Let's go to the Ridge

You call me a mountain

And I call you the sea

I'll stand tall and certain, and watch you swallow me

You can move me, if you want to

You can move a mountain

You can move a mountain

You can move me, if you want to

You can move everything

You can move everything

Ingrid Michaelson

Greetings from Vegas. Sunday will mark my fourth trip to Fitness ridge in the last 18 months. It will be my longest stay and I am looking to kickoff a really productive year. At the sunday night orientation people usually stand up and introduce themselves and tell where they are from. Veterans give a little talk and advice to the newbies. I pretty much always tell one of two stories. The first story tells how I was so excited to have lost 50lbs in my first trip to the ridge. I couldn't wait to get home and show off to everyone. However, much to my chagrin the only thing people noticed was just how tan I was. And how I thought hell if it was a tan I was after I could gone a really fabulous cruise for less money. But I'm back now and really hoping to come home with a reallybitchin tan to impress my friends this time.

More recently I have preferred to talk about the reasons people are at the ridge. Everyone is there for a reason, be it to lose weight, try to get fitter, work on food issues, because they love hiking, or just because their idea of fun is a really active vacation and I stress that no matter why you are there you are there for the right reason. And that in no way should you have any shame that you choose to spend time at the ridge. And how the people there are a resource to help you when you need someone to lean on but more importantly your friends and family at home want to be there for you. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Be proud of what you're doing and the people that love you will embrace your philosophy and be a huge asset to you when you get back into the real world.

So why do I tell this story to you guys today? I want this to be a great year for me, and I need my friends to help me and motivate me and push me and stop me when I am making mistakes. I want you to work out with me, I want you ask how I am doing and I want you to continue to be such an important part of my life. But you guys know me I would never ask for something without offering something back. So I want to make this offer to anyone who reads the blog, anyone who knows me, anyone who has ever been to the ridge, or basically anyone who wants to take a shot.

My goal for the next year is to lose 100lbs. I have had such an outpouring of support from my friends and from the people at the ridge that I want to thank you and keep you on my back so here we go:

CONTEST

I am going to pay for one of you to go to Fitness ridge next year for a week. And I am going to hold a contest to see who it's going to be. All you need to do is guess who much weight you think I am going to lose or God forbid gain :) between Sunday August 30th when I weigh in and my birthday September 10th, 2010. You can email me your selection ( jimgoterps@gmail.com) , you can leave it in a comment, you can text it, you can phone it in. I don't care how you make your selection.


The person who comes closest without going over (price is right rules) gets the week. You're on your own for travel. If you win and don't really want to go or you want to donate it someone who can use it, let me know and I will see that your week is awarded to the camper that I have met and whom I think is most deserving. I have had a lot of people step up to help me and it's time for me to pay it forward. No one can have a duplicate number, so that the first person in gets that number and I will move the next person to the closest available number up or down from their original choice. And because it's Price is Right rules I will be very disappointed if someone doesn't bid a dollar. You're not going to humiliate me by picking a low number, and for goodness sakes don't flatter me by picking high because you're throwing away your pick. In fact since I am in Vegas I asked the sportsbook to set a line and he made the under 100 a 4-1 favorite to win. I realize 99% of the people that start with this type of goal don't get there and that is why I am asking for your help. You have until September 10th to submit your pick. Good Luck to everybody. I am giving my blog readers first shot at their numbers before I pass this on to my facebook friends and email buddies.

Now before you make your choice let me give you some stuff to think about:

1) I love food

2) I will be at the ridge for 7 weeks and then most likely a month in the spring

3) When winter comes and it snows for the first time I tend to get so depressed that I hook a few pizzas up to an IV drip and watch sports on my couch til the thaw.

4) I have a really good workout partner and I will be playing a bunch of volleyball indoors this winter

5) I'll be in Vegas for March Madness this year and that is usually good for about a pound for every white stiff on the end of Duke's bench and that's a big number.

6) Did I mention I love food?

7) I have started running and jumping and jogging and doing things I wasn't sure I would be doing again

8) I don't do well under pressure and by doing this I am ratcheting up the pressure tenfold

9) I would like to delude myself into believing I thrive under pressure on the Volleyball sand where my teams won the regular season Monday, Wednesday and Sunday and picked up the tournament win on Sunday and Wednesday as well.

10) Have I mentioned I have this love affair with food?

