Home again home again.. I just got home after a 32 hour trip to Fishkill New York. It’s so nice to be back home. It was a lonnnnng day .. These full day meetings can really tire you  out..

I can only still and think about one thing for so long. As my mind began to wonder and I started to fidget,

I started thinking about how differently I tend to view people since Sam died. I was looking around the room thinking about all the people in the room.. wondering about how they were doing, how happy they were. what they were trying to get out of the meeting, what they might rather have been doing on this sunny day. I’ve always been interested in people. and been a people watcher. . it’s just that now it feels like I can ‘feel’ how people are feeling . Sometimes I get more interested n that than in the subject of the meeting..  This meeting was full of folks I really love.. so t was fun tuning into their vibe.

   The ride down and back was one of the best part of the trip. I hitched  a ride with my buddy Sue from work. It was a good chance for us to scheme about work.. compare notes on technical stuff, business directions, work politics,  and people stuff.. Sue also is tied into MMU music and lacrosse.. so we know lots of the same people in the community. Again  we did lots of talking about all our kids on the trip back up. I like talking about my kids..On the way down, we stopped in to day hi to Homer.. it’s my mission to make siure everyonme gets to meet Homer

   Speaking of kids, were several of them in the house when I got home  around 10:30 . Max’s friends Sean and Jeremy were there as was Scott. It was nice to come home to a busy house. Gabe had gotten a new haircut while I was gone.. looks good..   

   My bed is looking good to me.. I only got 4 hours of sleep last night.. I started working after I finished blogging last night’s.. and next thing I knew it was after 2. Tonight I’ve got to get a good night sleep. I have a science show in Burlington tomorrow morning.. Should be fun !.. Right now I must get my mad scientist’s beauty sleep.. Gnite All , Gnite Sam..

 

-me

 

ps This is a picture Sam drew of himself in 4^th grade.. check out his crown chakra !

 

 

Ultimate Frisbee Party

What:   Come celebrate Sam Cohn’s birthday with friends and family

When:   Monday May 28, 2007

Noon – Clinic to learn rules and              form teams

1:00-3:00 – games

3:00 –  cake and music at                                bandstand

Where:  Richmond Volunteers Green

Ahhhh… I’m lying down in Sam’s room after a really good day. Today was a million  times better than yesterday… or I should say I was million times better.. I guess the days are all the same. Yesterday was really tough for me..  Today I felt good, light and relatively carefree. This is another strange aspect of our new life. I never know what any day will bring until after its passed I never know how much energy or resiliency I’ll have… I’ve never had these kind of swings. I do see the positive in what I’m saying here.. having these swings means that I’m having some significantly good days.. and that’s real progress.

The approach of the six month anniversary of Sam’s passing had loomed pretty large in my head for a few weeks. The passing of the half year mark seemed somehow significant to me.. in the end.. there was nothing extraordinary  about the day   still it was hard.. Diane suggested that  these anniversary days.. and days like mother’s or fathers day are in one  way no different than every other day. There are good times and bad times in each… It’s just that other folks recognize those marker days and that how amplifies things…. Dunno…

    Anyway… today was splendidly unremarkable.. I had a big phone meeting with some of my superiors at work that had me pretty nervous and worked up yesterday… it went fine.. as it generally does.. Which reminds me of Sam’s questions to me about why I spent so much time working and worrying about work.. I guess the working is ok.. it’s the worrying about work that I don’t want to ramp back up to….  Here I am talking during the meeting..wearign my good luck light up headband..

   After work Diane and I went to meet our friends at the Inn at Essex. In the lobby, we spotted this sign.. At first I thought it was a calming drink.. the I realized it was a seminar. 

Max, Sam Jessie and Gabe joined us all  bit later at Tiny Thai in Essex for dinner. 

 Larry. Leah and Hannah who are up visiting from Pittsburgh . Larry and I went to grad school together… now he’s a big famous professor… Larry and his family have been coming up to see us for the last couple of years.. This is the first time we’ve seen them since Sam died.  They knew and loved Sam. Larry is a very open and spiritual guy.  We had a great time sharing experiences and thoughts about our own spiritual journey. He’s also knows everyone and everything about the folks in our industry.. so he’s a great source of corporate and academic gossip. I just love hanging out  with him and his family…

   Oh man.. it’s already past midnight.. I’ve got to get some sleep..  It’s nice being in your room again Sam…

-jc

   Today we left Steve and Denise’s for the trip back to Vermont. We jokingly called their house ‘little house on the prarie.. though they have neighbors on both sides, the next houses after that are about a half mile away.. All around them are green rolling hlls.. and I do mean.. that’s all that’s around them…

 

 

..

 

..

 

 

 

And lots of these (not our relatives though)

 

 

 

 

 

    One thing I haven’t mentioned about Denise is that In keeping with the ‘Little Home’ theme, she’s a fabulous quilter. Before we left this morning we got a tout of just the stuff that was on the top of her and her mother Alice’s quilting pile. Evidently there was much more that we didn’t get to see. These pictures don’t do these things justice.. they are absolutely works of art.

 

..

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   We left Leavenworth about noon for the 45 minute drive to the airport. . Before we did, we planted a SamStone near the base of a newly planted tree…

 

 We got to the Kansas City Airport in plenty of time.. unfortunately our incoming plane had been delayed in Denver.. so we were going to miss our connection in Chicago.  Judging by the lines that sprung up, everyone else was going to miss their connection as well.   After three frustrating calls to the United phone service center  we inbally got our new flights squared way.. but not before we were sent over to another terminal to get on a Delta flight they had supposedly rebooked us on.. but eveidently failed to do so..

 

We sprinted back to our original terminal and made the later Chicago connection with only seconds to spare.. or so we thought. We ended up spending another 45 minutes waiting on the runway due to anticipated landing delays in Chicago.. Sheeeesh…   It’s never easy

   We’re now safely in the air again and headed to Burlignton. In the end we should get there only 3 hours late (I hope) .. .   Here I am on the plane frantically trying to catch up for all the IBM work I refused to do while I was traveling with my family (good for me.. I think/hope). I have a big meeting on Tuesday I’m just not prepared for.. but I really, really, really had a good vacation with my family..

 

 

 We’re eager to get home and see Scott, Mary and Chai.. and.. to be around Sam’s stuff. This trip has taken us to all four time zones in the continental US.. The four of us have really enjoyed being together and relaxing .. Of course we miss Sam like crazy . We’ve found ways of working him into our trip every day.. it’s a strange new life for us..

    Tomorrow marks the sixth month anniversary of Sam’s death.. It’s so hard to believe that it’s been a half a year already.. It literally seems like last week to me.. the memories are that sharp., If you’re reading this.. please mark the day by thinking of Sam.. thinking of us.. and really sending some love to your family and good friends. We’ll be doing the same..   

     On a related note…

 

Sam’s 15^th birthday would have been a week from tomorrow.. May 28^th.. that’s memorial Day. We’re going to mark his birthday with an Ultimate Frisbee Tournament in Volunteers Green in Richmond starting at Noon (5/28) .. followed by Ice cream, cake and of course, music. Please spread the word around ! Let us know if you’re available to play music !  

We love you all.. and we really love you Sam…

-me

ps. Gabe lost a tooth on the plane !