All posts by johncohn

Tuesday night – the owl

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I saw an owl this afternoon.. it was perched on a tree outside of our house.. I started at it for a while before i recognized what I was looking at..   She… (I’m sure it was a she, somehow).. was more than two feet tall and was perched motionless staring out over the river. Then she slowly swiveled her head to look at me.. stared at me for a moment then spread her wings and glided off.   I was stunned for a moment.. i’ve never seen such a majestic bird so close up….

I’ve been thinking about the look she gave me all evening.. it was peaceful and knowing.. not ominous.. but I can’t help remembering that seeing an owl.. especially during the day.. is considered a bad omen in many cultures.. In some cultures it warns of death,, while in others it comes as a messenger.. a harbinger of change.. In others it’s a a totem animal… a sign of wisdom.. a bringer of magic.

What do I.. on the eve of my birthday .. comfortably middle aged.. and happy.. (if in a lopsided kind of way )  choose to make of such a sighting ?    Do I choose to take it as a warning of some kind  and brace for something ? Do I take it as a sign of coming of age and wisdom.. or do I take it merely as a very hungry bird out looking for an unlucky snack ?

You know.. the wonderful think about being where I am now in life is .. I don’t have to choose.. in fact I don’t get to choose.. .. I’m at that point of surrender where I know i don’t get to choose my fate any more than anyone does.. and .. that’s kind of nice..

On the eve of my birthday I reach out to all the other me’s in the 52 years past.. and who-know’s-how-many future and say.. happy birthday me.. .. I hope you’re enjoying your day… ..

-nite aall, nite sam

-me

Monday night – the tunnel

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Sometimes we all work too hard.. the last several weeks it seems that everyone I know is putting in longer hours than they like, .. doing more work and feeling more behind. Maybe it’s my own perspective from work.. or maybe it’s something esle.. .. Dunno

Tonight we decided to take a partial break from it all. Gabe and I went out to dinner.. then to the hardware store for a school project he’s working on… (being in a hardware store doesn’t count as work to me, though) .. We got back around 9.. both of us had a ton of homework… but instead of doing it.. we all went outside and dug a snow fort.. or actually.. a 17 foot snow tunnel. through the huge mound of snow left by the guy who plows our driveway.. It took us an hour of time which could have been used to to write gabe’s paper on Einstein.. or my work project.. or Matt’s chemistry homework.. or Ian’s algebra.. but.. instead it went into digging snow.. lots of snow..  and it was well worth it.. How can you weigh on-time homework to that magical feeling when you reach through he last hole that separates the two ends of the tunnel and shake hands with the other end..

sometime you just have to goof off…    We’ll pay for it tomorrow.. but now it feels good

ite all, nite sam

-me

Sunday night – the Greenbay Hacker

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Hello from one of the very few homes in the US who did not watch the super bowl. We still don’t have a tv hooked up to the outside.. Even if we did.. non of us are TV sports watchers.

I just saw that the Packers won..  I suppose that our of solidarity I should have been rooting for the Steelers. given our years in Pittsburgh and our many friends there (Larry,  Leah.. what can I say ? )

My only connection to the  Packers is a great campfire skit that my dad once did at cub scout camp in the ealry 70’s.. He called it the “Greenbay Hacker” .  He had me hide in the woods with my football helmet and an axe while he told the young kids a scary story .. At the perfect  moment, I ran screaming out of the woods into the firelight, swung my axe and yelled.. “Hack, Hack… I’ll be Back”   I can still hear those kids laughing…

no wonder I don’t like sports…

Nite all, nite sam

-me

Saturday night – Penguin Plunge

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I love these days when something happens..  no need to be philosophical during blogging.. just report the facts. Today’s happening was the Special Olympics Penguin Plunge.. It’s when hundreds of lunatics (like me) .. Shuck most of their winter clothes and jump into Lake Champlain in mid winter. Today wasn’t too bad.. It was abotu 7 degrees F when I left the house around 9.. I suspect it was warmer by the time I hit the water..

First stop was Mexicali.. this is the 3rd time I’ve plunged with them.. They’ve invited me to go in with them both in jumping into the lake and in fund raising (Thanks to all of you who pledged !) .  They all got there around 8 AM.. By the time  got there by 9 they were already deeep into jello shots and jagermeister (ewwwww)  Nothing like a little jager in the morning to warm you up  ..

It was great hanging out with my Mexicali freinds.. I haven’t been in there this year.. mostly becasue my calendar doesn’t usually give me time for lunch.. much less time to go out for lunch..

Here’s Nick the mad Latvian looking tequillesque

Erin getting her hair braided

Relics from plunges past


AT 10 the van came to pick everyone up  I followed behind …

There were lots of folks down at the waterfront..   some jumping.. some not

We were team number 7.. which was great .. we were in and out in about 30 min..

The mood in the staging tent was great.. people yelling and singing.. the heat blasting… folks clapping.. lots of adrenalin

IThen, it was our turn  it’s a short jog to the water.. then ‘splash’.. you’re in. All that build up.. and it wasn’t even that cold .. Well.. let me rephrase that.. it wasn’t painfully cold .. but cold enough to bring you right back into your body. there’s no doubt where you are when that water gets around your lungs.. It’s very real and grounding.. I just love it !.. Then.. it was time to get out.. I was one of the sign bearers.. we spun around and ran back tot he dressing tents.. What a hoot !

I don’t have the pics form our run to the lake.. I’m hoping soemone from the team got those . I’l post them here when I get them.
I dressed quickly.. then drove home to meet Diane.. We headed over to Sharron’s house for Finn’s first birthday.. Here’s the little guy with big sister Lilly

Here’s Finn’s whole family.. Lilly, Marci and Matt. such nice folks..

The rest of the day was uneventful.. around 8 we headed into essex in a snowstorm to watch Paulo, Will, Sumner, Mallorny and freinds play indoor soccer..   It was actually really fun to watch..
Afterwords the kids all had an epic snowball fight.. followed by an equally epic car stuck in a snowbank resue.

All in all a very good day..

Time for sleep..

nite all, nite sam

-me