11) I have an amazing group of friends whom I love dearly and the support I receive from them and the Ridge is so valuable to me.

12) According to the USA Today there is like a 97% chance I get Swine Flu and die this winter in which case the person picking the highest number would win but have a damn hard time collecting.

So choose wisely and best of Luck to all of you.

I know that the management at Fitness Ridge checks in on this blog and they are such wonderful, giving people that I just know that they would offer to sponsor this, but that's not what I want. I want this to come out of my pocket. I want this to be a gift from me to my friends. I will, however, let that match it if they want :) and will, of course, let anyone match it if they want. But I am no way fishing for that.... Maybe a little :)

Since this will be one of my most read entries let me remind everyone that Sunshine Daydream is hosting an amazing weekend of music and fun October 23rd and 24th. The highlight being the Ingrid Michaelson show we are sponsoring on the 24th. We have a fabulous party on the 23rd to raise money for a cool old theater in Madison and have two fun bands to showcase that night. We will have an auction and raffle for lots of fun prizes. And we also have Ingrid Michaelson coming to the store to do an appearance and sing some songs.I really encourage everyone to come out that weekend. When I posted the event on facebook my wife asked me if I was insane and did I really just invite all my out of town friends to crash with us? I said sorry honey. So when she asks me if I just invited all my blog readers to crash with us that weekend. I'll just smile and say hell yeah the more the merrier. Peace, love, and I lose you win, Jim

End of Summer

What I feel, I can't say

But my love is there for you anytime of day

But if it's not love that you need

Then I'll try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love

Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

George Harrison

Well I have a little over a week left before I get in the car and make the 26 hour drive west. I'm leaving Tuesday August 25th and start my 7 week run at Fitness Ridge on Sunday the 30th. It can't really come soon enough as I have really struggled since the first of the month. My exercise is still good, but being out so many nights between volleyball and trivia and weekend fun has just made it hard for me to keep the calorie end of the equation intact. I just need to feed myself at home much more. Wanted to say hi to Rachel who was the 4th ridger to come visit and partake in Madison. But since she is a UW grad and a UW Law grad it was more of a homecoming for her. I did make her watch a volleyball match which thankfully we won.



Speaking of volleyball we played in the Monday night championship last week. I have been involved in tons of games in my life. Most every sport you can compete in and I have never been involved in a game where I felt that winning was more improbable than Monday night. Not before the match mind you, but as the match progressed and we got spanked around and lost the 1st game 15-3. We were behind the entire second match and facing a match point when a ball we dug out of the net was sent up, but not going over the net. However, their spiker reached across the net to block and caught a piece of the net. Given a second lease on life we rallied to win game 2 16-14. Now I would love to tell you that inspired by this gift we charged to the lead and coasted to the championship. But no, we fell behind again. Trailing 14-9 we staved off 3 match points and rallied to take the lead at 15-14. With our first championship point I watched as one of our players served into the net, however the next two points went our way and we wrapped up the championship 16-14. Now granted this is just a bar league volleyball match, but damn I haven't been this happy about winning something in a very very long time.

I want to say thank you to so many people that made this the best.summer.ever. Let me start with my workout partner Karen, who pushed me on the treadmill and had to put up with me groaning through medicine ball sit-ups. She is nice enough to let me use her facility and I promise I will be back in two months to keep moving. And thanks to the great staff at Club Tavern, which was easily my second home this year as I played volleyball there 3 nights a week. Especially Matt, who had to put up with my bitching when he reffed our matches, and Maddy, Erin, and Ashley who fetched me many a shandy and had to listen to way too much Sara Bareilles on their jukebox. I want to thank Joyce who got me great Billy/Elton tickets. I want to thank my employees who made the summer at Sunshine Daydream successful and my good friend Paul who makes me laugh and has already signed on for March Madness in Vegas again. Also I need to say thanks to my wife who had to put up with me leaving sand around the house, and staying out and being out much more than at any time in our marriage, and for being understanding when I say I am leaving for two months to drag my fat ass up a Utah mountain...again.

