Friday night and I’m on my own. Diane and Gabe are in Stratton with Dylan and Sue at the US Open Snowboard competition.. Max and friends are at higher ground watching friend Willa play.. It’s just me and the dogs here in this very big.. very drafty house.. Nice and kinda sad.. It’s good to have some quiet time. I had a good day..It started early.. Diane woke me before 6 when she and Gabe left in order to watch the puppy.. I seem to remember that having human babies required less work .. but then.. maybe I wasn’t paying as much attention 🙂 ?

I took the dogs for a great walk in the woods at around 7:30. I was surprised to be moving at that time of the morning.. but there I was outside on a beautiful but blustery and cold morning. I had had a troubled sleep.. but the fresh air and dog play chased it out of me. I came back .. stuck ’Tori in her crate and went to meet friend Jason at On The Rise for Breakfast. Jason and I work together at work.. I always enjoy talking with him. On The Rise is great.. but might not be the best place for a business meeting. Half of Richmond came and went this morning.. which made it hard to have a technical discussion. Fun nevertheless.. One cool thing of note… As I was about to leave, Lisa-san from Tyko drumming ran in and gave me two bags of Matte that she’d bought for me a few weeks back. Diane saw her in the coop and told her how much I liked it. It was so cool..
   From there I went to work and met up with friend Mark and his son Austin. Austin was skipping school today (like Gabe)  to do a job shadowing thing with me. Our main event was to do a Jolts and Volts show at Orchard School in South Burlington. . Austin is in 8th grade at Browns River MS. He’s a really great kid. He and his dad helped me load up my gear while we talked about my job and about engineering. He has to do 2 job shadowing things for his class.. He already did a physical therapist.. which is an area he liked.

We then went to Healthy Living for lucn.. There I ran into Peter-san.. also from  Tyko.. He told me that our Tyko  Sensei Stuart-san actually built the giant stand-inside drum that he’d been talkign about. That was cool to have a 2nd Tyko person contact in a single day. Mark and Austin and I sat down and Austin  asked me a whole bunch of thoughtful questions.. It was fun being interviewed.. Some of his questions really made me think.. like ” What do you do every day ?”   ) If you read this often .. you’ll understand.. that’s not an easy answer. )   I ran into Homer’s wife, Mary B. there while I was eating.. which is pretty funny because my cell phone  called her at 11:45 last night.  It’s a really small state…

In keeping with my ’disgusting drinks theme.. they had a display of Noni (sourbag) juice on the way out of Healthy Living.. Austin hazarded a smell .. but wouldn’t venture a taste. This is the same stuff that Rashi’s dad had me drink when I was visiting Ruchir one time.. nasty !

From there we went to Orchard School.. I did a show for all the 4th and 5th graders.. they were an awesome audience.. Austin played photographer. It was a good show. I’m so in the moment when I’m doing these shows.. I know I’m serving my life’s purpose when I’m onstage doing them.

Here’s mark with a suspicious object

I got packed, backed ot IBM, unloaded and home in time for my afternoon meetings. It was a productive evening. I worked until about 7.

Jeff and his band ’Forever They Said’ was here practicing.. their practice was so good that they blew an amp. The big news with them is that they’re playing in a hardcore fest at higher ground in a few weeks. Sam would be proud.. Jeff, Pucket and Sam were in the band’s predecessor.. Black Night Vengeance.

Speaking of Higher Ground.. I thin I’m going to go and try to catch Willa’s show.. so gotta sign off. before I do.. 2 things.. First.. RJ was here last night after dinner and almost showed us a trick.. (or he showed us an almost trick) .. it was impressive