Here are various pictures of Jim during his youth, his family, friends, and other memorable things.  Click on the pictures for a bigger view, and use your browser or mouse Back button to return here.

Jim was born in Morristown, New Jersey on November 22, 1958 and lived next door in Madison.  In 1971 at the age of 12, a job transfer for his Dad moved the family to Glastonbury, Connecticut where he graduated High School in 1977.  Jim then attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) for 2 years but chose to enter the job market "ahead of schedule".

Jim always missed Madison, and his friends.  Many years later, he registered himself at Classmates.com and an old friend contacted him - after over 30 years!  They stay in touch to this day, and work on expanding the group of old childhood classmates who get back in touch.

Career

Jim began a career in computer software in 1979 first at Data General (DG) in Westborough Massachusetts (out of business now), then for 5 years at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in Marlborough, MA (bought by Compaq and then Hewlett Packard).  Jim then shifted gears away from the large systems and into PC's in 1985 - where he remains today.

Over the course of several jobs in the PC arena, Jim eventually landed at the Boston (Waltham) office of Microsoft where he performed consulting services for Microsoft customers.  After about 5 years in this position, we made a big change and moved to Seattle (Redmond), where we were able to experience a whole new environment and stir things up in our life.  It was a significant change for us - leaving behind so many good friends and everything we knew, and heading to a new place and starting a family.  We had mixed feelings about this move but ultimately felt the need to take risks and explore life more.  Plus the weather in Boston was rough at times!  And I never did get used to the accent, or shall I call it, mispronounciation.

After 11 years at Microsoft, and 24 in the computer field, Jim quit Microsoft and started out on a new direction of self-directed computer work - a work still in progress at this writing.  Frustration and a desire to do something better with his life was a primary driver.

New Jersey

Behind Jim's childhood house in New Jersey ran the Erie Lackawanna train line, now long defunct.  Jim has strong, fond memories of the trains.  A couple pictures below show the older models of the trains that were running in the 1960's which date from the 1920/30 era.

I grew up outside New York City - my family traveled there from time to time, and I was around when the World Trade Center was built in the late 1960's early 1970's.  I've been in and atop the towers several times.  When 9/11 happened, it hit a deep and personal chord in my soul.  I was numb and thought I was dreaming.  I sat in front of the TV from 8:30am until midnight, Pacific time (by the time I had awoken that day, the towers were already down). I cannot believe that I won't be able to take my children there.  I suppose the new tower(s) will be their version of my WTC.

It was on my 5th birthday that President Kennedy was shot in Dallas, and I still have memories of the black & white TV coverage of the event, and I recall the somber mood of the country.

I share my birthday with movie actress Jamie Lee Curtis (or click here).  I've never met her and probably won't - it's just an interesting tidbit, eh?

Jim's Youth	High School yearbook	I made the cover of the GHS newspaper!	Grade 6 - Mr. Maloney. He gave each student a number, and mine was 21.  It's my favorite number to this day.	Isn't this special? I got it for volunteering in the cafeteria at lunch time
	Grade 5 - 1969-70	Grade 5 - Miss Burke, an old-fashioned lady. Pic has water damage	Grade 4 - Miss Goff (meanie!)	Grade 3 - Ms. Sandello got married and moved to San Francisco after my year with her
	Grade 2 - I don't remember much from this year	Grade 1 - where I could do math pretty well!	Green Village Road School, 1999	The house I started in - now enlarged with a garage kick-out
Jim's Family	Selders family reunion 2003 - Kansas. My parents are from the Kansas City area	My immediate family and Ciara - taken in 1998 in Issaquah, WA	My parents, circa late 1990's in Florida	My parents' wedding, June 26 1943, Corpus Christi, Texas
	My grandparents and their children - my dad's in the upper-left	My paternal grandmother in grade school, June 1897	My paternal grandfather as a cook in 1909	My paternal grandfather, circa 1950's. He joined God in 1968. I didn't know him well, sadly
Jobs	My extended group at DEC in the early 1980's. Can you find me? (hint: I can't!)		Microsoft campus and the Cascade Mountains
Trains from Madison	An old Erie Lackawanna rail car like the ones behind Jim's house	The car's interior. The seats flip for reverse travel	Madison, NJ train station - still in use!	Convent Station, a 20-minute walk on the tracks from Jim's house