Monthly Archives: November 2014

Saturday night – restored

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I finally feel restored. I’ve been more or less off work for 10 days now.. and I’m just beginning to feel human again.. When I say more of less.. most of those days I spent less than 3 hours working.. for some reason , the forced urgency of work insisted that I take this or that call…. are do this or that piece of work… Luckily, most of that even dropped away since thanksgiving.. and it’s been down to less than an hour a day to keep up with email since. … it’s amazing when you step away from it.. even partially, how silly it is to be that busy for no  apparent reason or benefit. it’s no one else s  fault.. if anyone.. we have ourselves to blame…. by accepting the artificial urgency we become part of the problem.. kicking off emails to coworkers asking for their input when they should be kicking back playing with their kids or dogs or wives or workshops or whatever.. Most folks I work with are in this same endless treadmill..

I’m grateful for the time away.. and the perspective to be able to stop and think..   I have to admit.. I haven’t done that in a while..

i kinda like it !

nite all. note sam

-me

 

Friday night – tryptophan

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There’s a rumor that Turkey has an abundance of the amino acid tryptophan that is supposed to make you tired after eating it.

I would say that’s my excuse… But I didn’t eat any turkey. I’m just tired.

We did have a nice sleepy day. We drove back from Montreal midday and went and visited our old friends Dave and Hannah at talent skatepark . Talent is having a great sale today so if you missed it today check it out tomorrow.

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Those guys have been such good friends … They still have the board that everyone signed for Sam right in front of the door as you come in

 

Made me really happy to see them

Ok.. Gotta sleep off my fake trytophan..

 

Nite all, nite sam

-me

 

Thursday night – thanksgiving in Montreal

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Happy thanksgiving from Montreal .. less than 2 hours from home. .. but a very different world. We’re up here staying with out good friends the Townsends. Max, Gabe and I drove up midday.. Diane came up last night with Deb to help with cooking.. and there was a whole lot of cooking. I thin there are about 18 folks here… and no one is going away hungry !

Our thanksgiving was traditional in many ways.. the males gathred around the tv.. but here video games (call of duty) took the place of football..

 

and the two best cooks I know held out in the kitchen.. after days of planning, it was a true feast !

my favorite part of the meal was the middle eastern first course.. hummus taramsalat, tabouli, wierd slaty rope cheese, olives , pickled horseradish, stuffed peppers.. YUM !!!!

 

 

 

 

 

matt did the carving..

 

 

 

while folks rested and built up their appetite for round 2

 

 

Then it was time for the main deal.. We held hands and went round the table and reflected on what we were grateful for.. many good feedings..    i’m grateful for family and friends present and absent ..

 

 

after round two.. came deserts.. amazing again !!!

then we all took over for clean up.. many hands made for light work..

 

lots of great leftovers for tomorrow.. not sure we can cross the border with anything.. we’ll see !

speaking of light work.. we all weighed in before and after. I think matt got the record with 4.5 pounds.. I only managed 1/2 pound !

 

then we all retired to the living room to talk and play games.. .. very fun

 

 

I am lying here thinking about and how grateful i am for  all the good I have in my life . Hope you are enjoying your day as much

nite all nite sam.. you were with us tonight..

-me

 

Wednesday night – busman’s holiday

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I remember a term from our time in the UK that was called ‘Bisman’s Holiday’.. It meant when someone used their vacation to do what they normally did for work. For example.. a guy hw drives busses for a living woudl take a bus vaction when he was off work..

 

I think I’m doign that now. I just looked up and realized it was 1:30 and I’d been programming for 6 hours.. not work.. or .. not exactly work. It uses software from work (Bluemix, MQTT)  I’m adding some features to the Floorish light sculpture.. but I’m not sure that sitting and programming all night was what I meant to do. .. but even so.. I made good progress.. and it was fun..

The only other thing I did of note today was to show my good buddy scott how to use the laser cutter at Generator. Scott has helped me build high voltage demo equipment for more than 20 years. He’s now rebuilding my singing tesla coil that I kept blowing up. Hopefully his monster skills will make it more robust than I was able to do.  Here are the end caps for the secondary and support standoffs for the driver transformers. I love this laser  !!

ok.. time to sleep Big day tomorrow..

I’m truly grateful for all i have in my life. .. and that includes many of you out there.

 

nite all, nite sam

-me