Monthly Archives: February 2009

Thursday night – recent samstones


Tough day… lots going on at work ..takes much out of me some days…
Not much else new to report so I thought I’d highlight the last two weeks of SamStones’ placements. We’ve hag some great new locations including two in Manchu Pechu in Peru (only one listed below.)

Here’s one of them from our friends Uwe, Anna,  Lara, and Finn

This is from my friend Fulvio in Rome.. He placed the stone in a place that’s very special to him
My friend Carl’s friend Linda placed this stone in a park in Borne

Carl placed this stone in a firework shop in Beijing

A women I met at Burning man placed this stone in Tanzania

a Frind of a friend of Sam’s placed on in   a sacred site in Bhutan

It’s amazing where that boys spirit has flown.. no.. That’s all I have energy for tonight. Goodnight my friends !  Goodnight Sam!
-me

Wednesday night – I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now

Diane and I are home again in VT. after a great couple of days in SF at ISSCC. It was fun getting away from hear.. at the same time I was so excited to see Gabe this afternoon that I hung up on a work colleague to go give him a hug.  

We landed in BTV around 10.. then I worked soled until we headed up to Bolton for night riders. We ran into Kristin and Sydney both wearing Gabe’s clothes.. They looked like Gabe Clone… not Gabe Cohn.

Here’s the real deal, just for comparison..

It was raining like crazy out.. so Diane and I only watched the first couple of runs.. We were getting soaked so we headed inside. I started to bum french fires off of friends.. until Even and Ellis conspired to make me a mustard loaded frie. This is in retaliation to the mustard filled twinkie that I once made for Evan.. They say that revenge is a dish that’s best served cold.. but no one ever said that about french fries.

We sat up in the lounge waiting for the Night Riders competition to come to a soggy close.
As we were sitting there, this Bob Dylan song came on the music system ..

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Bob Dylan:  My Back Pages:

Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin’ high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
“We’ll meet on edges, soon,” said I
Proud ‘neath heated brow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
“Rip down all hate,” I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull, I dreamed
Romantic facts of musketeers
Foundationed deep, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

Girls’ faces formed the forward path
From phony jealousy
To memorizing politics
Of ancient ..history..
Flung down by corpse evangelists
Unthought of, thought, somehow
Find more Lyrics at www.mp3lyrics.org/yq
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

A self-ordained professor’s tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
“Equality,” I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I’d become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My existence led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

Yes, my guard stood hard
when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

Thursday night – I think

I think it’s Thursday night.. but I’m not sure. The days are starting to blur together a bit. We all spend most of our days in our hotel rooms getting ready to start, I don’t know when we’ll start.. but all of us are not wired for hanging around. it’s driving us all nuts… but in a fun way. We all  just got in trouble for drinking wine in the hallway . We need to get out in the wild….
    One other drawback of sitting around waiting in my hotel room is that I have absolutely nothing new to report. Most of my life is being loved vicariously by reading the blogs Diane is writing. It;s so cool to be able to see what is goign on at home. I now understand why folks like to read blogs
    OK.. I’m goign to try an get some sleep. I love you all.. Night everyone..  I miss you Diane. gabe and Max..  Night Sam
-me

Monday night – I'm 50

Happy birthday to me !.. I turned 50 today here in San Fransisco with Diane. the love of my life, beside me…
(and about 2600 other folks at this conference to help me celebrate) .  It’ s amazing to me that a day that I’ve imaged since the time I could count.. the day I’d turn 50 has come.. and almost gone.. More amazing still is I don’t feel an different.   All in all I have to say I’m very content with where I am in life now.. The ups, the downs, adventure, struggles, travel, work. life. play and the loss of Sam are all wrapped together in complicated and beautiful web of memories. Life’s not going to fast or too slow for me now.. it’s just about right..

Here’s the first picture of me at 50 (charming wife included)  as I’m ready to give my talk this morning.

I got downstairs at about 7:30 for the 8:15 start of the conference. I was the last of four plenary speakers..
There were about 2600 folks there this morning . This picture doesn’t’ really capture the size of the room.. it looks pretty big when you’re standing up in front .

The first three talks were good and interesting.. and technical.. Mine was a pretty funny contrast. I was nervous as hell when I got up to talk.. but the moment I started speaking, I relaxed and rolled with it. I had a good time. I could tell that many folks resonated with the message of my talk.. Several came up to me and told me that they were going to start doing outreach…That’s all I could ask for out of the day.. I just saw that there’s a story on eetimes about it

I was so relieved and relaxed as soon as I finished. The four speakers and the conference chairs  were ushered upstairs to a small lunch where we got a chance to unwind. They gave us each a plaque to thank us for speaking.. then fed us very well.. It felt strange and fun to be pampered so much. 

Laura from ISSCC had actually ordered a birthday cake for me (my first of 4 today !) .. They all sang happy birthday !  It was really sweet..

I spent the rest of the day attending talks at the conference.. mixed in with hanging out with Diane. My friends Rob. Larry and Leah had offered to take us out for my birthday.. They suggested Indian.. which sounded good to me.. We walked over to the restaurant.. and SURPRISE!. thee were about 30 friends from all over. I was so shocked I was speechless. It was such a cool mix of people.. Some IBM folks. some CMU folks… and even my leeeeetle seeeester Mary, brother in law John and new baby Theo.. who I’ve never actually seen.  I got to hold him for the very first time ! It was such a wonderful surprise.. I really, really could not believe it.,

John and Mary were in town for a sad reason… theur friend Brian died a few weeks back and they were out for the memorial service > They gave us one fo Brien’s memorial stones.. it was almost like a SamStone !

I remained pretty speechless through the night. I managed to talk to everyone there… it was really. really cool

My firend Bill even wrote a poem  for me..

Then out came ckes 2,3, and 4. I had some of each.. and all were delicious..

We finished up a little before 10 and said lots of long goodbyes…

It was truly an excellent and memorable day. Thanks to everybody who helped make it so..
And thanks to all of you reading for being part of my life..  I’m looking forward to the next 50 !
Good night my friends, nite Sam
-me