethin' worth rememberin'
Three Dog Night

Well I promised you a complete wrap up of my week. I'm not really going to compare and contrast the two programs specifics but I will tell you all there is to know about my new program and will happily answer any questions and do any comparisons if you want to email me. I will say this. I have spent well over 1oo days at fitness camp in the last 3 years and I can say without a doubt the five hardest days I have ever had as far as being pushed to work as hard as I can all took place last week. There is no slacking off, there is no hiding in a sea of campers, and there are no 15 minute breaks each hour you work. It's a personal approach, they seem to be able to find your buttons and keep pushing them for you. Did I want to quit?...Damn straight. Did I swear Wednesday that I would never come back?....Oh Yeah.... Did I get in my car Saturday and realize just how much I had done on both the scale and fitness level?...With a giant smile. Am I excited that I have 6 weeks to work on all the steps I took? .....Without a doubt. Am I heading back?... October 16th

The accommodations were really unique and remarkable. This is the view from our balcony. There are 5 bedrooms in each unit and a ginormous common area with a great room, flat screen, and kitchen/dining room. A balcony with a grill and an amazing view of Lake Superior. The beds are soft and comfortable and there are flat screens and ceiling fans in all the rooms. The unit has a washer and dryer for free. And each unit has two whirlpool tubs in them. It is a first rate resort there is no doubt about that.

You go down a couple flights of stairs to the pool and hot tub. Your key gets you access and you do not have to go outside to get entry to them. The hot tub is amazing as it is both indoor and outdoor and looks right out over Lake Superior. I might have gotten a little more use out of these if I wasn't so tired every night. But I did spend time in the pool everyday I was there.

The program is tough. I am not going to sugarcoat that at all. The alarm comes early every morning. And for a guy not used to getting up at 5:30 each day it was rough. But you're not here to relax you are here to work. They really seem to want to show you so many different ways to workout. We went to gyms, did circuit training you can easily and cheaply do at home, and even got a TRX and spin class mixed in. There was something here for everyone and they made everyone feel involved and working no matter what their fitness level. I have never sweated as much I wore 3 different shirts each day and sweated through every single one of them. I thought something had died in the trunk of my car on the way home but then realized it was just a whiff of my laundry basket full of clothes.

The Food... There isn't a lot of it obviously. It's not placed down in front of you fully prepared, and there is no one there to scoop your plates off the table when you are done. Is it hard to get back at noon exhausted and dying and have to prepare your own food. Of course. But guess what? That's how it is in real life. So you adapt. I had wonderful housemates and we worked together to get the meals both tasty and prepared. I'm not the greatest cook but did spend two nights on the deck grilling chicken for everyone. It takes a little effort but you feel good about it. They are willing to work on substitutions if you don't like something and the food get placed in your refrigerator every day so it is beyond fresh. It's macro nutrients, consisting of lean meats, health grains, lots of veggies and some fruits. There is also a snack at before you workout in the morning and another at night. I enjoyed the meals immensely and it really felt like a family around meal time. The picture is of turkey roast, spinach salad and mashed cauliflower dinner one night.

I missed my volleyball teammates for sure but did find time to work a little hitting into the mix. Happy to get back in the sand this week, especially since I feel lighter, quicker and a little more hungry to compete. Fitness North really tries to incorporate things you can do at home into their program. They prove you don't need to spend 1000's on equipment or gym memberships. I loved the circuit class. More so, when I was done then when I was bent over gasping, of course. But I found that the medicine balls, bands, punching bags, and kettle bells and the change of pace to be a little fun.

The hikes were really cool. They were harder for one reason. When you went on the hikes you already had 5 plus hours of work in your legs that day. I saw waterfalls, light houses, animals, ships, changing leaves, views of the lake, and really cool state parks. I hiked hills, and trails, steps and docks. The hikes were all diverse and the group broke up so everyone could go at their best speed. If you like to hike they will find hikes for whatever level you are at. And if you do a little investigation into the many great parks in the area they will listen to your suggestions of where you go.

It's my birthday week and I asked for a new pair of shoes. There they are at the end of the backdrop they came with. What an amazingly pleasant surprise to come home to
on the first day of college football. Many thanks to Mrs. T for the early gift. We accompanied my good friend Paul and his wife to see 3 Dog Night Saturday night and really enjoyed the show. They had a non-stop 2 hour collection of hits. I really enjoyed hearing so many of their hits. And I really enjoyed my stay in Two Harbors, Minnesota. You can get more info on Fitness North at www.fitnessnorth.net Have a great week. Peace, Love and Joy To The World, Jim

4 Fifths

2011-09-01T20:31:00.003-05:00

You're the cutest thing that I ever did see
I really love your peaches
Want to shake your tree
Steve Miller Band

Well I am out of Minnesota musicians and Lake Superior songs so I am heading east to Wisconsin and UW alumnus Steve Miller who has two of my most favorite song fruit references with the above song and also the crate of papaya he hoped to deliver in Jungle Love.

Thursday started at 5:15 with a weigh-in.... Don't bother asking because I don't have a clue. They didn't tell me. If it's not great I will not be happy but I'm not worried about it, it's just got to be good. I am tired of looking at the clock all night and trying to determine just how few hours I have left before the alarm goes off. It is never enough. I will later in the day realize I have already worked out 4 hours and it is only 11 in the morning and I'm not half way done.

Today's morning 5 K included a little add-on going out the sea wall to the light house on the point. And got the added bonus of getting to see the EPA boat the Lake Explorer II. This boat travels all of the Great Lakes and was recently in Lake Tahoe. The crew seemed happy to spend a few minutes answering questions from the nautically challenged guy sweating through his sweatshirt.

I spent a few minutes doing what I was warned not to do by the sign on the door...but I was a long way from humanity and figured one wrung for a photo op would be ok. I just can't get over the scenery here. So very stunning. The weather has been odd and seems to change 20 degrees in 10 minutes and the fog has been rolling in regularly. It's a little like Maine but without the sweet lobster I miss.

After our morning session we headed down to Duluth, about 26 miles south of here for a day at a boutique gym for spin class and TRX class. I actually enjoyed the spin class, probably because my knees and feet weren't feeling much of the pressure they have been all week. The spin class lasted just over an hour we got a 5 minute break and right into a 50 minute TRX class. TRX is a body weight strap concoction that was most likely conceived in some sado-masochist's basement. I felt awkward, weak, tired and clueless and when it was time to slip our feet into the straps I just sat down and laughed. I understand you can get a great workout with these but I'm not ready to be a fan. As evidenced by the picture they may be a fun add-on to your bathroom.

Our afternoon hike was along the water in downtown Duluth. Certainly one huge bonus was the fact that I packed my volleyball for the trip down. I have certainly missed playing this week. Can't wait to get back out there next week. And hopefully a little quicker, and a little lighter. Thanks to Life Coach Kelly for hitting with me today...I may take a couple day break from the blog as I am heading out very early Saturday morning for the long drive home and then back to the Dells for a Saturday night 3 Dog Night concert. But I promise a full blown wrap up of Fitness North as soon as possible. Happy Thursday to everyone...Peace, Love and College Football, Jim

Wrecked like the Edmund Fitzgerald

2011-08-31T19:38:00.007-05:00

The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they call "Gitche Gumee."
"Superior," they said, "never gives up her dead
when the gales of November come early!"

Gordon Lightfoot

So I know it's Minnesota week and Gordon is from a little further north but this song is about the big Great Lake I'm looking at as I type this. So it seemed extra appropriate to use this song this week. And as an added bonus Mr. Lightfoot will be playing for me in Madison on September 15th. Now before I recount my day I thought I would give you a little history lesson about the song.

On November 10, 1975, an ore carrier - the Edmund Fitzgerald - sank in Lake Superior during a November storm, taking the lives of all 29 crew members. Later that month, Gordon Lightfoot, inspired by that article in Newsweek Magazine, wrote what is probably his most famous song: Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald.

It was a rainy wednesday on the north shore of Minnesota and that changed up our schedule a bit. I spent two hours from 6 am to 8am in the pool. Lap after lap of individual medleys and then 20 minutes of heaving the medicine ball on to the deck while shuffling around the pool. It was hard but I really enjoyed a morning without a 6 am hike. However, the trainers seemed to think that was a great excuse to wratchet up our mid morning session. The 12 circuits became 18 the relays doubled to two and the ab work doubled as well. It was 3 hours of hard ass work and I was on my way to miserable. And there was no 15 minute break each hour. I would have been happy with 5 minutes an hour. But I had it better than my friend bob-a loo. Not often I get to dwarf a bear

After lunch we reconvened for our afternoon session that was promised as a 1 hour cardio session at the local gym. I spent 10 minutes getting reaquainted with my old friend the Nu-Step :) But moved onto the bike and spent the next 45 minutes on an old school life cycle. Was glad to finish that up before learning that I was going to be doing squats and presses over in the weight room. Thankfully that ended rather quickly and I thought maybe I could get a little nap in since it was around 3:30... Found out we would all be walking back to the resort. I'm guessing in the 1.5 mile range. UGH... Jimbo was

not a happy camper. My legs hurt and every step only adds to it. But an hour later I grumply waddled into the resort...Was I happy that I did it?...Not really. I just wanted to put the feet up, ice the knee and shut my eyes. That lasted about a half hour before dinner and a lecture on macro-nutrients

My ass is kicked. If I cough my ab's cry. If I reach out my shoulder shrieks. If I climb my knee sings a tune like a bowl of rice krispees. There is literally no part of me that doesn't hurt. I have a 5:15 am weigh in tomorrow. I don't really care. I have worked as hard in these 3 days as I can. I'm really proud of all I have done and all my FN mates have done as well. No dissapointment in anything I have done. I do really miss my volleyball teammates and my time in the sand. Volleyball>>>>>>walking home from the gym....Peace, Love, and Rainy Day People, Jim

Forever Young

2011-08-30T19:51:00.004-05:00

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
May you stay forever young

Bob Dylan

Day two is winding down and it was certainly appropriate to quote Mr Robert Zimmerman who was brought into this world a mere 26 miles down the road in Duluth, Minnesota. Considered by many the greatest American songwriter he certainly gave me plenty of fabulous music to choose from but let's face it we are at a place like this trying to stay forever young. And with a birthday next week I am really much more staying forever young than knocking on heaven's door

5:30 arrived early as you would expect on day two. I was sore, I was tired, and I was ready to go. There is nothing I do worse than walk long distances, and by long distances I mean anything further than the fridge. I hate that I sweat more than everyone. I hate that I pant and gasp, and stop more than everyone. And I hate that I bend over to catch my breath and am always at or near the back of the pack. I'm happy I could walk 3+ miles today no matter how much those other things effected me and I am damn happy that it can only get better....I hope :)

This hike each morning runs along the shores of Lake Superior. You get to see the sunrise over the lake, the lighthouse, the ships loading iron ore
and heading out on their journeys, tug boats and the train depot. It is a really cool, fun hike from a guy that doesn't really like walking in a circle. The hike starts on a paved path, transitions onto trails and ends in the downtown twin harbor neighborhood.

Each morning I make my last turn and head into the final 1/4 mile at the Dairy Queen. It's not open yet and it seems impossible to get much pleasure from downing the picture of the peanut busted parfait. Something about it makes me smile. Not that I really have a choice but I get a little joy out of walking past the DQ every morning.

Speaking of scrumdillyicious. My turkey taco tonight for dinner was just fabulous. The food here is not plentiful by any measure but it is tasty and I will certainly discuss it more as we go.

I am exhausted. I'm tired, I am beat up. I have been pushed harder in these two days than I have ever been pushed before. Today way leg day. After the morning hike and pool class, we got a 30 minute step aerobics class followed by 2 12 circuit leg rotations. They included lunges, squats, step ups, lifts and wall sits. My knee is really making sound it shouldn't throughout most of this. I was glad that was over until I found out we were doing relays up the stairs....UGH.. But doing something I would never do on my own is why I am here. A little ice and I was ready for the afternoon hike.

We hiked Split Rock State Park today. The highlight of this trip is meant to be the Split Rock Lighthouse. But as you can see the weather really didn't cooperate very well with lots of fog in the area. I did see this cool little island and wished I had worn worse shoes that weren't my best as it was possible to get to the island hopping some rocks and wading a bit. Alas next time. I was a little grumpy, a little sore, and very tired. I'm not sure I did all there was to do but I am damn sure I did all I could do...and maybe a little more.

On to Wednesday, another upper body circuit, and more of the same...Looking forward to it but I'm not going to lie, starting to look forward to Friday night as well. I need these knees for fall volleyball. Hope everyone is happy, content and forever young... Peace, Love, and eek I'm excited, Jim

Day One, Ya

2011-08-29T18:17:00.003-05:00

Let's go crazy
Let's get nuts
Look 4 the purple banana
'Til they put us in the truck, let's go!

C'mon baby
Let's get nuts
Yeah
Crazy

Let's go crazy

Prince

It's Minnesota week here on the blog as I have holed up in Twin Harbors, Minnesota on the shores of Lake Superior. The first time I have ever seen the largest fresh water lake in the world. And this being Minnesota week well we have two very notable Minnesota musicians to choose from. I think some of you may be surprised by who I chose first. But the purple bedecked little man who parties like it's 1999 got my vote as the most emblematic of the state.

Sunrise came early over Lake Superior, but not as early as my alarm. I was the last one up at 5:35 am. We were out the door and on the path by 6:05. A little 3.4 mile warm-up to your day and one that will be repeated every am this week. So essentially a 5K morning race. I can remember finishing my 5K's and being prepared for the day off. Amazing views on this hike. I will give you some more pictures of this hike tomorrow tomorrow. We had finished by 7:15 and were back at the resort and in the pool for pool class by 7:30. Pool was not a floating on noodles class. It was a serious circuit workout with deck pushups and lunges. I was officially whipped and it was around 8:15. Breakfast was thankfully next on the agenda. Kashi cereal and almond milk and blueberries.. Not much rest for the weary though as next class was at 9:30 and it was a serious workout.

We started with a half hour of core work, including 5 different types of crunches, and sit-ups. Finished that section with some plank work. I have a sore elbow from that. That was only the beginning of the fun. Next up a 12 station cross-circuit training rotation. And we got to run this group three full times for 36 total stations. It was full body with today's concentration on upper body.

We used bands, medicine balls, jump ropes, boxing gloves, and the floor to pretty much beat me up. After the first run through I was like I can do this, 2nd run through it started to hurt and 3rd run through was me gasping and bending over and staring at the clock.

My least favorite station... Running the stairs. How is this upper body? The only people that had it worse than us were the couple eating on the deck that got to stare at us each time we came up....Which was a bunch.

It was actually fun and I much preferred it to the steady drone of a treadmill. And they made it something you could replicate at home. And they made me sweat through my second hat and second shirt of the day.

That ended and I was pretty sure we were done....I was mistaken. The cones came out and we spent the next 30 minutes running suicides on the floor, just like back in high-school basketball. Sprint down touch the floor, go further repeat, and then go further and repeat. And that was the easy one. The second 5 set trip included 20lb kettle bells in our hands.You can catch me in a familiar pose in the back of this picture. We stretched after this and called it a morning. I was beat and ready to call it a day or two days.

After Lunch we headed to Gooseberry Falls State Park. And there we hiked through much of the park, up steps, over bridges, down steps and then back up those same steps. We split into 4 different groups so that each person could hike at their best pace. Mine was slowly heading towards crawling. The falls were not running at their spring thaw speed by any stretch but they were still magnificent. Pretty much everything from the hips down hurt on both legs. Thankfully my guide showed a wee bit of pity on me and called it a day for me 15 minutes before 4pm. Spent, sweaty...again, and happy that the work part of the day was done. I am too tired to even walk to the hot tub. I'm not sure what time you are supposed to go to bed to get enough sleep to be fresh at 5:30 am but it's not midnight like last night.

There are 5 campers here this week. Lots of personal attention. I believe they currently max out at 18 campers and are expecting full crowds this fall. And not too surprising I am the only guy.

It was a great first day. I am exhausted as I should be. Excited to see just how much I can do. And simply mesmerized by the beauty that surrounds me. It's is so exciting to find a new place you have never seen before and love it... A friend answered a question this week with Let's not go crazy.... I don't like that answer...Let's go crazy, run those numbers up, see new things and go to exciting new places. Peace, Love and Superior times, Jim

The Landslide Will Bring You Down

2011-08-24T11:55:00.005-05:00

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older and I'm getting older too
Oh, I'm getting older too

Stevie Nicks

As August slowly churns to an earthquaking halt it's time to wrap up summer volleyball and get ready for the next big adventure in my life. A few times this summer we struggled to play up to our capabilities, we got pushed around on Wednesday by one team that was bigger, stronger and younger, but when all was said and done we ended up taking home the Monday championship. We finished second on Wednesday nights and are currently in a 3 way tie for first on Thursdays with 3 weeks remaining. As always Sunday's have been a whole lot of fun. Onward to fall volleyball which starts in the warmth and ends in the chill of the oncoming winter. I will miss the first week of the season, but should get most of the rest of the season in.

