I woke up to being 65 years old ! Its as old as I’ve ever been.. and it feels really good. I was happy to be here with Gabe, Diane, Sammantha and Nova..   I put on tmy Henri Matisse socks which look like me and headed out into the day

Diane went over to  make an apple cake… my favorite, whil I spent soem time qworkign on one of my talks for next week. Mid morning DIane, Nova and I took a run .. we ran into a really strange guy with a big stick who started cursing at us.. Portland is a very strange place. 

Gabe was in the Lab.. so we all agreed to meet up at about 1 to take Nova on a dog walk to  he park.  Gabe got home around 2, so we headed out to the park… On the way we were talking to gabe about  our weird run-in  with the stick man..  We got to the park.. it was super muddy.. so we started throguhing a ball for Nova.. Meanwhile there was an old man sitting on a bench nearby reading a newspaper and watching us.. There was something reallllly creepy about  him..He kept looking at us.. but he didnt look quite right.. He was wearing We were    still freaked out by our morning run in with a crazy person.. so we wanted nothign to do with this guy !   a hoody and he had an old mans face.. but it looked.. not quite right.. like he’d been injured or something.. Diane and I tried to move away from him.  and not make eye contact.. one of the things we’ve learned to do with soem of the strange characters that walk Portlands streets. The guy even waved at us.. I sheepishly waved back.. then we headed behind some trees to get away from the creepy guy…

.at that point  Gabe suggested we head up the hill to get away from the mud..and he headed right towards the guy.. DIane and I kind of held backk.. ut followed slowly behind.. As we got closer I noticed that the guy was reading a newspaper we get called funny times.. even weirder is that he was holding it side ways.. I kept trying to make out why his face was so weird… 

Then… I realized it was someone wearing a paper mask… and seconds later I realized he was wearuing a mask with a picture of me.. a crazy picture from teh COlony days. >>> At that poitn I knew what was up..

It was MAX ! !!! <3

He jumped up, took off the mask and the hood.. and there was our wonderful bluehaired son… It was such a great  surprise !!!

heres wht I look like with the mask !

Unbeknownst to either Diane or me,max  , becky, Gabe and Sam had worked out this whole surprise weeks ago.. There was a huge mixup with flights this morning.. that caused Max’s flight from Albuquerque to be canceled. Theyd rebooked him on a much  earlier flight .. 6am .. and max was still an hour away in Sant fe.. Any way.. long story short.. Max, Gabe. Beckky and Sam worked through the morning to find a way to get max here before midnight .  THey found a connection that would get max here by about 7:30.. Sam called the resturuant to see if our reservatiosn for dinner could be changed   Meanwhile , . though a crazy set of circumstances, becky found max a flight on an other airline that would connect in Denver anmd get him to Portland about 7PM.. max got to denver and realized that his original connection to portland was just boarding.. he was able to jump on tjhat and got to Portland around 1 as planned !

max sent this well knwon simpsons  gif to Gabe as the experience was unfolding 

It was a wondwerful surprise.. we were all together again (or as all toghter as we can be).. 
We headed back to the house, na dgot ready for an early dThai dinner.. At Phuket Cafe.. it was really really good. 

We chose the early time because we’d planned to htit the portland light festival after dinner.   So aftr dinner we blinged up and headed downtown. We were all waering new light rope descis I’d made for everybody.. They use these new peral lights I buy from china.. and all the electronics are crammed in a dental floss container 

The light festival was fantastic !.. lots of talented artists working with light 

When we were done lighting.. we headed back to Casa Gabriel for some apple cake , candles and ice cream !.. 

What a great birthday.. it was really magical.. Im so happy to be here with my fam…

Happy burthday to me !

nite all, nite sam (missed you tonight .. but saw the lights blink 🙂 

-me

Today around noon I got on a plane headign to portland. tomorrow is my 65th birthday.. and I have 2 talks to give in Vancouver, so we found a way to meet  up in Portland for my birthday. 

It was beutiful when I was leaving Vermont 

The flight out was uneventful.. I worked solidly through the 6 or so hours.. so the time passed quickly. I enjoy having the queit time to work. 

Gabe picked me up at the airport and we headed home . It was great to see him, sam and nova.. and Diane !..  We played with Nova, took a look at the jacobs ladder kit gabe had built  

Then we  headed out to Cartopia for some egyptian food.   

For there, we went back to the house and Gabe drove us and my bag over to the really great Airbnb we are renting from Gail and Milly. It’s such a sweet place.
Nice to be here !

nite all, nite sam 
-me

It was beautiful when  I woke up.. so I went out for a quick hike up Bamforth trail. It was cold and bright. I missed hiking with diane. 

Had a long day at work on the lighting project I’m doing at work.

I went over to NH and took a picture of Clemntines empy terrarium.. it felt really weird !

About 8PM my freind Scooby cme in with his DDad !>. Scooby (aka Chris) and his dad (also Chris) have been good freinds of ours sinece the kids were really little. Scoob’s brothers Jake and Casey were some of Sam’s best freinds. Thos kids were always at our house.. or at Jake and Caseys.  Our two families got really close..

Now Scooby is working near me in the composits lab.. Its so great seeing him around. I have nt seen Chris senior ain a good long time.. We spent about an hour catchin up. 

It was so great to reconnect. !

Nite all, nite sam
-me

Today was my coworker and good freind Shannons 24th birthday birthday . Our freind Sophia had made a cake.. an I decorated it further with some LED lights I mad3e for SHannon as a birthday present. 

Sophia<>Aaron and Kristen did all the organization.. We set up in a conference room.. then we tricked shannoninto coming over.. SHe was surprised and happy

At lunch I met Denise  and Chris at The Spot to about  more about their new AI initiative. They are working on ways to make Vermonters.. more AI literate.. with a strong focus on kids.   I think it’ss goign to be a great help to bringing AI literacy to Vermont.

THere was a very sad part of this day as well. Rebar’s albino corn snake Clementine died today. Know one knows what happened. Yesterday she was alive and beautiful.. .. and today she was gone.

We’re all sad because she was a kind of friend to all of us in the creative team. Rebars saddest of all. He’s had Clementine for about 20 years.. .. He’s collecting pictures of clementine if you have any 

heres one from just yesterday 

 

 

RIP my scaly friend..  

Nite all, nite sam

-me