PLEASE WRITE A STORY OR POST A NOTE UNDER THE BLOG SECTION OF THIS SITE. IT WILL PERIODICALLY BE PRINTED AND SENT TO HIS PARENTS. THEY VERY MUCH ENJOY HEARING STORIES ABOUT JIM. THANK YOU********************************************************* *************************My Part Of Jim's Eulogy James Frederick SulzbyIV Feb.15 2006 It is a great Honor to be able to stand up here and speak on Jim's Behalf.In talking w/ people over the past few days I have hung on to certain words, stories, and expressions that Jim made.We met in Jr. HighHe was the first at Mountain Brook to have Tevas. Now everyone has at least two pairs (river sandals). Jim was a Unique Individual. He always had the most outlandish ideas, which often became reality, and he was always thinking.When we were 15 years old his parents drove us to North Carolina to the NOC (Natahala Outdoor Center) and left us for 1 week to be trained by Olympic Kayak instructors.The sense of freedom was something like we had never felt before. We were sitting in our Noah's (boats) at the Falls watching our instructor Mary do hands rolls. For you that don't know: this is the biggest rapid on the Natahala River. She dropped her paddle and did an extremely difficult move in the whitewater. There was an old hippy boater floating next to us. Jim looked at him and said "Thats INSAAANE!" The old man replied, "I havent seen a sane paddler yet, and the day I do, I'll quit the sport!"That expression stuck with the both of us. We relate that to life in general on a daily basis. Certain situations and most of our friends are insane in one-way or another. If it werent for insanity, how much fun would life be??...Really? Our parents gave us support, means and the freedom to travel at the age of 16. We always found ourselves on the cutting edge of so many new things, especially extreme sports.We pushed each other to the MAX.You could also say that we enjoyed the finer things in life. Jim's older sister Jean said something the other day. "You know Jim always appreciated the finer things in life. He said that he would prefer to have one cup of really good coffee, rather than two average cups."Wine. With much help from our good buddy and restaurateur Todd Russell we developed a taste for fine wine. We hoard it in our basements and wait for that perfect moment, or that special occasion before the decanting ceremony begins.Surfing. One time Jim and Greg went to Costa Rica to go surfing. The "dudes" in the surf shop told them about this "special", secluded, hidden beach with killer breaks. So they rented their boards and ventured off in their Jeep type vehicle. Upon returning from surfing ALL of their possessions were gone. They were so far in the middle of nowhere that they were convinced the surf shop set them up. So upon arrival at the Birmingham airport Jim and Greg had long board souvenirs. The boards were HUGE.Blue/ Josie Farm Story My neighbors had a neglected Blue Heeler mix. My dog Blue and Jim were buds. We all lived together for 3 years. He had the best personality of any dog with humanlike characteristics. He loved women (as did Jim) and they were not afraid to talk or sniff the prettiest ladies. My wife says that if there is such thing as re-incarnation that Blue was a man being punished for one reason or another. Blue had a tumor and was put down last year at the age of 6 (42 in people years). Jim was 34.So anyhow, our neighbors had this neglected dog. Being a persuasive person eventually I talked Jim into taking her. He was in MY mind a perfect candidate. Single, great house, fenced in yard, and dog less. He has an incredible saltwater reef tank that can be seen at Bacca in Chrestline today. He always said it was like taking care of a dog so I figured whats one more? Eh? This was until Jim was planning his year long Hiatus from work and 2 months of travel. Plus, she was not blue and he had not the same attachment. So in finding her a home he searched high and wide to no avail. We were up playing chess one late Friday night when he said, "I gotta go, have to get up early". "For what?" says me. "Tomorrow is Saturday". "Josie and I are going to be on T.V.!" It turns out that there is a show early Sat. AM where you can bring in pets that need a new home. I sure would like to get a copy of that somehow. Typically when people say that their dog went to a farm...yea right...Josie really did! She is somewhere on a farm living the life that every dog only dreams of.... thanks to the kind heart of Jim.Jim was a kind-hearted person.Roller Skating hip- For my 30th birthday we had a roller skating party. Since this was not dangerous enough for us Jim bought me a super duper X-tra spring-loaded pogo stick that our good friend Scott Gartman severely broke his arm on at a