Just yesterday my friend Steven reminded me that it was 35 years ago yesterday that the blizzard of 1978 hit Boston. I was a long haired young student at MIT. I grown up in Houston Texas and only seen snow maybe a half-dozen times Since I was little. I had returned to Boston from Christmas break in Houston only to find the The city already covered in snow.

I found this picture of MIT during the storm. This is right behind my dorm.

I remember getting off the bus and climbing over as snow pile only to find out that it was a car covered completely over. I remember we had almost a week off of classes. It was on it first, until we ran out of food. I remember skiing down Massachusetts Avenue to try to find bread. I remember tanks driving down the street with snowplows on. I remember pictures of cars abandoned on route 128 Almost a week later. I remember skiing down to a bar and listening to bluegrass music in the middle of the night. The whole city was magically stop. No one knew what to do. It was beautiful. I remember the power went out for a while, and the only thing I could see was the lit up Citgo sign over Kenmore Square. I remember for surviving for almost a week on a weird mix of peanut butter powdered milk maple syrup and bananas that I gotten out of a book called diet for a small planet. I don’t believe I’ve eaten any of those things and any great quantity since 1978.
Come to think of it, it was that storm that convinced me that I wanted to live in the north. After almost 20 years in broiling summers, I realized I’d prefer to be cold. I remain so to this day.
Now… We’re expecting another super storm. They’re expecting as much as 2 feet of snow again in Boston. I’m hoping my folks will be okay and have no trouble digging out. I called and they seemed fine.
I guess every 35 years you need to go through a little chaos. It builds character.
Night all, night Sam
– Me

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

We had an important event. This week. My wonderful wife Diane has joined the Facebook family. She is now officially ” one of us “.

It’s a funny thing, Facebook used to be the center of my universe… But nowm I find myself not spending so much time on it. there is so much spam and superfluous information there, that I find myself staying away from it. Do you all see that as well?
That said, it’s hard to imagine a world before Facebook. Unlike email, it’s a great way for people to find other people on the Internet. I have reconnected with so many old friends… From college, high school and even before. It’s also really got my ‘engineering is fun’ message out to so many people… Even now, I like it more than I hate it.… Even with a bunch of Farmville invites every day, Cyberstalkers, advertisements, privacy invasions, Dancing Babies, cute cat pictures, romance polls, Get-rich-quick schemes, scams, etc., etc., etc.…

It is interesting to think how social networking has really changed the way we communicate. I actually do think it’s a good force for change in the world.
The fact that I can speaking (Literally) into my iPad, and have it go out to roughly 5000 people via twitter and Facebook is a really interesting Though. When in the course of human history has this been possible? Clearly never.

Anyway… I’d like to welcome Diane to the world of social networking. I hope you find it as much fun and less of frustration than I do.

Night all, night Sam
– Me

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Duxbury Rd,Richmond,United States

Several folks have pointed out to me that my birthday comes later this week. I know it sounds funny, but i wasn’t expecting a birthday anytime soon. This one sort of crept up on me.. Is not a particularly significant one.. I even had to think for a bit to remember how old i was going to be (54).i got asked if i wanted anything special for my birthday (i dont).. And what kind of cake id like..(thats easy.. Diane’s apple cake) Don’t get me wrong.. I feel the passage of time.. And i like marking birthdays. I feel that I’m about exactly the age i should be. I have everything i need so no need for presents.. So, whats a good way to mark this birthday ? In past years I’ve jumped in icy lakes, made naked snow angels, went for long runs on a beach… None of that sounds good this year… Any ideas ?

Nite all, nite sam
-me

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Went to work today after 3 days of being under the weather. I think it was my bodies way of telling me to slow down. I had a really full day at work.. Im working on some interesting and complicated stuff right now… .. Or at least its complicated for me.. I love tough problems… The challenge for me My as always, is knowing where to focus first and where to focus most.
I took a break at lunch time to have lunch with my friend and mentor Chris. I always love talking to him.. We have similar world view, similar interests.. Even similar reading tastes… The difference is, he’s supremely organized and i know that I’m not.. He often teases me.. Constructively about that… He told me about a favorite story he remembers from his youth. It was from the Canadian humorist Stephen Leacock . Leacock wrote a story called “Gertrude the Governess”. In that the protagonist lord Ronald is known for his boundless, but unfocussed energy. In one line that chris said was often cited in his family :

“Lord Ronald said nothing; he flung himself from the room, flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions.

Tats was i was thinking as i ran off from our lunch.. Lates as always…
Sigh…..

Nite all, nite sam
-me

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Cochran Rd,Richmond,United States