So last night I was up till about 3am editing a video that we shot on New Year's Day. The Kingston fur group gets together to do an annual New Year's Day fursuit skate and these are some of the highlights. The video is not great, but it is workable. I hope you all enjoy it!

https://youtu.be/3mEkpMYepgo

So  grisser drew me an awesome new avatar for the holiday season! F5 to refresh. Sooooo cute :D

So in a few short weeks  bt-armistice and I will be at MWFF. We will be flying down with  ~SoulWolf~ on Thursday and leaving Monday morning. Last year we arrived the Friday and left Monday but this year we wanted that extra day just so we can see even more of our friends and be fully rested for the beginning of the con.

I can't wait. I attended the con for the first time last year and it was a blast. I can only hope that this year will be just as good. I mean how can it not be?

Who can I hope to see there? Raise your paws/tail/foot and let me know.

Roll call! Who is going?

I will be there, with bells on. Well maybe not bells but I will be there. I will try to make it easy to spot me, I will usually be wearing my FF team jersey with my name on the back so that will be a dead giveaway.

I will be staying in the Crowne Plaza hotel (Main hotel) and plan to have as much fun as I possibly can.

Keep an eye peeled for me!

I know that my one year date from surgery was a month ago, but I had my one year checkup with the medical team at the hospital today.

They have never seen success this fast this early with the surgery. Because I have not cheated on the diet over the last year and I have done all the work at the gym and such, I am now 244.6lbs in weight or 110.9kg.

This means that since the surgery I have lost 290.4lbs or 132.1kg in total weight so far. They are confident that I should be able to keep this off, and they belive that I may become a big success story here.. I am so stoked you have no idea.

Ihave lost nearly 300lbs... that is 2 average sized adults.. WHAT THE FUCK!

I am so stoked.

July 3, 2012, at 8:15am I went in for my Roux En Y Bariatric Surgery. 2.5 hours later it was over and I was in the recovery room jacked up on morphine and sleeping.

This marks a special day for me, it is the anniversary of when I changed my life in a drastic way. The day I started to take control of everything and get my life back. When I started this journey I was 535lbs or 243kg in weight. This severely restricted what I was able to do and quite frankly made my life genuinely difficult.

Things are much different now. I was at the doctors office getting my B12 shot and I was weighed there. Now bear in mind for the last 2 months my scale at home has not been working correctly so I have not weighed in for a while, so I was curious to see what the results were.

I weighed in at 256lbs or 116kg. This is pretty good news for me because 2 months ago when I was weighed I was around the same weight so it means that I have pretty much leveled off at this weight. It will shift around a bit but should stay pretty much spot on with this number hopefully for a while.

So there we go.. Total weight lost in 1 year 279lbs or 126.5kg.

A lot has changed in my life. This last year has been full of ups and downs.. I can't tell you how nice it is to hear the encouragement of people and have the support of my friends and family. It has helped me make this challenge worth the effort.

I love you all

Today is my birthday it is true. I want to thank the love of my life  bt-armistice for his wonderful journal post to me, as well as his lovely gift and the fact that in spite of my numerous flaws I still see his face every morning when I wake, and he is the last thing I see when I fall asleep.

You are the love of my life BT. We first met on the 25th of June 2002 just days before my birthday, and every year around this time I think of you and the time we have shared together. It has not been perfect, but I can say that I love you more today then I did yesterday, but less then I willl tomorrow.

I also want to thank the people who messaged me on my FA page, and in his post wishing me a happy birthday. The same for the people who Tweeted at me, Facebooked me, Google Plussed, and texted me. It helped me a lot. I have been down the last few days and this has helped to brighten my day.

To all my friends and family I love you all, and treasure you so much.

The car. She lives!!

This is what I did this morning.

https://youtu.be/gkrFlZkksYs

The idle needs to be adjusted, and there is a knock when it shuts down. I have to dig into that but I am pretty stoked overall.

After 4 years, she is alive!

http://jalopnik.com/reader-loses-26.....ntag-473505994

Yeah.. My story has inspired one of the editors of the Gawker Media blog Jalopnik and they wrote a story about me..

