Going on no sleep is a tough thing to do but today’s events made it easier. First, we woke up at 3 am, but those of us who didn’t get to sleep at all began getting ready then. We took a long ride to Temecula Valley and began our balloon experience right away. When we first pulled up we saw the three balloons that we were riding in and were assigned who would be in each balloon. Some of us helped them fill up the balloons with fans and then eventually the burners to make them rise. The baskets were so much smaller than I thought they were and were very cramped. It was hard for Brenden and I because we were so tall that we could easily fall out of the baskets if something happened and we didn’t hold on. It was a nice peaceful ride so I always felt safe. Our heads also got really hot when Ken, our pilot, used the burners.

The scenery was beautiful once we ascended. There were mountains surrounding us in all directions and the sun was rising over the mountains to the west while the vineyards were scattered beneath us. Eventually we flew over a residential area and landed in a field which is soon to be new houses. We helped pack up the balloons and were off to our favorite place, Denny’s.

After we had some free time at the hotel to relax we left for the taping of "One on One", a new show that will be airing on UPN. After an "incident" in the parking lot, we got into the studio for the show. I didn’t expect the show to be that good but the warm-up guy made it a lot better. Ray got in front of the audience and sang a song and Buck danced for everyone. The crowd went wild for Buck and the warm-up guy nicknamed him Buck Daisy. I had a much better time than I thought I would