I’m almost too sleepy to write.. less than 7 hours sleep in the last two days.. My first meeting today was to give the opening lecture to this years crop of interns. (aren’t they cute ?!)

As in past years, I do about half related to my day job.. that usually puts them to sleep.. and about half relating to my education outreach  stuff. which wake them back up

This morning I talked quite a bit about my family and Sam’s passing. II put that in the context of needing to really think about the balance and priorities you have in your life .. and the importance of finding and feeding your passion.  I know that that part of the conversation changed the tone of my talk.. but it’s something I really can’t not talk about.

The rest of my day went by in a blur.. my calendar was jam packed.. and I managed to get a ton done. One cool thing that happened was that I got a copy of the cool One IBM  video that they produced for the CTRE event. This will be  used all over the world to promote the reach and scope of  IBM. My friend Doug had told me that there was a SamStone picture hidden in it somewhere.. I looked and looked.. but couldn’t find it..   Can you see it ?

I just gotta sleep.. I only got about 4 hours last night. and it looks like I’ll only get 5 tonight. I have to be at work early to give a talk and demo to a bunch of new summer hires… so I’ll make this short. Today was insanely busy.. one of those days when I forget that I’m not the same as I used to be and load up too much stuff to do.. Lots of fun and interesting stuff.. just too much of it. Thankfully I was able to catch most of Diane’s yoga class.. That was a good chill out exercise in an otherwise insane day. 
   To top it off I had a ticket to see Dark Star Orchestra tonight..  Dark Star is IMHO the best Grateful Dead tribute band. They go around th e country playing entire Grateful Dead shows, song for song, note for note. It really is like seeing the Dead (but these guys might be better musicians). I never miss them when they come through..   I bought the ticket before considering the res of my day.. sounded like a good idea when I got it… so at around 8:30 I got back in the car and drove back to South  Burlington.. I started to perk up as I walked into the show..   I found thie bumper sticker appropriate outside a Dead cover show

As always.. the band gave a great show… 2 songs in and I was transformed. live music is one of the best soul therapy’s I know.. Live music has away of taking me right into the moment.. I actually broke down during a couple of songs.. I was so happy and/or sad to be listening to good music..

At one point the music was screaming and everyone was dancing.. and I felt for that moemnt  completely free… I tried to capture what it was like.. and strangely.. my camera seems to have gotten it about right..

If any of you are dead-heads.. The set list as I remember it was:

I made a pact with myself that I’d leave the show at 12:30 whether they were done or not.. I kept my word and walked out at 12:30 before they were done.. It was OK.. I’d heard enough and redeemed my day..   I recommend live music for whatever ails you folks.. Gnnte for now.. Gnite Sam..
-me

So.. I had a rude awakening this morning. I learned that my favorite flowering plant is considered to be an ‘invasive species’ here in Vermont. Every year at this time the paths near the river where we run get covered with beautiful. fragrant pink, purple and white flowers called Dame’s Rocket.

The Rivershore path in particular gets transformed into flowering garden tour…

This morning I ran into our neighbors Joyce and John that Dame’s Rocket is one of those uninvited species that’s supposedly driving out the indigenous species around the river..   I wander what species those are ? These have been around Vermont for the nearly 30 years I’ve been here..  I’ve been thinking about this all day.. somehow it seems to be a metaphor for life.. but I can’t quite make out how.. Maybe labeling a plant invasive’ is simply a matter of us resisting change… clinging to the past somehow.. Maybe we’re all ‘invasive species’.. I suspect that neurotic Jewish engineers from Texas like me were introduced to Vermont accidentally and have virtually taken over our corner of Jonesville.. not as nature intended to be sure.. Maybe all of us European’s that have settled the US are ‘invasive’ .. Certainly we’ve choked out the indigenous species that were doing just fine before we arrived..

OK.. maybe I’m thinking too much about this…   I just hope they let us keep our Damn rockets.. I mean Dame’s rockets. ..

The rest of the day was busy around the house.. We got the pool going.. did some cleaning, cut the grass… etc… I also put in several hours o work.. This past  week I didn’t get much work done.. Memorial day. Sam’s birthday then Gabe’s field trip. I’m feeling quite behind. I still have several more hours of work tonight..