So I guess this means I have to keep up with the weight loss.... and finish the car project ;)

Fun!

I am kinda stoked for this to be honest!

This weekend I brought the BMW out of storage. This meant that I was $50 poorer because I had to pay for a tow to my parents house, but little did I know that would be just the beginning of my frustrations.

We get the car to the house and push it into the garage ready for me to get it back on its feet. I pumped up the tires and then decided to work back to front on the car. When the car was being bedded down for the year, I broke the key off in the trunk lock. That really sucked a lot but I decided to start there.

Using some info I have gathered over the years I made a key extractor to help me get the broken remains out of the trunk lock. I had a spare key so this meant that I would still be able to unlock it and all would be good. Turns out this was not to be the case. It appears that the cylinder shattered which is why the key got stuck in the first place meaning this was no longer an option. The trunk release button which is also the key hole pushed into the car and would not return as a result. FUN!

So I took to the car with a drill and had to drill out the entire cylinder out of the car and punch it into the trunk. This resulted in a lovely hole where my trunk release and key used to be. We tried for a few hours to pop the trunk manually but to no success.. Trying different methods discussed online including disassembling the rear seat and removing it, as well as the package try in the back to get inside the trunk.

I finally decided to give up on Saturday and have a night to think about it all as I was getting a bit frustrated.

Sunday with fresh eyes and armed with a bit more research on the actual lock mechanism I figured out how it worked and where I needed to concentrate my efforts. After 1h working the in garage, success! The trunk was opened. This meant that I now had access to all the manuals that were safely stored in the trunk so I could do more serious work. I removed the latch for the trunk for the time being, just so that I would not have to worry about it locking again before I can blow over $110 on a new key and lock mech for the car.. yikes..

I then set about removing that DAMNED UGLY WING from the decklid. I wanted to see how bad everything was under it so I knew how much repair welding I was going to have to do. It turns out that there were 6 holes drilled in the trunklid meaning that I will have to strip the area of paint, prep the metal, plug weld them then grind them, then filler, then smooth, then primer before I can even look at touching up the paint on the trunk. An easier method would be to just bondo the area, but I would rather do it correctly.

Good thing I did remove the wing, as it turns out that when the holes were drilled in the trunk the bare metal was not protected after the fact, so rust was starting to form under the screws that held the wing to it. I stripped 3 of the screws that held on the wing because they were quite frozen in place. This meant that I had to break out the drill and remove the heads of the screws to get that abomination off my car.

End of the day today I have no wing, the rear seats are removed and the parts I have on hand are now inventoried.. This means I have a long way to go but I am on my way. Next weekend I will be removing the trunk lid and sanding down the areas then putting on a weld through primer.. If that goes well I am going to probably even lay down the first plugs in the trunk.

FUN!

So that was my weekend of work in a nutshell..

Oh, and my weekend also included Laundry, Visits from fursuited friends, and general stuff..

*flops* Someone rub me all over please? My everything hurts.

So I just did something very odd..

The first year and second year students here at work are in a battle to see who can raise the most money for cancer, and I sorta threw my hat in the ring so to speak.

The second years have not really been motivated to raise a lot of money, to the tune of them only raising about $50 compared to the first years who are over $2200. So because the second year class is a bit special to me, as they were the first class to be educated completely in my lecture theatre here in the brand new medical school building, I decided that to sweeten the pot. If they can raise $2000 in 15 days, I will let them shave off my beard..

That is right.. Shave my beard

Completely

To the skin...

In front of their class, in the lecture theatre..

To be honest, I hope they do it. It is for a good cause, and I am sure that it will motivate them to help raise a lot of money for great research.

But I decided to just post this instead.

Mostly to push my other journal off the page.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

At the tone, the time will be 7:13pm



*beeeeep*

I graduated high school 16 years ago and started working shortly after that. I have had 2 brief periods of being laid off, both lasting about 10 months each. This means that for almost 15 years I have been working. What have I been doing? Tech Support and computer related services.

