As many of you know, I’m heading out to Burning Man at the end of the week to be with my sons Max and Gabe.. Max is part of a big project there called Helios.. he’s in charge of burnign it down on Friday night… He asked Gabe and me to come  out to be part of it…   I can’t wait !

Burnign man is many things.. its wild, overwelming, beutiful crass and dirty.. but its also very spiritual. One of the major features out there is the Temple. It’s dedicated to folks who have died.. and it’s burned on Sunday.. We’ll be taking about 300 SamStones out there to give to folks.. and we’ll put some in the temple..

Sam would have loved Burning Man. .. and we would have loved to have him out there. .. so I’m also takign some  of Sam’s ashes to burn

That meant ,

taking the box down off the book shelf

opening the blue velvet bag,

takign out the cardboard box, ,

opening the plastic carton,

taking out the plastic bag,

undoing the twistie..

and dipping a screw top test tube into my sons ashes

It was amazingly easy to do.. and so hard.   I cried for a bit.. then laughed at how wierd this was…then

I closed the bag,

twisted the twistie

put the bag back in the  plasic carton

putting it back in the cardbord box

put that in the velvet bag

and put the whole thing on the shelf

And went out of the room to begin packing

Life is so, so strange

 

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

we’re back from pittsburgh from a great trip to Matt and carolyns wedding. .It was great seeing old freinds,larry and leah and  our old town  … we had a nice time just hanging out. .. The trip home was uneventful.. i used it .. and the rest of the  last 11 hours (!) getting my email backlog down  to less than a page.

 

note much else to report on today.. oh.. one interesting thing.. there was a nice brunch this Am for the wedding guests that were still around. It was in the Lawrence Welk room. evenidenyly , the william penn hotel was where he originated  some  of his shows.   Tos of you my age or older will remember Lawrence Welk’s shmalzy ‘champaing music.. .. he’sd start each oen with ‘and -a-one-an-atwo;.. it was a mystery to me as a kid why folks would watch him play on tv.. while folsk danced.. but.. i did think the bubbles were cool…

actually the station KDKA in pittsburgh was the first commerical radio station in the world..

and their firtst live broadcast was from this same hotel !

 

and get this.. here’s the machine that made the bubbles. it was build by one of the handymen  in the hotel.. 

 

 

seeing that made the trip even more worthwhile !

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

 

Great day in the ‘Boig.. we’re down here at our freind Matthew’s wedding. We’ve known Mattew and his family  for 28 years…He’s marrying a great lady.. Carolyn.. whom he met in DC>. but happens to live here in Pittsburgh too !

They got married in St. Stephans church where all of Matt’s parents, gandparents, uncles and aunts got married. Nice place.. but no airconditioning.. and it’s in the 90s and humid here..

 

Thanks goodness for these. I’m now a big fan.. (badah bump)

 

here’s mattsparents.. our good freinds kate and steve

 

 

 

the blushing groom

 

the bride and her dad

 

here we go !

=

 

then back on the buss to the party.. at teh Pittsburgh childerens museam.

 

check out the wine they had !

 

and moscow muels.. yum !

 

here’s matt and diane

 

in came the couple of honor.. for first dance

 

then a dance with mom

 

shannon and aaron

 

 

one cool feature tey had there was silkscreening cloth bags.. diane and i made a design for me to take to burnign man . Here’s Bonnie.. a regional burner who helped us.. She was great !!!

 

 

then back in to mingle

 

 

and a firey exit

 

 

then back on the nicely airconditioned bis !

 

glad to be back in the hotel.. really tired now.

 

 

 

One great add for the day was the chance to hang out with our reallllllly good freinds larry and leah.. We met them downtown for thai food for lunch. It was SO good seeign them and catching up.. we talked kids, work. leahs’ growign writing career.. so great being with them !

 

we finished up with a great milkshake (though nota tthe place that had this sign)

 

ok.. cant stay awake anymore..

more tomorrow

nite all. nite sam

-me

 

Diane and I are ‘Dahntahn’ .. downtown in pittsburgh..  amazing that wel ived here more than 25 yearsago when I was in school . We’re down for our good freind  Matthew’s wedding . Matthews and his folks, Kate and Steve were our first freinds when we moved here in 1988..

It’s fun walking around downtown pittsburgh and trying to place ourselves there.. .. The best way to some it up is this song i found.. you may need a translater..

more from the wedding tomorrow !

night all night sam
-me