I woke up around 6:30 this morning in Multonborough NH.. after a great night with the Fathers Forever guys. We stayed up way too late talking..   then blogging. I think I got less than 4 hours sleep. When my alarm went off at 6:30 I was pretty groggy.. The best thing for that was a quick dip in the lake…

It was cold.. but not too bad.. certainly woke me up..   I went back in to the house… got dressed and went upstairs. Craig was also up..so I said good buy.. and headed south to meet up with Lester and pick up the Sam shirts for tonight’s jam.

It was slightly less than an hour south to Concord.. I drove through the drizzly morning thinking about the conversations we’d all had the night before… it was good.. and sad hearing how all the guys were doing.. each had suffered a traumatic loss.. each was traveling his own path.. but there were many similar stories. … triumphs.. despair.. challenges. There were some really strong common themes.. The need to ‘make’ something from our tragedy.. the difficulties in getting back to work.. the changes in our personalities… the growth.. the muted sense of the world..  I have to admit it’s hard seeing some of the guys still struggling at so many years fruther into their grieving process.. It makes me realize I need to be careful about my expectations regarding any return to ‘normal’.   I really loved having the freedom to talk to other folks who ‘knew’ ..  what a strange club… wish I never had to join.. glad they’re with me now..
   As I drove I also thought about the strange and wonderful  ‘gift’ of last night’s exploding wineglass. I’m a trained scientist.. there is nothing in my training that can explain why an untouched full glass of wine would spontaneously explode at the mention of Sam’s name in full view of 5 people..   it’s inexplicable… and it’s … it’s… it’s .. what ? A miracle ? An incredibly improbable quirk of physics ? Who knows.. makes me feel good and strange whatever it was…

Anyway.. I made good time heading south… I got to concord abotu 10 minutes after Lester made it there from South of Boston. My idea was to shake hands, grab the shirts and zoom back to burlington… But that’s hard to do, because Lester is such a cool guy..     We met in the parkign lot of a strip mall. He showed me the shirts.. very cool !

We couldn’t resist playing with soem of my science toys.. e fired the potatoe canon  (which required a quick jump into the grocery store for hairspray)… and rode the go-cart around for awhile.. Lester is a geek like me… I could spend hours tlaking wiht him.

But I didn’t have hours.. Gabe’s first lacrosse game was today at 1 in St. Albans.. so I had to run.. I said goodbye to Lester and drove home. I  dropped off the shirts. fed and watered the dogs,  Ans headed north.. It was about a 200 mile morning.  I made it to Gabe’s game a bit into the first quarter of the first game.. Gabe is number 50. he had a good day.. I think the team is going to work out well !

Gabe’s team one their first game.. and ‘came in 2nd’ in the last game… Not a bad day… We headed home changed clothes and drove back to Talent for the Jam for Sam.  Hannah and Dave had opened their huge hearts again and let the Friends of Sam use Talent for their fundraising. We are so appreciative of all the support and love that that they have given us and the Friends of Sam .

We got to Talent about 5 for a 6Pm start.

First order of business was to put out the new Sam shirts.. The look so real.. !..

Around 6 kids just started pouring in … The Jam was Sam T’s idea.. he’s doing it as his public service project for CVU..   the whole jam was to benefit Abraham from Somalia .. The tall guy, 3rd fro the left. Abraham is from Sudan.. his wie Julie and their new baby daughter are in a camp in Kenya.. the money raised tonight will help Abraham bring his young familyl over. He’s a relaly nice guy.. very funny.. very quiet..

Sam T’s band also played the first musical set.  .. they were really AWESOME !

Here’s Sam. his dad and his grandfarther.. genetics at work !

The second band was excelelent too ! They did a great version of ‘Mama tried’ !

The place was packed for about 2 and a half hours.. kids of all ages.. soem skating.. some not.. it was a really fun time !

Phil showed up with some grip tape that he’d stenciled using a hand cut stencil of Sam’s face. it looked so cool !

It was so beautiful !  Hannah D. had the great idea to auction it off

At the end of the evening , Gabe reached in and grabbed the ticket for the winner.

It was Michael !  He was really excited to have won it !

At that point it was near 9.. folks started clearing out.. We gave out a bunch of SamStones during the evening.. an made a batch of new ones with some of the guests.

Folks took off while we tidied the place up as the kids totaled the snack/pizza take and Hannah tallied the shirt sales and the gate. in the end the Friends of Sam made over $2600 for the evening. That money will  provide a big help towards re-uniting Abraham’s family. it was a very good event .. and a very good day.
Once again we’d like to thank Sam T.. for putting the idea together and driving it., the Friends of Sam for running the event. The FoS parents for schlepping. and of course Hannah. Dave. Adah and Senyah at talent for the way too generous use of their karmically cool facility… Our hearts are full tonight. Thanks you all.. Sam we were really thinking of you tonight.. You were riding there too !
-me