After graduating I started working in a computer store here locally that has now become a pretty big chain of computer stores, working in their first store and watching much of their expansion throughout Ontario. Many Canadians will no doubt be familiar with the name Canada Computers, well that is where I started off my career doing sales and occasionally doing support.

After 2 years there and watching it go from a small store here in Kingston to buying 2 warehouses and expanding to 5 of their retail locations, I left to become a Systems Administrator for a start-up Biotech Software Company called Molecular Mining. Much of what I did there I am not at liberty to talk about, but needless to say I got a very amazing education from that, and it helped me. Needless to say, after 4 years, the VC's got cold feet and pulled the plug, so I was laid off.

I spent 10 months searching for a job and was finally able to get hired at the University here. I worked for 3 departments, the Biochemistry, Protein Function Discovery and Cancer Biology and Genetics departments. These were all "Wet labs" and I was working with some absolutely amazing minds doing incredible research. Most of my time was spent fixing their computers and getting the systems installed for them when they needed it. The lessons learned there were out of this world, and the machines I got to work on were staggering in their complexity and power. I enjoyed it so much.

After nearly 6 years there, I was informed that I was going to be downsized. It broke my boss's heart to have to come tell me that this was happening, and he had fought for me to stay there tooth and nail. With a heavy heart I left on my last day, and have missed it there every day since.

Another 10 months of looking and I got a job working in the Engineering department through my old boss from Molecular Mining. He was doing their systems support and they were looking for someone to do a temporary job there while someone was away on medical leave. I was happy to do it and got to do some amazing things in the short time I was there.

As I was working for them, I saw the job come up for the current position I am in within the Medical School. I leaped at the chance and was hired. This was 2 years ago and I have been learning a lot and working with technology I could only have dreamed of (and did dream of having years ago) every day.

Why am I bringing this up?

Because I am getting tired.

Tired of having my name lost to time.

The name Jason disappearing in favour of "The Computer Guy".

My given name is sometimes a mystery to people as they never have had to use it, they just know where to find me and ask for help or they are introduced to me as "The Computer Guy".

Identity Stripped...

I am tired of hearing my phone ring, and knowing that on the other end of the phone is a question or a problem in dire need of answering. A problem arises and people sink to their lowest, getting frustrated or angry and taking it out on me.

I am tired of knowing that I am only really thought of when there is a problem. "It isn't working, get Jason here" or "Oh look The Computer Guy is here".

I am tired of working within a department this size and no one knows who I am.

I am tired of only seeing people on the worst day of their life, swooping in to save the day, only for a "Thanks" or a "Finally".

I am tired of only getting emails that are a cry for help with a computer problem, or something that needs fixing YESTERDAY!

I am tired of having a knock at my door only being an emergency, having to leave my lunch behind to help with a problem that can't wait.

I am tired of going home to my shitty apartment only to get a phone call or a text or an email from friends or family looking for more help.

Mostly I am just tired of being the one who fixes it all, who helps endlessly, who does what needs to be done.

To hear only the bad, never the good.

To be thought of as the one who will save them.

For nearly 15 years... I have been this nameless, faceless thing.

The one who makes you whole again.

Who brings your email back.

Who finds that lost document.

The one who then goes back to his office when he is done and waits for the next email, phone call, or knock on the door, hoping it won't come when I have just sat down.

When will I get the chance....

To fix me?

This is not a cry for help, it is mearly a call in the dark. A shouting from the void.

Some of you may have noticed that I have not been online much lately and not been on Twitter or chat clients a lot. There are a number of reasons for this, and I feel I should give a small explaination.

The biggest reason is that lately my parents have had problems with their health, meaning I am spending more and more time helping them out. The worst of this happened a couple weeks ago, when my dad was having problems and had to be taken to the hospital. This resulted in me staying there from about 4 in the afternoon till 7:30am waiting for results and information.