I have to say a really hardy thank you to this group of volleyball players that adopted me halfway through the season. I had been helping out their team rather unsuccessfully for a few weeks because they were playing short handed. They were fun, enthusiastic and appreciative. I'm not sure why they changed up their attire the last couple weeks, but it sure surprised me and was extremely sweet. I am so very humbled by the wonderful people around me. And just for kicks Team Jim picked up their first match victory ever this week...Very sweet

I'm almost 4 week into to my new eating plan and pretty happy with the results. It all started with a nutrition evaluation from Leif Anderson and we were on our way. A whole bunch of foods that look like these chicken avocado lettuce wraps. Weekly weigh ins, nutrition and exercise evaluations, give me the accountability I need to succeed. And I know he is always available for consultations if you are are interested.

Should be an interesting week ahead for me. I leave Friday for Minnesota. I get to make a stop at Canterbury Park one of my favorite mid-west racetracks and then report to Fitness North on Sunday. Hoping for this cool room with the awesome view but really they all look awesome. Weather looks just amazing for the week. 105 degree highs in St George vs 70 degree highs in Duluth :) just sayin' I have been getting a little more nervous each day as new things really tend to scare me, but I also am genuinely excited for this new chapter of my life. Be sure to check in all next week to read all about it.

Went and saw Stevie Nicks in concert last night. She looked amazing and sounded wonderful. She had a very energetic and receptive crowd. Loved her music I knew, just would have loved to hear a whole lot more of it... A 14 song setlist is underwhelming compared to what I have been seeing recently... But Dreams, Rhiannon and Landslide were worth the ticket price by themselves.

Wanted to give a very hearty congratulations to two friends who did something amazing last week. Bernadine and Karen were part of the 3 day Komen Michigan walk. 60 miles walked in 3 days is simply amazing to me. I am very proud of you girls and all the walkers. And the pink tu-tu's were a very nice touch. Hope everyone had a wonderful week. My old hometown got shaken by an earthquake this week and by looks of my D.C. friends postings on facebook, it was quite the shocking event... I think it was just a warning shot to our elected officials. Peace, Love and Landslides, Jim

Clothes look good on an elephant

2011-08-09T12:45:00.004-05:00

He say I know you, you know me
One thing I can tell you is
You got to be free

Come together, right now
Over me

The Beatles

One thing we can all pretty much agree on is Summer is the best time of year. It seems to go by in a blink of the eye and get shorter and shorter each year. I think this has been the hottest summer ever in Wisconsin since i have lived here. Lot's of days in the 90's but you will never hear me complain. If I have to change shirts mid-way through a volleyball match it just means I'm working hard. I do really love to sweat, more so when I'm doing something where I should be sweating than just sweating to Paul McCartney, which was about a 100 on the sweat scale. I can't believe summer is ending already. But I do like fall.

CNBC still seems to run my little TV appearance with some regularity. They especially seem to like to run it around the end of Biggest Loser. I hadn't watched it in over a year but I did so again recently. It brings such mixed emotions to me, I realize I have come a ways from this boating picture, but at the same time I need to do more. It also leads to the very rare but often funny encounter with someone I don't know saying something to me. It happened a few weeks ago as I was sitting at the bar following a volleyball game. You're the guy that was on TV? Maybe? Doing that marathon? It was a sprint triathlon. Oh Man that's crazy Can I buy you a shot? Sure, I'm not sure that's what CNBC had in mind for me when they filmed me but who am I to say no to a stranger buying me a shot.. That's cool you still do any of that crap? Well, I still try to stay active but no one is filming me drinking this cherry bomb :)

I wanted to share my new eating plan with you guys. The good news is I seem to be eating way more often then I am used to. You would think after 40 years of dieting, I would have tried it all but this is new to me. I have most often gone the simple route of calorie deprivation to achieve weight loss. Good in the short term, not so good in the long term. Skipping meals, not eating until noon, and doing stupid stuff like that. This new program, as supervised by my new fitness guru, Leif Anderson, is a diet based solely on Macro-Nutrients. Macro-nutrients are the basic foods that comprise our diets, divided into three groups, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. 6 smaller meals a day made up of 7 oz. of protein, 15g of fat, and one serving of natural carbs from fruits or veggies. Although leafy green veggies are mostly unlimited. It is designed to get the body to work most efficiently or as Leif says turn me into a fat-burning, muscle building machine. You're not getting any of these meals at a drive-thru that I can assure you. There is nothing processed on this plan. You do get one free meal a week on Saturday nights following your weigh-in. I like this plan and so far so good on the scale 10 days in and 10 lbs lighter.

As I mentioned previously I am heading to a new fitness camp in less than 3 weeks called Fitness North in Twin Harbors, Minnesota. I have done as much research as possible into this place and have been really surprised by the natural beauty that surrounds it. I have never been this far north before, but with average highs in the 70's for my stay and lows each night in the 50's it sounds perfect weather wise for August. And though slightly cooler in October when I plan to return I'm thinking the sight of the leaves turning will be simply breathtaking. The place hikes in a few of the many state parks that surround the area and I have seen other campers pictures from their hikes there and WOW. Who doesn't want to be standing beside a beautiful waterfall getting their picture taken? One thing I didn't see in the Utah desert was much water and here I will see it everyday. Although, with a 6 am hike each morning I'm not sure I will be awake enough to fully appreciate it :) I'm sure the second hike in the afternoon will be a little more to my liking. I am really excited to go experience a new program, meet new people, and get pushed by new trainers. I'm not exactly sure where in town this lighthouse is but I can promise you you'll get to see a picture of me there. Along with the pictures of me bent over gasping for air, sweating like a fool, working out in the pool, and climbing some crazy landscape that you have grown accustomed to seeing here.

I wanted to give a few shout outs and thank you's here for some people that have been extra nice and special to me this summer. Paul Haas has let me use his box at Arlington Park so many times and there are few places in the world Jimmy enjoys more than on the finish line at the racetrack. My really good friends and exercise challenge partners Merinda, Karen, Bernadine, Betsey,Lisa, Darlene, and Jaime have kept me inspired and accountable with exercise this summer. Without you girls I'm quite certain Richard Simmons would be knocking on my door, bulldozer in tow. My volleyball teammates have to put up with my competitive nature. My extreme douchiness when I lose and don't high five my teammates, my snarkiness to the ref, and my constant cussing of myself when I mess up. I love you guys to death and I really only want to be the best teammate I can be. And we do win a heck of a lot more than we lose so I owe you guys a huge debt and love spending so many of my nights with you. My good friend Paul Schwartz has spent countless hours with me making me laugh, trying to get me to embrace women's soccer, and extolling the virtues of today's republican recall elections. And so for you Paul, for me, and for the state of Wisconsin, its fabulous underpaid teachers, and those people with some compassion for those less privileged than most I hope the democrats grab a few seats back today. To one of my all time favorite aunts, Betsy Waterman, I need to say congratulations on the breeding of Hunter's Lodge who won at first asking and paid $21.20 in the 6th race on July 15th at Calder Racecourse. Next time give your nephew the heads up before the race would ya? :) And finally to my wife Jacky who opted not to buy every leather purse in Italy, just most of them, on her trip to Barcelona, Florence, and Rome and left me just enough to afford a trip to Fitness North...thanks for the support darling :) I hope everyone is doing well. Happy 8oth birthday to my one of my all time favorite elephants. Peace, Love, and Babar, Jim

Welcome Back

2011-08-03T09:55:00.007-05:00

Welcome back
Your dreams were
Your ticket out
Welcome back
To that same old place
That you laughed about

Jon Sebastion

I missed you guys :)

I know this is not going to come as a big shock to any of you but here's how my summer has gone. I have played a ton of sand volleyball, I have seen some amazing concerts, and I have lost weight down to my lowest number in 20+ years only to have 15 lbs come back on. I am so tired of fighting this same old 5% up and down on the scale that I needed to try something new. So I am really excited that I will be going to a place called Fitness North at the end of August... but more on that later. Lets get you caught up on what's been going on in Madison.

I bought a new car. This is the "newest" car I have ever owned. It is a 2009 Dodge Charger. I love it. It is ridiculously spacious inside. It has the one feature I wanted in a car...An ipod dock, I know I'm simple. And it looks like a beach at most times due to all the sand I drag into it. And there appears to be sweat stains and the sweet smell of 100 degree volleyball clothes in the car.

Let's start with my favorite day of the summer and one of my favorite nights ever. Jackson Browne played a solo acoustic show in Madison and I had the pleasure of enjoying the show with my wonderful friend Paul and our lovely wives. We had dropped a Sunshine Daydream sweatshirt off at the tour bus early in the day with a song request. And Jackson did not disappoint playing the pretty rare 'Love Needs a Heart' for me. And no show would be complete without me stalking my all-time favorite for a picture. Gracious, friendly and so politically in line with me. Nothing but respect for, in my mind the greatest American songwriter in my life. We are still running on empty for sure.

As long as we are talking concerts I got to do something I have never done before this weekend. I got to see a Beatle live in concert. And Sir Paul did not disappoint. 3 + hours, 40 songs, a ton of Beatles tunes, and a ton of Wings songs as well. Including my all time favorite Wings tune Maybe I'm Amazed. The show was at Wrigley Field on about as sweltering a night as you could imagine. When I got in the car after midnight the thermometer still read 92. I was a sweaty happy mess. Got to hear Let It Be, Hey Jude, Live and Let Die, Eleanor Rigby, All My Loving, Something, Day in the Life, Daytripper, Drive My Car, Yesterday, and so many more. A fine night with some very happy people.

Wouldn't be a summer without seeing my current favorite Miss Sara Bareilles out in support of her great new CD. Road tripped down to Millikin College in Decatur, Illinois for the show. And was rewarded with some very nice seats compliments of Sara's drummer. Another great night with a good friend.

The concert itself didn't blow me away but the experience sure did. After a 30 year break I got to see Jimmy Buffett in concert again. But more importantly I got to spend sometime with some very special friends. Including my great high school friend John Kennedy holding up the palm tree. Also these fabulous women who came into Madison for the weekend. These are all Fitness Ridge girls who know how to have a very good time. Can't say enough about how fun it was to have all of them in Madison for the weekend.

Like Springsteen and Jackson Browne, the 30 year break between shows for me is a big regret. I hate that I hid in my house for so many years and missed so much... Not any more. The parking lot is hard to describe but I have never seen so many people having such a good time tailgating like professionals. I thought I knew had to throw a tailgate but not compared to these people who brought boats, buses, bands and beaches for their parties.

I am certainly spending as much time in the sand as possible, playing four nights a week. I love it and can not imagine being without it. I really love to compete, but I really love to win. And my teams while not on top every night are first or second 3 out of the four nights. Mostly happy that my knee has held up really well. I had a hip issue early in the year that had me miss a couple weeks but happy to report that all seems well know

Here's my Sunday team wearing the new Volleyball jerseys.

I have done a couple 5K's this summer, my favorite taking place on a really cold windy morning. It was the Spring Sprint for the Arb. I was slow and I didn't think I wanted to do it, but I was awfully happy with how much of it I ran. I certainly miss the support I get when I do these races with other people and I think that keeps me from doing more, but I'm always content and satisfied when I'm done no matter how small the number of people that finish behind me is. It was 2 :)

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this summer was a Wisconsin hiking book. This was a solo hike I did at Natural Bridge, which you can see a tiny bit of behind me. I wish I had done a few more of these than I did but I really enjoyed all the ones I did. I loved the ones that wound around many of the lakes in the area. I do love walking by water. Which leads me to my next big adventure.

I have been stuck at my current plateau for too long. I need to try something new especially nutritionally. I had heard really good things about a fairly new program that was up on the shores of Lake Superior, called Fitness North. www.fitnessnorth.net I spoke with the new owner and he wanted to come down to Madison to do a fitness evaluation and nutritional protocol for me in advance of coming. We also got a chance to have a long talk about their philosophy, their program and their plans. Leif Anderson kicked my butt in my gym here in Madison and I really look forward to much more of it. The facility is blow you away beautiful nestled on the shores of a gorgeous lake. There are two daily hikes, swimming classes, circuit classes and really the intense personal contact that used to exist at the ridge before the massive expansion. Each week is limited to 18 people. He seemed most proud of their follow up and family approach to their guests. He certainly impressed me by his desire to come meet with me and address my food issues. Anyone who sees "great promise" in me is the optimist and support I need. I have seen a lot of people spend a lot of money and have fabulous results in a structured on site program. I wish I had seen more who continued to keep going after they left, myself included, and it really struck me that it seemed like the number one goal of this program was to follow up after you leave and make sure you continue what you start at home. I think the small number of campers makes this much more manageable. I really can't wait to spend a week at a place I have never spent time at. I'm not going to lie I'm not sure I would survive in January, but August 28th it's going to be fabulous.

Here's me and my new guru :) I have a brand new eating plan. One that makes sense, one that is supervised, one that is designed for me and I am genuinely excited. I can't wait to head the shores of Lake Superior on August 28th for a week. If you want to go I know they are offering a special now that is buy one get one half off. So feel free to join in the new adventure.

That's your update. I will certainly be writing much more often and discussing my new protocol in much more detail. Until them Peace, Love, Lobsters, and the happy return to work of my racially offensive nicknamed NFL team. It's really time to change that name on my sweatshirt. Jim

Hiatus

2011-03-24T12:23:00.003-05:00

Close your eyes and i'll close mine

Good night sleep tight

Now the sun turns out his light

Good night sleep tight

Dream sweet dreams for me

Dream sweet dreams for you.

Good night good night everybody

Everybody everywhere Good night.

The Beatles

You belong among the wildflowers

You belong somewhere close to me

Far away from your trouble and worries

You belong somewhere you feel free

Tom Petty

After spending the last 3 years of my life writing about and sharing my life I feel like now is the perfect time for me to take a creative break from blogging. It has been a wildly fun and productive run. I just need some time to push further along my journey. And I need to do that without worrying about being funny or trying to find new ways to say the same old things. So, I am going to take a break from writing. Hopefully, it will be short and I will realize I miss this form of communication. I can't promise it will be because I just dont know. I don't like that some of my friends choose to think reading my blog is communicating with me. I miss talking to those people about my life and their's. The really good news is I am very easy to keep in touch with. My email is jimgoterps@gmail.com I am active on facebook http://www.facebook.com/jimgoterps and I am happy to talk on the phone. You can email me for that :)

If you are interested in Fitness Ridge and are looking for my details about the program look in February and March 2010, October and November 2010, and February 2011.

A quick note of thanks to everyone who read any of my blogs. What started small picked up a little unexpected steam along the way. A giant thank you for laughing and riding along with me. A very special thank you to those of you that took the time to comment. I always looked to see if people thought enough of the blog to post a comment and those comments would serve as an affirmation to me that my time was appreciated.

Have a wonderful summer. I am excited as always for the warm weather. I have tickets in hand for Sara Bareilles, Jimmy Buffet, and Jackson Browne already. I am so looking forward to volleyball. And I even have a couple of 5K's lined up for April.

Peace, Love and happy travels until we meet again...... Keep Running on Empty, Jim

Ridge wrap-up

2011-03-12T07:31:00.002-06:00

The dogs on Main Street howl
'cause they understand
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister I ain't a boy, no I'm a man
And I believe in a promised land

Bruce Springsteen

Let me start by saying that this was one of the best, if not the best, of all my trips to the Ridge. It was fun, so productive, and invigorating. I pushed my knee and it responded fabulously. I climbed heights that were unimaginable to me when I started this program. I got pushed by my friends to go faster and harder than ever before. I learned to relax and and enjoy my surroundings. I didn't have a triathlon or a film crew changing my program. I felt like I could do things that I haven't done since back in my college days. No complaints :)

So let's tie up some loose ends before I settle in for some serious basketball watching, because it's March and that to me means a plethora of exciting passionate basketball. The food just keeps getting better. This is a yummy Caesar Salad Pizza. There's so many more options if you don't like what they are serving. The kitchen staff is amazing and works to make sure you get everything you need and want. They cut apples and oranges to take on the hike with you. It's been such a transformation in the dining room that I can't say enough about it.