later date. At the time Jim was dating a roller derby girl and so he just had to impress. He was going into a turn as fast as he could when all of a sudden "THUD" I am talking over the music, loud, immobile "THUD". He lay there on his side for some time. It seemed that his hip had to be broken, but eventually he shook it off. Unlike his rope swing incident where he landed on his you know what and had to sit on a butt cushion for 4 months. I think that injury stayed with him until the day he died.Jim was always good about doing things in moderation. When it came to health he took it very seriously. He watched his diet, exercised, and never partook in too much of any one thing. He was always in control of himself.Some of the many things that Jim was:Drew Jims brother-in-law said that "Jim was a true Renaissance Man"He loved adventureHe was an ArtistA Bacci Ball RollerA BackpackerA BeermeisterHe was a birdwatcherJim was a brotherHe was a builderA CamperA canoeistJim was a gourmet chef. When we would go camping we would always try and outdo each other with our specified meals. We were deep in the Canausaga National Forest backpacking with Brian McNiel and our dogs. It rained the ENTIRE time that we were there. This made our meals that much more enjoyable. It was an event, something to kill time, and something to savor. Jim decided to prepare a gourmet Asian Cuisine with multiple courses. The feast started with egg-drop soup. As that was going he had stir-fry going on the other stove. He had been working on this for hours. Chopping, dicing, seasoning, marinating. He had a nifty new cookware set with individual containers for everything. He didnt consider that the Dish Detergent and the olive oil were in matching bottles. OOPS. He tried to play it off like it was great, but it tasted like soap. After forcing down several bites he turned it over to the dogs. Much to theyre disliking.We sat in our tents and played a lot of Chess.Jim was a Chess EnthusiastHe was a very Cognitive ThinkerHe was a Croquet ChampionHe was always into Feng ShuiHe was a Frisbee Golf PlayerA GardenerJim was the Utmost GentlemanA Hang Glider Don't think the parents knew about that one.He was the Host w/ the Most. We had legendary Halloween Parties and Cook-OutsHe was Extremely HonestHe was an InstigatorJim was extremely Intellectual. He was the only person that we know of without a TV in his living area.He was a Ladies ManAn Incredible LeaderHe has the most Eclectic Music Collection of everyone I know (Besides Meade Silsbee)Jim was an OutdoorsmanHe was a PhotographerA PioneerA Property OwnerA Real Estate AgentA Road TripperA Rock ClimberA SailorA Scuba DiverA Snow SkierA Snow BoarderAn Incredible SonA Stunt Kite PilotAn Accomplished SwimmerTHE Texas Hold'em Pioneer, Veteran, and Grand Champion. He definitely took a lot of my money over the years. As a matter of fact last Wednesday he took me good. There are a group of us that started playing about Ten years ago. It has been great fun and we sure are going to miss him... Some of the Places that Jim adored the mostTelluride, CO. In 92 we were in Telluride Co. for a summer. Back then we had no cell phones so we had talked two days before he arrived. That is how long it takes to drive basically. Especially by yourself. We told him where we were going to be. Un-announced had to move to the opposite side of town when the Bluegrass festival came to town. The town had less than 2K people and went to 12k for the week. I had an intuitive feeling at a single moment to get a little Debbie and look for Jim. As soon as I walked to the road there was the gold Mitsubishi Cult LOADED down with gear and a big smile on his face. It didnt always work like that, but usually. He washed dishes for me at the Swede Fin Hall that summer. It was the only time in my life when I had a true advantage over him. Being that he had to clean everyting given to him, including huge pots of reduction that had been burned in for days.He kept a large cabin cruiser sailboat at Logan Martin Lake This was Jim's ongoing project & joy as a weekend getaway.Sewanee Tennessee where Jean and Drew lived. We had several great trips with fond memoriesNorth CarolinaLake Wehapa. Dr. & Ms. Jackson (Parents of Matthew) have been kind enough to let us spend many a weekend at this incredible house. We would from time to time have bottle rocket wars. Jim had this not so brilliant idea to approach from canoe and attack So Matthew and Jim planned their invasion.... they were sitting ducks! We started bombarding them! It was one of the fastest paddling strokes you have ever seen.Most of all he LovedWeekend trips to Europe w/ Mom and DadJim looked forward to his annual Phi Delta Theta party and spending time with family at their house on the