Finally, I have to thank my teammates this summer who really have reignited a competitive spirit in me. Trivia: Jon, Sara, Allison, and the others who came out on occasion. Sunday Volleyball: Sara, Luke, Leah, Matt, and Allison. Monday Volleyball Tim, Zach, Tanya, Sara and Allison. Tuesday Volleyball: Karen, Becca, Todd, Zach and Allison. Wednesday Volleyball Tim, Tanya, Laurie, Dan, and Allison. I really need to give a special shout out to Allison who lined up next me in virtually every time I walked out into the sand. I am going to forgive her for not thinking about how her going to South Korea for a year would effect my summer of '10 volleyball teams :) She will be missed and you can see her in the pictures enjoying her going away cake and showing her amazement that I would don a PSU shirt for her at her last volleyball game.

Its now time to start packing for the trip west. I bought some new Brooks running shows today despite the completely condescending attitude of the clerk at the Madison store that is the home of the most serious long distance runners in the area. Yea, I don't look like anyone else in your store but don't treat me like I don't belong or make some comment about how these shows would help me with my "issues". I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the ridge. Looking forward to you guys kicking my ass. Looking forward to getting in the pool, treading, and sweating in the 100+ degree weather. But I'd be lying to you if I said I was looking forward to going 4.5 miles up that damn mountain every morning. :) I hope everyone enjoys their remaining summer and next time you read this I will be reporting from the new look Fitness Ridge. Peace, Love, and Safe Travels, Jim

wednesday night champs...again

And I wish you all the love in the world

But most of all

I wish it from myself.

And the songbirds keep singing

Like they know the score

And I love you, I love you, I love you

Like never before
-Christine McVie

Let's start with something that made me really happy. My team clinched the Wednesday night championship by beating the one team that had previously beaten us. My team played fabulously and I was just overwhelmed by our effort. Although I did hear through the grapevine that one girl on the team said she didn't have as much fun this year because it was so competitive. And the inference was that I was too competitive. What I had to say was you don't want to compete put up a net in your backyard and play with the neighbors. yea I am competitive, but to me winning is fun and the whole team would agree that she was 5 times the volleyball player she was last year cause she was pushed to be better. Anyway it felt good to win and we happily left our mark.




I spent one day last week at the Nationals Brewers game. I am a quasi-Nationals fan in that I kinda root for them. This marked my fifth time seeing the Nats and they are now 0-5 with me in attendance. I might be a jinx although I was reminded that they lose plenty of games without me in attendance. It was a fun game, we had amazing seats, and I actually enjoyed baseball for a change.









This made me day when I parked my car and got to see these bumper stickers staring back at me on a random car. That Sunshine Daydream sticker is easily 4 years old and was when I was in my Brian Wilson faze. I have sold literally 100's of those Coexist stickers as well. Add some music to your day and Coexist, hard to go wrong if you do those two things each day.












Trivia night after the Nats game. My trivia team has been slumping and mostly because I can't seem to answer a sports question correctly which is pretty much why they have me around. It's still lots of fun and I will surely miss my teammates when I am in Utah.




Speaking of Utah, I will be leaving in a little over two weeks. I have my last WW weigh-in next week and while it will be ok it's not going to be great by any stretch. But I can still say that I am in the best shape I have been in over a decade and when I started I couldn't imagine the profound effect it would have on my life. Just keep doing better. Bad weeks will happen, bad months don't ever need to happen. Speaking of the Ridge, we all know that they have been flirting with the people at Biggest Loser for awhile. It seems to me that all that flirting is about to bear fruit. It will be another change to the place we love, hopefully it moves the program forward, but one thing I can guarantee you about it. You'll be able to read all about the campers thoughts right here. It's been a quick summer, but I am still so excited. Peace Love and safe travels, jim

Glee

Face it, one of these days

Without you I'm just another Dorian Gray

It's the fountain of youth

It's the meaning of life

Baby you're the best magazine advice

Liz Phair

Hi Guys.... Guess what more volleyball, lots of live music, worked out a bunch, and of course enjoying an amazing summer in Wisconsin. I played in my first ever all-day grass volleyball tournament and got my ass kicked. We started at 8am Saturday and were eliminated at about 2 that afternoon but not before being embarrassed on the turf. I think there was around 50 teams competing and most were fairly serious volleyball players and my little rag-tag team was slightly over matched. Throw in an early start, a game much different than sand because of the ability to jump off the turf, and a giant dose of wind and it was a frustrating Saturday at the Wauna-Spike tournament.













Saw Sarah Pray Friday night and a Billy Joel tribute band Saturday night. Really enjoyed both shows even though I sat and watched them both by myself. I have seen a good amount of live music this summer. I wish I had seen more but I still have Jackson Browne and Steely Dan coming up in August.