I had a lot of fun on this trip. Played pool volleyball, spent a rainy morning playing racquetball in town, and remembered that exercise can be fun and doesn't by any stretch have to be on a treadmill in a gym.

My hikes were simply great this trip. Saddle, Camelback, Hidden Pinyon, Johnson's Arch, and Jenny's Canyon. Beautiful, hard, sweaty, and humbling. I just never thought I would be someone who looked forward to conquering new hills. Saddle was so hard, but I wanted to prove that I could do all that they offered. I look back on my first 3 trips over 18 months where I never ventured off road and laugh at what I missed out on. There is no feeling like standing on the summit of a great mountain, surrounded by loving friends, and realizing you climbed it. I was never that guy. But this place makes me that guy. This picture is the pond from Butch Cassidy, and it actually had water in it for the first time on one of my trips.

There are certain classes I don't really like to take. I find some of them really hard. In others I feel completely uncoordinated. But then I look around the class and I realize I'm no different from anyone else there. We all have our fears and though we try to mask those fears many times by exuding confidence we still worry about what others will think about how we look or how we don't fit in. That's all self doubting crap. No one cares, you try the best you can. You laugh, you sweat, and when it's over you smile.

The ridge has changed. I see bigger people coming for longer stays. Do me a favor no matter how big you are, no matter how much it hurts or how embarrassed you are by how hard things are for you compared to others, get on a van every morning. Have them take you somewhere. Spend those two and a half hours moving around. Take a few more steps than you did the day before. If you don't you are cheating yourself. I really wish they would make everyone get on the vans but they don't. So make it your number one priority to do that. It changes your life, and you are only short changing yourself if you don't. I would have chosen to stay back, pretended to get a good workout in, but nothing had the effect that going out and walking the stop sign hike repeatedly did for me. If you are coming and afraid; that is so understandable. We all are, but you took the hardest step when signing up, keep taking those steps. You can't have Paige looking over your shoulder all the time. Well I guess you can if you stand below her fathead picture on the wall :)

One of the more surreal moments for me was coming off Saddle completely exhausted, and a lady not at the ridge, telling me she read my blog. So a shout-out to Theresa from Washington, who came back to St George on her own, wearing her polar watch to make sure she was burning the calories she burned on the program and hiking her butt up stop sign everyday. There's hikes everywhere, teams to play on and friends that want to help. take advantage of it. The Ridge is a bubble but you have to live in the real world. If you are going to book a stay here book for as many weeks as you think you need, but 4 weeks is optimal. If you want to stay 12 make plans to go home every four weeks and start to adapt. The most successful campers are those that cherish their time at the Ridge but make it work at home. And after four weeks you lose some of that cherishing your time there.The program is hard I will not lie about that. Your body gets tired, your mind wanders, and you need outside life. There seems to be diminishing returns after 4 weeks without a freshening of some sorts.

So in short. This place is awesome. The people in the program inspire you beyond what you could ever imagine. It's life changing. None of us are perfect and I am further away than most, but you will have perfect, jaw-dropping days here, and you will believe in yourself. And there is no greater feeling than leaving the self loathing behind and embracing life again. It's vacation time for me and the blog. Hopefully we earned it. Peace, Love and buzzer beaters, James

What goes up must come down

2011-03-08T07:36:00.004-06:00

Give a little bit
Give a little bit of your love to me
I'll give a little bit of my love for you
Now's the time that we need to share
So find yourself, we're on our way back home

Supertramp

Before I begin part two of my Saddle trip I need to take some time to talk about my hiking partners. I really had the heart and soul of Fitness Ridge with me on this hike. Paige is the fitness director. She often has to play the bad cop at the Ridge which is really against her nature. She has a heart ten times the size of her body. She has made the program at the ridge what it is today. She took the groundwork that had been laid and put her spin on it. From the hikes to the classes every aspect of the ridge is better because of her. I love her to death.

Renee is the head of the Ridge marketing department. She doesn't have a ton of interaction with the guests on a daily basis, but each of them owe her for making this program accessible and visible to them. She works to bring contestants from the show to the ridge, had done so much to put this program in the national spotlight, and even got a shy boy from Wisconsin to confess many life sins on national TV to help others learn about the power of this program. I am so happy that she and I have become such good friends

Trevor is the head of the reservations department. The first interaction most everyone has with the ridge is with his department. He solves problems, makes the guests laugh, and smile with his calorie challenge, and has increased the professionalism of his office beyond what I ever imagined after my first trip here. He has become a dear friend of mine.

The last member of the Ridge staff to join us on the hike was Eric. As the general manager of this place his hours are long, his duties endless, and his demands encompassing. He is all of these peoples boss and the jobs they do is a complete reflection of the leadership he provides. I can't imagine this place without him and truly hope the owners appreciate all he does to make their resort all that it is. He is one of my best friends in the world and I treasure any time we spend together. If it wasn't for Eric my first trip here may very well have been my last. I could never thank him enough for all he has done for me and every camper that walks through the door here.

The last of our group wasn't a ridge member, but another guest. My dear friend Lisa, has been so successful in the year I have known her. She pushes me to to go harder and faster on the treadmill. She has the ability to make those around her feel better about themselves. She is selfless to an extreme and has raised three wonderful, intelligent and beautiful girls. She has done 3 triathlons in the last year and has signed up for 4 races in the next 6 weeks. She is a shining example of everything that is great about the ridge. And I only cussed her a few times for inspiring me to do this hike :)

I was really happy when I got to the top. It was challenging beyond what I had thought it would be. But I was unprepared for the downhill. I like to climb, I hate to come down. Momentum is a funny thing. It's great when you are playing a sport, it really sucks when you are travelling down a steep decline. I have done enough downhill to be anywhere near comfortable doing it. I'm afraid I will lose control of my momentum and just keep heading out of control. And one thing you don't want to be on a mountain with drop offs is out of control. So I went slow, I mean really slow. I imagine it takes most people 15 minutes to do the down part of the original hill. It took me 3 times that long. I got shaky once, slipped one other time but I made it thankfully down in one piece.

So after making it down on to relatively flat ground we began the trek out of the canyon. I was spent and Paige didn't sugarcoat it for me. She said I'm not going to lie we still have a long way to go. It was basically like I was starting an entire new hike after spending two plus hours going up and down. I will say that what I had seen so far was beautiful. Recent rains and snow melts had left many pools of water. There were small strange bugs in all the water. Speaking of water I was well through my water, through most of Lisa's water and starting in on Trevor's water. My normal hiking water allotment was about 25% of what I needed on this hike. I no longer had any feeling of accomplishment. I had one feeling coursing through my body and that was simply. Please let this end soon. I felt bad that I had slowed everyone else down. I was slightly embarrassed that saddle was kicking my ass. But as I looked towards my friends I only felt compassion and support and encouragement. I kept going.

Just over 3 hours in we came to the back part of Fern Gully. I have never hiked Fern Gully but I have sure heard other campers bitch about this hike and they all say one word....SAND. This was now deep sand we were walking though and we had over a mile of it in front of us. I like the beach, we all know I like the sand in my toes when playing volleyball. I didn't love this sand in any way. I was starting to feel those same feelings that I have seen bring the tears out in many newbies. Sort of what was I doing thinking I could do this. But we kept going and suddenly the sand was ending and we were heading into territory I was familiar with. I remember the feeling I had doing the triathlon when I knew for the first time I was going to finish it. I knew for the first time since I started climbing that I was going to make it back to the cars. We hiked out the hidden pinyon trail that I had hiked many times before. We found ourselves finally on the stop sign path and only a quarter mile from home. Relief. The first thing I saw was a lady I had never seen before wearing a biggest loser hat. So after 4+ hours of hiking so much sweat, self doubt and loathing, the first words I hear are, "I know you, I read your blog" And there you have it, I sometimes forget that what I do has an impact on others and I am reminded of that as I finish the hardest thing I have ever done.

I was asked what I felt by my hikers and at that moment the word that came to mind was humbled. Humbled that this mountain reminded me that I have so far to go, humbled that I could do this, humbled that I have amazing, patient friends that shared this with me, and humbled that I continue to receive the gift of love that Fitness Ridge has been for me. There wasn't a sense of accomplishment as I headed home, there was a sense of relief. But as the days have gotten away from the actual hike I do feel a sense of accomplishment. That was one bad-ass hike, and I did it. I don't have any plans to do it again anytime soon, but you better believe I have plans to find a new challenge. I hope you enjoyed the story of Saddle. I only have a few days left in Utah and I am content that this trip has been my best ever for so many reasons. To my hiking partners... a gigantic thank you and so much love. You have changed me and I appreciate it more than I can say. Peace, love and amazing friends, Jim

Saddle Up,,,,,and Up,,,,and Up

2011-03-07T07:48:00.008-06:00

Ooo you make me live
Whenever this world is cruel to me
I got you to help me forgive
Ooo you make me live now honey
Ooo you make me live

You're the first one
When things turn out bad
You know I'll never be lonely
You're my only one
And I love the things
I really love the things that you do
You're my best friend
I'm happy at home
You're my best friend
QUEEN

Mix in a perfectly wonderful early spring day, 5 friends whom I love dearly, the most challenging, difficult hike imagineable, a ton of sweat, lots of laughs, quite a few regrets, more fear, spectacular views and scenery, and one guy trying desperately to keep up, not fall off a cliff, prove a thing or two about himself to himself and others, and you have my Friday hike. Saddle was a special hike that I wanted to do and asked if Eric would join me. We added Paige, Lisa, Renee, and Trevor to our group and headed out to the back of Tuacahn to start the ascent.

Now when I was on the hike Thursday I had asked whether Saddle was comparable to Camelback and the guide said yes it was similar. That was the first lie. Saddle turned out to make Camelback look like you were walking to the mailbox to get the mail. We dropped a car off across Snow Canyon Park and then drove the 4 miles over to Tuacahn to the start of the hike. Well except for Paige, she dropped her car off early and just jogged the 4 miles over.

We arrived on the trailhead at about 8:15 and I got my first look at what lie ahead. It was a daunting presence to say the least. The Stop Sign hike gains 1,000 feet of elevation in around 4 miles. This hike gains it in about 1 mile. The terrain didn't look very friendly either. Boulders, loose sand, serious dropoffs and lots of climbing. The fastest time I have ever heard anyone going top to bottom on this climb is 34 minutes. I had a feeling that number wasn't going to be in any sort of jeopardy. I had offered up the suggestion of this hike to a few of my friends coming in. We had settled on this date and I knew it meant I would have to hike everyday to get myself ready for it. And while I felt like I had done quite a lot and feel really good I wasn't ready for this hike.

Did I mention this baby was up and up. I put my hands on more rocks than I have ever done hiking. I needed to boost my ass up all hike long. Even with really long legs that I could use to get high on many of the rocks I still found myself staring up trying to figure a workable path. And when I wasn't looking up I was looking down at my feet. There were areas when you would be climbing rocks in sand. Trying to get higher while holding on and then listening as the sand and pebbles you displaced tumbled a few hundred feet down into the ravine. This was not like anything I had experienced before.

If you look way in the back in some of these pictures you can see where we started. The slight bits of civilization on the sunline were the start of this trail. I was about an hour into the hike. Seriously huffing and puffing, sweat dripping off me, and thinking this up part is about the hardest thing I have ever done. There's no turning back either. You keep going or you pitch a tent. We got passed by the advanced hiking group that was also doing this hike. I wasn't bewildered by being passed, I was actually happy because as they went up the mountain in front of me I could see that I wasn't that far from the top.

The scenery was really breathtaking and my photographer who had done this hike the previous week was all too happy to snap away pictures. I will give her massive kudos for this cool shot through the rocks. In fact she did a magnificent job of capturing me going up this hill. The photos dont really tell the story of the steepness but I promise you it was STEEP

About 1.5 hours into this I reached the summit of Saddle, I didn't feel triumphant, I felt relieved. Everyone said that the climb up is the hard part of this hike. This was lie number 2. It was hard, really hard, but we were just getting started. And like they say what goes up has to come down. And Jimbo had sort of forgotten this part when he was thinking about this hike. I am going to save the rest of this hike for tomorrow's blog. I still really can't believe that I did this. I got asked half way up the hill if I regretted my decision to do this hike. My answer was no, I regretted ever stepping foot in Utah 3 years ago. I was, of course, joking; stepping foot in Utah is easily one of the greatest moments of my life. The feeling I got when finishing this hike was another. At no time during this hike did I regret doing it. There were plenty of times where I wished we were done. But quit or not do this? That thought never crossed my mind.

I will leave you with some summit pictures. I don't think when I started this adventure 3 years ago I ever imagined I would be doing a climb like this. It took 18 months before I even attempted any off-road hikes and now I have completed the toughest hike they offer. Not bad for the non-hiking, barely walking, slob who showed up here in 2008. This place is magic for sure, but the people and friends I have met here are 100 times more magic. Peace Love, Hearts and Stars, Jim

Camelback

2011-03-05T07:18:00.008-06:00

Tonight I'll be on that hill 'cause I can't stop
I'll be on that hill with everything I got
Lives on the line where dreams are found and lost
I'll be there on time and I'll pay the cost
For wanting things that can only be found
In the darkness on the edge of town

Bruce Springsteen

Thursday I went on a hike called Camelback. I really like this hike. I have done it once before a little over a year ago. It was my first challenging hike I ever did. It has all of the elements you look for in a hike. Some climbing, some scrambling on the rocks, some sandy washes, water, and just fabulous views. You take a van about 25 minutes away from campus into the Gunlock area. We took a really big, fun group including some Camelback virgins. There were also 4 really fast hikers who did the more remote and challenging areas of this climb. One thing I really love about the new hiking program is that they always take enough guides so that the group can split into 3 sections. One fast, one moderate, and one shall we say "not as fast."

The payoff on this hike is the two really cool things on the summit of the mountain. The first is the Vortex. It is a very steep, winding, tornado like hole in the mountain. It had a nice pool of water at the bottom for anyone who got in a little deep. It is intimidating and scary but you have got to go in. And by "got to" I certainly don't mean they make you or there is any pressure from others to do it; what I mean is you want the full experience you do the vortex. I think 2 of my group ventured in :)

The second payoff is the two humps on top of the mountain that give Camelback its name. Now being in the no so fast group and taking some extra time to coerce some newbies to keep going up, we were well behind the alloted hike time when we got to the humps. My guide, Matt, who was fabulous, informed
us at the base of the hump that the hike was over. Not so fast my friend. My first time up I hadn't ventured up the hump and I will be damned if I was passing it up this time.

He informed me that I was making the decision against his better judgement. Like not all that much I do in Utah isn't against someone's better judgement? Usually mine. He asked me to make two promises. Not to fall and to promise that we would pick up the pace on the way back. I said I certainly I have no intention of falling, but I'm not promising anything about the pace home.

The first step on to the hump is about 4.5 feet up. So a little leg swinging, and a slight ass grab and push and I was on the hump. It was steep, and high, and falling would have really sucked. But it wasn't about falling, it was, like most things at the ridge, about taking yourself to new heights, So I proudly climbed to the top, raised my hands to the sky, and proclaimed myself the King of the F-ing world.

Then it occurred to me. How in the hell am I getting down off of this thing? I backed down part, flipped over and crab walked a little, and finally put my butt on the rock and kind of awkwardly slid down the rest of it. I'm not going to lie, I was excited and happy to have done it. We meandered our way back to the van, resting when necessary and wrapping up the hike in a dawdling 3 hours and 10 minutes. Or basically around the same time as the fast group was coming out of their stretch class back at the ridge.

So here is how long the self proclaimed king of the F-ing World felt like the king. On the way out we were passed on the trail by a group of 53 seniors on a field trip from their retirement community. One of them asked, " This is an 1.5 hour hike correct?" I slumped my head and replied. Each way for me ma'am. And any shred of king feelings I dragged off that mountain were about to truly be humbled the following day. Saddle Hike awaited me and it was going to bring me to my proverbial knees. But more on that next time... Peace, Love and Humps, Jim

Three Ponds

2011-03-02T22:10:00.003-06:00

Three is a magic number,
Yes it is, it's a magic number.

Schoolhouse Rock

I went on a hike today called Three Ponds. I kinda know what a pond looks like. I didn't see anything that remotely looked like a pond. I didn't see anything that even looked like a puddle. I did see a whole lot of sand, a whole lot of rocks, some hills, a few cliffs and one really cool, really tight slot cave. I went on a hike today with six first week women and myself. One first weeker lasted about 25 steps before she said, "this is not for me" There was no judgement and no discussion, she went back to the van and was returned to camp. The other 5 women and myself trod onward.