We did take a break around 6 to go catch the tail end of ‘teen fest’ .. It was a big 2 day show at the Fairgrounds for all things teen.. they had vendors set up, a fashion show  and a battle of the bands contest. We went to see our friends Skanky Green compete. They’d made it into the finals !..   We ran into them in the parking lot before the show..

While we waited for the bands to play.. we took a short lap around the exhibits.. There was some cool stuff.. not many folks to see it, though.. We saw our friend Ginger from Bead Crazy,

Dylan and his friends doing custom Graffiti !

… and crazy Tom letting kids shoot incandescent light bulbs with paint guns in order to drive home the point for switching to compact fluorescents. Here he is covered with broken glass !

As soon as the music started we went in to listen. there were 5 bands playing for a $1500 grand prize.  There was a guy selling some cool rave toys..

Skanky Green was the 4th of the bands to play.. the did a great set.. playing 2 original numbers. They got the place really moving..  

We thought they were clearly one of the best 2 bands there.. Alas… the judges thought differently.. They chose an acoustic string band from Harwood and a 7 piece jam band from Mount Abe as the two finalists..   I was sad for the Skanky-men.. and I was so proud of them..

We stopped on the way hoem to get a bite to eat at the Quiznos in Taft’s corners.. two cars ahead of us we saw a car with a ‘Sam Forever’ sticker. It might have been Barry’s… but we wern’t sure.. We stuck a SamStone on it just in case.

OK.. I have to go work now.. this week is going to be very, very busy… and I need to get somewhat prepared..  Happy June everyone.. You too Sam..
-me

Started out as a rainy day today..  Gabe had two Lacrosse games.. we watched most of the first in pouring rain. Even so, it was nice sitting out there under our umbrella and watching the kids play.  There weren’t many other spectators because of the weather.. so I was glad we we were there.. There’s wasn’t anyone else to take our picture, but I managed to get this picture of us holding the camera in my toes and using the self timer..

The guys came in second both games… They played very well though. Gabe had a very good day. the season is almost over, it’s been great seeing how much each of the players hand the team itself has improved.

It was our turn to bring the oranges.. Diane and I each cut half.. she cut hers latitudinally while I cut mine  longitudinally. I did a quick survey at the half and determining that folks liked them roughly equally.. Maybe we should write a psychology paper on this.

The rest of the day was very quiet. Diane did some more work in the garden.. I did some odd job repairs on the house and the pool. while I was downloading a hacked version of  Linux on to a linksys network storage adapter. My hope is to make this thing into a wireless music system for the prius.

I took Chai for a late afternoon run.. and that was basically my day.. not much happened.. and I loved it.

What I really wanted to write about today was a wonderful thing that  friend’s of ours daughter did in Sam’s honor. Kirsten A is the daughter of our good friends Carl and Brynn. Kirsten teaches school at Wendell Smith Public School in inner city Chicago. She’s also getting married soon !

She’s made a name for her self for getting her kids interested in school..and science in particular.  We met once in Austin and traded ideas or our favorite science demos. Anyway.. Kirstin took a SamStone into her classroom one day and told her kids the story of Sam.. She gave them the SamStones Website to look at…

The kids then sat down and each wrote us the nicest letters.  (I see Carl in the upper left of this picture !)

They told us about the losses they had seen in their lives. . Many of the kids had lost someone close to them. There were some really sad stories in there. More than that, though, there was real caring and good wishes for us. These kids were wishing us peace and healing in the nicest way..

Here are just a few of the cards they wrote us..

Getting these made feel really good. it’s a sad subject.. yet it’s so nice to know that folks in a completely different part of the country would care enough to do this for us.

Thanks to all you kids’ of Ms. Anderson’s class at Wendell Smith..  It was really so great to get your letters.. It really cheered up my whole family.  I hope I get a chance to get out there one of these days and do some crazy science with you. !

OK.. that’s all for tonight.. more in the morning.. Gnite all. Gnite Sam !
-me

ps. happy Birthday aunt Shaun.. Sorry I’m off by a day.. We love you !