He came home on the Sunday but sadly things didn't get any better for him and after an appointment with his family doctor she sent him over to the emergancy department right away and that is where he was from Friday morning to Saturday. I was once again in with him till about 3am learning all I could from them and keeping my family up to date on everything.

All my time has been dedicated to helping out with my family as my brother was also in and out of the hospital for that time period and my sister in law was unable to do much because of other illness as well.

Top that off with 3 solid weeks of work to get things ready here at the office to start admissions weekend for the school and my stress levels have been through the roof. It is a lot of late nights, and early mornings are the moment, in fact yesterday was the first night in a long time where I got to bed at a half decent time.

I have not really had a chance to sleep or really even get a day off in the last month or so because I have been constantly on the go for everyone, making sure that things are fixed and people are okay.

If I seem short or am away from the computer please don't take it the wrong way, it is not you, it is everything else that is going on around me conspiring to keep me busy.

I am not doing this for a cry for help or pity, I am just letting everyone know that I may be a bit more distant for the time being. You have to know that I am thinking of you all I just can't really take the time to show it as much as I would like.

Please if you have my cell number, remember that you can text me on it or hit me on whatsapp and I will do my best to talk.

Love you all.

I have been thinking of shooting a video again to give a weight loss update, but I am not sure I will yet.. It is hard to say. I know that some have wanted it but I am thinking it over at the moment.

So with no video, I will still post a link to a quick post I made to Google+ if you want to see my progress so far and such.

https://plus.google.com/10299827091.....ts/aRHRhFFSkzN

The short of it is that I am down a total of 237lbs from my peak weight, and am able to shop now in regular clothing stores which is a new expierence for me at the moment.

Yay me? :-D

 bt-armistice  calciferthefruitbat  kalidascope  ellie-fennec and I decided to go play havoc in the market square here in Kingston and do a bit of a fursuit skate! We did the skate on the 23rd, and while I didn't skate, and Ellie did not manage to get her partial done in time, a great time was had by all!

It also gave me the chance to try out our new toys! BT got me a GoPro Hero3 Black Edition for Christmas and DAMN do I love it! Up to 4k resolution and pretty darn good low light compared to the older Hero and Hero2 cameras!

Anyway I did this crappy edit today and decided to post some of the highlights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXIwAdXtTVE

During this shoot we learned exactly why people fursuit and the joy it can bring.

The suiters spent a good 10 minutes with one child in particular in the middle of the rink, talking to him, getting pictures taken with him and he had the biggest smile on his face. He was not a good skater, and needed a lot of help but nothing seemed like it would stop him. Then we learned why it seemed that way..

The father confided in the suiters that their son had terminal brain cancer. He had been given 12 months to live about 22 months ago. Every moment he spends with his child is a gift for the family at this point. The father and mother decided to not tell their son the nature of his illness, instead leaving him to be a child and have fun. Whether or not you agree with this position is for you to decide, but to see the child have fun out there on the ice, not caring, and enjoying the company of 2 big cats and a scruffy mutt, well.. you are reminded just why suiters are so necessary and why they do what they do.

The entire family let their cares and worries slip away for those short 10 minutes.. Their son was just a kid, and they were just teaching him how to skate. No illness, no worries, no thinking of what could happen tomorrow, just living in that moment.

I think that it changed everyone who was there just a bit. Now I know why we do what we do, and the good we can do when we take the time to put on a suit and make someone smile.

Since I can't post all 125 photos that I took at MWFF I have uploaded them to my Google + account. To look through all my photos visit:

https://plus.google.com/10299827091.....ts/ZnkhabpzieY

If you want to repost any, let me know ahead of time, and credit me please.

So last year I sent out a bunch of holiday cards to people and I would like to do that again this year. I don't expect many replies, but if people want to send me a private note here on FA or a DM on my twitter account, I will send you a card!

It is that easy! No need to jump through hoops, or dance a silly dance... Well you can do those things but it is not necessary... and if you do please send video.

So DM me with your:

Name (real preferred but if you want only furry name let me know)
Address

And that is is! How simple! Kinda like me..

Do it so I can stuff something in your box........

wait....