I really, really enjoy hiking with new first weekers. Especially on their first off road climbing hike. Whether they come from the big city or a small town, most have never done anything remotely like hiking the red rocks. They are scared and intimidated. I like to reassure them that all will be okay. And I figure if I can do this hike, really anyone can.

No first off road hike is without tears and this one had its share but one thing that always happens is when it is done there are a lot of smiling faces, and a lot of people saying my family would never believe that I did this.

Slot caves are not for the claustrophobic. They aren't very wide. Walking sideways I pretty much had my belly rubbing one wall and my butt the other. It was my first time in this cave and I am always really happy to find new things in Snow Canyon

I am going with a different group tomorrow on a hike I have done before and loved. The hike is Camelback. And Friday I will be for the first time ever hiking Saddle. Somewhat excited, somewhat terrified. Should be a fun two days. Sorry this blog is short but I need some rest for these next two days. Peace, Love, and Happiness, Jim

Last Week

2011-03-01T20:20:00.005-06:00

You just call out my name,
and you know wherever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
all you have to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend.

Carole King

My second week was really one of my favorite weeks here ever, great old friends, fabulous new friends, fun hikes, being pushed harder in classes, and doing things I haven't done since hurting my knee. I have only put ice on my knee once. I'm back :) and just in time for volleyball that starts
in one short month. Here is my new friend Cheryl from California who rocked it all week in my hiking group.

We did a hike called Santa Clara Riverbed. It was actually a fun, scenic, and arduous hike. As I made my way back I was happy to find a hill leading to the bluff where the vans were parked. It wasn't along the same path we came in on and we were supposed to go out on. I saw bulldozer tracks on this road and remembered there was a bulldozer next to the parking lot. Now Momma Trudeau didn't raise no dummy... And despite what the hiking guides may lead you to believe I know the shortest way back to the vans is really a straight line not a winding walking path. I was the first one back to the vans, and then got a phone call from the guide wondering where I was :)

It wouldn't be a Saturday night at the ridge without graduation and some fun activity. This week was my favorite...karaoke. And it wouldn't be karaoke without a duet with my best friend in Utah, Eric. After singing 'You're the one that I want' by ONJ and John Travolta we broke out the Sonny and Cher classic 'I Got You Babe.' I also sang 'Build Me Up Buttercup' and 'You've Got a Friend' I am really excited for March Madness and our Eric and I's annual trip to Vegas for four days of basketball bacchanalia.

Graduation on Saturday night is really interesting. People stand up and tell a little about their week and everyone looks so different, dressed up and not sweaty and in gym clothes. People are really happy and I think it is mostly due to the success most of them have had. Me, I'm damn happy that I can wake up the following morning and not have to hike or go to the gym. Working out 6 days a week is borderline too much, working out 7 days is not healthy and you are really encouraged to spend the day relaxing. I don't need any encouragement.

Grabbed a picture with the super friendly, super mom, and super wife of my great friend Eric. Amie who has been nice enough to include me in family dinners and birthday parties made a special guest appearance at Karaoke.

Betsey and Mark hanging out after Karaoke. One old friend and one new friend. Mark did something this week I have never seen before at the ridge. Fully clothed and following a bike ride he rode the bike right into the pool. One thing you don't expect before you arrive for the first time is all the fun you experience at the ridge. This place is hard work, painful, emotional, but it is really really fun.

And you want to know how it is easy to tell that it is fun and worthwhile. Here is a picture of 11 of us that were here these exact weeks last year.

Back to work for another week. Back to hiking, pool classes, 1200 calories, kick-boxing, running on the treadmill, and fun.

I needed to put another picture of Nancy on the blog. She is the queen of the reservation office. She works magic to get people in here. They are currently booking well into the summer here. And on the off chance you are booking here. Make sure you ask for her and make sure you tell her you like the blog :) As always... Peace, Love, and Fun, Jim

A Tale of Two Debs

2011-02-27T16:57:00.005-06:00

Radio operator to the tower
Debbie's comin' in for a landing
Oh put your head between your knees
Caused by the vibrations of love
They're about to shake me to pieces

B-52's

I wanted to talk about two of the most inspirational people I know and they both happened to be named Deb. One is from Indianapolis and walks with the assistance of two canes and the other just completed her 200th marathon and is in training for her first ironman triathlon. The thing I struggled to do in 30 days? she is going to knock out in a day.

Deb, the marathone,r leads a hiking group every day at the ridge. She is smiling, funny, respectful and caring. A retired teacher and principal she knows when to treat us like kids and she knows when to treat us like adults. She has been there when I sweated, she has been there when I have scaled things I only dreamed of, and she has watched my throw a supreme hissy fit when we turned away from the vans one hike. I believe my exact quote was " Deb, WTF are we doing, the vans are that way and we are walking the other way? She smiled and said I'm not leading the hike. Besides having completed marathons all over the states and all over the world, she has done it while receiving doses of chemotherapy. She has raised a beautiful family and has taught and inspired so many ridgers. She likes to say she cusses me every afternoon when she gets on her bike to train. She likes to tell me a story about watching me do a sprint-tri and being inspired to sign up for the ironman. It's a wonderful story that makes me smile. I don't really believe it but it sure feels good that she tells me it. Here is a picture after she hiked 2.5 hours with a group that morning. Know where she is headed? Out to do a 100 mile training ride. Next time you're tired and don't want to think about giving it your all, think of this little lady and what she is doing.

I was really happily surprised to see my friend Deb Ewing back this year after meeting her for the first time one year ago. She used a walker last year to move around and would head out on the stop sign hike or walk the neighborhoods using her walker. This year she was back for two weeks. There was no walker in sight. She had just spent many weeks on the road travelling by herself and exploring the best this country has to offer. Much like the other Deb she spent her entire life passing on the wisdom of a teacher to her students. And she continues to teach.

She wanted to do so much more than she did last year, and she did. She got on the van every morning, rode it out the park. If the terrain was unfriendly she would walk the roads or paths of the area. She went to classes, kick-boxed, walked the treadmill at a 12% incline and just reminded everyone that there is no excuse not to get up and challenge life to give you more.

On her last day we made a special date to do some things she had never done. We went out to Snow Canyon and with two canes, and two tons of perseverance she walked up a mountain. I wanted to weep. It shows there is nothing we can't do if we want to. As my hometown continues to struggle with a political impasse, that at the heart of it threatens to severely limit benefits, salaries and bargaining power of teachers, I thought it was important to remind people that inside every teacher entrusted to teach and nurture a child, is a person that will continue to teach and inspire even when they leave the class room. These two Deb's will always motivate, teach, and inspire me. Peace, Love and Education, Jim

P.S. Congrats to a 3rd Deb, Miss Deb Lee, ... I met her at the Ridge in November and yesterday she became Mrs. Deb Tew.

One more hump day

2011-02-23T22:09:00.004-06:00

So, sure, I could just close my eyes.
Yeah, sure, trace and memorize,
But can you go back once you know

(You don't know me)
You don't know me at all
Ben Folds

So on to week 2, day 2 and 3. Let's talk about food for a second. One thing that has changed in the last few months and is really cool is the additional choices available at meals. There are always alternatives to the main meal that is being served. And the person to the left of me had one of these breakfast choices, the person to right another, and me a third. It's good to start such a long day with something you like. Feel free to guess which one I had.

My hiking group and I went to Temple Quarry on Tuesday. It was a new hike for me. Not really any climbing which I really like, but straight path hiking out and back, which I really don't like. The view was majestic and the thought of the 1800's era Mormons dragging these huge boulders miles to build their temple daunting to say the least. It was very near the site of the old airport in town which was very recently replaced by a brand new airport that I have yet to see. Not that I can imagine that any of you give a crap about St George's ability to land airplanes.

Very Happy to report that my table won the calorie challenge this week. It certainly helped that the slides were food from Outback. Not that I am an expert on Outback food or the calories of said food. It does help that I have a really good memory and I saw the same slides on my last trip to the ridge. Don't fear other than holding the trophy for a few seconds there is no prize for winning, well except the admiration of my tablemates :)

Wednesday's hike was my favorite hike, hidden pinyon/piano rock. It is a serious climb up slickrock. Piano Rock is the tiny dot on the top of this picture. Nothing brings me more joy than taking new campers on this hike, showing them where we are going, having them stare in disbelief and then having them conquer their fears. Most aren't afraid of the heights, they are afraid to try something they have never done or even imagined doing before.

It is extremely rewarding to watch these people. They truly inspire me and remind me why I keep coming back. I did take blood for the team. I would like to say there is some great story behind this but I just got scraped by a bush. And please don't worry Jacky I used some of that triple anti-biotic you sent along

Here is our group intersecting with the group of fast hikers. These people are truly like gazelles bounding across the rocks and sands. I don't think I will ever be a "fast" hiker, but I'm happy I am a steady hiker.

I will leave you with a before and after of my alternative lunch today. The tuna is really yummy. I am also leaving you with a joke about my favorite sport. It seems my Mom was really concerned because my blogs haven't been very funny lately so I want to assure her and anyone who reads it that indeed all is well. Hope it makes you laugh. I am shockingly headed to sleep. I mean it is almost 9:30. Peace and love, Jim

A group of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, accompanied by two female
teachers, went on a field trip to the local racetrack, (Churchill
Downs ) to learn about thoroughbred horses and its supporting
industry (bourbon), but mostly to see the horses.

When it was time to take the children to the restrooms, it was decided that
the girls would go with one teacher and the boys would go with the
other. The teacher assigned to the boys was waiting outside the
men's room when one of the boys came out and told her that none of
them could reach the high urinals.

Having no choice, she went inside, helped the boys with their pants, and
began hoisting the little boys up one by one, holding on to their
'wee-wees' to direct the flow away from their clothes.

As she lifted one, she couldn't help but notice that he was unusually
well-endowed. Trying not to show that she was staring the
teacher said, 'You must be in the 5th grade.'

'No, ma'am', he replied. 'I'm riding Silver Arrow in the seventh
race, but I appreciate your help.'

Week 2

2011-02-21T20:18:00.003-06:00

I don't know what I've done
Or if I like what I've begun
But something told me to run
And honey you know me it's all or none

Missy Higgins

Week 2 began today after a weekend of welcoming lots of ex-ridgers back to Utah. Lots of snow fell yesterday in the St George area so all of today's hikes got modified to keep us off of higher elevations. I ended up on the stop sign path starting at West Canyon and did around 3.5 or 4 miles of intervals staying mostly on the flatter terrain.

I wish I had something new and exciting to report but not a whole lot changes from week to week here. The only thing that really changes is the faces. It's a little cooler in the pool this week,

but the pool classes are still pretty full on Mondays before people start to opt out and substitute classes.

Monday is always circuit day. Two minutes of cardio followed by two minutes weight training repeat multiple times in a 45 minute time frame.

Cardio is done on a treadmill, bike or elliptical. and there are 30 different weight stations.

We had a fabulous lunch today of turkey chunks with salsa verde over rice. Just the right amount of spice The good news is that it was very tasty, the bad news is it has replaced the shrimp bowls which was one of my favorite meals they served.

I will leave you with lots of pictures of happy campers doing circuit today and me with another hot filly. This one's named Trixie and she is 16.5 hands tall. I am tired as can be which is normally the case on Monday, and am headed to bed at the late hour of 8 pm. Hope everyone has an awesome week. Peace and sweet dreams, Jim

2011-02-18T11:25:00.002-06:00

Swing like a pendulum
Rules you know I'm bending 'em
All the cool kids on the back of the bus
High like Mt. Everest looking for some leverage
Floating like some vapors coolin like a beverage
I cherish the moment when I get the lucky chance
To sing my song and let the funky people dance

G. Love

Thursday started slightly different for me as I climbed to the back of the bus for the morning hike. I finally abandoned my hiking group which was scheduled to be 2 people on Thursday and hopped the van with the group going to do stop sign. I am confident I have never climbed to the last row of the van before and it was just another of those stupid little ridge victories that make us smile. Not something anyone normal really thinks of but to me I consider it an advancement :)

The weather which has been perfect all week was slated to turn on Thursday with forecasts of wind and rain. Someone forgot to include mother nature in their weather plans. We got plenty of wind Wednesday night but by Thursday morning it was sunny and calm and fairly warm. I headed to the dunes. I have done the hills in the dunes quite a few times in the past. Today was the deepest I have ever seen the sand. I was taking two steps forward one step back up every hill. I was wondering what would happen if this stuff just flowed on down the hill with me. But thankfully it hung in there and I hung in there.

The sky was literally as blue as I have ever seen it. I got back in time for Gretchen's 11:15 pool class for which she borrowed my ipod. It's hard to make Jimmy happier than when he gets sunny skies, time in a pool, and great music. That's my dream combo, and that dream was a reality Thursday. Apparently I totally forgot to take any food pictures but I will tell you it was bacon egg muffins for breakfast, greek pitas for lunch, and stuffed chicken breast for dinner. I'm sure if you look back you'll find some pictures. The Thursday afternoon schedule has been the same since the day I arrived treading, ball werks, and pool.

I am ready for the weekend. My body began recovering from it's early week soreness. 2nd week is almost always my favorite week of each visit. Some new campers, some old friends and some challenges. Should be fun. Have a great weekend. Peace and Love, Jim

Day 3

2011-02-17T06:54:00.003-06:00

Alabama, you got
the weight on your shoulders
That's breaking your back.
Your Cadillac
has got a wheel in the ditch
And a wheel on the track

Neil Young

There is never a question in my mind which day I like least when I am at Fitness Ridge. It is always day 3 of week one. Your body is at max soreness. You have lost the adrenaline that carried you through the first day. And you really start to question what the hell you are doing here again. They call it Weepy Wednesday here. I didn't actually weep mind you, but I sure grunted every time I tried to stand up and I quivered every time I broke a sweat, and I ached with every step I took. But I know in my head that it never gets worse than today.

Breakfast was the Almond butter, Fruit jelly and banana/strawberry sandwich. It's tasty and as always you get a plate of mixed fresh fruit with your breakfast. In the 1200 calories you eat is 2 fruit servings. The second is a piece of fruit that most people take to the hike and eat on the van ride home. Fruit never tastes better than when you eat it after a hike. My hike was "overlook."

It is about as boring as they get. I am happy to report that my group was up to 3 people today but we picked up a guide, so it was 1 person 1 guide. I walked on a paved path next to a highway for two hours. I listened to some music, got my ear talked off by someone who doesn't have the same political leanings as I. I didn't have the energy or desire to debate him so I just put my headphones on and trudged along.

Speaking of hiking guides and not the one I hiked with today. Here is Tom who looks about 50 but is in his 70's make Betsey smile. One of my favorite hiking guides Deb recently completed marathon 200 and since that is not enough she will be doing the St George Ironman in May. That little event that took me 30 days to complete, yeah...she will be doing it in a day.

Lunch was Greek "pizza." As always I'm not sure who should be more offended the Greeks or the pizza's. One really good change that has occurred at the ridge is they have quite a few alternatives now if you don't like a meal. One of which is Tuna on a bagel thin. I opted for that. I didn't take a picture of the dinner but it was a salmon filet on a bed of orzo pasta and mixed vegetables. The people who like salmon really like it, but I do believe I see more alternatives on this night than on any night

Afternoon classes included kick boxing, mountain, and of course pool. Pool was cut a little short as there was storms in the area. It seems the chamber of commerce weather we have had since I arrived is leaving town and it is turning colder, windier and rainier. This weeks group numbers 57 and I am happy to report that almost all of them have been here before. I believe that out of the 57 guests 51 had been here a previous week. Says good things about the program that people keep coming back.

I want to tip my hat to the people of Wisconsin who have turned out in thousands to protest the actions of the newly elected Governor. It saddens me to see the compassion leaving so many states. And like Neil said about Alabama certainly can be applied to many areas. Don't be afraid to smile at your fellow man even if he thinks that "idiot we elected" has cost him $30,000 in his portfolio. Oh for the days when ignorance was bliss instead of today when ignorance is vitriol. On to day 4 and 5 and 6 etc. Peace and love, Jim

Hike Me

2011-02-15T20:36:00.004-06:00

I don't need a parachute, baby if I've got you
Baby if I've got you, I don't need a parachute
You're gonna catch me, you're gonna catch if I fall
Down

Ingrid Michaelson

Day two is always a hard day. Your body is in revolt from day one's activities, muscles you didn't know you had are sore, you didn't sleep all that well after the first night, and to top it off your pale pasty white wintery Wisconsin skin has a pink glow to it. But you don't have any choice but to drag your butt out of bed and onward into the week. Breakfast Tuesday morning consisted of a pineapple muffin and some mixed fruit. Pretty tasty.