It's really hard for me to explain how much I have loved my volleyball teammates and just the experience of having something to look forward to 4 nights a week. The thing I can't stress enough is how important it is to me to have exercise again in my life that is fun. I have come to appreciate what getting on the treadmill or schlepping up the mountain does for me, but I am never going to use the word enjoy or fun in those sentences. But working up a sweat in the sand is really fun, doesn't feel like exercise until I look at my sweaty sandy clothes, and makes me want to exercise at other times because I just want to be better than I am.

Summer's is great and one day I will find myself back in the land of 12 month summers but for now I am just going to keep on appreciating the few months of pleasantry we call summer in Wisconsin. Peace, Love, and Sweat, Jim

Upside down and around and around

I've got two tickets to paradise,

Won't you pack your bags,

we'll leave tonight

EDDIE MONEY

I apologize for not updating this more often. It's just that when I sit down to do this I feel as if there are only so many ways I can say played a bunch of volleyball, worked out, competed in trivia, and saw some live music. Again no complaints at all with what I am doing, it's that I have run out of interesting ways to describe it.

Let's start with something really cool I did last week. Made my first trip ever to hallowed Wrigley Field, and the best part about it was I didn't have to watch a Cubs game to be there. I spent a very fun wonderful night at the old ballpark seeing Billy Joel and Elton John for the second time this summer. And thanks to an old friend on facebook who had a cousin on Billy Joel's soundboard got to sit about 15 rows back from the stage. I have already reviewed the show which was nearly identical to the show in Madison so I won't add much there but I will review Wrigley for you

The area around the stadium prior to and after the show is really electric with an almost Bourbon St. feel to it. There's all sorts of bars and people just being part of the action. We ended up in a bar called Cubbie Bears directly across the street from the stadium. And to add to the festivities they hosted an after show concert for free by Eddie Money. He had a lot more hits then I could remember and really enjoyed that show as well. It made for a very long night and a very late drive back to Madison.
And apparently the bars in Chicago all come with a surgeon general's warning about the dangers of drinking. Although the thought of some pregnant woman spitting out her drink after reading the sign seems a bit far fetched. You mean drinking may cause damage to an unborn child? Who knew?

The late night was followed by a very early morning as the past weekend was, as always, our busiest of the year. Maxwell St days is our outdoor sidewalk sale/festival and although the weather was fairly uncooperative the people came out and spent. And speaking of the weather the temperature in Madison dipped into the 40's one night last week. This has been a ridiculously mild summer in town with I believe only 3 days in the 90's, and lots of days in the 70's and 80's. I have this mental picture of me melting away like the witch in Oz at about the 3.5 mile mark of my first hike in August in what will surely be 100+ degree Utah weather. I am now only 5 weeks away from my return visit. One thing is for sure I will be in the best shape yet for a visit to Utah.

I would love to be able to say that my anklet has made my decision making easier, but still having issues that come with being in bars every weeknight between volleyball and trivia. I have started to at least attempt to offset the damage I can do there by adding some evening workouts ( mostly walk/jog interval work). I had a decent weigh in this week losing a little over 3 lbs but I should be doing better, and am actually very much looking forward to the structure that comes at Fitness Ridge.

I would really love it if someone could find me a flight from Chicago to Maui for the four days before Thanksgiving for under $500. My dream field in the Maui Invitational has both Wisconsin and Maryland competing in the 3 day tournament. I hold no aspirations that I will make it there, but I can dream and settle for instead the tropical beauty of Bloomington , Indiana in December as my Terps travel to play Indiana.

That's all the news from here. I hope everyone is having a great summer. Football season is right around the corner :) Peace, Love, and Touchdowns, Jim

It's all love, all love

when i say

you take away the most important parts of me with you

and when i've had the greyest day,

you add more grey,

that's just your way, it's true.

INGRID MICHAELSON

Happy July 13th. Let's start with volleyball this week and a happy Wednesday it was for the Sunshine Daydream team as we took down the Wednesday night championship double elimination tournament. We got past a match point against us in the winner's bracket championship and than pummeled the team that came out of the loser's bracket in the championship 15-8, 15-6. We picked up a $75 dollar gift card and I, of course, got to talk a little crap to the youngsters that were on the other end of our matches. I'd post the standings but they look a lot like the last time I posted so I will just pass. I am sure I have said this before but I never played competitive volleyball growing up and I would love to get back on the court and run 5 0n 5 basketball again which has always been my first sport love, but I feel like I am still 50 lbs. and some better health insurance away from making that happen. As for the sand it has certainly rekindled my competitive spirit that lay dormant on the couch next to me and a bag of Fritos.