Gulf in Orange Beach, AL.He enjoyed time at Lake Martin with his familyJim was an incredible listenerAn Outstanding TeacherHe rarely got upsetHe was always in a fantastic mood, and rarely lost his coolJim was never out of control until the end why we are all here today. For those of you who don't know what happened this is what I gather. He and Russell Cunningham were going to get some food late night. Early on they had been at an art opening at Marilyn Wilson Gallery in English Village and then out to Lakeview. There was some alcohol consumed but as people close to Jim know, he did all things in Moderation. He was never the best driver as he was easily distracted, primarily by conversation. I always worried that he would get into an accident... but never imagined this... he drove like my grandfather. Rufus Manning. Never in an accident. Only Jim drove slower than an old lady in a Caddi rolling through the Village. We teased him about this. He drove a 97 Land cruiser 4X4 full size, full time four wheel drive so there was a certain sense of security. Huge, safe slow ride. They came around a curve on Saulter Rd. in Homewood and hydroplaned in the pouring rain. The last thing Russell remembers is Jim yanking the wheel. Russell awoke to the sound of running water. He managed to crawl out of the creek bank up to the road. The next thing he knew the paramedics were there. The truck slid off of the road onto the drivers side (Jims) through a rock creek for twenty feet, for a quick, crushing death. There are so many lessons to learn from this. The basics being don't wait to rotate and replace tires as needed. Never yank the wheel when you hydroplane, think drivers ed. Enjoy EVERY day like its your last, Because it very well could be. Jim was the most responsible of all of our friends. He was a group leader and always made you feel safe.I can't tell you how many people have come up to me and said "Jim was my favorite person". True for me. As Andrew Lewis said, "Many people considered Jim their best friend." I always strived to be like Jim and honestly believe that he had this life figured out. He was always one step ahead of everyone else. The only reason why I can fathom that he is not here today.Jim was a lover of all things. Most importantly he loved his friends, his life, his family, and his God.Jim attended an important event while I was living in MI. Prior to coming he caught the GI bug. He was up all night extremely ill, covering himself with newspapers on the plane because his chills were so bad. Some people are concerned about fainting during the ceremony. I was looking over at him during the service; for fear that he would go down... But he didnt.I was in town for a visit and the weekly game of Texas hold' em. Jim and I stayed up until 4 am my time talking. We usually played Chess but this time we sat and talked. We had many, many, long term goals and plans for out future. I stayed in his guest room and talked him into going to Sneaky Petes the next day. He forgot his wallet and even though he had taken my money the night before, I gladly bought his breakfast, gladly. He told me three times on the way to drop me off how thankful he was that we had that breakfast. "I'm going to be glad that we did that, all day!"Todd, Brian, Jim and myself were going to go to Whistler, British Columbia in 3 weeks for a snowboarding trip. Its going to be particularly hard because this will be the first trip that he has missed... When we were talking at his house the last thing we discussed was how excited that he was working for Sulzby Realty. Buying and Managing properties and learning from his dad. We talked about how his business operates without using a computer. He said, "actually it runs very efficiently without one. You'd be surprised but it really won't help that much. Dad has it figured out!" Their plan was to learn and work the current system as it was for a year, and then make suggestions and changes. He told me that he had it figured out after about 5 months. Jim was smart like that, and he looked forward to carrying on one of the oldest businesses in Birmingham's recorded history.Jim also spoke of going to England with his mom to be with his family that he loved so much. He had already started packing his bag. Traveling light was his motto. He adored his friends, family and especially his niece and nephews.Jim understood and put up with me better than anyone. He was the only person who had me figured out . . . or so he said. We would play chess for hours, drinking scotch, and smoking expensive cigarettes. He would trash talk me by saying "You have to do better than that Eddie!" and I'd say, "what" and he'd reply, "I've got you all figured out!"Original Notes and Stories Comments Cut due to time.-Ed