Finally my "assessment hike" on Monday it didn't take an expert to know I was headed to the short bus for the special hikers. I was also headed to Johnson's Arch for my first hike. My van had 5 people assigned to it. 2 of whom didn't do any hike that morning and two of whom chose to walk on pavement. That left one hiker in my group doing the assigned hike. He went out with two guides. The hiking guides here are ridiculous. They never sweat, they never pant, and they never look like they are in any sort of discomfort. So we were quite the little group of 3. Two people in bright yellow hikewear calmly hiking while discussing their fabulous Valentine's dinners and one guy wheezing, sweating and bent over begging the Oxygen god to visit. But Hey, I was damn glad I went where I was assigned.

When we got back out to the parking lot there was a van unloading some horses. Me being me I never pass up a chance to ham a lucky picture with a horse. This guy was big, but friendly and very happy I was just standing next to him and not climbing aboard.

You never know what you'll run into out on the hikes. Glad I wasn't wearing my Redskin sweatshirt. I am really starting to find it hard to root for the team I grew up rooting for and their over the top racist nickname is one of the reasons why.

Something new for lunch today. Chicken coconut soup with chunks of avocado. Very, very good. I have eaten the soup two days in a row which maybe a record for me. Gave me the energy to do cardio sprint intervals on the treadmill, medicine ball sit-ups, and of course my end of the day deep water aerobics class.

Dinner was white bean chili with some tortilla strips on top. The weather was nice enough that we sat outside and ate

Dessert was one of my favorites. The chocolate vanilla fruit parfait. headed back to the room at 6 watched my Terps lose....again. what a disappointing year for them :( Listened to the new Ingrid song that graces today's blog and called it a night. Day two is done which leads me to my least favorite day of each trip the first Wednesday. Wish me luck. Peace and Native Americans, Jim

Utah

2011-02-14T21:01:00.003-06:00

Everybody knows
It hurts to grow up
And everybody does
It's so weird to be back here
Let me tell you what
The years go on and
We're still fighting it, we're still fighting it
And you're so much like me

I'm sorry
Ben Folds

Well I am back in Utah. I am well aware I owe you guys a Super Bowl Party recap and and a Vegas recap but it is the night after my first hike, and first full day of classes and quite frankly I am exhausted. Mondays are very different than they used to be that's for sure. There are 7 different hikes and all new hikers arriving go on an assessment hike. Following the hike you are assigned a van for the week and assigned hikes for each day. The first day stop sign hike is a thing of the past. I will give a full assessment of the hike program in its current incarnation in a few weeks.

I did a hike today known as Chuckwalla. It is long and fairly flat although it starts downhill and finishes uphill. Like virtually any hike I would have done today it kicked my ass. I was carrying some leftover Vegas/airline sickness that made breathing a chore. I have to believe my assessment went something like this: Slow like a turtle, wheezy like a punctured set of bagpipes, and sweaty like....well me. I will be hiking this week with one of the slower groups :)

The weather here was simply amazing today, close to 70 degrees and sunny as could be. That's the good news, the bad news is it's going to get colder and wetter come this weekend with lows in the 20's and possible snow. That will not make slow, wheezy, and sweaty very happy. But the sun, the pool, the knee feeling good, the food and seeing everyone here did. We had sausage and egg sandwiches for breakfast, Turkey sandwiches for lunch, and grilled chicken breast with polenta and asparagus for dinner. And with today being Valentine's Day chocolate covered strawberries. All in all a pretty damn good first day back...27 more to go :) Peace and Hearts, Jim

February 1st

2011-02-01T13:11:00.002-06:00

It's so easy from above
You can really see it all
People who belong together
Lost and sad and small
But there's nothing to be done for them
It doesn't work that way
Sure we all have soulmates but we walk past them every day
Maybe that's how books get written
Maybe that's why songs get sung

Ben Folds

I love the English language. It is a lovely language full of nuances and words that are both beautiful and meaningful. Words can make you smile, they can make you laugh, string them together and they make you sing. Unfortunately, they can also make you quiver with fear. One word that makes makes me cower is blizzard. There are blizzard warnings here in Madison for tonight, not as scary as the 24 inches of snow and 70 mile per hour winds they are predicting 120 miles southeast from here in Chicago, but bad enough. But better this week, then say next week when a certain someone is flying west.

My concert viewing schedule has been really tame this winter. I did make a trip to Madison's very beautiful, very expensive arts and musical Sate St. showplace known....no... not Sunshine Daydream... the Overture Center. I saw Ben Folds. He is not a household name, unless you watch The Sing Off on NBC where he is a judge. He is an extraordinarily talented songwriter and piano player. He is clever, witty and while I knew of him, I didn't really know his music that well. Thanks to a crash course on his music and some cd's from a good friend, I discovered he is really fun and topical as well. I wouldn't call it a great show, or one of my favorite concerts ever but it was nice to see live music again.

Well it's Super Bowl time here in Wisconsin. I am always excited around Super Bowl time. It is very bittersweet as we celebrate the end of football season, because I don't get to spend my Saturdays and Sundays and Mondays and Thursdays watching football. But we will celebrate here like we always do. And this year the entire state will be celebrating as well. So Go Packers!!

As I mentioned, I leave next week heading west. As always I take a few days in Las Vegas to prepare myself, you know.... get used to warmer temperatures, the altitude change, the different time zone, etc.... And if you buy that I have a bridge for sale :) I look forward to my alone time in Vegas. I spend my time in the sportsbook, no shock there. But I do want to get a little sun, a little more time in the hotel workout room, and more time walking around on my feet. Time on a treadmill and time on a exercise bike do not get me ready to climb mountains.

I don't remember many specific dates on the calendar. I do remember February 1st, at least I remember February 1st, 2010. I was making my first trip up Snow Canyon of the year, my last first trip up the mountain with all the campers along for the fun. I was deathly afraid that my next trip up, which was going to be filmed for national TV viewing the following Monday, would be as painful as this one was. Thanks to a wonderful group of campers, many of whom I met on February 1st, I was pushed all week, motivated to work hard and inspired to give everything I had on the next Monday. People want to know why I keep going back to the Ridge? It's because of February 1st. Every time I go I find that I can do more, and the people make sure I do. Look forward to doing it all again... Peace, Love and Cheeseheads, Jim

Alligator Alley

2011-01-20T10:11:00.004-06:00

On an island in the sun
We'll be playing and having fun
And it makes me feel so fine
I can't control my brain

We'll run away together
We'll spend some time forever
We'll never feel bad anymore

Weezer

When the plane touches down at your final destination it's always a good thing. When you spend an afternoon getting on and off a plane still attached to the terminal, wait on a flight crew to arrive and then spend time de-icing and waiting for the runway to be plowed, it's even sweeter. After a four plus hour delay I was really happy to land in Tampa, probably not as happy as half my plane who had endured being cancelled the day before. It wasn't exactly Florida warm when I arrived but it beat the hell out of what I had left behind.

First stop Wednesday morning was the quaint Tampa Bay Downs racetrack. There is nothing I enjoy more than a day at the races, sitting on a bench outside, soaking up some sun and watching the horses run. I think I lasted about 3 minutes or so 4 or 5 times I ventured out. It was in the 40's with wind blowing. It must have sharpened my mind a bit as I had a nice day at the windows.

I got to spend the afternoon with my Uncle John and Aunt Betsy who much like his father, my grandfather, is a horse owner/breeder. I try to forgive them for their undying loyalty to a certain school in Durham that they both matriculated from. However, I will take some solace in the fact that in the 36 hours or so we spent together Duke lost their first basketball game of the season.

After a day at the races, it was a two hour drive south to my parent's home in Venice Beach. I had not seen my parents in almost exactly a year. Way, way too long. I really love their house, love the little pool in the backyard, love sitting outside on the lanai, love seeing the sandhill cranes meander by, love watching the golfers as the play their shots into the green and on one occasion into the house. It is as peaceful a spot as I know. It's a very short drive to the beach. One of theses days I have to come visit in the warmer months and really take advantage of all that is near by....that or just move back in with them...just kidding mom. I am glad this trip was under better circumstances than the last one and happy to report that my father is hanging in pretty well and thanks to his dvr gets to see the end of all those basketball games he would fall asleep watching. We got one Terp win and one bad Terp loss on the trip, but it was sure fun to complain about free throw shooting together again. I wish I had taken a picture of the bed I slept in. It's been awhile since I spent a night in a twin bed. With my feet hanging off, and quite certain I would fall off the first time I rolled over it took me sometime to feel comfortable. In fact I think I finally felt comfortable when I was packing up. As always, I can not say enough about my Mom.

High on my list of things to do on this trip was eat seafood. Now I know that getting Maine lobsters in Florida is kind of defeating the point of getting fresh seafood from the Gulf... But it's lobster and I do love my lobster. We had the The Twin Lobster Shack steam us up 8 of these beauties. They were so sweet and so tasty, just like you would expect lobster to be. Jacky was so jealous of my lobster pic that we did it again when she arrived. So of the 5 nights I spent in Venice, 2 of them were surrounded by these yummy treats. I also had some shrimp, scallops, and grouper while on the trip.

Also high on the list was get outside, enjoy the sun and warmth, and get some exercise. I would love to say I got to play some beach volleyball on a 80 degree day with the waves of the gulf rolling in. But I did get to walk around the net while walking on the beach and collecting some rather cool shells. Just another reason to come back when it's warmer. I did hike the two bridges in town as well. They didn't seem quite as high as the last time I hiked them, and no one stranger stopped to see if I was okay or needed a ride. I consider that to be measurable progress :)

I got to do some laps in the community pool. It was a little cooler than what I was used to but I actually think the mid 80's is a really good lap temperature. Not another soul in the pool area the entire time I was there. Lot's of golfers zooming by in carts but peaceful, serene, and of course musical with my swimmp3 player on.

I am happy to report that I was not in violation of rule #14 when I used the pool. Shockingly there was no explicit rule against open puss oozing lesions, or projectile vomiting. Perhaps rule #14 could just be omitted under the common sense clause.

I spent one day driving 3.5 hours south down to Ft Lauderdale to spend the day at Gulstream Park. I hadn't been to Gulfstream since the late 80's when I was working at Hialeah racetrack. It has certainly changed. Completely rebuilt with a open air mall attached to it, a casino, a simulcast center, and loads of bars and restaurants. The weather was a little nicer, I got a little sun, and I gave back the money I made at Tampa. Spent a few hours that night at the Naples Greyhound track. I used the system of picking dogs that looked like my greyhounds. And even though both my dogs are within 5 lbs of their racing weight they sure don't look as skinny as these girls. The Florida greyhound tracks have all been given new leases on life thanks to the legalization of poker. I can promise you they are not pumping any of that money back into the facilities as they look like they did 30 years ago. Not that the 100 or so people paying attention to the dogs really cared. It was a pleasant night to sit outside and laugh at the people in Wisconsin at that moment. I also made a stop at the Sarasota greyhound track later in the week and so the same exact situation, an overflowing card room and a few handfuls of dog bettors. Not bad though for me. 4 tracks in 6 days is my idea of a vacation :)

The flight home was uneventful. Stepping off the plane was breathtaking as the temperature was freezing and I could see my breath the entire walk up the jetway into the terminal. I am home for just about 3 weeks and then off to Utah for a month. It's going to be a long week listening to Bears and Packers fans argue back and forth. But the NFC championship means only two week until the Super Bowl party. Lots to look forward to. Peace, Love and seafood, Jim

Sunshine State

2011-01-07T19:28:00.004-06:00

You gotta grow, you gotta learn by your mistakes
You gotta die a little everyday just to try to stay awake
When you believe there’s no mountain you can climb
And if you get it wrong you’ll get it right next time (next time).
Gerry Rafferty

One week into January, forty some bowl games watched, a new football coach at Maryland, a Republican house working hard to accomplish nothing but show, no real snow on the ground, a doctor telling me my knee seems mostly healed and my normal $125 bill costing me zero to hear those words, some really good movies watched, a plane ticket purchased for Utah and hotel reservations for March Madness, and most exciting to me, next week I get to be at my parents' house in Venice Beach, Florida.

So the "lazyman's" ironman triathlon we are doing is almost wrapped up. We have to finish by Monday and happy to report one of us is done and the other two will finish easily. I have 3 miles left to get done on the treadmill. I finished my 2.5 miles of swimming this week. I have a new friend at my gym, the exercise bike. I love it and have been spending more and more time on it. As of today I have done 190+ miles on the bike, and topped out Thursday doing 42 miles. 23.3 miles in 82 minutes and 18.7 miles in 61 minutes. My hamstrings hurt but mot as much as my butt. But truthfully it is a really good pain because it comes from pushing myself further than I ever imagined. This challenge has been really rewarding. I never imagined I would be writing I rode a bike for 42 miles. Thanks to my fellow competitors for inspiring me to keep moving.

I have seen some really good movies recently. I really liked True Grit. I loved The Fighter. And I thought I would hate The Black Swan but I didn't. True Grit is really well done and all 3 leads in the movie do a wonderful job. I was certain that it would be my favorite movie of the year, then I saw The Fighter. It's the best boxing movie I have ever seen. Christian Bale, who plays the brother to Mark Wahlberg's lead, gives the most amazing performance I have seen in a long time. You can pencil his best supporting actor Oscar in right now. And while I hate movies that mix reality with dreams and hallucinations (Inception), I thought The Black Swan did a manageable job of making it work. Go see all of them. My next movie trip is to see The King's Speech and I am really excited for it too.

The NFL playoffs start this weekend and that means only one thing....4 weeks 'til the return of the annual Super Bowl Party, which took a one year hiatus last year due to my Utah/CNBC adventure. And even though there has been a request to pare the guest list by the hostess, if you're going to be in Madison on February 6th, I will make sure you get in :)

I leave Tuesday flying into Tampa. Get to see my old college roommate that night and spend the following afternoon at Tampa Bay Downs watching real live horses run around in circles. I will be in Venice that night at my parents, whom I haven't seen in a year. Very excited. Plus my aunt is flying in and my uncle is driving in, my middle brother is driving in and Jacky is joining us on the weekend. It usually takes a funeral or wedding to get this many of together at one time. Happy that I get to see all family members.

Took today's blog song from the very talented but extremely troubled Gerry Rafferty. Best known for Baker Street, Right Down the Line, and Stuck in the Middle with You, he sadly passed away this week at the age of 63... Big game Monday night, in fact the only NCAA game played in the last month that really means anything. Shame on the BCS, Shame on the NCAA, and Shame on the Big Schools that a playoff still doesn't exist. But I got to root and one team has a QB who shouldn't be playing because his dad thought auctioning his son to the highest bidder was ok. The other wore 12 different uniforms this year. It helps the old budget when Nike writes your university a blank check. So give me the ever changing green and gold and black and white and silver of Oregon. Go Ducks!!! Peace, Love, and Sunshine, Jim

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-01T21:27:00.003-06:00

Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face
And said I just don’t care

It’s only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg
The sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning
And the breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?
PINK

Another Christmas gone, another new year started. Christmas is always a fun time of the year for me, although for the first time I think I am taller than my Christmas tree. I am going to chalk that up more to a smaller Christmas tree than to an amazing growth spurt.

With the new year comes of course the annual making of resolutions. But let's face it resolutions

aren't exactly the best way to attack the year. I prefer to work on goals for the upcoming year. And if I don't write down my goals... actually put them in ink, then they are just nice thoughts in my head. I think goals need to be specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic, and timely.

So let's talk about some goals for the upcoming year.

1) I want to get my knee properly looked at and I have an appointment to get that done on Thursday.

2) I want to swim in the ocean and play volleyball
on the beach.

3) I want to arrive at the Ridge weighing less than I have ever arrived weighing before.

4) I want to hike Saddle, and not die when I am on that trail.

5) I want to do at least one tri and two 5k 's in Wisconsin this year

6) I want to go on a 25 mile bike ride

7) I want to do at least 25% of the 60 hikes shown in the book above.

