May 28^th,.. today is/would have been Sam’s 15^th Birthday.. we’ve been thinking about this day for months.. and it was finally here.. and it was a good day..   a really good day. There were tears and laughter.. much more laughter..  All of us woke up feeling good and strong. We’d planned lots for the day to remember and celebrate Sam.. we were all pumped.. Each of us had our own private time with Sam.. I was happy and sad at the same time.

   As soon as I woke enough to work, I started building the large rocket for launch at the park. My brother Billy had given me the rocket many years ago and I’d never gotten around to launching it.. Sam always was interested in it.. so here was the chance. Paulo had spent the night over.. so he helped me build the launch setup wile I assembled the rocket.. Now.. this was no ordinary tiny Estes style  rocket.. this was a whole different class. You need to be at least 18 to buy the G size engines and you need to  get clearance from the FAA to fly them (I never did … bad on me).   Anyway.. the thing came together smoothly. Gabe did the initial decorating

   While we worked on the rocket, Diane gathered up food and supplies for the party… Around 12 we all piled into cars with cakes, ice drinks, musical instruments amps, rockets, Frisbees. Shirts and about a dozen kids and headed down to Volunteers Green.   

There a group of kids lead by Tyler P taught the rest of us how to play Ultimate Frisbee..    There were only four grown-ups in the pack.. but  even so.. we had about 4 teams of between 15 and 20 folks each. I never had played Ultimate before.. I loved it !. Lots of running… which I’m reasonably good at.. and lots of throwing and catching which I suck at.. so it averaged out.   We had  two games going.. at first.. when those ended things started to dissipate a little.. a few people started leaving.. but then Tyler got us going in a second set of games, and the energy level came back up.

Unforuantely.. aboout 10 minutes into the first game..our good buddy Kevin twisted and dislocated his knee!. It reall lloked like it hurt. We called rescue and his folks..

By 3Pm we were all pretty pooped. We shuffled up to the band stand and gathered around the many cakes that folks had brought.

We all grabbed Red Bulls and sand a happy/tearful Happy Birthday for Sam.. that was the hardest and sweetest part of the day for me..

After the first round of cake and ice cream had been gobbled, we started in to the music.  First up was band that Max and Scott had organized just yesterday.. they were excellent even after having only 2 hours of practice..  As I took this movie clip, I cold see Sam’s beaming face reflected from my short in the viewfinder .. I knew he was enjoying Max, too

   After that we had Sam’s old band, Black Night Vengeance.. these guys are sounding really, really great.. they got the crowd moving.. that’s for sure.. I ended up on the ground looking up into the circle of headbangers.. it was awesome…

   Next came Skanky green and their wonderful originals.. I got really choked up when they sang ‘Captain Sam’.. the song that they wrote in honor of Sam.

“…You might just have some fun

You take it all so serious.. you might not live it down.

To take the plunge, you might have to take a dive

That’s what he would do if he were still alive ”  those  lines from that  song.. always, makes me smile and cry .

       Just after ‘Captain Sam’ , Max took the stage again and held up a small boat that he’d made of balsa wood and glue. Inside he’d made a watertight pocket  which held a letter he’d written. I’ll try to get the words to it and post them.. they were beautiful. They  told whoever found the boat about Captain Sam..  and his legacy. Max asked Gabe to launch the boat into the Winooski. A bunch of people got up on the bridge to  watch..  It was a really cool concept.. I really loved it…

    At that point.. I started to hand the rocket around for people to sign…  Everyone put their birthday wishes to Sam  all around the rocket .. it looked pretty cool.

We walked the rocket way back out in the field.   I didn’t really expect to recover  the rocket because of the high winds today.. so I just wanted the launch to be safe. We all gathered around the rocket.. which stood about 3 feet high and 3 inches in diameter. I put a SamStone in it just for fun.

