After work from hoem this morning, , I headed down Armonk NY for my next science show. I was doding a show for the IBM take your kids to work day.. somethign I always love doing. .. 

The drive down was nice..  listened to a busienss book.. which is not my speed.. but its called the Geek Way.. basically lookign in to the practices that have helped fast growing  tech companies that suceed : THe author Andrew McAffey  idetified the 4 priciples as : Science, Ownership, Speed, and Openness.. ..   all things that BETA practices every dayl.. I enjoyed it.. even if it was a busienss booke 🙂

since I was down in Westchester I went and had dinner with my good freinds Chandu and Patti . I hevent seen them in several year.s Itwwas great catching up with them  we talekd abot old firends and old times.. . Chandus mom died a few months back ansd we talked about hsi family.. we had the chance to visit them all in Bangalore once.. it was a memorable day !

Chandu and Patti are both retired now.. tey’ve started a non profit to promote m,akign good energy choices.. they create chapters in citeis and towns and hve a program for celibrating and amplifyiong the choices that the town and its inhabitants make..

Theire hoem town of Croton has een a good testbed fo rthe concepts. Patti showed me the quilt they make that artistically captuires the choices that the town and town folk have made.. there’s a lot of info backed int this bright and beutiful tapestry !

aftyer dinner I heade back up to the IBM  learnign center  (now the Ihe Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Center for Learning).. Iits one of my favorite hotels.. its only open to IBMers and their clients.. I’msort of a perminant family memeber as a fellow emerits.. a situation I deeply appreciate. THis company.. including this hotel.. are a big part of who I am. 

I used to stay here all the time.. so much so that the wpman at the bar always new what I would have (it wanst a drink.. it was a cup of olives.. because I usually got in late and was hungary). the front deask and returant staff new me by name .. it was a good feeling.. 

one tiem I was here on Dec 21 for a mandatory meeting during a tough business moment.. I was the only person in one of the buildings.. Gabe suggested I make a movie hter.. so I took of (most of) my clothes. put a sheet over my head and ran around banging on doors as I filmed myself.. I knew there was know one there..   you can read about it here.. 
For years, the  staff had this picture behind the check in desk 

it was nive to be in this place.. it felt a little like a former home.

nite all. nite  sam
-me

Today was soooooo hot.. it hit 100 degrees on my way home from work. I was supposed to have a Science show for the Governors Institute of Vermont  Engineering  down in Norwich this evening .. but my friend Mike  calldwe from down there as asked me to postpone.. because it was too hot down there for the students to be inside. 

Since I didn’t have a science show.. we took another  bike ride.. along the way we saw this unfortunate snake,. one we’ve never seen .  Google tells us he was an eastern milk snake.. .. I’m sorry this happened. 

later on.. I was up in the tower and found this guy. THe heat is bringing out lots of creatures. 

Hope the heat breaks soon .. 

nite all, nite sam
-me

THis morning Elizabeth and her family headed home . It had been a great visit !  we look forward to gettign them back here . 

After they left we got our bikes out and went for a ride down river road.. we have my parents old bikes.. not fancy.. but fun !.. the  wind from riding kept us cool. We ae so lucky to have these beautiful rides just outside our house !

Tonight I started to check out my science gear. this coming week is a major nerd fest. I have 4 science shows and one fluffy show .. it’s going to be crazy !.. I love doing these shows.. though I dont do them as often as I used to.. so I decided to check out my gear.. as fate would have it.. lots of my gear was not workigng and needed repair … my insultinator wont insult, my van de graaf wasnt sparking very well, my small tesla was acting up.. and even my trusty  pickelometer wouldnt turn.. I had to rebuild most of the stuff.. including making a new pickeolemter on the base of my old one . I just happen to have a spare variac siting around.. It was fun and important rebuilding this stuff. 

Looking forward to thsi week. 

as we were headign to bed, dinae got an aurora alert.. there was a high chance of seeign the northern lights ! It was cloudy.. so I didnt think I saw anythign..  but I took some pictures anyway…

I dint see it till just now.. but I think I got a blury picture  of them !

nite all, nite sam 
-me

Our niece Elizabeth and her awesome kids Mason and Emma are in town.for Mason’s a soccer tournament. They were here last year   too. It was really fun hanging out with them .  we went swimming, made pasta.. and talked. Emma brought a friend with her.. so they hung out in the yoga space .. we had the air conditioners going because it was so hot !!


We went in to Essex to watch Mason play. He’s the goalie.. It was fun watching the teams communicate.. .. and fun watching the parents  too . lots of sidelien coaching.. lots of love. 

We went hoem and hung out soem more.. turns out that Mason is teaching himself piano.. .. i

its reat having elizabeth and her kids around.. .. 
nite all. nite sam
-me