I’m just totally beat tonight.. I never seemed to be able to get out of second gear all day. I went for a below zero run this morning with Chai ..and that was about all I had all day for genki  (my friend Sharon’s  favorite Japanese work for  ‘get-up and go’) . Sam was with me very much all day.. I found myself talking to him every minute I was alone. I think anyone who saw me doing this would think I was cracking up… maybe I am cracking up… but I don’t think so.   I was able to slide through the day without getting much done beyond some very good personal/work conversations with folks I hadn’t seen since being back at work. In times past I would have been very frustrated and impatient by this slow pace of work.. now I am finding that I often enjoy it.. I do feel like I need to get my energy back up at work pretty soon to start earning my keep again.. It’ll come soon enough.. I’m pretty sure.   

    The high point of my day was Diane’s 6PM yoga class in the barn . We had about 9 folks there tonight.. and as usual I was the only male.. It was my job alone  to represent my  flexi-impaired gender. Diane is a wonderful teacher… her class would be a wonderful stress relief if I had any stress to relive at this point J .  After class, Sam (and our) friends Avery and Rebecca spent a few minutes getting a coat of paint on yesterday’s mitten rack welding project.. Hanna sent me some pictures of our work yesterday.. It was such a  blast working with these girls.

Grinding

 The Finished Product (and proud team)

  Speaking of making things, a week ago Dave-from-Talent and I went over to my friend Paul’s’ to use his cutting laser to design some Sam-themed grip tape for skateboards. We did some work on Sam’s Mayan symbols… I’ve yet to get those on a skateboard. Paul and Dave also cut out a Sam design that Paul’s son Nick had designed.. They stuck it on a skateboard this weekend… It’s really amazing. Drop by Talent to check it out..  Paul just sent me this picture

   We got some other really nice signs of support today. My good friend Kerry’s son Mike decided that he and two buddies were going to do some fundraising for Sam at their upcoming three way birthday party (we really appreciate that Mikey)   We also heard from another frined Mike that he was thinking about donating 5 % of his energy bar business revinue to Sam’s fund.. we love that idea.. Sam was all about Energy. We also got a really wonderful letter from our  friend T. Her husband used a word for Sam that I hadn’t thought of in a long while … Maybe since reading Siddartha many years ago. The word was bodhisattva,  a being who is dedicated to assisting all beings in achieving enlightenment, at the expense of delaying nirvana themselves. Those who knew Sam would probably agree that he was an old and evolved spirit…I like the thought of him coming down to join us for 14 years to pass on some wisdom … and him doing it just for fun..   Namaste my son.. the light in me  greets the light in you on this dark, cold night.

-jc