On to week 2

If you've never stared off into the distance then your life is a shame, and though I'll never forget your face, sometimes I can't remember my name

Counting Crows

Some more food shots for you. The waffle and grapefruit are your standard Sunday breakfast. The french toast was Friday's breakfast and we had the stuffed pepper for dinner Friday. The food has really been a very pleasant surprise. The quality is up, the rotation is now more on a two week schedule, and I maybe dreaming but the meat level and quantity seems to have increased.

I went on a really cool hike on Friday last week. It was scheduled to be the 101 hike but when only Natalie and I signed up for it, Paige improvised and took us for some climbing. We went to piano rock and the stairmaster which are pictured to the right.

It was challenging and fun and I ended up in places I had seen people before and thought to myself "there is no way in hell I could ever climb up there." But I did.

This was a real highlight for me. It is the pond where Butch Cassidy ( Paul Newman ) falls backwards into during the movie. Just to be hiking where Butch and Sundance was filmed, and to share the same view as Newman, Redford, and George Roy Hill really brought a huge smile to my face.

Shadow puppets on the wall. See if you can figure out which one is me :)

Natalie, I and our St George Sherpa Paige. Paige started working at the Ridge right when I came back in late August and I can confidentially say that no one has had as positive an impact on the overall success of the program as her. She is 100% per cent in charge of the fitness end of the program and she has designed a program that is challenging to everyone no matter their fitness level. She has also so improved the system for insuring everyone gets home from the hikes and everyone is accountable for their class schedule. The changes since last spring have been great and Paige is the reason why.

A lot of people dream of helping those in need. A lot of people talk about having a positive impact on the lives of others. A lot of people go on about their days and don't realize that on our planet, some of our fellow citizens live in abject poverty, in countries where AIDS is rampant and your next meal is always a question. Someone who makes a difference, someone who raise millions of dollars for humanitarian relief, and spends years in Africa helping those that most need help is the wonderful lady on the mountain top with me. I was extraordinarily proud to spend the morning with Natalie, someone who has done so much to make our planet better for our brothers and sisters.

Something that always brings a smile to peoples faces..... Knowing that the morning hike is over and you're just a van ride back to the ridge

Friday night we went on a run to walmart, but then as we are sometimes apt to do we got a little sidetracked. It seems one of these four people was very interested in betting the 4 weekend basketball games and so one of these four people kinda dragged the other three 30 miles to Mesquite for a short trip into the sportsbook. The ridgers went crazy drinking diet soda and splitting a single serving bag of wheat thins. I also didn't think a trip to walmart was an appropriate place to spend someones 30th birthday. Just know that it all made sense in my head.

I really hate Sundays at the Ridge. Here we are at 6:50 am making sure Wendy's bag was under 50lbs. It was about a twinkie shy of 50. It was again so hard to say goodbye to my new friends. We have 44 new campers this week, 18 stayovers, for a new record of 62. That record will only last a week. Should be fun!! Peace, Jim