Everyone has someone on his or her list who is hard to buy for. Here are a few suggestions for some out-of-the-ordinary gifts for out-of-the ordinary people.
   Take a Balloon Ride
   Hot air balloon rides take you on a slow, nearly silent journey above the landscape, giving you a perspective on the world that you can get in no other way. There are several companies in western Washington that offer hot air balloon rides, including the Balloon Depot, in Carnation (www.balloondepot.com), and the Morning Star Hot Air Balloon Company, in Ridgefield, near Vancouver (www.nwplace.com/mornstar.html).
   Balloon Depot offers both morning and late afternoon flights over the valleys between the Cascades and Puget Sound, and can accommodate between four and eight passengers. They also offer special romance packages for two. Rates range from $165.00 per person for morning flights to $185 a person for afternoon flights. Two-person romance packages require an additional fee.
   Morning Star Hot Air Balloon Company offers early morning flights overlooking Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, Three Sisters, and Mt. Jefferson, and offers a number of rates, ranging from the $180 single person rate to $600 wedding packages. The company also offers group rates for corporate outings, as well as ballooning instruction.
   Head to the Race Track
   Racing fans will love spending a day behind the wheel of a 600-horsepower, open wheel racecar at the Mario Andretti Racing School (www.andrettiracing.com). With five locations to choose from, the California Speedway, the Chicagoland Speedway, the Kansas Speedway, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the Texas Motor Speedway, the school is accessible to most of the country. Prices on the Web site range from $340 to $440, and Costco is currently selling a voucher for the school on its Web site (www.costco.com) at a cost of $300.
   There are also several other popular driving schools located around the country. Most major racing facilities have a driving school located there. Besides the Mario Andretti Racing School, other popular schools include the Skip Barber and Bob Bondarant schools.
   A bit closer to home, Competitive Edge Racing School (www.racingschool.com), headquartered in Idaho, offers a series of race training programs, complete with NASCAR-style 435-horsepower, late model race cars. From their half-day Racing 101 to a two-day competition racing class, Competitive Edge offers a program that will appeal to race fans of many levels. Prices range from $299 to $899, and programs are held at various raceways in the Pacific Northwest, including Evergreen Raceway outside Seattle.
   Jump Out of a Plane
   The thrill seeker on your list might enjoy a sky diving lesson from Blue Skies Skydiving Adventures (360-674-7106), located across the highway from the Bremerton National Airport. They have two options for beginning skydivers, tandem jumps, and the Static Line First Jump Course.
   The tandem jump, at $175, provides some brief orientation and instruction, and then participants skydive attached by harness to an instructor. This time of year, tandem jumps are only offered on the weekends, weather dependent, and you’ll need to call ahead to schedule a time.
   The Static Line First Jump Course, at $150, is a one-day program that includes classroom time and culminates in a solo jump. The class is offered every Saturday and Sunday. Reservations for the class are not required, but large groups should call ahead.
   Wine and Dine
   Sign less adventurous friends up for a membership in a wine of the month club, such as The International Wine of the Month Club (www.winemonthclub.com). Each month, two bottles of wine from two separate, award-winning, international vineyards are shipped to members, as well as an informative newsletter. Gift memberships cost around $28 a month, not including shipping and handling costs for each shipment, and you may select from two to twelve month subscriptions. Payment options include paying the full membership up front or in monthly installments.
   The International Wine of the Month Club also offers a “Whatever Whenever Program,” which allows you to combine a wine club membership with any one of five other gourmet clubs, including beer, cheese, chocolate, and cigars.
   Do a Good Deed
   Truly stumped as to what to get someone? Why not make a donation in their name to their favorite charity? Most charitable organizations have programs in place to receive gift donations, and send out gracious acknowledgements to the person in whose name the gift was given.
   One interesting charity to consider is Heifer International (www.heifer.org). Working on the belief that teaching a person to raise their own food is by far better than simply providing food for that person to eat, Heifer International uses donations to purchase animals, such as cows, goats, and rabbits for families and communities in poverty-stricken areas around the world. They then offer training and support to those communities to help them become self-sufficient.
   Browsing through their catalog, available both in print and online, you’ll have the opportunity to give the gift of a heifer for $500, give a share in a gift of rabbits for $10, or simply make a general donation in any amount. Gift cards are available for you to send to the person in whose name you made the donation, to let them know how the donation is to be used