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

Morning, Minister

We'll love until
The end of time
And we'll never be lonely anymore
Because we're

Goin' to the chapel and we're
Gonna get married
Goin' to the chapel and we're
Gonna get married
Gee, I really love you and we're
Gonna get married
Goin' to the chapel of love

THE DIXIE CUPS

It was a picturesque Saturday in Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin for the nuptials of my good friends Tim Greene and Tanya Gillitzer. It was all of 90 degrees and there was exactly, by my count, one idiot in a sport coat for the wedding. But he had a job to and needed to minimally look the part even if he was going to have trouble acting the part. Unlike many weddings the bride and groom had chosen to bypass the standard rehearsal for the night before the ceremony. So I figured it was time for me to walk to the front when I actually saw the parents being escorted down the aisle. What the Hell no two minute warning? Anyway I figured they weren't starting without me :)

Speaking of sport coats. I bought a new one for the ceremony. It was a much lower number than the last one I owned. :) And at $175 it was certainly going to get used whether it was 90 degrees or 115. I was in place for all of 15 seconds having wished the groom good luck and waiting on the bride when I felt the first one. Sweat bead in motion and rolling down my neck. Great one part heat, two part nerves= Jimmy sweating like a faucet. Forget to bring a handkerchief, had "borrowed" a wash cloth from the hotel and pulled it out 3 times to dry my brim with a few more sleeve wipes. The bride seemed sweatless, the groom was on the sweat train with me.

My little sermon:

Marriage is perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure of human relationships. No ceremony can create your marriage; only you can do that – through love and patience; through dedication and perseverance; through talking and listening, helping and supporting and believing in each other; through tailgates and Badger games, through agonizing through another tragic yet foreseeable Brewer or Packer collapse, through volleyball championships and softball disappointments, through tenderness and laughter; through learning to forgive, learning to appreciate your differences, and by learning to make the important things matter. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you make to stand together as life mates and partners.


















The happy couple post me officially naming them husband and bride. The bride got a little shaken as she questioned the script I was following that she prepared due to the order of events. But let's face it the guy with the paper taped inside the bible is probably going to get it right, and he did :). I want to say that both the bride and groom did a fabulous job on their vows. Poignant and funny, pretty much all you can ask for. Yes the officiant looks very happy in this picture. Two reasons...He is heading in to put on his shorts and he is heading to the bar to grab the first of many cold beverages.




I gave up diet soda two weeks ago and haven't had one since, unless you count the diet root beer that got mixed with rum. Good news is I don't. Had a really good post Vegas weigh in at WW and hope to make it through this weekend without massive damage. Had much fun at the reception. It wasn't any cooler in the tent that night, and I'm sure the cows in the area were happy that night as every fly in a three state radius descended on us. But I danced a little, drank a little, talked a little, drank some more, ate a little, drank a lot, slept a little, got driven back to the hotel, and woke up with a really sore knee. There you have it a day in the life of a 1st time wedding officiant. I'm available for all your wedding needs, boys and girls, girls and girls, boys and boys. Heck if the place has air conditioning I will waive my fee which is zero anyways. Peace, love and marriage, Jim

Wicked

I'm through accepting limits
Cuz someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try I'll never know
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost

I'd sooner buy defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down!

Stephen Schwartz (Wicked)

I flew the red-eye back to Madison after a very fun filled weekend in Vegas with 8 or so Fitness Ridge Alums. Even bought the same day first class upgrade which had me sleeping like a baby, that is until the lady in the seat next to me, who had downed a half dozen bloody Mary's, thought it appropriate to grab my hand while I was sleeping. She said she was scared ?? Really. Bizarre behavior is really weird on an airplane. I will say this, my legs felt a million times better after 4 hours in first class then they did after 4 hours in the back of coach.

I don't have any pictures from Vegas but I will try to grab a few from the others posts to share next time. I stayed at Aria, which is in the brand new city center. It was the most technologically advanced room I have ever stayed in. One remote controlled all the lights, curtains, and tv/music in the room. I was fairly high up and I will say that the view at night over the city was breathtaking The shiny red lights of the city reflecting off the high black sky. Will I stay there again? I doubt it. I'm really not a strip guy anymore. Too expensive, too big a pain to go anywhere, and just too many damn people. The race/sportsbook was new and small. And I had two really good days in there. Although I did skip some of the group activities to feed my taste for Saratoga. Oh well it was my vacation too :) I do love hanging with my ridge buddies. They do know how to have a good time.

What else? Shockingly lots of volleyball. :) We are damn close to wrapping up the Monday and Wednesday championships. We won our first game ever on Tuesday. Of course I was at the Squeeze concert that night and missed the game. Maybe that's why :) We won our first playoff game Thursday in that league. We played 4 players vs 6. I love to play 4's as you get a better workout and so many more hits. Plus it's always nice to embarrass the other side with 6. Friday's has been a struggle just cause most of my friends/players don't want to play Fridays, but I like having that night kickoff the weekend. One thing about volleyball is I have somewhat relied on it for my workouts and used it as an excuse not to get on the treadmill or out on the path. I have rededicated myself to getting back on the path every morning this week and actually have been really happy with the results this week. Need to be able to say "this month" in a few weeks.

I am going to do something next week, that I have never done before and don't think that I would have ever thought I would have added to my list of things I accomplished. I was invited by my good friends and teammates Tim and Tanya to officiate their wedding. Thanks to the good people at the some internet church credential site I am now officially licensed to marry people in Wisconsin. I met their requirements. I was alive and I had a valid email address :) Hope I don't sweat as much as the last time I stoop in front at a wedding. I will give you a full recap after the ceremony.

The new store just been a pleasant surprise and easily exceeding my expectations. Back to School starts here this weekend and we love the college kids coming back to town with the summer job money in their pockets. I had a really good weigh in a weight watchers this week, unfortunately I'm still 4 lbs over the weigh in I had right after the triathlon. I'm working hard for you people with the big guesses but don't hold your breath :)

I was invited to attend the soft opening at the Malibu Ridge the week before the public invades for the first time, but had to pass due to way too much volleyball and a couple of tickets to see Jackson Browne that week. Who benefits from this? Well Jacky, of course, because she will be going in my place. I'm certain i would have gotten in trouble for sneaking down to the beach to play volleyball anyway. And speaking of tickets I am really excited to see Wicked which comes to Madison at the end of September, and maybe even a little more excited for the return of my....FOOTBALL. Hope your summer is going well. Miss all you guys and remember the door is always open in Madison. Peace and Love, Jim