Happy first day of spring (and happy birthday to J.S. Bach and my good friend Rafe).. It was a coolish rainy snowy day.. I woke early to get gabe and dylan up to Stowe..None of us are morning people.. so it was a pretty funny scene.. not much talking.. just grunts from all three of us..

I think they had 5 snowboards between them.. Pipes, slope.. and a spare ? These kids and their gear !
Driving them there and back meant about 120 miles in the car today.. but I didn’t mind.. it was peaceful

I picked them up around 2L30.. and we took the free lunch root home, stopping at cabot cheese for free samples, then lake Champlain chocolates for dessert.

Gabe and I decided to work on getting the trampoine ready to wuse. The main barrier were two badly bent poles in the sfty net.. We decided to try and fiz them.. We lit our home made forge… (it’s SO fun to use !)

THen heated the steel pipes to red heat..

Then beat them back straight. Then quenched them in water to rebuild their strength..

They came out pretty well given the homemade nature of our setup.. Gabe’s really good at thi stuff. it’s funn working with him.

Since the forge was hot. I devded to help Gabe  learn about annealing and quenching.. We took a shot trampoline pring and annealled it soft then pulled it out to about 10 feet in legth.. A great way to celibrate the first day of ‘spring’  🙂

Diane called a little bit ago and is dong great donw there.. it sounds like she’s adaptign to the heat.. She’s got soem great ousemates.. and a nice locaion. Her program starts tonight. I think she’s really going to like it !

ok.. that’s it for tonight.. more tomorrow.

nite folks. nite Sam
-me

Very peaceful day today, Gabe was at Stratton.. so I’ve been here by myself since last  night. I love the silence.. but miss Diane. It’s good time for me to  think.. or just not think.. and ‘be’ with Sam. The dogs know that I’m a little lonely so they are hanging close to me.. it’s cute.

Not ,uch really happened today. I worked on work stuff until about 10AM when Nick S came over to do an interview. for a fil,m he’s making trying to convince a company to bring fiber optics to VT. Homes. . Nick interviewed the Governor, Some guy from VT Agency of Technology and me.. he tied it all together with pictures of him running hiking riding and swimming with a fiber  cable dragging behind him.. he just sent me a rough cut of it.. it’s really cute !. 

 After Nick left, I worked for a short bit.. then ran into town for some errands. I got home around 2:30… right after that, my friend Bob from Rhode Island  showed up unexpectedly.. Bob kept me company while I finished a project I was working on.  Bob called our mutal freind Herb.. (from haunted forest).. and we went out for a quick dinner in Williston

 
Gabe got home a little before I did… . then Dylan came over to spend the night .. I’m taking them to stowe tomorrow morning.. and picking them up.. Gabe really banged up his thumb today.. Its not broken, but swollen. We have an ice pack around it.    I

Here’s Dianes story for the day.. note that she ‘only’ did two yoga classes today 🙂
Hope she gets used to the heat !

Hi Everyone…

I decided to take it easier today because the heat is intense and I still have my Vermont legs.  So I did not run and only took 2 yoga classes.  Plus I cooled off in the pool and read a bit in the sun.  I did take a dip in the ocean to say I did.  The water is warm like bath water…just like what we had experienced in Manual Antonio…remember that Gabe & Max.  Well Gabe you were around 2 years old still in a backpack. 

I am getting to know the different people in this setting.  Sister Cecilia & I are in the main house with the common area and the kitchen.  Gary (surf guy from Nantucket) and Sho (last from NYC) are upstairs.  Harmony (been here a year from Virginia) and Elenor (here for the past 3 years and owns a nanny company here) and just met Meagi who is in the space by the pool.  There are more coming.  I love to hear every ones stories and this is a perfect place to step off and live differently.

Well..looks like tonight we may walk to a Thai restaurant.  That will be my first eating out.  My stomach is still not quite there yet with the weather. 

I’m thinking of you Gabe at the US Open.  I miss not being there with you.  Max…hope your life is dryer. 

love to alll….diane

That’s it for tonight..  
G’nite all, G’nite Sam
-me

Day 2 of the Cohncolony.. Diane called and is doing well in Costa Rica.. thought it’s pretty darn hot..

