Jim's Place

Who's the skinny guy?!

I've been into video editing as a hobby for quite a few years and have a lot of stuff my family has never seen. Lately, I've been trying to catch up with my projects and ran into some rare footage of me. Rare because almost always, I'm the guy BEHIND the video camera.

It's a clip of me in 1995 when I was riding the bike about 100 miles a week. I tagged on some bicycle photos from that same time period. Can you believe I was 185 lbs then?! That's only about a 100 lbs lighter than I've been in recent times! Sheesh!!! However, I figure if I was that skinny guy back then at the age of 40, then I can be that skinny guy again before too long... Heck! I might even get down to 170lbs and make that guy look fat!!!

Take a look... Here's the link on Yahoo Video.

Jim - 1995
   

 

Guess who's FINALLY camping again!

I'm sitting here in my tent trailer late Saturday night and wanted to touch base with you... I got into Lake Jennings campground on Thursday evening. WOW! I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since the last time I went camping! That just ain't right! In some ways it's a barometer of how things are going in my life. If Jim hasn't been camping...or riding his bike...or working out at the gym...or making it to church on Sunday mornings then it's obvious - something is out-of-whack! The good news is that I AM camping, I AM riding my bike again, I AM working out again and I expect to be back in church Sunday mornings on a regular basis!

And who knows...if my medical situation keeps improving and my sleep cycle gets back on track I might just be back in the choir singing!  Now THAT would  really be a sign that I'm getting my life back! Although, frankly getting well-enough to go back to work would be a huge breakthrough! My doctor says forget about it for this year...maybe 2009... I've been attending the men's group on Wednesday night at Faith Chapel and it has been a real blessing for me. On the surface it's a Bible study class but in reality it is so much more... I have felt very encouraged by the 25+ men who attend. Heck! For me it's my main social event each week! This last week I missed because I was sick with a sinus infection and they always seem to hit me hard. In fact, I considered bailing on camping but I was able to pack my camping stuff and set my trailer up at the campsite. However, I was pretty darn wiped-out the next day. I've been taking antibiotics all this week but I still haven't felt up to working out or riding my bike. I'm sure, though, that I'll be good to go by the beginning of next week.

Anyway, it seems kind of strange that I'm camping alone. In the past I usually had a group of friends going or at least a couple of people coming by for a visit. But for this trip, I guess it's just me and God... Still, I'm having a great time and actually feel a great sense of victory... Victory over the adversity of the last couple of years...victory over broken friendships...victory over the chronic illness that has had such an impact on my life for the last several years...

Someday, I know that I'll have someone to share my life with and I'm already looking forward to that day when we set up my tent trailer together and I sit around the campfire with her, grateful to God for finally bringing a good woman into my life... For now, I just have to keep on truckin' and keep doing my part - losing weight, staying on track with the withdrawal process from my cortisol medication, continuing to connect and reconnect at church and most importantly trust that God will do the rest...

Oh yeah! I made a video from the campground and posted in the column on the right. Click on the thumbnail to play it.

Catch ya later...

Finished my Body-for-Life Challenge!

Just completed my current Body-for-Life challenge! Actually, this is my 9th challenge but the first one I've completed in a long time. I created an update video which is displayed in the right column or you can play it directly from the Yahoo Video website by clicking on Update video - April 13

Don't miss the before/after photos at the end of the video!

Back from Hollywood!

Got back from Hollywood on Tuesday... Went there to see my pituitary specialist in nearby Beverly Hills. He's having me SLOWLY withdraw from my cortisol medication (Cortef), after determining that the diagnosis of pituitary failure in 2001 was a misdiagnosis. Since I've been taking these hormone/steroids for years, the withdrawal process will take a long time - probably about a year. But I am so stoked that the process is going well so far and without any significant withdrawal symptoms. I went from 30mg down to 25mg a couple of months ago. Depending on what my pending lab tests show, he may drop the dosage a little for the next couple of months. The idea of actually reversing the condition after all these years seems too good to be true...but Hey! Everybody needs a little miracle now and then!

Anyway, I only missed one workout of my BFL program - on Monday. But I did do a lot of walking and stayed on track with the food plan. Actually, this is the last week of my current BFL challenge but I'll be starting a new one next Monday! So far, I've dropped 27lbs and with a little luck that number will be 30 by the end of this week! Last night at the Men's Group that I attend every Wednesday, everyone prayed that my current comeback (Yep! I've had a lot of comebacks in the past!) would be truly successful and that I will finally conquer the illness issues and 'get my life back'... Sounds like a plan! Along those lines I have to say that my confidence is finally back and I know in my heart that God is working in my life and has big plans for me... Someday, I know I'll see that all of this had a purpose after all...

Video update - April 3, 2008

Here's my latest update video. I missed last week because I got a bit caught up in stuff. Click on the link below to play it from the Yahoo Video website or you can just click on the thumbnail on the right to play it directly...

April 3 video update