Ever since Sam died I’ve been more aware of connections.. connections in events, in associations and in people. Today was absolutely full  of connections. It started in a normal groove. I had to work at home this morning because we have a car in the shop. Diane took Max to work in Shelburne while I got Gabe to school. Oooops, we both forgot his geography project so I had to turn right back around and deliver it to school. Here’s Gabe’s teacher  Ralph from planet Tryfamedor) holding the project.

Luckily the school, like everyone else   is giving us  lot of slack

   I got home and immediately started working with my friends in Austin on prep for a big meeting we had this morning. We’d all been sweating how this would go.. and lie all things. The event itself was much better than the pre-worries about it. it was actually a very good meeting.. I was very  proud of our team…that put me in a pretty good wor mood which allowed me to motor through this morning’s meetings.

   My only face to face meeting I had afternoon  was with two profs and the dean  at Champlain College. The meeting had been se up by my friend Marion weeks ago..  One funny sidebar is that a half hour before the meeting I was frantically waiting for Diane to come home with a car to let me get to my meeting on time.. it took me about 15 minutes of pacing to realize that I had a car… .. not only that I’d just parked it. This is an indication of how spacey I’ve become since Sam’s passing… Anyway, the folks at Champlain have a really, really, REALLY cool academic program around video gaming and it’s application to society. I was extremely impressed with the vision and energy that these folks had to this emerging technology. It was so cool to see how they’ve built up this program from nothing to a nationally recognized degree program in such a  short time.. We had so much fun brainstorming on how to use gaming and related technology as a tool for teaching, and as a force for social good.  We spent a bunch of time talking on how we can best use video game to interest kids.. in math. Science and technology.  I left the meeting absolutely  jazzed and certain  that some level of collaboration with these folks was in my near future.  I was so surprised to find this sort of program.. and these sorts of thinkers virtually in my back yard…  It was an amazing connection .. much too strong to be a pure coincidence..  I forgot to take pictures of them.. but I did find this very Nifty S-am artifact on the road outside their offices

    After work today I headed to Advanced Music to meet Meghan G and her dad. Meghan is the winner of the first annual Sam Cohn Musical Soul award. She’d picked out a killer Schecter electric guitar for herself with a beautiful swirl finish and liberty star inlay.  (Sam played a Schecter, too)

The folks at Advanced gave us a generous  deal on the guitar and case.. which we really appreciated. I could tell that Meghan was the perfect recipient of this first guitar.. she was wearing not 1 but 2 guitar picks around her neck.

She was the only student who was nominated by multiple people in the contest.  And getting to know her.. I understand why. She’s totally committed to playing and songwriting..  One  other  amazing thing is that Meghan and I were talking about her wish to get a tattoo just like the liberty star on the inlay,  Just as we were talking, my friend and neighbor Kyle who works at advanced came over to talk to us.. here’s the tat he has on his leg.. (queue the twilight zone music)..

The whole experience with Meghan and her dad was wonderful.. and sad in a way you can probably imagine.. I cried some.. but mostly I was very, very happy…

   At that ppint is was after 6 so I decided to walk around downtown Burlington  and so some birthday shopping for Gabe and Max’s birthdays.  I kept running in to folks I knew.. and kept getting hugs from folks..  It was nice and surprising considering I live nearly 20 miles away  .. First I ran into my friend Bruce A. who I hadn’t seen in several years. Bruce and I used to share an office about 20 years ago.. he didn’t know about Sam.. so we had that conversation.. which branched into other parts of life. Bruce is getting married this weekend.. which is very cool. It was great to reconnect.

A bit later  I ran into  my friend Susan.. Susan might well have been  Vermont‘s first lady If the last governors election had gone a little better. Her husband and my friend Scudder was the leading opposition for the VT Governors election. Seeing Susan gave me an idea.. our close mutual friend Sandy and I grew up and graduated high school together in Houston., TX.  Sandy is leaving for Houston early, early tomorrow morning to go to our 30^th  high school reunion .. hard to believe. I was tempted to go.. but Gabe’s birthday is this weekend.. and that’s far more important to me now.   Anyway.. I wanted to get some  SamStones to Sandy to take to the reunion.. but I spaced out and forgot to send them. Susan lives  Middlesex near Sandy.. and offered to take them to her tonight.. Serendipity again !

   After a little shopping, I was starving.. so I headed to Moe’s  burritos. In S. Burlington.   I wanted to see if Mary.. our house mate, was working..(She wasn’t) I felt like I was being disloyal to my favorite Mex place, Mexacali.. but I have to admit Moe’s was very very good.   While there I ran into our friend Bister and his friends Owen and Vanessa..

Bister and Owen are both straightedge.. meaning no drugs or alcohol.. and they got themselves inked to prove it..

   They are also opening up a vegan restaurant in Burlington pretty soon.   They’d just gotten back from an  animal rights rally in Boston.. I love that these guys are being socially active.

   From there I headed to Williston t o meet Diane, Gabe and three of  his friends for a movie. The movie didn’t start until 8:30.. so I had some time to spare. I wandered into Mexecali with Moe’s burritos on my breath.. Do you think they could tell ?   I love Mexecali because all the folks who work there know me and know what I like. My favorite beer was poured for me before I’d even settled into my seat. Even though I was only there for about 15 minutes I ran into a bunch of people I knew.. Here’s my friends Niten and Erica from work.. they’d never met…

And here’s a ‘lady’s night out group  with Erica and my friends Julie and Lamiaa. Very comfortable there..

   Diane and the kids shoewd up around 8:20 . We ran into my firend Ron, Dave and Xand freinds/ Ron and I went to MIT together.. Dave and X (shoot.. X = .. begins with a B.. I’m so spacey) are our frind Bazz’s mom and step dad

then we headed into 3 hours of Johnny Depp and the rest of the pirates.

I really liked the movie.. which meant I only slept for 15 min.. That guy with the squid face makes me want to dred my beard…

2AM and I have a full day tomorrow. I’d better go.. G’nite mateys

-me

ps/ I forgot to mention another important connection from today. David P., one of the Chaplain’s from All Childerens Hospital in FL called today to check on us. All Childeren;s is where they took our Sam after his accident. Wetalked for about 20 minutes about how we were ding, our healing path and life in general.  I offered to to let them give my name to anyone who finds htem selves in the terrible situation we found ourselves.. and who needs to talk.  I think doing this is now part of my Dharma.  It meant so much to me that he reached out to us after nearly 7 months.  I will never forget how kindly that David and the rest of the staff  at All Childeren’s treated us. Tahnk you