Gabe and I are doing great.. with both actually woke up in time for school AGAIN !.. Gabe had packed hi own lunch.. mostly candy I think.. but that is what he says he usually take (yeah, right 🙂

I had another long and productive work day at home. I did break to take a longish run with the dogs up in Honey Hollow.. Still some snow up there.. but it was warm enough to run in shorts leeves .

Gabe got home around 3.. but I had work until nearly 6 At that point Gabe suggested that we take a run.. he’s trying to build his endurance for lacrosse…  I’m always up for a run.. even if it’s the second for the day.

The rivershore trail was almost completely mud.. very few patches of snow.. it was close to 60 degrees.. freekishly warm for this time of year.. but nice just the same.

There were signs of early spring everywhere .. including a bunch of new beaver chewed tree stumps.

Gabe decided to sprint.. which left me with this view soem of the time.. oh to be young..  It was serious fun running with this boy.

On the way back, we stopped by the river.. and Gabe had the nutty idea to jump in.. so we did.. where’d he get ideas like that ?!?!?  It was still about 40 degrees in the water.. so we didn’t stay in that long.

We were clean.. but the girls were filthy.. Gabe washed them while I made dinner. Look at the sand and dirt that they tracked back !

Around 8 I took Gabe to Dylans to spend the night.. they’re goign to stratton tomorrow.. Then I dropped by work and picked up my liquid nitrogen dewer.. and dropped it with my friend wendy in Middlesex..  on ,y way to hear music in Montpelier. I went to see David Symon’s band the Salt Wives.. a klezmer band at Langdon street cafe..> As soon as I got there the owner came up and handed me this.. I’m performing there a week from Monday during ‘Geek Week’..   It was nice to check out the stage !

I didn’t want to use a flash.. but here’s The Slat WIves.. David  is the acordian player on the right. he told me that he left some SamStoens in Poland and Holland for us..

The second band was Avi Fox-Rosen’s Absurdist Rock Cabaret.. It was amazing. funny and disturbing.. just perfect for a Saturday night alone in a bar ! (don’t ask about the props)

Well.. that’s all for now..

Oh.. Diane sent another report from Costa Rica.. Here it is.. I hope she gets used to the heat..
It was great hearing from her today.. We miss her !

Hi!
 
Last night was warm and still until about 11:00.  While I sat in the living space I had to shooo 2 racoons away at different times.  Apparently one night a few weeks ago a guy named Will was sleeping right off the kitchen. He came out in the middle of the night to find 8 raccoons having a party in the kitchen.  They had a feast.  Since then some things were closed up.  However last night the last person in did not close the door tightly and some raccons ate a few things at about 3 AM.  We both heard noise but thought it was noisy house mates.  Guess not.
 
I woke up this morning to a cool-ish wind and went for a short run on the beach.  I dog jogged along with me and continued to follow me for the rest of the morning.  He even slept on the tile space outside the yoga space.  I tried  not to make anymore eye contact with him and I think he found someone else to follow.  There are stray dogs all over here. 
 
The beach had huge waves.  I saw a few surfers doing their thing.  It was amazing to watch.
 
Afternoon looks quiet.  I will go eat and maybe read.  Then a 3:00 yoga class and maybe I will head to the beach again.  The sun is intense here and it gets dark quickly and earlier than us due to the equator distance.
 
All is well here.  Oh the dog’s name in our place is Ereka!  love…diane 

OK.. that’s it.. nite everybody.. nite sam !
-me

Looooong hard day at work.I’m working at home most days while Diane is traveling so I’m home when Gabe gets here.. Today I stood at the counter and worked from the moment I got back from taking Gabe to school until 6PM. I think I walked to the fridge twice.. aside from that.. I stood there all day.. My brain was fried.

As soon as I was off work, Gabe and I took off for grocery shopping. it wouldn’t be a proper man cave with real snacks in the hose.. We were planning on shopping recklessly/. but we didn’t dare go into the store hungry.. so we stopped for a very delicious dinner at Mexicalis .. 

I couldn’t help making Diane a valentine in my left over black beans. 

Oce full, we headed over to the Grocery store. Gabe is an expert impulse shopper.. he made all the key choices. 

We got only essentials  !

We even got junk food for the dogs !

We also decided to try some new stuff including ‘FuFu’ whihc is used to make peanut butter soup..