Tuesday night – the end of the runway

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Greetings from the end of The runway. I'm here at a Really nondescript airport hotel somewhere near Amsterdam. Let me stress near because it's not really near at all… It's like a $50 cab ride to Amsterdam. The only restaurant within walking distance is a McDonald's. I kid you not. Staff is indifferent, the wireless sucks, there's no food anywhere and the rooms are uncomfortable… But it's my home. And I kinda like it

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I said that it was the only hotel room available because its a europa cup football game here every single hotel room in the city appears to be full. At least the ones that charge for a full night

A Lousy hotel was actually a good thing today because I got a lot of work done. I didn't talk to anyone, I only had a few calls and I just worked. I didn't eat either and since I arrived at 8 AM I had not had a bite. Since So around 8 PM I decided it was time to go out foraging.

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I took the hotel shuttle back to the airport and took a train into town. Not as bad as it sounds. I walked around Amsterdam kind of lost. It was a beautiful night, raining a little, sort of cold. But it looked so Amsterdam –ish. full of tall beautiful people everywhere speaking a language that i suspect they even don't understand

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. There were canals … there were restaurants. There were head shops… And sex shops… And lots of Turkish places. I opted only for the Turkish place. No make that two Turkish places. I had a falafel at one place at the beginning of my walk and some sort of other great vegetarian wrap at another Turkish place at the end of my walk.

 

I barely made my train home and got to the hotel just before 11. Noticing it was still a little light outside. How cool is that?

 

Now Time to sleep .. more tomorrow
Night all,night Sam

–me
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Monday evening – on my way

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Just about to board my flight to Amsterdam. Not much time to blog. Busy day today.. High ooint was dropping in on lunch at the company's new distinguished engineer event. So proud of these folks.. And so good to see so many friends in this years class !

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Oops ..boarding.. More from the netherlands

 

Nita all, nite sam

-me

 

Sunday night – mothers day !

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Happy mothers day all you mothers out there. I was lucky enough it to spend it with two of my favorite mothers .. diane and my mom (i love you too marcia…it was great talkign to you) ..

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My mom and dad metb concord nh to cut down on the driving for both of us. We had a greatlunch at a mexican place then walked around the funky town of concord for a bit. It was great hanging out with them even if just for 3 hours..

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When we got home we brought take out Chinese from our favorite place . gabe met diane with flowers and a cake… And we celebrated diane … Who's been such a great mom for our 3 boys and partner for me.

Max sent her a talking mothers day card from his talking trck.. And sam…. Well.. He appeared to me in a dream last night telling me that people had to make things for mom… It was really a crazy dream.. I was happy.. But i woke up crying…

Moms are good things.. Im glad i have them in my life

Nite all, nite sam

-me

 

 

Saturday night – Collarbone

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Nice, slow day just when I needed a nice slow day. We spent a good part of it getting back and forth to Middlebury for Gabes lacross game. Very nice drive in all the new spring greenery. The rest of the day was peaceful: a run, a walk, some house chores and some more work on my talks for next week.   Really not much to report beyond that..

I did have one fixation today thats worth sharing. Gabe )and our) good friend Marchello M was hit pretty hard in a lacrosse game on Thursday. He ended up breaking his collar bone in 2 places. Yesterday he had surgery to screw him back together. He’s doing much better now… unfortunately.. he won’t be able to play lacrosse the rest of the season.

Anyway.. the word ‘collarbone’ kept getting stuck in my mind. I knew there was a Yeats poem abotu the ‘collar bone of a hare’ that I liked very much in college.. I had ot dig it up to remember what it was about…  I’m reading it now and I’m not quite sure..

The Collar-bone of a Hare by W. B. Yeats 1919

WOULD I could cast a sail on the water
Where many a king has gone
And many a king’s daughter,
And alight at the comely trees and the lawn,
The playing upon pipes and the dancing,
And learn that the best thing is
To change my loves while dancing
And pay but a kiss for a kiss.

I would find by the edge of that water
The collar-bone of a hare
Worn thin by the lapping of water,
And pierce it through with a gimlet and stare
At the old bitter world where they marry in churches,
And laugh over the untroubled water
At all who marry in churches,
Through the white thin bone of a hare.

There you have it.. the only poem I could remember with the word ‘collar bone’ in it..  Reading it banished the workd from my mind where it was spinning around in all day…. which was nice..

I do  like the poem..

We should all …: laugh over the untroubled water     At all who marry in churches,      Through the white thin bone of a hare.  ”

If you can’t find the white thin bone of a hair, then laugh at them through anything else you find…

nite all. nite sam

-me