So I thought I would give you an update on the ironman competition we have going on. Let me just start by saying this competition has kept me motivated the last two weeks to work out. No conceivable way I would have done all this work and gone as long and as hard I did if not for the fear these two girls were going to destroy me in this challenge. I have done a few things I have never done before including doing a marathon on my stationary bike. It took me 90 minutes and 20 seconds to do this and I did it to kick off my year on January 1st. I am now just over 108 miles into the bike portion of the event. Again let me reiterate that

anyone who does this in a day is super human. I certainly will finish it out this week :)

I hope everyone had a great New Year's. I watched Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper bring in the new year and actually stayed awake just past midnight here in Madison. And I certainly hope you all had better New Year's Days than the Big Ten football teams. Congrats to TCU for proving that you don't have to be in a big conference to play great football and I'm not certain but I think Alabama just scored again on Michigan St. Peace and New Year's Love, Jim

best.christmas.ever

2010-12-25T08:37:00.003-06:00

O! Holy night! The stars, their gleams prolonging
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Adolphe Adam

Merry Christmas!!!

As always when I wake up Christmas morn I am eternally grateful for all the blessings that I have, all the joy the previous year has brought me, and all the excitement that lies ahead. 2010 was a magically wonderful year, full of joy, accomplishments, and most importantly fabulous new friends that have impacted forever my life.

Winter has begun in earnest here in Madison and in the spirit of Christmas I am going to say some nice things about it. First off winter brings Christmas and Christmas music and I do love both of them. It brings Christmas shoppers into Sunshine Daydream and I always feel nice knowing that some happy little hippie is opening up a peace sign tie dye and smiling Christmas morning. I like that when I leave my water bottle in my car it is really cold in the morning. I like that the start of winter means spring isn't too far off and that means March Madness in Vegas with my best friends. And this winter means FLORIDA for me. I booked a flight to the Sunshine state to see my parents in mid-January and I can't wait.

I talked a little about not making this a winter that tacked on additional shake to my bowl
full of jelly. So I signed up to do an ironman triathlon. 2.4 miles of swimming, 110 miles on the bike and 26.2 miles on the ground. Now before you fall over laughing let me say that I have 30 days to finish it :) I have elicited the help of two of my favorite ridgers in this challenge Lisa and Betsey and I am happy to report we have all made great strides at knocking this thing out. I actually did a full sprint triathlon on Wednesday
of this week 3 miles on the treadmill, followed by 10 miles on the stationary bike, and a 1/2 mile in the pool. There was 6 miles of driving between the bike and pool but I'm not counting that :) So as we trudge forward towards the January 10th deadline I am confident we will all get this full "tri" done, but let me say for the record whomever can do this full ironman in one day is not really human.

I miss a lot of things in winter time. I really miss my toes in the sand and my eyes watching a volleyball coming over the net. I miss my family, as I can not remember the last time we spent a Christmas together. I really miss waking up Christmas morning with the ones I love. I miss the feeling of climbing in the hot tub and the joy it brings me. I miss being able to go see my terps live. I miss my extended ridge family. I miss daylight after 4:30 in the afternoon. I miss not worrying about the road conditions. I miss walking outside, headphones blaring Sara, and climbing that damn mountain in snow canyon with my friends and getting my picture taken at the stop sign.

I am excited for 2011. Each year gets better than the one before it. I try not to spend much time blogging about my political beliefs because I believe people can have heartfelt beliefs that are the polar opposite of mine and in fact I used to have beliefs that are completely opposite of mine now. But I thought now would be a really good time to talk about one area that I firmly believe is lacking in this country. Health care is something that every society should guarantee its citizens. If people are sick they should be cared for. If people are injured they should be fixed. People should never have to face decisions where they have to choose remedies based on their ability to pay. If a society does not treat all of it's members equally when it comes to the basic welfare of of their health they are failing its citizens. Why the rant? Beginning January 1st I will have something I haven't had since I graduated Law School in 1992. And it's not because I didn't want it, not because I wasn't willing to pay a fair amount for it, not because I didn't think it was a necessary. It simply was unavailable to me. I will have a basic health insurance plan. I shouldn't have had to wait 18 years for it. And I am sorry some people are still waiting.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas day, Christmas week, and New Year. I can't say it enough but I am so thankful for all of you. Thinking about the impact on my life that started when I started this blog makes me as happy as I can be. Peace to All and all my Christmas Love to you, Jim

December Baby

2010-12-03T09:23:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas darling
We're apart that's true
But I can dream and in my dreams
I'm Christmas-ing with you

The Carpenters

I thought I would kickoff this Christmas season with my all-time favorite Christmas carol. I have been writing this for now 3 Christmas seasons so I am certain I have written about Merry Christmas Darling by the Carpenters before, but just like the radio stations this time of year; it's always nice to get reacquainted with some old friends.

I will not lie from Thanksgiving through the thaw has always been my most difficult time of the year, especially since moving to Madison. My activity level decreases, my tv watching increases, my time outside dwindles down, stupid stuff that I wouldn't eat the rest of the year happily and repeatedly goes down my gullet in the name of Christmas. I swear this year I am not gaining weight through the holidays. I will go back to the ridge weighing less than when I left. I struggled through September and October this year, got some renewed energy in early November and hopefully can change some of theses winter habits.

So how do I make this more than lip service, and another failed promise to myself? I go back to some of the things that have helped in the past. I called my workout partner and made sure we could get serious again at her gym, and made that happen this week. I called my gym and extended my membership thru mid-February. I walked in the mall this week. I signed up again for weight watchers, where they have an entirely new program. Not that I actually follow the program that much but something about getting on the scale in front of that blue-haired lady who weighs 1/3 of what I do scares me. And I shipped my wife to Cancun for 5 days so that at least for those five days I know I wont smell Christmas cookies and pumpkin cake emanating from my kitchen :)

My knee has felt better. Not perfect by any stretch but it doesn't hurt when I walk. The jumping and running is on temporary hiatus, but everything else is a go. I spent Thanksgiving morning walking the course of the 5K here in town. I'm tempted to play some indoor volleyball but haven't given in yet. But I will. It feels good on the treadmill, I am using incline more than speed to get the heart rate up. I'm the first to admit that I have failed many more times than I have succeeded, but I never give up hope or stop trying.

It's December 3rd here in Madison and we have not had more than a few flurries of snow and the temperatures have made it impossible for me to shake my head at the silly ice fisherman, sitting on buckets in the middle of a frozen lake. That all ends tonite :( First significant snowfall of the year is headed my way. I would love to tell you that I will be curled up in front of a fire with my Christmas list checking things off it, but more likely I will be watching football and college basketball. I have moved my weight bench into the living room and my goal is 100 sit-ups during each halftime for every game.

I'd love to say that I have lots of exciting things planned for the next couple months but as of now it's really just the same old routine. In fact, I don't even have a ticket in hand for any future concert nor do my beloved Terps make any trip to the midwest this year so that's not on the schedule either. I do have a trip planned for February to... wait for it....it may shock you.....Utah/Vegas!!! but that's it. But you know what. That's still awfully exciting for me.

I will leave you this week with something fun and new that happened for me last night. My crazy waffles trivia team went 23 for 23 last night in our answers, The first time ever for us. I'll give you some of the questions to see how you do. Music....Adam Sandler in his 2nd Hanukkah song said my mom thinks this singer is Jewish? Science True or False water is H2O but Ice is H3o? This player in 2006 was the fastest player ever to 100 touchdowns in the NFL? This recording duo was originally called Tom and Jerry? This country's southern most point is Indira Point? What is a kapok? What city did the show 30 something take place in? And after the Yankees this franchise has won the most world Series? Have at 'em!! I hope everyone has a great first week of December. I hope it's warmer where you are :) Be that Utah, Vegas, Auburn, TCU, Oregon, Maryland, or Cancun..... Peace and Love, Jim

Thanfully thankful

2010-11-24T20:40:00.008-06:00

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...
Glinda from Wicked

Another Thanksgiving and another year where I have been blessed with so much good fortune, so many new friends, so much joy and laughter, so many volleyball wins, so much wonderful live music, so much media exposure, so many wonderful trips and just so much love, I can't even begin to quantify it. Here are some of the many things that I am thankful for this year.

I love water. I love the pool at the ridge and am really at home there.But, I really love the hot tub. I could live in that thing. I just really enjoy the way I relax and the way everything feels better when I am in the hot tub. Why don't I just get one for Wisconsin? It wouldn't be the same. Something about being out west, the bubbles engulfing me, and the warmth of the air that makes me so thankful for the hot tub.

Zenyatta. It took me a long time to warm up to this mare but she was legit. Owned by the M of A&M records, and not as quick as my girl Rachel, she is the best filly to run in quite some time. I really like the heart she has, love her charging style, and love how she knows how to win. I am so thankful she ran second in the Breeder's Cup
because I cashed a really nice ticket on the race.

Speaking of awesome fillies; I am very thankful that I got to spend some time with my Mom. I sure wish we lived closer and by closer I mean I was closer to her, the beach and the warm weather of Florida. Love you, Mom

Two more of my favorite girls of 2010 were Glinda and Elphaba. Wicked is the best show I have seen. Granted my pool of live theater shows is small, but I am in love with this show. Grab someone you love, and go see this show. I don't care if you have to travel it's so worth it. If that's not possible your friendly blogger may be willing to hook you up with a dvd copy, if one were to exist. Although there is no official release of a Wicked DVD that doesn't mean you can't click heels and wish.

Thankful for sweater vests and their slimming effect :)

Thankful for Gary Williams. He makes my favorite college basketball team and his alma mater competitive every year. Fear the Turtle!!

Thankful for sunsets and race numbers. I don't think I ever really thought I'd be grabbing four safety pins and adorning my shirt with a race number, but I did it 3 times in 2010. Not bad for a guy that would have lost a race with a turtle to the corner. not saying I'd win now, but it'd be competitive.

Thankful that the NY Times called my articulate and sympathetic. And thankful that CNBC thought my story was worth investing so much time and money on. Not so thankful that More Magazine's writer distorted her stay and relationship with me. Two out of three ain't bad.

So happy that after 13 years Sunshine Daydream has a new address, in a better location, in a larger, newer spot, and with a spiffy new sign to boot. Thankful it has exceeded my expectations. And thankful that my brother Jay was so helpful in opening the store and that Jacky has been so great at making it successful.

Thankful that Jacky puts up with me being gone so much in Utah and out so many nights in the volleyball sand.. And that she makes the store run so well and the 3 apples of her eyes Maggie Daisy Jane and Chille so happy and loved. We are about to Celebrate our 15th Thanksgiving together and very thankful that the Gravy boat won't explode like it did at the first one. Happy Thanksgiving Mrs T.

I really feel at home in the sand. I forget I am old enough to be most of my teammates really cool older uncle :) I'm competitive as hell and they accept that. They make me better in the sand and better everywhere else. They inspire, motivate, and push me. They all hate to lose and they make sure I don't very often. 6 nights a week may have been a little too much as my knees finally said enough, but I sure want to do it all again next summer.

Thankful for Boobies and Pink. Glad I could do my part to make the world a safer place for them :)

Happy for the newest addition to our home. Chille, fresh of two Acl surgeries, has been adopted and is now a Trudeau. Maggie welcomes her to the family with a friendly game of tug o war. Thankful all 3 of the puppies make me smile.

Thankful that Ingrid Michaleson makes great music and is so nice to me and the store. I adore listening to all her tunes. Passes to shows, visits backstage, and stage shout-outs. She makes me smile. Please buy her music, it will make you smile too.

Thankful that I rode a bike again this year. And really thankful that the bike I bought has a bigger cushier seat than the one in Utah.

Thankful, that I could jump better, spike better, and and just play better this year. Happy that Nicole and Mary and Max joined the Sunshine Daydream volleyball teams. Not sure they knew what they were getting themselves into, but I know they had a good time, as did I.

Happy that my trivia team keeps my mind sharp and full of mundane crap. The Crazy waffles continue to make at least one night of my week better cause I spend two hours laughing with them and answering questions about stuff that happened before they were alive....all the way back in the 70's :)

What can I say. So thankful for my fellow triathletes. especially the 3 in the picture who did it all again this fall. You guys continue to inspire me. I owe you guys another completed tri and I will deliver. I love you more than you know.

.

So thankful for my annual trip to Vegas for March Madness. It was extra special this year. In fact March in Vegas was as good as it gets, if you don't include the November trip which actually was profitable and good. I love hanging out with my friends and watching all day college basketball. I can't wait to do it all again this spring. What happens in Vegas stays there but the good times make me smile everyday.

Thankful for Brooks shoes. They make my feet so very happy. The best shoes out there and if you are wearing anything else to work out you are making a mistake.

Thankful for Fitness Ridge. The adventures never stop. I am constantly learning new things and remembering things I haven't done in forever and learning to do them again. This has been an exceptional year. So many new life long friends. So many memories, smiles and inspiring moments.

Thankful the Tanya and Tim thought enough of my friendship that they invited me to officiate their wedding. Thankful that I didn't sweat into a puddle at their feet. It was a very special day one I will never forget.

Thankful for all the wonderful music I saw this year starting with this guy Jackson Browne. Add in Sara Bareilles, James Taylor, Jack Johnson, Steely Dan, Carole King, Ingrid Michaelson, The Eagles, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews, The Dixie Chicks, and Neil Young. But no song made me happier to hear live than Running on Empty by Jackson.

Thankful that my good friend Eric Jackson is the general manager at the ridge. He has made the place so much better. Really happy that he got to see his Bears win live and very happy that he got to Madison this year.

Thankful that these are some of my very best friends. They put up with me in the sand, at trivia, and still include me in their parties. I have known these people just over two years and they have changed my life in Madison. And glad that Allison is back from her year in South Korea seeing as North Korea may wipe them off the map soon.

Really thankful that this guy is in my life. he has been a mentor, he has been a friend, he has been a teacher, he has been a counselor, he has bought me beers and yelled at me for picking losers in Vegas, he has lamented the upcoming downfall of Wisconsin at the hands of the Republicans with me. He has rooted for me at Volleyball, drug himself to trivia where he on occasion throws a sports answer at me, he loathes Duke basketball, Notre Dame football, the Yankees, the Cowboys, Rush, crappy waitresses, no ncaa football playoffs, terrible sports radio hosts, and losing. He is my best friend in Madison and he owes me because I introduced him to Vegas and he now spends 51 weeks a year dreaming of that week he will be there. My life has changed in so many ways. Paul is one of the reasons it's much better.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. I hope you have many things to be thankful for. I am thankful you check in on my blog every once in awhile to see how I am doing. Peace, Love, and Turkeys....Jim

Wrap-up

2010-11-20T17:03:00.003-06:00

I dig it when you're fancy dressed up in lace
I dig it when you have a smile on your face
This inspiration's got to be on the flow
This invitation's got to see it and know
It's just warm love
And it's everpresent everywhere
To the country I'm going
Lay and laugh in the sun
You can bring, bring your guitar along
We'll sing some songs, we'll have some fun

Van Morrison

I wanted to wrap up my most recent trip to the ridge. It was trying to say the least on many different levels. There is no such thing as a bad trip to the ridge. But let's just say that some work out better than others. This one really didn't. But I'm still really glad I went. As always I met wonderful people, got inspired by all the others there working their butts off, hung out with the fabulous staff, and lost double digits weight.

I did something on this trip that I haven't done in the past. I set up a private meeting with one of the dietitians. Rachael, is the newest addition to the ridge staff and is available virtually all day to talk to you about food and food issues. She is easy to spot as she is the best dressed person in the dining room everyday. I have a nice history of completely losing my mind thanksgiving and keeping it lost until Christmas or more likely New Year's Day or even more likely Super Bowl Sunday. So we spent a long hour discussing food issues, planning meals, and talking about strategies to push forward. I could have actually used about 3 days. Strategy number 1.... Stop eating in bars :) Not too hard to do since I spend a whole lot less time in said venues in the winter with no volleyball :( but I really do want to limit my eating out because the calories I consume outside the house is way too high.

One thing I am certain we can all agree on is that I took way too few, and in general, mostly terrible pictures on this trip. But we can also agree that there are no bad pictures of my fitness ridge love....the pool. Big plans seem to be underway at the ridge. The building project manager, who has broken my heart in the past, assures me that on my next trip I will see a whole bunch of progress. First thing on the table is a new gym/lecture hall/social area. Now they have been promising me and I have been promising you guys enough that they should call me Peter Wolf, but I have some faith this time. Much like Charlie Brown's never ending faith that Lucy will hold that ball down.

I did have a really good last week. I was very happy I finally got an off road hike in. Got a ton of laps in. Got to see a whole bunch of newbies complete a triathlon. Got to play a little bit of basketball, ( where even hobbled still beat Seth and Eric :), had an awesome Friday afternoon in the pool, peeled like a snake in the desert, and got to tell my tan story by request and am actually living it as I am easily the most naturally tan person in Wisconsin in November. I followed that up with some fun times in Las Vegas. Oh and for the first time ever I am coming back heavier in the wallet and lighter on the scale.