Spent Saturday afternoon at a beach party/8 band concert that included the Tom Petty cover band Petty Things. Just figured I would throw this picture up of the lead singer so you guys could get a look at the Petty look-a-like. I'd like to tell you about all 8 bands, but as has been apt to happen to me this summer way, way too much summer shandy in the afternoon and only made it through 5 of the bands before wrapping it up for the day. Still a real fun time and I got to play bag toss and ping pong with people drunker than I.





Which leads me to my next picture. First off wanted to show Paige the red Nikes that she
fondly remembers from her youth, and my goofy new anklet. I strung this together and threw it on to remind myself that I need to focus on 5 things that I have either not focused on enough, focused on but come up way short in my desired effort, or sadly missed focusing on all together. I know it is gimmicky but I figured it can't hurt and I really need to remind myself more often that the big picture is more important than the little things that tend to push me off track. And that I need to be more like Sisyphus pushing his rock up the hill and less like Homer Simpson rolling down the ski slope in a giant growing snowball.






Sarah from Minnesota was the third ridger to come to town and visit. She, of course, got to see the number one tourist attraction in town. Speaking of Sunshine Daydream and visitors, I will break this really exciting store news here. Ingrid Michaelson, who is one of my favorite singer-songwriters, will be doing an in-store appearance in late October prior to her show in Madison. I know most of you may not know her name yet but she has been on all the late night talk shows, had songs on Grey's Anatomy, and is going nowhere but up. Not often we get someone who has played Leno to play Sunshine Daydream and she will in fact be our first in store concert. So if you're picking a time to visit circle October 24th cause it will be a really cool weekend in Madison. I hope everyone is having an awesome summer. I'll be at the Ridge in less than 7 weeks. Time sure flies. Peace, Jim

Up the down staircase

These streets have got a rhythm
It's a funky beat
The more I learn inside the city
The more I learn in me

It's a jungle gym

Jack Johnson

Well let's start with all the good and fun stuff that happened celebrating our nation's birthday. Wendy, who spent two seperate weeks at the ridge with me came down from Minnesota to make her first visit to Madison. I dragged her to two parties, the UW memorial terrace for some music, out on the sand volleyball court for some rallies, and had my wife take her to farmer's market. Wendy picked up some cheese and cheese curds which she thankfully left in my refrigerator by mistake. It was wonderful to have another ridger in town and while I'd like to say I was refined in the company of a ridger; truth is social eating is a monster problem for me and I paid for it Monday.

I got some awesome new shoes this weekend. Awesome, except like many things you remember fondly from your youth, they actually aren't that great. They offer no support and in no way can I fathom trying to play tennis in my Tretorns. Speaking of tennis the Wimbledon final was scintillating. I found myself welling up watching Andy Roddick accept the runner's up plate. So many chances that went by the wayside for Andy but that's why Roger Federer is the greatest champion of all time.






I played a ridiculous amount of volleyball Sunday and Monday. Our regular games were cancelled so we arranged for some pick-up games. Sunday three hours and Monday night 12 games and over four hours of play mostly with the 8 people pictured here. 4 on 4 for four hours and I was a wee bit sore on Tuesday. And my toes were hurting from so much time rubbing in the sand. But it's a great way for me to get exercise and it beats the hell out of a treadmill that's for sure. And my team won the best of 13 match 7-5. :)





The downpart of all this fun was I had my second bad weigh-in since returning. Plus 2.2 lbs. I think the root of the problem was my overdosing on the Buffalo dip pictured here, and Wendy gave me a portion control lecture regarding my friend the chips. Not proud of my effort but accepting of my flaws and let's say working on them, atleast until the next time the lovely buffalo dip siren calls my name. The good thing is following Monday night's volleyball session those 2.2 were gone and eventhough I knew prior to going in to W.W. that the number wasn't going to make me happy I bucked up and made the walk of shame. Not something I have always done in the past. So we are back on the wagon this week, back in the gym sore toes and all, won volleyball last night and have our Wednesday tourney tonight. And like the Visor on my head says Life is Good (thanks Sharon). Peace, Jim