The Challenge

I sit before you on the eve of a most courageous challenge set before me. Tomorrow night, at this time, I shall be joining the list legends: Kobyashi, Joey Chestnut, Eater X, and William "The Refrigerator" Perry. That's right, tomorrow I shall become a competitive eater. Let me explain. Last weekend, we were out getting a bite to eat at a pizza place near by. Halfway through the meal we notice that they have a challenge for a team of two people to eat a 30" pizza in 1 hour. No bathroom breaks and no throwing up. So my teammate, Nicole, and I mentioned how we would both like to try it. So tomorrow night this epic gauntlet will be thrown down. If we are successful, we get the pizza for free, a free t-shirt, and our pictures forever immortalized on the wall of Luigi's Pizzeria. If we lose, we will have to pay $40 for the pie and forever have the shame of not being able to do it. Wish us luck.

Not much else to report. The work has been going really well and we've been planting a lot of trees. Also, last night I had a dream come true. We volunteered on behalf of the San Diego Food Bank to sell programs at a San Diego State basketball game. It was phenomenal. I got to yell all night, "PROGRAMS! GET YOUR PROGRAMS HERE!" Then I would make up different saying to attract the customers. Then finally, to top it off, I would make up songs to what the pep band was playing and turn them into songs about selling programs. For instance, "Whoop! Here it is: Programs. Whoop there it is: Programs." When I started to sing to the songs, it was a guaranteed sell. It was a lot of fun and for a great cause.

So long Bill Gwynn readers and hopefully by the time I talk to you next I will have had completed the challenge and be wearing my free t-shirt as I type my next blog. Peace.

Greetings From San Diego

Hello Bill Gwynn loyalists! Welcome back to my world. I'm currently sitting in a dorm room on the Alliant International University campus in San Diego, CA. We have been here for a week now and we have been working pretty hard. Each day we work from about 7-3 digging holes, planting trees, and putting in irrigation pipes on a the hillside of a canyon right next to where we live.

This is a look at the outside of our dorms.



Here's the pool right outside our dorms. Trust me, it's not as good as it seems. The water is kept at sub-Arctic temperatures.



Here is the hillside that got completely burnt by wild fires in 2004.



Here is a closer look at the hillside.



And here's another.



Here's my team at the start of the work day.


Everything has been going pretty great. The work has been a little back breaking in the 80 degree San Diego sun but its also very rewarding. I know all my friends back east are a little jealous when they read that I'm working in such sunny weather when your are currently suffering through 6 degree temperatures. All I can say is, "Lay off. I get paid less than $12 a day." I'm just kidding of course. The area is tremendous and I'm having a blast. The beach is 15 minutes away and there is some beautiful scenery around. The highlight of my leisure time, however, took place last Sunday when I was able to locate a bar devoted to displaced Philadelphia Eagles fans. I got to watch the game there and it felt like I was right at home. We got to sing the Eagles fight song after every touchdown and of course celebrate a big win by the birds. Next stop Arizona.


He's a look at the beach we went to that's only 15 minutes from where we live.



Here's one more glorious look at the La Jolla beach in San Diego.


Well that's it for now. My New Year's resolution is to try to update this thing more so hopefully you will be hearing again from me real soon. Peace. Go Eagles.