Ya know.. I cant really talk about my work these days.. .. especially not in this blog.. 

But I like that it’s loud 🙂 

note all, nite sam

-me

Our flight home to Vermont was not until afternoon.. so we got a chance to viti more friends. First stop was Mike and Lauras .. they were part of our kids play group that we all started in 1988. They are good friends. We enjoyed catching up.. THeir house is so nice and inviting..  

Diane and Laura caught up while mike and I went up to the third floor studio. Diane and I have stayed in that room several times.. brought back great memories.   

I love seeing mike’s stuff. he showed me a  catalog of a recent collaboration whe did with another yale grad , 30 years younger and living in pittsburgh. I love his stuff.. and the way he thinks of it

Mike and I actually collaborated with my Advisor Rob on an art project..   Rob has two of the pieces in his office.. and Mike has all of the drawings.  It was  an exploration of rectilinear shapes of constant area.. I created it using parts of my thesis code. I generated 10’s of thousands of shapes.. and mIke picked out his favorite 11 (?) .. and had them cut out of thick aluminum plate.. which he then inked.. It was my first (and only ? ) gallery show 🙂 

We then went downstairs and caught up and reminisced some more.. super nice 

From there it was only a 2 minute drive to Rob’s hose. Rob was my other Doktorvater.. and has remained a great freind and mentor for me through these last 30-ish years.. I owe him so much.. he’s the guy who really taght me to speak to crowds.. whcih turned outt o be a reall yimportant thing in my life

Rob  got married a few years ago to a really nice person named Renee’s. Rob , Renee, her daughter Nina and three dogs and two cats live ina. beautiful home adjacent to the Frick museum. It was so great catching up with Rob and gettign to know Renee and Nina 

Strange coincidence..  Rob and Renee have three dogs named Alia, Beta.. and.. .. uh.. cant remember.. but the fact that I work at Beta on an Airplane called Alia seemed like an amazing coincidence. 

this is Alia

And here’s Beta

It was fun seeign all of Ricks stuff.. lots of memories there too. includign a cup from Neolinear. teh company ROb and Rick which included soem of my research work 

great visit.. .. then straight to the airport for our flight back to VT

As we walked around the airport waiting for our flight we stumbled on to this peice of installation art. It was a ‘robot repair shop’.. It was really cute and clever

What wasnt so curte and clever was the beat up plane we had heading back to VT. badly in need of a paint job (which is more than aesthetics for a plane.. its  for air drag)   and no wifi.. oh well

FLying back in to V is always nice.. No matter where I travel.. this feels like home !  I even got soem pics of our house as we flew over !

We got home in time for a nice rivershore walk.. the ground was covered with cotten wood seed. 

and the sunset was spectakulare.. as was diane 🙂 

and we got to see our reind the beaver again !

nice being home !

nite all, nite sam

-me

Arial and Daniels wedding was not until 4 ish.. so we used the morning to go back and revisit pittsburgh/ We lived here in Squirrel Hill from 1988-91 while I was in grad school.  Max was 6 weeks old when we moved here.. and 4 when we left . First stop was our old house at 2331 Pittock st.   Brought back some great memories !

From there we walked over to Murray and bban a nice loop through our old haunts.  My old haircut place was still there.. Safi even still worked there.. unfortunately he wasn’t there till later so I didn’t get to see him. 

We also stopped at the Giant Eagle (or the Iggle as one says in pittsburgheese)

THe most fun as to stop at the Frick Park Deli.. THis is where max and I used to go to get ice cream on a stick (or ach-orch-deek in toddler maxeese) ..   We went in and bought some ach-orch-deek’s. and got to meet the new owner Tonie.. she and her family bought the place only a few years ago.. THey renamed it the Blue SLide Market.. in honor of the great blue slide in frick park just one block down.  she told us about her vision for the place. as a family friendly affordable and welcoming place.. Looked to us like they’ve done a great job !

We said goodbye and took our ach-orch-deek’s across the road and sit on the steps to eat them.. It was a great reinactment. made me really happy !

from there we went over to Frick Park. I wnent down the blue slide for old time sake.. Then we took a nice couple of mile loop throught he parks trails. Its an amazing place.. so green and queit right there in the middle of the city !

On the way back to the car we stopped to eat mulberries off of one of the trees we probably ate off of 33 years ago.. They are so delicious.. but also very messy. Strangely, we never see anyone else eat those berries. Do they know something we don’t. know . or do we know something they don’t  know 🙂 ? 

On the way back we also walked through laderdice high school and looked back over at our house.. I could see alderdice from my window as I worked on my research and thesis in that house. 

From there we went over to CMU to check it out.. .. The place was pretty empty as it was already summer… THe campus had lots of construction going on but looked really great 

We ent over to Hamerschlag hall where I spent most of my time in school. It also looked great. 

Our good freinds Larry and Leah , their daughter Hanna and her husband and dughter Georgia were out of town this weekend.. We were really sad to miss them.. We left a Larry a samstone .. He’s oen of the peopke who sees sam in his dreams.. I always love hearign about tthose dreams

The door to my old office halway was locked.. so we just looked around.. We found a new halway dedicated to my Prof and good freind Wojtek who died a few years back.. Whata  guy !

From there we took a short drive into shadyside for a great turkish lunch then back tot eh hotel to prep for the wedding. 

The wedding began at 4.. (I think). .it was n outside wedding in a beautiful park that was basically right across the street form the  Carlys .. 

As guests arrived we were asked to write soem words of wisdome on a rock for AAria and Daniel.. .. And .. we could also color in a pciture of their bernese Banner who me know from VT.  

The wedding was beutiful.. the weather was good (hot and clear).. Aria’s sister Cali officiated..  I used to see her in ricks office when she was just a baby 

Then mingling, drinks,  dinner and speeches.. Supwer nice group of people and great food. !

THen dancing.. THey had a great band.. great musicians and lots of energy !

Then there was a campfire.. and more mingling. .Got to spend more time with Rick. We stayed almost to the end.. 
Really nice time.. we were so glad to be invited. 

Nite all, nite sam

-me

We got in to the pittsburgh airport in late afternoon.. One interesting factoid.. both Diane and I remembered  that the airport abbreviation as PGH.. but landed to find it is PIT.. and has always been PIT.. it was one of those alien abduction moments when you suspect that everything you know is somehow different !

One thing we remembered correctly is that we wanted to get outside and hike.. so after a quick checkin at our hotel we headed to a nearby trailhead.. 

Great walk with a beutiful blue heron sighting !

Later that evening we headed to Swickly for a pre nuptial barbecue in the Carleys back yard. (strangely no pictures)..   It was really nice.. got to meet some of Dan and Arias freinds .. and got to reconnect witht he Carlyes.   

Aria’s  dad, Rick was my PhD co-advisor.. or Doktorvater as they say in German..  Rick is also an MIT grad… It reminded me how much I like talkign to other MIT folks.. it’s .. i don’t know…. somehow  different..

Looking forward to explorign Pittsbugh and goign to the wedding tomorrow. 

Nite all, nite sam

-me