I wanted to say thanks to the people who took the time to write and comment on this trip. I am really happy to report that I spent a few moments this week chatting with Caroline and she is on the road to recovery. She did seem concerned that her accent hadn't come back yet. I wasn't sure if she meant New York, South Africa or the combo plate she normally talks with. She made me laugh and I was very thankful for that. I hope everyone has a great week, and a very Happy Thanksgiving. It's one day, enjoy yourself. And I will leave the ridge by giving you a picture of the one thing everyone agrees on. Peace, Love, and Pumpkin delights, Jim

race day

2010-11-15T11:31:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever gonna make it home again
It's so far and out of sight
I really need someone to talk to, and nobody else
Knows how to comfort me tonight

Snow is cold, rain is wet
Chills my soul right to the marrow
I won't be happy till I see you alone again
Till I'm home again and feeling right
Carole King

I wanted to do a short little blog about race day. I really wanted to do the triathlon this trip. I wavered back and forth as to whether it was a good idea to attempt it or not. I certainly didn't want to let any of the people down who had signed up from the ridge, nor did I want any of the new triathletes not to see me on the course. As late as Friday night I was sure there was no way I would attempt it. I was and am still limping fairly noticeably. Outdoor basketball on Thursday had reminded me that neither of my knees is near correct, and pounding them on the pavement was not a great idea.

I had spoken with the life coach earlier this week as I mentioned in an earlier blog about my issues of needing to please everyone else. Sometimes to the detriment of my own needs and my own pleasure. I spent a lot of time the last two days before the race asking myself who was I doing this race for? Did I want to do it for myself? I knew I could do it, I had done it before, It's all there on CNBC tape. I didn't feel the need to prove to myself that I was a triathlete. Most of the people who had done the last one with me and pledged to return and do this one were nowhere to be found. I didn't want to do the race. I wasn't doing the race for me. It would be stupid to risk injuring my knees any further. Again I didn't need to do this race for myself. But much like the scorpion, who just can't help himself and stings the turtle assuring his own death because that's his nature. I, of course, decided to do it.

I picked up my packet Friday evening after the guy handing out the packets said "Oh, you're doing the race" after assuming I wasn't and trying to bypass me. I was told by the race director at the counter that they would make sure they got my lap count correct this time which made me laugh. Got my race number 669. Glad I didn't get 666. Which I happened to see the next day pinned on to Laurel, a ridger.

We got there early. Got in line right away. I ended up in the first set of swimmers in lane #9. Shared the lane with a speedy swimmer who beat me by a about a minute and a half. But I felt damn good. Swimming, is not and will not, ever be my issue in these races. Headed out to the bike race changeover. Shared my naked backside with a happy little family of four watching the transition area. Walked my bike out to the start line and headed out into the morning pedaling my bike.

It was the same course as last year. I struggled in the same spots. Huffed up the same hills. Felt the same numbness in my fingers. Felt the same numbness in my toes. Felt new pain in both knees. Exasperated I made a deal with myself. Get through the ten mile bike and evaluate the knees and if they don't feel right then don't do the run. That second loop seemed so much longer than the first. I almost forgot about the numbness in my feet as the pain where the seat was grinding into my special area started to overwhelm me. I kept trying to adjust on the seat but I'm still feeling it. I pulled into the bike finish damn happy that the ride was over. Let me just say that everyone was really supportive on the course. They cheer, they shout your name and number, and there just seemed to be more of them lining the course this time. Thank you to them.

You walk your bike around a 100 yds from the finish to the transition area. The numbness in my legs was bad. The pain in my knees persistent. As I put the bike away. I decided that I just shouldn't do the last leg. It felt really bad to withdraw. I'm not used to quitting. But I was glad I started. I was glad I did more than most people did that morning. I still feel bad, however, that in some way I let some people down. Hopefully they understand that I need my knees to get me through a whole lot of volleyball. They will get better and I just didn't want to risk injuring them any further on this morning. The race comes around again in 6 months :)

I need to give some serious shoutouts to some of the first timers and some of the returners. To Randy, Laurel, Danielle, Melissa, Shaylee, Jen D. and Megan. Congrats on your first tri. To Nancy, Lisa, Gretchen, Jen and Tiffany it was fun to do the race with you for a second time. To the few people that were past guests and showed up race day but whom I don't know your names. Congrats as well. And to my friend, Deb from Dallas, who won her trip from the Biggest Loser show and who is getting married in February, I hope that torn calf muscle mends quickly. I get a couple days in Vegas and then head home. Hopefully they cancel winter this year :( Peace and love, Jim

Back on the Mountain

2010-11-10T17:58:00.004-06:00

You say yes, I say no
You say stop and I say go, go, go
Oh, no
You say goodbye and I say hello
Hello, hello
The Beatles

Let's wrap up the weekend,'cause it was a really fun weekend. A couple words I never thought I would say started the weekend for me. "Paige and I are heading to Vegas on Friday" We did, and It was my shortest trip to Vegas ever. 6 minutes in the Palms casino betting that day's Breeders Cup races. 3 minutes at the rental car return and then back heading north. Friday afternoons at the Ridge are my favorite day of the week. Everyone is happy that the week has come to an end, and many spend the afternoon in the pool, which this week featured 3 hours of pool volleyball. Saturday was spent watching football and betting the Breeders Cup. Zenyatta was extremely noble in defeat. I'm almost sorry I bet against her, but I'll get over that when I cash my tickets on Blame. Really fun race to watch and I'm glad that for a moment the country cared about the sport of kings again. Saturday night was Karaoke which we all know makes Jim happy. Sunday as always saying Goodbye to some campers and Hello to others.

The third and final week at the ridge, had me spending Monday morning on the bike and in the pool doing laps. Hey if it was a biathlon on Saturday I would be set :) The temperatures dropped a good 20 degrees from last week, the wind increased and the summer weather came to a screeching halt. What changed about the program? Nothing, except there were fewer people in each pool class. Monday also brought the return of one of my greatest friends. College basketball...Let me love thee!!! And my Terps kicked off the season with a nice win.

Tuesday at the ridge is Cardio Intervals day. My favorite class of the week. 30 second increases and decreases on a cardio machine. I started on the nustep which is a machine that has some rehab qualities but then moved over to the treadmill. My knees survived it and I thought to myself It's been a few weeks with no hikes time to change that.

My hiking group which was probably tired of hearing my name called each morning on the van only to not have me climb on. we did a hike that was called Hidden Pinyon. It culminates with a trip up the mountain to Piano Rock. There's pictures of me at that rock if you go back far enough in the blog. You can see the rock in the top picture. It's the tiny dot in the middle of the top picture, just under the whisp of clouds.

I'm almost done with this year's fall trip. It has been trying at times. This week has reminded me why I come here. It's been a really good week. I feel reinvigorated. I feel happy and young. I feel like I can do things I couldn't do two weeks ago.
I have been going to bed earlier and getting up earlier and doing both with a smile on my face. Did I mention there was a race Saturday? I guess the only way to know is to keep reading. May your week be filled with hope and hearts and laughter and stars. Peace and Love, Jim

Kickball!!!

2010-11-06T07:10:00.002-05:00

And sometimes I don't have the energy
To prove everybody wrong
And I try my best to be strong
But you know it's so hard
It's so hard

It's so hard when it doesn't come easy
It's so hard when it doesn't come fast
It's so hard when it doesn't come easy
It's so hard

The Dixie Chicks

I have to kind of laugh every once in awhile, here at the Ridge when things that I said would be great additions to the program actually show up in the program. It just takes a couple years to actually get it implemented. It started with the volleyball nets in the pool, continued with Saturday night Karaoke, and the latest addition is Kickball. I have stressed so many times how important it is to find things you like to do that burn calories. I am really happy that the program now factors in some "fun" activities that let's you see that you don't have to be running on a treadmill to be active. There is so much more tennis, volleyball, basketball, bike riding and yes kickball that makes your stay in Utah more fun. And you really need to view exercise as fun or your not going to want to continue. And just so there is no misunderstanding, I am wretched when it comes to kickball. I'm not really in peak kicking condition right now but no excuse for my miserableness.

I'm not complaining mind you, just updating the status of my knee. It was sore from kickball which really can't be a good sign. My dream of a second triathlon seems to be evaporating as running on pavement is just not an option for me right now. The good news is that I have gotten a really nice tan from my countless hours in the pool. I have done more water aerobics than a senior center on steroids. There is no doubt that Friday afternoon is my favorite 3 hours of the week at the ridge. And this week it was spent playing volleyball in the pool, listening to great music, and enjoying perfect temperatures in the high 70's. Really the perfect trifecta for me.

Speaking of trifectas, it's Breeder's Cup weekend, and I'm looking forward to a spending my Saturday in the racebook in Mesquite watching the races. History in the making as the great race mare Zenyatta goes for 20 straight wins. I, of course, being the huge sentimentalist I am will be betting against her. Just before I climbed on top of the pyramid....not really.

The food has just been ridiculously good on this trip. Shrimp, rice and grilled veggies. I'm not really sure how it is possible to keep so many people on 1200 calories from killing each other but they do. I haven't said much about the elections this week. It was ugly for my team. ugly for things I believe in. And I am bemused by the people in Iowa voting out judges trying to make everyone equal. The divide in this country is so great it's hard to see reconciliation anytime i the near future. I was extra sad to see the only senator that shopped in Sunshine Daydream lose in Wisconsin.

Someone finally asked me what's with all the Dixie Chick tunes. After not listening to the Album Taking the Long Way for quite some time I realized that it is the most exceptional cd of the last decade. Flawless, on topic, poignant, and fun to listen to. Highly recommend giving it a listen.

I'm happy to report that Caroline is doing better, She is no longer on life support, no longer in immediate danger, She faces a long recovery, but I have seen her work at the Ridge and I am certain she gets it done. Godspeed to her and her family. Love, Jim

Perspective

2010-11-04T07:16:00.003-05:00

Never knowing
Shocking but we're nothing
We're just moments
We're Clever but we're clueless
We're just human
Amusing but confusing
Were trying but where is this all leading
Never Know

Jack Johnson

I understand that bad things happen to good people. I understand that the nature of our existence is fragile and that there are no guarantees. I grasp that the human body is a extraordinarily intricate machine and that it doesn't always work the way it was intended. I have a very hard time understanding how a very dear friend of mine can, two days shy of her 30th birthday be talking to me one moment and be leaving in ambulance 5 minutes later and and med-flighted to Salt Lake City in an attempt to save her life.

I have seen ambulances come to the grocery store, the bank, State St, Fitness Ridge and virtually everywhere. I know that people can and do fall sick anywhere and at anytime. In my 20 some weeks here, I believe I have seen the EMT's come to the Ridge 3 times and transport people twice. It took a large number of pieces to fall into the puzzle correctly for Caroline to be in Utah on November 1st. And while I felt bad at first that I helped facilitate her getting the last open spot when one opened last week, I now realize that if this had happened somewhere there was no one was there to help her, the outcome may have been substantially worse. She was swimming in the pool when she fell ill, got herself onto the pool deck by herself and asked for help.The people at the Ridge are trained to handle an emergency. The EMT arrived in 3 minutes and the Ambulance in 5.

Please send happy thoughts for a swift recovery to my friend Caroline Smith, who spent her 30th birthday in surgery in Salt Lake City. If you pray please include her in your prayers. Play some Jack Johnson for her, she got to meet him this year and I was so jealous.

Perspective is a very funny thing. Things that depress you and feel so limiting are really just little bumps. And though they seem so challenging and so troubling they really are nothing more than minor inconveniences. And on that count you are not going to hear me complain about my knees or complain about a tooth being pulled. I'm still here, I'm still working hard, I'm still fighting the good fight. I'm thankful for every opportunity I have given to me. I'm grateful for my friends. They bring smiles to my face on a daily basis. It's a new day, with new challenges, and all you can do is start each day, happy to be here, and with a simple promise to make the world a little better, and a little happier because of your presence. Peace and Lots and Lots of Love, Jim

Trick or Treat

2010-11-01T09:43:00.004-05:00

It's a new day
Let's look at all we've got
It's everything we thought
We ever wanted
It's beautiful

(Baby, hold on)
Let's start this over
(Baby, hold on)
We're not much older now
(Baby, hold on)
If you still see what I see
Keep holding on
Hold on to me
The Dixie Chicks

Someone asked me this week exactly how many weeks I have spent at the ridge, and I didn't exactly know the number. 20 something for sure. And there have been a whole lot of good and great weeks here. Last week wasn't one of them.

It was by far my toughest week ever at the ridge. Worse than the first, although that is so far removed maybe I am glossing over how tough that week was. I have never had to deal with an injury at the ridge and I suffered with doubt and pain. I didn't know whether to baby my knee or push it and see what would happen. I also spent the week in considerable pain due to a tooth problem.

I did an hour and 20 minutes on the treadmill , Wednesday afternoon, mixing in running and walking and really felt pretty decent throughout the time. I didn't recover well that night and now have pain in my right knee as well as the left. One thing you can do at the ridge is modify the program to fit your needs and problems. Paige is really happy to help structure a program that will help you make the most of your time at the ridge regardless of any injuries you may be suffering from. Looks like extra pool and bike work for me this week. And as John and Melissa know any time in the hot tub makes you feel better.

After suffering with tooth pain for most of the week. I headed to the dentist on Friday morning. Long story short, #29 tooth came out in about 3 pieces. It was and is painful but it feels a lot better. And given that the dentist muttered two things you never want to hear at the dentist, "I have never seen that before", and "that's what I was afraid of" it wasn't all that terrible.

So we started Saturday with a new direction, new attitude and one less tooth. But hey here's to hoping that tooth weighed a lot. I had a double digit weight loss this week, got to ride the bike further than I had before, and had a really good weekend. The field trip Saturday was Laser Tag/ Neon Mini Golf, enhanced by me continuing my 2 year unbeaten streak on various air hockey tables in St George. And more proof that you can have fun without food and booze on a Saturday night.

Which leaves me with Halloween at the Ridge. Nice to see the staff embrace the holiday :) I guess if you are going to pick a holiday to be at the ridge this one's fairly easy. I'm not sure how the people hike on Christmas day... but they do. No bowls of candy sitting around and my first snickerless Halloween since old #29 was a mere baby tooth.

Here is to everyone having a better week and a wonderful November. Peace and Love, Jim

Sweet emotions

2010-10-27T09:47:00.004-05:00

Holding on to the memories
Of when we were younger
I can't forget
Cause when we were together
That's when I was at my best

And would you know me now
Would you lay me down beside you
Tell me all the things I long to hear
Like that was your favorite year
Like that was your favorite year
Cause that was my favorite year
The Dixie Chicks

It's fairly easy to know what stands in front of you as far as work when you come to Fitness Ridge. Do a little research, read about the hikes, read about the classes, and know that you are in for full day after full day of exercise. You can prepare somewhat for what lies ahead of you.The ridge is happy to tell you all about the pain and blisters and how the altitude may effect you. Can you replicate the experience at home so that you are completely ready for how your body is going to feel. No, but you can start to get yourself ready and at least understand what lies ahead.

What you can't really prepare for is the emotional roller coaster that awaits you in Utah. A big component of the program, and one that doesn't get much talk of before you walk through the doors, is how this place effects your emotional state. There is a ton of time during your day for self reflection as you go through feelings from self loathing to internal bliss. It's really as big a workout on your psyche as it is on your body.

They have started to address this portion of the program when you are in Utah. A day doesn't go by when someone isn't crying. And that's just the people that we see. The rooms are where virtually everyone has moments of doubt, moments of fear, moments of loneliness, and feelings of betraying those at home. And for many of us this is the time where we most want to reach out to our friend food and comfort our worries. That friend is not there for you at the Ridge, So if you tend to medicate feelings with food, you are going to be without your medication when you are here. It's a good time to work on that aspect of your life. because yes the ridge, will make you believe you can exercise much more, it will make you believe you can subsist on healthier food and a whole lot less of it. Will it help you pass up cake when you feel like celebrating, or grabbing a tub of ice cream when you are depressed, or some pizza cause your bored? Not unless you actively identify the issues and seek out some help.

So where do you turn for help. First and foremost you lean on your friends that are here. They are the greatest resource that Fitness Ridge has. You are not going through anything that a dozen other people here haven't gone through as well. Don't be afraid to ask for help, don't be afraid to say your struggling, don't be afraid to say that you feel that you are letting people down by being here or spending all this money on yourself. We all feel that way at times. It's easy to feel depressed when you are here, and it is just as easy to feel like you are on top of the world and in control of everything.

