Monthly Archives: August 2012

Monday night – change of season

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I’ve spent the last several days very wound up and not completely sure why.  It’s funny.. most of the past N years I’ve had a tidal wave of things come due just about now.. It’s human nature I think to have projects all complete on a seasonal change.. The funny thing is this year, I’ve been somewhat more careful.. I managed to lower my commitments so I could focus on work.. As such.. i don’t have a huge number of things all clambering for my attention. Instead this year I have 4 things for work.. and I’m really trying to focus just on them.They’re big things.. but manageable and  most of it is actually going OK.  So why the agro ?

On our run this morning Diane made the observation that it just might be the change of seasons..  The change of light, the cold mornings  (though not tonight.. it’s sweltering right now.. still near 80 at 8:30 !) .. the change in scheudle with school coming up. Maybe we even have evolved to dread the end of summer and the coming  f school.. even though that was 30 years ago..  I don’t know why it is..I wish I did have the key to unlock the pattern and give me some ease right now..    bu t i just know that patterns like this are deep and hard to break..

Maybe if I write it here.. it will break the spell..

just maybe..

 

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

 

Sunday evening – Lake Mansfield trail

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Great day after a tough night. It was in the 70’s and humid last night and I just couldn’t slee.. I was having razy dreams about work.. so I got out of bed and spent a few peaceful hours programming. I got my arduino processor speaking thought its new GSM modem.. so I can send SMS msgs from it. It’s kind of a crossover project between hobby interests and work. Gotta love that.

Around 3:30 i was able to go back to sleep and managed to sleep pretty late.. so i woke up moderately rested, but restless.. the best thing to do for that is exercise.. I was in luck, Diane was up for a hike.. so we called Betsy, Fritz and Martha, loaded them and the dogs in the car and headed up to Moscow. Our goal was to do the Lake Mansfield trail up to Taylor lodge.. where we spent our first night backpacking a few weeks back. .

 

I say it was our goal.. but we managed to loose the trail about a mile and a half in.. we found some signs pointing us towards the ‘D.E. Trail (sounds like a work career path)… and the ‘Kingsford trail’.. but never found the taylor lodge..trail.. has anyone been up there and found the way ?


The grls love going in the streams then rolling in the ferns. is there any more joyful thing than a dog rolling ?

speakign of dogs.. we met this girl on the trail. .her name is Abby we had a dog named Abby when I was really young in Texas.

I placed a samstone there.. just as we figured out we didn’t know where we were.

I have happy feet when I’m out in the woods.. so nice to be getting the most out of this beautiful Vermont summer..

Enough of the heat though please.. I’m ready for snow !

Ahh.. one more summer pleasure.. home grown tomatoes…

I do love it here..

ok.. off to the Racht-Cambells for their graduation/birthday/retirement party.. more on that tomorrow

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

Saturday – Andrea Carter

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Today was something like the 22nd annual Andrea Carter memorial alumni soccer tournament at MMU. The  tournament is held every year in honor of Andrea (aka Anna) Carter who died in a traffic accident only a mile from her home back in 1990.  Andrea was an organ donor.. like Sam, her organs saved the lives of several other people.

Since then , Andrea’s dad, Jim has been a tireless promoter of organ donation awareness. He has a great program that lines up with drivers ed that tells folks about the importance of signing their donor intent lines on their drivers license.  Diane, Gabe and I went with Jim once to the drivers ed class at MMU.. then I went one more time at Essex. Jim does a great job with the drivers ed kids ,, for such a touch topic, Jim makes the presentation very upbeat. He talks about Andrea, of course.. then he holds up a soda bottle and makes the analogy of recycling.. The really powerful thing Jim does is to take organ recipients with him to talk about the very positive difference that organ donation can make in the world. Jim rode on  the  ‘Donate Life’ float in the Rose Bowl in 2009  in Andrea’s memory..

These memorial stones are out on the ports fields at the school . I look at them often.. They’re about 10 feet apart.. I really like the message  between the two stones..   Organ donation really is about sharing. .

 


The game itself was nice, too.. it was the current varsity soccer team vs. all alumni.. the alums won 3 to 2.. and everyone had a good time..

ok.. we’re going out now.. more tomorrow.

nite all, nite sam

-me

Friday Night – Teachers !

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Insanely busy day with a very nice start.. I had the very distinct privileged of speaking at the Chittenden East Supervisory Union teachers in-service day. Nearly all the teachers from the Unions 9 schools were there.. i think there were about 300 of them..  The meeting was at Mount Mansfield, the Unions’ only High School… and the one that all three of our boys have attended . John A. the Superintendent told me that one high school serves an area 45 miles long..  whcih i think would take at least an hour and a half to drive..

I was so nervous and excited to be able to speak to these teachers. I’m such a HUGE fan of teachers.. I told them that I still feel like a little kid when I meet a teacher.. which is funny, because many of these teachers could be my kid ! Seriously these folks looked young. They were all so… (I have to say it) so.. cute !

Who ever  knew that teachers wore short pants ?!?!

i was impressed how well behaved they all were.. They didn’t have to be asked twice to finish up their juice and cookies and file in to the auditorium .

Superintend John was master of ceremony along with our friend  Jen B.. She’s now the Assistant Superintendent for the Union.. she was psyched to take on the new job, i could tell .

 

John gave soem of the hilights from last year..

then Pat got up to introduce the 30 or so new teachers from across the district. She’d made certificates for each of them ‘signed’ by Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. She gave folks instructions to scratch out the one that didn’t win. She was a HOOT !

Then it was my tern.. I was so nervous.. i have such a respect for teachers.. and I knew so many of them..   My talk went pretty well.. i remembered most of my points and my demo worked.. .. i felt good..   My ‘s message was on the importance of play and passion in your work. Its a theme that keeps coming up for me now. I really thought abou tit.. and realized that the teachers who most influnced me were the ones that had a playful nature and passion around their subject. Ms Lincoln, Ms Kelly .Mr Sathoof, Dr. Rutenbar.. if you’re out there.. that means you !

after my talk came the main event. Pat was retiring after more than 40 years working there.. They made her a robe and a crown.. very , very funny.. She was so gracious about the teasing. you could tell that she is well loved. .

 


After the session it was 9 AM and time for work.. I did get some time to schmooze with the teachers. I had two funny Colony interactions with two of the new teachers.    This guy used to teach at Centerpoint school. He told me that they’d done a history unit which was based on on the Colony.. it was about post apocalyptic scenarios.

An the woman here with Jen told me that right after she watched one of the Colony episodes in which we built a water filter, she was asked about mfiltering water on a teach certification exam.. How cool is that ??!

The rest of the day was solid meeting till 6.. but the morning time with the teachers put me in a good space..

i think I want to be a teacher when I grow up..

-me