Sweet emotions

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

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

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

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

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

Sixteen Candles

Goodbye
Should be sayin' that to you by now, shouldn't I?
Layin' down the law that I live by,
Though maybe next time

I've got a thick tongue,
Brimming with the words that go unsung
Simmer then the burn for a someone,
A wrong one

And I tell myself to let the story end,
My heart will rest in someone else's hand
My 'why not me?' philosophy began,
And I say

Ooh, how'm I gonna get over you?
I'll be alright, just not tonight
Someday, oh I wish you'd want me to stay
I'll be alright, just not tonight,
Someday
SARA BAREILLES

Well, Let's start this week with easily the best news and best thing to happen this birthday week. The new Sara Bareilles cd was released on Tuesday. Go buy it, it's fabulous. And the song I really, really love is the one above. She's just such a talented songwriter, piano player and singer. Fun, happy and a real pleasure to listen to. I have been singing her praises as long as this blog has been in existence...not going to stop now.





My knee is getting better. I hope. I miss sweating that's for sure. This picture is from the last really good sweat I had on the treadmill at my swim club. I have started doing rehab at the UW health and fitness center pool. Took a deep water class, that was well, interesting. And even though I am turning older this week it's really hard not to feel really young in a pool class. It looked like the pool in the movie Cocoon. And the fellow classmates sure enjoyed talking during the class. One thing about pool classes is you get out of them what you put into them, and I wasn't in the mood to mess around. Thankfully I didn't run over any of the participants like a killer whale landing on a kayak, but no promises next week. I have a meeting with the nutritionist there as well, because I need a new plan, my current plan that worked fairly well for two years just isn't working anymore.

Which leads me to my birthday. First off I can't have a birthday without thanking the person that should be celebrated on my birthday, my MOM. She did all the work, and still gets all the credit for making me who I am. Thanks Mom. I am having a small celebration at the bar that hosts our volleyball matches. We have been picking up gift cards this summer for winning and figured it would be a good night to burn through them all. So hurry come to Madison and I'll get you some shots :)


Which leads me to the contest winner.... Goes by the initials JB, had the biggest spread to land on, guessed lower than most of you. By my count I lost 127 lbs this year....... but gained 95..... :) to finish with a total loss of 32. I am disappointed that I came in way under most guesses and that I can't reward one of you that had the most faith in me. I am a little embarrassed that I didn't hang a bigger number. I'm sorry. But at the same time, I weigh less than I have in a really long time, and I'd take a few more years of -32 to get to where I want to be. I can't lose eating what I used to. I bow to peer pressure and parties like wicker furniture under my butt. I'm not perfect and I couldn't find perfect with a search warrant and a pit helmet. But I did do a triathlon, did appear on national TV and in the New York Times, I hiked slots, the vortex and camelback. Won a bunch of volleyball, looked in the mirror a few times and said "not too bad", and rode a a bike again for the first time since Reagan was President. I played basketball, wore clothes I had never worn before, and sweated like a faucet while marrying a couple. I saw so many concerts, my parents in Florida, the Terps in Indiana, great friends in Vegas, and so many new and old friends in Kayenta/St George/Ivins, Utah, where once was Fitness Ridge became the Biggest Loser. It was a good year. One I will never forget. Thanks to all of you for being along for the ride. Here's to an even better next year. It's going to start awfully well, with a Jackson Browne show, a Rams-Redskins game, a Packers-Bears game, Wicked, and Farm Aid. And that's all in the last week of this month. Can't wait. I hope our paths cross. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to comment, sent me emails, added me on facebook. More than once I have felt like I didn't want to continue but I have read what you guys have written and chosen to continue. I can't thank you enough. All of you inspire me to just be better, to embrace life, and keep trying....so many fabulous memories of year 46. Peace and Love, Jimmy Trudeau

TORN

My conversation has run dry,
That's what's goin' on. Nothing's fine I'm torn...
I'm all out of faith,
This is how I feel,
I'm cold and I am shamed,
Lying naked on the floor,
Illusion never changed,
Into something real,
I'm wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn,
You're a little late, I'm already torn,

Natalie Imbruglia

After being in some serious knee pain for a week and having to walk off the volleyball court before finishing a match for the first time ever, I sucked it up and went to the Doctor this past Monday. After bending my knee, straightening my leg, checking my symptoms, and asking how I injured it, he gave me his old school diagnosis. Likely torn Meniscus, he said we could go with the new school diagnosis and get an mri if I liked. We talked about if the mri showed the same thing what the treatment would be and he said exactly what I am doing now. Said the mri would run in the $1800 range and Jimbo opted for the old school diagnosis. 4-6 weeks of no impact sports (volleyball) no running, fast walking or treadmill. Lots of pool and some biking starting in a week, but only stationary or flat surfaces. UGH!! Speaking of the pool here's a shot of me at the hotel pool in Chicago and no I'm not naked...I save that for the late night hot tubbing :)

I have been relatively injury free my adult life. And I have asked my knees to shoulder a ridiculous burden these past two years so I'm not mad at them. In fact I have two theories as to why the injury. The first and least likely is: I play volleyball 6 nights a week, workout, jogging and walking a bunch more, and never give my knees a day off to recover forgetting that they are almost 47 years old and have been hauling around way too much weight for all their lives. Or the more likely reason, God smited me for doing that wedding :)

I am bummed, I do stare longingly at the sand while my teammates play, I do worry about the long term prognosis for recovery. I worry that the November triathlon may not happen. I worry that the hiking portion of my next Ridge visit will be compromised. And then I just realize all I can do is rest it and hope for the best so that's what i will do.



Had a really fun weekend last week. I got to spend some time with my bestie Dan Rascher who came out to Chicago for a wedding. We spent two fun filled days at Arlington Racetrack. Had a fabulous meal together at Morton's and did what we always do...told stories of our exploits as kids and made each other laugh...a lot. One thing that kind of got lost in my parents moving to Florida is I never get back to DC. And I don't know when I will next be there. I really do miss the east coast, the Atlantic Ocean, and my friends. I would love to one day again take a road trip up to Maine and down to Florida along the shore. From Lobster to Key Lime Pie.


They held the Volleyball championship party Monday night and although slightly downbeat because of the afternoon diagnosis, I was happy to pick up two volleyballs for winning the Monday and Wednesday regular seasons. And then was extra proud on Wednesday when my teammates picked up without me and won the Wednesday post season tourney as well. Fall volleyball starts this week and I am on the injured reserve until I break down and get back out there. Doc says 4-6 weeks but I heal fast so we shall see. I sure miss sweating :(

My contest will end on September 10th I will announce the winner that day and you will have 48 hours to contact me. If I don't hear from the winner, than I will extend it to Nov 14th and do the same thing. Trying to be fair. Best of luck Have a great end of the month and start to September. If you're birthday shopping, I could use a Meniscus...Peace, Jim