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Gabe and Max did the honors on ignition. When Gabe hit that button there was a huge roar, a tail of flame and the thing took off … like a rocket !.. it went up and up.. through the clouds The first SamStone in Space.. (well.. almost) . it was amazing.. I’ve never seen anything that big fly so fast or so high. This is 3-4 times as high as those model rockets you can buy in the stores.. I think with the load I had it would have been about a half mile high.. and this thing was Big !..   We finally saw it drop back through the clouds.. a bunch of kids gave chase.. but with the winds.. it probably made it halfway back to Jonesville. I’m hoping someone sees it and finds the address we put on it.. we’ll see..   I like thinking that Sam saw the whole thing.. maybe in a way he did..

    My last official act for the day was to jump off the Richmond bridge.. Gabe had done it a bit earier in the day for the first time and came out relatively intact.  I’ve lived  in this city for more than 25 years and I’ve never jumped the bridge.. If Sam were here.. he’d do it … it felt great.. As I was dropping towards the water I was thinking about how much more I’m living life since Sam died.. life is certainly weird.  A few minutes Max did it for the first time.. we’re all now in the Clan of the Bridge… real men ! Grrrrrr !

     Around 6:00 there were still some folks around.. we did a few last cleaning passes.. then got in the car and went home. It had been a really good day.. lots of fun.. and lts of thoughts of Sam.. I know that Sam would have loved it.. I hope he did ! I know it may seem strange to some that we choose to make this day into a party.. but the way we figure.. We’ll have the sad times…no matter what…. we each had our share today.. if that’s going to be  the case.. why not put in some fun and celebration.? It was good for us.. and good for the community.. It would truly have been harder not to do it.

The last thing we did to day was to go up to the Kenny’s for a quick dinner and a regroup on the ‘Friend of Sam’ progress for the day. We’d donated the Sam shirts (you see them on everyone  in the pictures) and the Frisbees to the Friends of Sam to sell for their fundraising.

By the end of the night they’d raised  more than $3900. All of the money is going to the Tyler Eklund fund .. to help offset the expenses of the 14 year old Oregon Snowboarder who broke his neck and was paralyzed in a boarding  accident April 1^st. The money will help his family make their house wheelchair accessible.  The Friends of Sam kids are so amazing.. I’m really, really proud of them 

    As we were sitting around at the Kenny’s one of their lights magically turned on without anyone having touched it.. it was just a reminder that Sam was with us today and every day … I love you so much my boy.. Happy, happy birthday.. you live on in our hearts.. and in the hearts of all your friends… we love you.. we love you .. we love you so so much.

 -dad

Just to warn you, . I can’t find my reading glasses. so I’m typing without being able to see the screen… Who knows what this is really going to say…

   What a peaceful day it has been.. . It started late as I kept falling back to sleep this morning. I was dreaming about Sam and kept wanting to go back for more.   I woke up and puttered around a bit then took Chai for a run. Around 11:30 we  all piled in car and went to St Albans to watch  Gabe play three lacrosse games.. Hey had a really good day out there.. We sit on the sidelines watching the game and shouting like everyone else.. it’s just that we don’t want to be those sort  of pushy parents who only yell for their kid… so we make up names to yell for Gabe.. our current favorite is ‘Balthazar’. Nothing is more peaceful than lying in the sun and watching those  games. It’s pretty interesting to compare to last year when we were at these same fields watching Sam play.. Last year absolutely every weekend was cold an rainy… this year.. every weekend has been warm and sunny. Funny how things work out.

    While we were out there watching Gabe play.., I called my folks to wish them a happy 50^th anniversary. I caught them by cell phone on top of a 9000 foot mountain they’d just climbed in Colorado. Now that’s the way you want to be spending your 50^th anniversary.. don’t you think ? My parents are truly amazing ! What an inspiration  Here’s a picture of them from several years back.. the funny thing is they still look like this !  Congratulations Ma and Pa.. I love you both so much !

   After lacrosse, we all came back to the house I spent a bit of time helping Diane garden.. she’s already got most of her first pass of flowers in.. and  we had to get them mulched.

I also worked on the pool and got the heater plumbed in.. Hopefully it will be ready to swim in by tomorrow afternoon. All the kids love that pool..   I thought of Sam the whole time I was futzing around with the plumbing.

