I woke this morning just in time to jump into a string of phone meetings. It was one of those days that I got stuck at home because there wasn’t enough time between meetings to drive into work. By the time I had a break I could use to drive in, Diane was coming in from her Yoga class. Jen and Avery had been in the class and came in for tea. Diane wanted to talk to me about my blog last night.  She often has cool insights about things I say in the blog that help me work things out better. This morning she gave me her thoughts on the whole ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ theme from my post last night. In her view.. everything happens for a reason.. she suggested  that the reason that I had missed  the Ben Zander and Eli Wissel talks wasn’t a case of not being in the right place at the right time.. it was that I didn’t’ need to be in those places, She suggested that in some smaller way I had already learned the lessons those guys were there to teach and was already living them in some small sort of way,  I like that thought. It sort of removes regret at having missed something.. and I don’t have much energy for regret right now. I also like the idea that I’m getting wiser through the lessons around Sam’s death. .Maybe it’s self serving to think so.. but then  I request permission to be self serving    

    After this conversation with Diane I had to zoom out to get to work . As I did I saw something pretty amazing. Gabe had grown three inches in his sleep last night.. Check this out.. he’s absolutely towering over Diane.. I took this picture.. then he said to me in his best Darth Vader voice ‘you’re next !’ ..

   The rest of the day was good and productive. I met my good friend Jim for lunch. Jim was up from Poughkeepsie for a meeting. He’s been really attentive to us since Sam died.. he even bought me lunch. today. what a guy.   I had a string of phone meetings in the afternoon. It was nice out, so I took one of them out in the field next to our building.. I went out and sat on my  favorite ‘meeting rock’ I sometimes  use for phone calls..   I always feel better when I spend more time outside.. I feel Sam so much stronger out there.

     I got home around 6 to find Max working hard on his Pratt course work.. I spent some time talking to him.. then I sat down to write.. few minutes later  I was talking to my mother on the phone when I heard a huge crash… I ran upstairs to find RJ. Abbot and Silas in front of the (wicked cool) video game console  staring at a pile of glass and a tennis ball. on the floor…   One of the top panes of the second story window was smashed to bits. Two seconds later Max charges into the house and I quickly learned that  . Max , who was outside, was attempting to get the attention of the three guys upstairs so that he could moon them. Evidently they didn’t respond to the first few gentle thumps on the wall.. so  Max tried the window.  Ugh..

That 2^nd story window  is about 25 feet in the air.. and it’s in an ancient wooden casing that probably hasn’t moved since Truman was president.  I really, really  tried to get angry. I started yelling and eventually screamed as loud as I could.. but I just couldn’t get properly angry.. I ended up  laughing.. Max cleaned up the glass and covered the hole while I went and apologized to our guests who were still cowering in the corner..

It was pretty funny.. At least this window will be easier to replace than the one in   that Sam broke last spring  with a lacrosse ball  . That one was over the front door and required a 30 foot ladder to rach,,   Ahh life.. it’s never dull is it Sam ?

-jc

Ps. Ivy sent me a note yesterday about a SamStone that she left on  top of the Empire State Building. Thanks Ives..   Everyone.. please  remember to let me know where you place those SamStones.. We like to keep track..