All posts by johncohn

Tuesday night – A little less funny

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I woke today and thought that  the world felt a little less funny. Did you feel it too ?

Robin Williams death by his own hand rocked me like it rocked everyone else. I was really touched to see how many folks who …like me..  talked, tweeted, posted about the special relationship they had  with Williams.. I was standing in the swimming pool last night at 3:30 am , unable to sleep,   when it occurred to me, you’d be hard pressed to come up with a person who was so universally loved, liked and admired in the world today.. He was the embodiement of funny and pleasantly crazy.. he was the cheerleader of that whacked out voice in all our heads that wants us to let go and follow our impulses..

Maybe he’ll be a cheerleader now , too, for the treatment of mental illness.  Recently Cheryl Hannah, a popular VT Law School committed suicide after a long battle with depression.. her death started a dialog in the state on mental illness and depression that was very healthy. Maybe Robin Williams sad act will help folks worldwide dig deeper and recognize that depression and mental illness can not always be seen.. ..

 still shocked and saddened.. but I’ll bet like me.. you found yourself goign through the Robin WIlliams Rolodex in your head today.. and getting a few sad/funny memories from that..

Anyway … (never say ‘anyway’ in a blog post…)

Anyway…

We  did have some fun today. My brother and sister in law Joe and Pat are in town today.   In an accidental homage to robin williams we had a zany meal  component tonight.. Diane made Brussels sprouts with walnuts and maple syrup.. They were so sweet, I got out the Americone Dream Ben and Jerry’s…   It was better than you could possibly imagine !.. Brussels sprout chip  ?

Ialso managed to  sneek out for lunch with them to visit the Magic Hat Brewery.. Never been there.. what a cool place !

I dropped them in Burlington with enough time  before my next meeting to show them floorish ! Love seeign my and maxs name there.

 

ok.. gotta run. More tomorrow

nite all, nite sam

-me

Monday night – nanu nanoooooooo !

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About an hour ago i heard that Robin Williams had died… And that hed taken his own life.. I couldn't beleive what id just heard. Liek everyone else on the planet, id come to love williams for his crazy, manic personality.. He could squeeze any emothion possible out of his face and body. I loved when he did serious.. Or pseudo serious.. Like he ddi in fisher king . Or good will hunting… And i loved his genie..

Im sure im not alone in feeling a special kinship with the guy.. His energy was addicting . He thought so fast it made you dizzy,, he sounded just like the voice in my head.. In fact.. And i know this sounds crazy, but Many folks told me i either looked or talked like him when we both were younger. Especially during mork and mindy. I even named my computers at work Nanu for as long as i had them…

His death. By suicide must seem incongrous to many folks,, how. Can this funny guy so full of life be depressed ?.. But thats the insidious thing abotut the disease,, outside and inside dont necessarily match up . I hope that he did no how much fun and pleasureo he brought the world.. I to beleive that he did.

 

I wish him and his family peace .

Nanu nanu all, nanu nanu sam

-me

 

 

Sunday evening – floating

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Every year near the end of summer I have a small panic.. as the crickets come and the air cools, i ask myself if I managed to work in all the things I wnated to do in the summer ? . Did i get out on the water (chec).. eat a creamee (not yet), hike (plenty),  take a family vacation (sadly no), barbecue (often), go barefoot (always)..

One of the summer bucket list things  I had not done until today was to tube the winooski.. This afternoon, gabe, Diane and I put in at our bridge and rode the lay river up just about a mile and  ahalf to the canoe access.. It was slow goign. Peaceful and cool. We stopped to explore one of the islands in the river. and then stopped again to check out an old railway bridge.

It was very peaceful..   it left me feelign a little more ready for the change of season…

only a little though.. I want a few more months of summer.. I don’t this i’ve ever felt this way before.

right now I’m trying to drag my feet and slow things down.. for now it seems to be working.

nite all, nite sam

-me

Saturday night – the music never stopped

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19 years ago today I was with my family in Rangely Maine at a family Reunion. I think we’d gone into a small local store.. and that’s when I heard that Jerry Garcia had died.  I remember it took the breath out of my a little. I’ve always loved the Dead.. it’s what I still listen too when no one else is around.. I even have a station in my car that only plays their stuff. I’ve never been a complete deadhead and followed them around.. but I have been to more shows than I can remember.  Gabe was only 3 months old.. Sam was3 and Max must have been 7. I remember thinking that  “i’ll never be able to take them to a Grateful Dead show”..  Funny thing is, all three boys learned to play China Cat Sunflower as one of their first guitar songs..

Thank you Jerry for all the music you put out in the world.. we’re all still enjoying it.

 

 

 

Tonight Diane, Ellen and I went back to the waterfront to here some more music.

Tonight It was the Avett Brothers. A band I honestly hadn’t hear of until Ellen mentioned them to us on Thursday. I don’t know what rock I must have been living under.. 4000 fans were there tonight.. all ages.. and they all seemed to know all the songs…    To be honest I had to listen a while to ‘get’ them.. I’d heard a few of their ballads that sounded a little like townes van zandt songs.. Those I really liked. I wasn’t prepared for the amazing wall of sound they brought . The two brothers were amazing musicians.. one on banjo, one on guitar. that was surrounded by stand up base, a fiddle player, drums, (excellent !)  , keyboard player and a very cool Chinese guy that played the cello like it was an electric guitar. They were loud and high energy.. .. sort of like a bluegrass Mumfred and Sons.. or drop kick murpheys maybe. By the end of the show I was in the groove.   They even played ‘Uncle John’s Band’ as an Homage to Jerry ..

Here my favorite song of theirs.. “You and love and I”.. They didn’t play t tonight..

 

I want to also shout out to the lead act, David Mayfield . He was an amzing musician and entertainer. He really worked the crowd well. I’m goign to check out more of his stuff !

It was a really beautiful; day.. I’m grateful for that.

nite all, nite sam

-me