Monthly Archives: November 2011

Saturday night – Ask us who we are

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Very slow day.. guess I need that.. aside from running.. the only step I took outside was to go to freind Bess O’brien’s local showing of her latest movie. “Ask us who we are”. Bess also did the play “the Voices Project” (2005) and the movie “Shout it out” (2007) that Max was in. I really admire Bess for her unique way of using film to drive social change..

“Ask us who we are”. is a movie about foster care in Vermont… and it’s told from a number of perspectives.. first from the perspective of the kids themselves.. but also from the foster parents. the birth parents and the folks in the system.

 

 

 

some of the stories were heartbreaking.. others were funny.. some were both.

This is Jess.. she was at the showing.. and is a really together and amazing person now.. it was really powerful hearing her speak …. I got to talk to her for awhile after the show.. she was really inspiring.. I found out  that she’s also my freind Joyce’s niece..

Several of the kids in the film were actually there at the screening which was so powerful.. it was great speaking with them…

 

The film is showing tomorrow in Essex and next week in St J and Burlington. You can get info on the tour at the Kingdom County Website here:

At tonights screening I learned that te film is now being used in trainings for all the Dept of Family and Childerens Services new hires.. how cool is that ?

 

ok.. that’s it for the day..

nite all.. nite sam

-me

 

ps. oh.. one more cool thing today.. .. remember last night I mentioned the ‘my3bys’ license plate I saw.. ? as I walked into the monitor barn tonight  i found the same car in the parking lot…. still not sure who’s it is..

 

Friday night – wisdom

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The big news today is that Gabe got his wisdom teeth out..
here he is before

 

and here’s all the soft food his nice momma has layed out for him to eat over the next couple of days

here is a picture he sent me from the recovery room

 

here are the teeth themselves (destined for jewlery of some sort, I think)

and here is the patient before painkillers kicked in.. I feel for him.. it hurts a bunch he says..

Gabe was doing well enough by night that I felt ok going to Higher Ground to hear one of my favorite bands , State Radio.. These guys have always been very good to us.. The played ‘Keepsake’ in Sam’s honor as they have every concert they’ve played here in the last 5 years.. Thanks Chad.. we really, really appreciate it !

 

here’s a version of Keepsake that Avery and Jane played at Sam’s memorial..   I love listening to it.

They do so much good in the world, too.. tomorrow they’re doing a food drive.. and then another show tomorrow night.. Please go check them out.. and bring some canned food goods to donate..

 

ok.. gotta sleep now..

 

THese are interestign times for us.. . We’re turnign inward a bit as we prepare to mark the fifth anniversary of Sam’s passing. Lots.of strange energy swirlign around us.. friends and family struggling  , work uncertain.. g.. but we’re feelign at peace.. Saw another shooting star tonight.. and stopped for a train behind a car with license plate ‘my3byz’ ..

 

it all hangs together somehow..

 

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

ps. took this picture of freind bruce the other day.. bruce’s 12 year old son Bentley died in July.. .. this picture captures soemthing…. not sure what..

 

 

Thursday night – v.o.m.i.t.

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Busy day at work.. lots of uncertainty… but a pleasant end to the day.. I played host to about 20 of my co-alums from VoMIT.. (Vermont’s Own MIT club).. it’s the nicest and geekiest group of people I know..

My friends Jeff and Greg graciously played tour guides as they walked us around the plant. We spent most of our time in the Central Utility Plant looking at all the energy and water stuff the fine folks at the plant have done. Their efforts have made the facility about 40% more efficient over the past 5 years.. and that’s a big deal when you have as big an energy bill as we do.. The plant actually uses more electricity than the city of Burlington.. Both Greg and Jeff are now taking their show on the road helping other large enterprises in the state improve their energy efficiency.

It was good fun……

I skipped out on the dinner thoguh.. so I could have dinner wiht Gabe.. He’s getting his wisdom teeth out tomorrow so we took the chance to eat soem good solid food at bridge street..

ok.. that’s it for today…

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

oh.. one thing that I’m starting to do as we enter this tough month of November is to look back over the last 4.. almost 5 years and reflect on the path I’ve been on since Sam’s death.. It’s interesting reading for me.. not sure for ayone else..   I’m putting the links here after an inspiration from my freind Sacha on her blog (Thanks Sacha) ..

 

Blogs from this date

nov 3 2010

nov 3 2009

nov 3 2008

nov 3 2007

 

 

 

Wednesday night – Bentley

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It’s 11L30 and I just got home. I met up with Bruce. Bruce’s 12 year old son Bentley died last July in an accident at the Bolton potholes. I reached out to Bentley’s dad a few weeks back after his name came came into my life 3 times in 3 days.. I figured it was time to connect. We met for dinner and talked about life and death.. kids, wives, friends, work.. and all that changes and doesn’t change after someone you love dies. It was good hearing Bruce’s story an learning more about Bentley.. he was a bright, fun and funny 12 year old.. lots of skills.. very loving. He was Bruce and his wife Julie’s only child.
Bruce told me of all the support they’d gotten from his community..He also told me about some amazing and unworldly coincidences that occurred around Bentley’s passing.. both brought back such strong memories of Sam.
We were both in a quiet mood as we went o hear Lucinda Williams play at the Flynn.. not sure that was the best idea given our spirits.. .. but the show was good. A fair share of Lucinda’s music is about death and loss. .. much of it is upbeat.. Towards the end , Lucinda sang the song ‘Copenhagan’ she wrote it on hearing about the death of her freind and tour manager Frank Callari, She told us about a music video that the creator of Squidbillies made from the song.. weird stuff.. but it moved me..

I said goodbye to Bruce and drove home.. I was feeling pretty low… so I called my buddy George (colony I guy).. an we caught up.. we were talking about organ donation and sam’s death.. As I was driving into our little town I was telling him how hard it was for me to think of those 3 days. around Sam’s passing.. just . 5 years ago this month..

just then there was a huge shooting star over our house.. .made me feel better

nite all, nite sam
-me