All posts by johncohn

Thursday night – Kay

Today was an important day.. My wonderful friend and admin Kay retired after 28 years of workign at IBM. We had a big party for her in the cafeteria.. a ton of folks showed up. SA ton of Kays family were there and they were all such great people. . We all shared stories about Kay. She’s fun to tease because she’s just so darn nice. She’s always smiling and laughing.. and let me tell you.. that’s not always possible around work. Our offices are side by side and hte walls are paper thin.. so we’r ealways laughing at each others conversations. She and her husband have been married for 44 years and their conversations still make me blush 🙂

Kay.. I’m sure gonna miss you !

Here are Dixie and Vicki showed up for the party which was nice.. I miss seeing both of them around..

The rest of the day was a struggle for work reasons..As soon as I got home, Gabe and I got dressed for the mountain and took the new split board we made him up to bolton.. The split board is a snowboard we cut in half that can be fit as climbing skis for the way up.. and then clipped back together as a snowboard for the way down. this was Gabe’s maiden voyage on them.

Here they are separated as ski.. the climbing skins are already on…

We jiked up through the woods wiht headlamps to guide us..

we came back out on a trail, and gabe pulled off the skins and coupled the two halves of the board together.

Then he flew down the montian as I attempted to keep up with snowshoes.. That worked for about 3 secs.. he zoomed down the mountain  on the modified board.

It was so great being out with gabe on this beautiful night. the test run was perfect.. This was such a cool project to do together !
We got hoem around 8.. and gabe presented me with a great surprise.. He’d remade the homemade peanut butter cups that he’d made for my birthday.. biut that the  dogs had eaten

what  a wonderful kid !

OK.. I gotta get seem sleep/ more tomorrow !
nite all . nite sam
-me

Wednesday night – past my prime

So.. I’m 51… and I can’t get over the feeling that I’m past my prime.. not as in that I’m over the hill.. but that mt age.. 51.. is not a prime number.. In fact my last prime was 47 .. my next won’t be till 53..    As I’ve said in these pages before. I see great significance in numbers.. I obsessively factor numbers into their prime factors.. that is.. the prime numbers that any given number can be divided   into evenly.. My current age of 51 is a very fine number..BUT  it can be divided by both 3 and 17.. .. both prime numbers..
So I guess I feel like 17 again (and again (and again))   .
  You may not think so, but Primes play a huge role in our lives..   they may not steer your life like they steer mine.. bt they do protect the secrecy of your cell phone calls and email..
   So.. stop right now and determine the prime factors in your life here. Put in your age, your birth date and your telephone number then invent some stupid superstitions that goes around them and let them rule your life.. That’s what works for me !..

Gnite all.. Gnite Sam
-me

Tuesday night – birthday

I had a wonderful birthday today..   It’s the end of an amazing and transformative year.. and perhaps th.. I can hope.. the start of an other. thans to all of you who have made this past 365 days among the most memorable an positive in my ife.. I eard from so many frinds today.. I feel blessed..

As is my tradition,. I took the day off from work.. which meant only 4 hours in phone meetings 🙂

The day began when I found out that the dogs had managed to find and eat the peanut butter cups that Gabe had made for my birthday.. grrrrr.. we were all ad at the dogs.. but found it kind of funny too..

In the middle of the day Diane and I took the dogs for a longish snowshoe up the trails off the side of bolton access rode.. Here is my official birthday portrait (I grew up being called Jake by my folks)

I followed another tradition by doing a naked snow angel in honor of my birthday.. I’ll spare you the sight of me making it… but it’s fun to do.. it really wakes you up !

Diane did catch me trying to get my clothes back on before I froze..


‘

It was beutiful out there today.. here are soem trees that deers have been rubbing ..

We came across this very cool cabin way u in the woods.ery far from the nearest road.

. I think it’s a bolton hiking club cabin.. but I’m not sure.. Ayone recognize it ? It’s really beautiful..   V

When we got home there was a basket of extremely spicey stuff waiting on the door for me form th Tim and Jen…  Nothing spells freindship like fresh Kim Chi !

Several meetings later Diane. Gabe Kristen and I zoomed to essex in time for a 5pm movie.. We saw the Book of Eli with Denzel Washington.. violent.. but pretty good.. as post apocolyptic movies go.. and I should know.   We were the only ones there.. how cool is that..

After the movie weweant to Tiny Thai for some spicey birthday food..   yum ! (thanks to my friend kevin for taking this shot)

Now.. home to read more than 300 birthday wishes from folks. thanks to you all for writing..

Again. what a year.. I fele like I’ve grown so much in the year.. ad done so many things I think are important.  I want to keep growing this year.. with all your help

I do want to say that throughout the day, I’ve felt Sam’s spirit very close.. electrical stuff has been going haywire all day form me.. my computer, my camera.. the car.. everything..

I miss you every day my son..  Here’s a birthday image from about 12 years ago

Good night follks.. and thanks..
nite sam
-me

ps. I just learned from friend Sue that I share my birthday with Snowflake Bentley the guy from Jericho who made thousands of photos of snowflakes. 


Monday night – motors. monitors, mentors,microprocessors media men, minor moth mavens and more

Full and wonderful day.. a perfect wqay to end a half a century,.. My life is very full and entertaining when it isn’t hectic and unpredictable.   I began the day by working with homer n figuring out how to rewire the 60kw generator he borrowed to produce three phase 408 volt AC..to poewr his new robotic router.   We spent about 30 min on the phone staring at these ancient wiring diagrams . trying t figure out how to get the gneerotr rewired..

 

the rest of the day had a mix of normal day job stuff.. and some cool

new stuff. I recorded some interviews with some senior colleagues

giving career advice to younger folks in the company..

This afternoon I had an hour talk with some folks in film and media business about motivating kids for engineering careers. One of them had a great idea about extendign the concept of STEM (science technology engineering and math) .. to STEAM ( science  technology, enginineering ARTS and math).. I know it’s a small differntence.. but I’ve been thinking about ways to bring the right half of the brain into the mix for energizing kids on math science and engineering. The mix of arts and technology is what turned me on so much at burning man.. it’s a GREAT way to get kids of all wiring to consider technical fields.. especially those that matter in the world. I’m going to think of a way of moving on that.. watch this space..

After another set of very interesting and productive day job meetings I rounded out  the day with a half hour conversation with ‘Leela, a 10 year old future etymologist. She and her mom had written our Chairman and asked for help in a think project (putting gps on butterfly’s wings !)..    For the last several years most requests from kids to the company get routed to me.. I think that’s kind of cool.. anyway.. teh conversation with ‘Leela was amazing and enlightening.. she’s one smart kid.. She gae me a homework assignment that I’m still trying to work out even now..

After yoga.. one more project.. benn F. and his friends came over for help with a high school prank. they are working on a battery powered hovercraft to run in the annual hallway race.. we cobbled together some stuff.. hovercraft base, new shovac, inverter and deep cycle battery to see f the idea could work. We got close.. but we need to recharge the battery to be sure it will work.. wathc tis space and we”ll see..

OK.. now time for bed.. I will wake up as a 51 year old.. not bad, I think.. I’m liking  where I am in my life.. so 51 sounds just about right..

nigth folks. night Sam

-me

happy almost birthday to ME !