Fitness Ridge has a full time life coach on hand named Jen Morton. She has gone through the program, she has faced every fear we have, she has left behind family to be in Utah. She wants to help you, and she will. She is trained and has been successful in a corporate setting with helping people achieve goals. Like the rest of us she is a work in progress, and she would be the first to tell you that everyone struggles. She will help you. I spent an hour with her yesterday, left with some self reflective homework, and really addressed some fears and worries I have that accompany every trip to the ridge. I really recommend using her, She is a huge asset to this program. And she is the reason I signed up for my first triathlon and made sure I was ready to do it. I'm not giving her credit for me finishing it :) but I never would have started it if not for her.

So what can we can we do to alleviate some of the emotions that we feel at the ridge. I wanted to talk a little about the feelings a lot of people have here. People miss their friends and family at home. That's fine. On top of that I really miss a lot of the campers that have walked, and swam and hiked and motivated me on my previous trips. They miss you too, but they really are your biggest fans. They want you to succeed, they want you to work hard, they are proud you made the commitment to come. Honor them not by missing them, but by doing all you can for them. This place is a very expensive undertaking. A lot of people struggle not with spending the money but with spending the money on themselves. A common trait that I see is the selfless, giving, put everybody first except yourself trait that many people share here and whether it is an overwhelming need for approval or a sense of unworthiness, neither is correct. Everyone who walks through the door deserves to be there. You will be better for your trip here, and the help you are seeking here is well deserved. Don't dwell on what you have given up to be here, relish in the fact that you have decided to seek help and you are becoming better for yourself and for those around you.

There are going to be some really good highs here as well. You do things you forgot you could or never imagined you would. You start to believe in yourself. You start to motivate those around you. I have had a really hard time feeling worthy of the people who tell me that I inspire them, but I'm glad I do, because life really is a team effort and sometimes you lead , sometimes you follow, and sometimes you just get dragged a long for the ride. I really am someone who tends to celebrate with food. I give it as gifts, I like to reward people and myself with it. It's not here to celebrate your highs with. You learn that you can celebrate and be happy without it. It doesn't make those highs any less high.

Fitness Ridge is a wonderful journey. You will experience things you thought were not possible, you will see people that will amaze you. Your body will be pushed. But the one thing you are not prepared for is the flood of emotions that you have during your time here. We have all heard the term emotional eating. Many of us know it all too well. There is no emotional eating at the ridge and emotions tend to really be prevalent without our favorite medication. There may not be a great way to prepare for what your emotions will be, but they will be ever changing and you are not feeling anything that someone else hasn't felt before you in that same spot. The experience here isn't in any way just about your body, it changes, but so do your emotions and so will the way you feel about yourself. That being said it's Wednesday of week one and I'm sore as can be. There is nothing right now that doesn't hurt, well except my knee.... it feels pretty damn good. Hope you have a wonderful week. Peace and Love, Jim

Carne Ostrichada

2010-10-26T21:07:00.005-05:00

Well, I never seem to do it like anybody else
Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down
If you ever want to find me I can still be found

Taking the long way
Taking the long way around

The Dixie Chicks

I'm back. :) Sunday night hasn't changed much at the ridge, but Monday morning sure has. The stop sign hike is gone. It is still available during the week for one van load of people. On Monday, you go on a preassigned assessment hike and then you are assigned a group with which you will hike the remainder of the week. Before I talk about my Monday hike, let me explain a new sort of philosophy that exists at the ridge. They not only will accommodate your needs they encourage you to discuss with them any fears you have. I had one.

I was afraid I would get 2 miles into the first hike, have an unhappy meniscus and not be able to walk out. Paige suggested stop sign, and I took her up on the offer. So the Monday stop sign party of one headed out to the hike. I didn't go to the top. I had to drive myself back and I was not walking back from the top ever. So I went half way out and turned around and walked back. I wouldn't have been happy anyway on the main incline. But all things considered it was a fine first day. My knee cooperated fairly well. It was sore, it hurt at times but it never inhibited what I wanted to do. I rewarded it with ice bag after ice bag. And so far so good.

So they are handing out a trophy for winning the calorie challenge. This weeks question involved food from Outback. Don't get the quesadilla!! 2200 calorie appetizer, or the bloomin onion. :)

You know I wouldn't be talking about the trophy unless f course my team brought it home. We didn't actually take it home but we did hold it for the time it took to take the picture

Got a Tuesday morning visit from Pam Rush who came up to say hi from Mesquite. And while a few f the curses have changed Sharon is certainly a constant. Apparently John took my dreadfully hated step class with him to Malibu as it was replaced by a core class on Monday afternoon. Other than that and Zumba instead of Disco the class schedule is virtually unchanged.

Some new food on the menu as well. This is a sausage english muffin sandwich. They have also worked a snack into the schedule. You may have one hard boiled egg or a handful of almonds as a mooning or afternoon snack.

Speaking of new food, a first for me...Ostrich. This was called Carne Asada Tacos. It tasted fabulous and was easily in my top 5 meals served at the Ridge. Ostrich? who knew. I d kinda want to put my head in the sand, and by head I mean feet and I mean feet with a volleyball.

It is really good to be back. I am sore as hell. But no more so than a normal 1st day. There are only 2 of the 70 campers that have been here before with me. There are a few that gave some credit to the cnbc piece for having them book. It's all good. The next blog is going to be about emotions and emotional eating and the best way to prepare for the onslaught of emotions that comes with a trip to the ridge. Hope all's well with you guys. Peace, Jim

Next Stop BLR@FR

2010-10-14T18:36:00.016-05:00

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by
The rules of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes
And leap...

It's time to try defying gravity
I think I'll try defying gravity
And you can't pull me down

Elphaba

Let me just start with what was the most outstanding night I have had in awhile. WICKED, the musical was amazing. I loved it. I loved the fact I didn't know the story going in. I loved the fact that they put a wonderful spin on the story. I loved the music, I loved the humor. But most of all I loved the message. And especially in this time when people are being bullied into suicide, and members of congress think it's okay to send out derogatory hateful message, and equal rights are still a dream for many. The message of Wicked was it's okay to be different, you can't judge a person by how they look, and, of course, it's okay to be green. This play was near perfect and if you have the chance please go see it.

New movie opened last weekend about the greatest horse ever to look through a bridle. Now, I debated this with someone very wise who didn't know the story of Secretariat and really enjoyed the movie. We both agreed it was exceptionally well acted. I didn't like it. It missed the story of Secretariat's impact on the country. Failed to capture the sheer brilliance of the horse. And misled as to the struggles of the female owner, whose farm was "saved" by Secretariat according to the movie. Miss Chenery/Tweedy is a wonderful lady and a huge advocate for horses. She is also a two time Kentucky Derby winning owner. The first time she won the race was the year before Secretariat with a brilliant horse named Rive Ridge. Somehow this was omitted from her story. I know that the sports movie formula demands an underdog, but this story in no way called for an underdog. Secretariat was never an underdog, he was the greatest who ever lived, and there is no need to do a story inspired by him when the real story is so much more fascinating. Check out ESPN's story called Sports Century and learn why this horse made grown men weep and why his Belmont race is in the very small group for discussion as the greatest athletic achievement ever.

Here is the country's reaction to Big Red's Belmont:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-KvaeuIIsw&feature=related

I went to see Farm Aid, the day long concert to raise awareness about the plight of the family farmers in the country. It was a very fun day spent with the girl I married and the couple I married. I love music, I don't love a format like this that has people on stage for a few songs. Neil Young is truly amazing and I was happy to take him off the list of people I had never seen. Another I had never seen was John Cougar and I thought he stole the show. Also enjoyed Jason Mraz, Norah Jones, and Dave Matthews.

More good news. I have been really pain free this last week playing volleyball. A little sore in the morning, but I have been a little sore virtually every morning for 3 years :) I'm hopeful that my upcoming trip to the Ridge will not be hampered by the knee and still very hopeful that I will be able to compete in the Nov. 13th triathlon. Looking forward to seeing lots of old friends. The mixture of fear and anxiety on the competitors faces the week leading up to the tri is always fun to share, but as I look back last year, it was clearly one of my favorite weeks ever. My goal for this trip is to concentrate on making sure Jimmy gets the most out of his 3 weeks. I have the tendency to lose some focus at times as to what is best for me and am promising myself not to let that happen this trip. I'm excited to see how the program has changed. Excited not to have a camera following me around, and of course excited to spend my first Halloween at the Ridge. Although the trick or treating is going to suck. I already have my costume... Preppy guy in a sweater vest. Just for the record I don't really post pictures of myself that make me look fat. And believe me I have plenty. Hope everyone is enjoying their fall. The Wisconsin fall weather has been nothing short of amazing.... scares me because I know what's coming.... The Wicked Winter of the West... Peace and Love, Jim

rams and packers and bears..Oh My

2010-09-29T08:51:00.004-05:00

I make this world a place for you and me
I make your happiness my responsibility
To make this world the world you want to see
I'll do anything

When i see the light upon your upturned face
I can hear the angels sing
To see that no one ever takes my place
I'll do anything

To make you see what I'm imagining
To know the pleasure your smile can bring
To keep the light from vanishing
I'll do anything

Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne was simply amazing. I really wasted a huge chunk of my life being best friends with my TV and refrigerator and pizza delivery guy. I'm not sure that when he was 21 in '69 he really thought he'd still be running on empty at 61 in '10. He put on a great show. 1/3 acoustic 2/3 with the full band. Close to 3 hours of music with no opener. Played everything you would want to hear, plus dug deep into many albums for some obscure material and even dropped a few covers in the mix. A really special fun night for me and the start of a long 4 day weekend.

Picked up Jacky at the airport Saturday night at 5 pm following her week in Malibu at the soft opening for the new fitness ridge. I will give a better report on Malibu in the next blog. Hit the road heading south at 7 pm and stopped in Bloomington, Illinois for the night. Was back on the road at 9 am and into St Louis at 12 noon and waiting for my good friend Eric Jackson at the airport. Scooped him up , met my brother Jay and headed down to the Edward Jones Dome to watch the Redskins and the Rams. My family had season tickets to the skins games when I was growing up. I would see a few games every year. And I always got to go to the game where Santa Claus would make his appearance with my grandfather. Lots of wonderful memories. My last NFL game? The NFC Championship game on January 17th 1988. Not quite the gap that befell Jackson Browne but a significant chunk of my adult life.

There are two ways to see a game at today's stadiums and in two days I saw them both. Sunday's game thanks to my brother, Jay, we spent the game in the Clarkson Jeweler's box. Tv's everywhere, an open bar and buffet, waiter service throughout the game, spread out seats, no lines in clean bathrooms, close up parking, and a private entrance with an elevator.

Certainly about as cush and comfortable as a gameday experience can be.

As to be

expected, I was the normal in person jinx that I normally am and the Redskins played terrible and lost. Just for the record though a fan of the team, the name is way offensive and needs to go. After the game thanked my bro and started heading north for the next kickoff. Without tickets for the game.

Now I have been slinging tickets since I was a kid. Making a quick buck when available. You can always get tickets to a game. But the ticket business has changed because of the internet and counterfeit tickets are everywhere. So i bit the bullet and bought through NFL.com and got two tickets to the Bears Packers game for a lot more than I thought I would ever pay for a football game.

Chicago has been the wrath of many of my previous posts because of their traffic issues. This trip no problem. No traffic. I think travelling with a Mormon in the car may have its benefit. We saw Soldier field the oldest stadium in the league. However the did some renovations that have changed the look of the stadium. It's sort of like a spaceship landed on the Acropolis but it works. The closest parking to the stadium at about 3/4 of a mile was $46 bucks. Ugh we set out in search of a new plan.

I remembered my friend, Greg Ryan, lived in Chicago. Hadn't seen him in over a decade but figured a call might be helpful. Turns out he lived in a high rise overlooking Millennium Park and Navy Pier about a half mile from where I was calling and there was a shuttle that left to the game in front of his building all night for free. Spent a couple hours catching up, checking out the building magnificent health club, and admiring an amazing view of the city. When you see the prototypical skyline shot of Chicago Greg's building is right there staring back at you.

The shuttle to the game was just a school bus. Can someone tell me when the decided to put the seats so close together on a school bus. Those poor six foot four plus kids must not enjoy there rides all that much. After what is now a fairly short walk, but one that would have had me bent over a few years ago we arrived in section 318 for the game. Exactly none of the amenities of the previous day. Instead we got two 40 year olds with blue and orange face paint, beer vendors in constant rotation, and lots of people happy to buy the $8 beers, seats that hugged my ass, and a slightly worse view. I got the seat on the end of the row of 16 people. The other end of the row abutted the wall so there was only one way out of the row. And what happens when grown men drink a lot of beer?? They have to piss every 15 minutes. I spent half the night getting up to let people out of the row. 50 times easy. But hey I'm counting it as a squats workout. The game was close the whole way. The home team made the home fans and the visitor from Utah very happy. Apparently even though I don't actually root for them my jinx ability extended to my home state Packers who played poorly and made a ridiculous amount of mistakes and penalties and still should have won.

So which day did I enjoy more? It's not even close. Given the chance to do it again I'm choosing in the stands with the commoners every time. The atmosphere and passion makes the lack of amenities moot. It's a football game, you don't need to feel like you're in your living room. I'm not ready to sign up for season tickets and make it a weekly trip but every now and then sure. Hey look in the picture One of the 5 packers isn't holding can you point him out :)

So my weekend driving was like this: Friday 4 hours, Saturday 3 hours, Sunday 6 hours, Monday 6 hours, Tuesday 4 hours. A couple hours short of the drive to Utah, which thankfully this time will only be the two hours north from Vegas as I am flying into the dessert. And as the GM and I enjoyed some of what Chicago is deep dishly famous for I realized I have a lot of work to do to get ready for my return in less than 4 weeks. I need to start running again which I haven't done in 6 weeks and I sure need to know the knee is going to not be more sore than normal. Two weeks of volleyball, some walking, lots of swimming have gotten it back to pretty good but I'm not sure that equates to scaling Camelbak or Stop Sign or doing another triathlon. We shall see. It was an amazing fun weekend. Made better by good friends, and great tunes on my new itrip which made listening to music so much easier. No more dragging bags of cd's every place I go :) More fun to come WICKED tonight and Volleyball on Thursday and Farm Aid on Saturday. Because I can :) Peace and Love, Jim

Doctor, my eyes and my knee

2010-09-24T11:45:00.003-05:00

I wanted to live in the realm of the senses

You've got to know how

And for some kinds of pleasure there are no defenses

I know that now

Our love is a crackling ladder of lightning

Our love is a fire

Our love is a wave moving deep in an ocean

Of need and desire

I need your wonder and I need your light

I need your tender touch to heal the night

I need you laughing and I need you free

And I need to lock you away deep inside of me

Waiting for you

I have no problem telling right from wrong

The way some people do

I know exactly where these arms belong

My problem is you

Waiting here for you

The Incomparable songwriter Jackson Browne

As always let's start with some good news. I'm over the moon excited to go see Jackson Browne tonight in Milwaukee. I consider him the greatest songwriter of my lifetime, and a man who truly believes in what he espouses about freedom, equality, the environment, involvement, and love. Flawed? no doubt... but we all are. I have seen him once before. I am very sad to report the year was 1979. 30 years between concert dates, ...sigh. We can't change the past only the future.

Speaking of things that happened a long time ago I had a wonderful birthday party surrounded by great friends, who made me drink things named..... dirty girl scouts, pineapple upside down cakes, smurf jizz, and apple tequilla sunsets. I was able to maintain a modicum of composure and get home safely. Love that the people that really care for me went out of their way to see that I had a very special day.

I started playing volleyball again. My exercise really has been limited to the pool for about a month so I figured that was long enough. I need to start getting back on my feet and back on the trail or I have no chance at being ready to hike in Utah. So far, ok in the sand. I get sore afterwards but have been able be fairly pain free during the actual time playing. I was as scared as I can be the first time I went back out there, but you forget about the knee fairly shortly and competitive juices kick in.

I know I have been doing a terrible job updating this I apologize. I promise the next one comes much sooner and I do plan to blog regularly when i get back to the ridge on the 24th of October. Have a great week coming up. Eric the GM from the ridge is in town. We are heading to St Louis and Chicago for some NFL football. I will see Wicked on Wednesday, Volleyball thursday, and Farm Aid Saturday.

I got an email from the winner of the contest that asked that the week be donated to someone who deserves it. I will get with Paige and Eric when I am in Utah and see that someone who really can use the week recieves it. Hope all's well, Jim