Managed to post 5 pictures to start with, will have a whole lot more, including some artsy fartsy stuff I took at the hotel.

For now, I am focusing on sleep.... and then sleeep.... then work at 7am!

*flops*

Here is an update for everyone...

I had a doctors appointment in Toronto for my 3 month post surgery follow-up and have some interesting results.

Since starting the programs in July of last year (surgery was July 3rd this year) I have lost 199lbs. I have been losing since the surgery, an average of 5.6lbs a week on the current plans and I am on a path that they agree is correct for me.

So at -199lbs from peak weight:

I have lost or not consumed, or burned a total of 696500 calories
I have lost the equivilent to 20 bags of potatoes
A 25 gallon aquarium full of water weighs what I have lost
The average weight of a person in North America is 178lbs so I have lost more


So yeah.. that is what I have been up to.

I am going to be going to Midwest FurFest next week, and was curious who else is going as well.

Sound off if you are.

I am going to be flying for the first time in a long time, so a bit of tension there for sure, but that is mostly in my head.. Which is a sad place to be right now let me tell you.

I hope to see a lot of you there.

FurFright was so eventful and amazing it is hard to sum it all up.

Thursday at about 9pm  ~soulwolf~ and Gryphan arrived to our place and we packed the Flex for our trip to CT.  bt-armistice came home around 11:30pm to passed out people in our living room (not a stretch that can happen often) and me still awake (dumb).

Friday at 4:00am my alarm goes off and it is time to get ready. With an ample 2 hours sleep I pile into the car and we head off on the road. The border crossing was very simple, I am beginning to wonder if it is even necessary anymore ;) and a very uneventful trip was had.

We arrived at the hotel a little later then I wanted to but we managed to get a sweet parking spot right out front of the main entrance so that was a bonus. We unpacked the car and took the gear up to the room while Gryphan stood in line waiting to register. The rest of us picked up our badges and we were off to the con!

The first thing I did was go to the dealers room to pick up my new FurFright hockey jersey! I had made the decision that it would be my con uniform so no one saw me without it except for the moments when I was in the pool or at the gym.

The day was a blur really, I saw so many people and had so little sleep that trying to name them all would be SO HARD!

Saturday much fun was had up until  bigwolfbebad and  wulven took me to Planet Fitness and abused me by making me lift heavy things and put them down again. My everything hurt later that night and I still hate yet love them.

Sunday at 4AM we were woke to the loving claxon of the fire alarms going off and we all piled out of bed and into the parking lot of the hotel.

For second morning at a more reasonable 8am we got up and had breakfast. Much more wandering was done and hugs were had. It is so hard to remember the details as the con was just non stop. Attended the fursuit games and then the team photo for the con.

Much worrying was done about HurriCon that was coming up we decided that a 6am departure should keep us ahead of everything so that was when we left. Thankfully I had filled the Flex up with gas the day before just to make sure that I didn't get "Disaster Pricing" on it and to make sure that I did in fact get gas and it was not sold out.

We stayed ahead of the storm and made great time, probably due to the tail-wind that we had for a bulk of it. The border was crossed and we were back home in no time at all after that.

I had such a great time I just want everyone to know that meeting and seeing you all was the real highlight of the convention for me. And to everyone who complimented me on the weight loss and how different I looked, I am truly humbled by your words. Thank you so much.

I love you all

I am just gonna leave this here... I know that  GrayFoxGree will love this..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OopAwUaqknM

So I will be at Fur Fright, enjoying myself once again with all the usual and unusual people. I hope I get to see you guys there! Sound off if you are going!

We also managed to find ABSOLUTELY KICK ASS airfare to MFF, so we are going to be going there too this year. Chime in if you are going as well so I can know who to keep an eye out for!

I did upload a video the day I left for the hospital, but it has a bad edit in it because I was not very nice and took 11 days between filming some of the things.. You can watch it here..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P2ApQD5i8k

and you can also see the video I recorded today too :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPL-y8ZP97g

Here we go, follow me on this journey