    Around dusk we came in to grab a bite to eat.. Something didn’t smell right in the kitchen.. the more I sat there .. the worse it seemed to smell. It was definitely something … well… dead..   It seemed to be coming from under the stove. To make a very long and disgusting story short.. I pulled the stove out and discovered a recently demised rat which  was.. without exaggeration…  the size of a small cat… seriously it was 10 inches long without the tail !

Both Diane ad I ran outside gagging and laughing hysterically.. not at the poor rat.. but at our screwed up luck.. our wacky old house.. at fate… at what ? I don’t know.. it just seemed funny. Diane stayed out side and cheered me on while I went back in and extracted the rat from under the stove, cleaned the area. Then took the poor creature across the street and buried hom/her.  I know it sounds strange.. but I sat there and cried for the poor thing.  I felt a kinship in sampling how unfair life can be.. I stuck some flower  on the makeshift grave and went back in to eat…  …  Somehow I wasn’t hungry.. Never, ever a dull moment around here…

   I need to get some sleep now…  We have an all afternoon  meeting tomorrow with the Voices Project Movie team. The Movie is based on the very successful  stage presentation of the Voices Project that Max was part of in 2005. . We’re getting really excited about his participation.. and the opportunity to hang out with those kids again. Tomorrow we find out how many of them will be staying with us for the months of July and August.

    Ok.. now.. Off to sleep. I need to save my strength for the big Birthday bash on Monday.. BTW.. if you are coming we’d really appreciate folks to bring either a cake, drinks or anything else to share. It should be  a really good time.. We’ll all be ther for you Sam !

-me

       ..

I had such a blast this morning. I’d arraigned to do a ‘Jolts and Volts’ electricity show at Edmonds Middle School in Burlington. Normally when I do these shows it’s for 30-50 kids. I got to the school and found out this show was for more than 400 kids. The schools staff was great to work with and we quickly transformed the Gym into a laboratory.

The kids started shuffling in around 10:30 . By 10: 45 the room was packed. Before I started, I said a few words about Sam and how he loved to build and invent.. and dedicated the show to him.. Everyone clapped !.. I was so surprised by that reaction… I’m not sure what I was expecting.. but it felt great..  and I immediately launched into the show.  I had to rush a little bit due to the short time slot, but all in all it was a good show. As I went through my shtick I kept thinking about how much I enjoyed doing this sort of thing. There’s nothing that is more rewarding for me than getting up on stage in front of a bunch of kids, acting like a total nutcase and blowing things up.. all in the name of science. If life is supposed to be about following your bliss.. this is mine.  I was pretty ‘on’ today.. when the final spark died off  all the kids jumped to their feet  and started clapping and whistling.. now that’s what science is supposed to be about !

The moment the show was over, I had to scoot to make my lunch meeting. A bunch of the kids helped me park the van.. which only took a few minutes. Many hands makes light work. I met my buddy Jason for a working lunch then took the rest of the afternoon off. I spent the next few hours driving around trying to find parts to finish plumbing our pool.. 2.5 hours and I still don’t think I have the right pieces.   By the time I got home it was time for Diane and Deb to take Gabe and several of his friends to see ‘Pirates of the Caribbean III’. There were 10 kids in all.. and most of them were dressed as pirates. Sorry I didn’t get a picture.   After dropping the kids, Diane Deb and I hung out at the house, ate sushi and sanded the calluses on our feet. It was weird, but fun. We had talked about going to the Cabaret at MMU.. but I didn’t really have the energy/. Max went though…

   At about 9 Deb. Diane and I drove in to pick the kids up at Mexacali… we all wolfed down  some nachos and basically enjoyed the outside breeze.  

   Gabe had a nice day to.. Scott jsut pointe me at these pictures of Gabe in the sand pit..

Speaking of nice days. I’d like to take this chance to send my love and congratulations to my wonderful parents. Judy and Hugh on their anniversary. They will have been married 50 years tomorrow.   !! That’s and an incredible  accomplishment !I love you both so much !!!!!

   The next couple of days we’ll be hanging out gardening, going to Gabe’s Lacrosse games .. and getting ready for Sam’s Birthday bash in the park on Monday.   Speaking of that.. please spread the work.. we’d love to have folks help us mark  Sam’s birthday. We’ll be there thinking of you Sam !

-me

Remember:

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

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 !