It’s late thursday night.. it’s warm and windy out and I’m winding down for the week. Tomorrow is a work day.. but I’m hoping to take most of it off. Monday we will mark Sam’s 20th birthday. 20 is a big milestone for anyone.. for Sam.. and for us..this seems like it has special significance.. .Though I’m trying to figure out just how I feel about it.. As Diane would say.. i don’t need to think or figure out.. I just need to ‘be’ .. the day will come and pass just like all the other birthdays since Sam’s passing.. .. just like all the other days. Birthdays do reinforce the passing of time.. Birthdays bring lots of folks who check in on us on how were doing.. which is nice. I have to say that we’re all doing pretty well… not just ‘pretty well considering’.. but actually pretty well. we’re living overly busy and mostly very happy lives. Never as happy as when Sam was here with us.. but full lives nonetheless. There was a time where I felt a little bit that being happy somehow was not respectful of Sam’s memory. over the years.. that has completely reversed. I know that Sam would want us to be happy.. and I want to honor that.
These next few days will be tough.. but we’ll see many good friends.. we’ll share good memories of Sam.. we’ll toast him, we’ll make samstones.. we’ll make big fires.. When the weekend is past it will eb time to gear back uo. but for right now.. I just need to slow down…
Finally, aboard my flight home dafter an hour an a half delay.. I won’t get home until after 1.. A long but fruitful couple of days. Today woke to the gentle rocking of the boat.. Showered and got on the road.. A little late which exposed me to what NYC traffic can really be like I had left an hour an a half for the 40 minute drive and took an hour .. Not too bad. I spent the entire day at our Watson lab which is always fun and humbling . So many smart people walking the halls. I spent every second of today either meeting with folks or in phone meetings.. Didn’t even get time to eat.. But I out knowing more than I went in with, so I was happy.
One of the high pouts of the day was an odd but fun webcasted panel session with 3 of my friends.. My friends weren’t the (only) odd part of it.. It was that the 4 of us were sitting in Chris at the front of a large but entirely empty auditorium. The topic was a fun one.. We were talking about what it takes for a company to be ‘essential’. Its an interesting topic .. And a hard one to pin down.. Afterall, It’s not something you can say about yourself.. essential is in the minds of the beholders Still, it was fun to toss some ideas back and forth with some old friends..
So….What do you all think makes a company essential ? What companies do you think are essential ? What problems would a company have to solve to be considered essential ?
Id Like to hear what you think..
Oh.. We’re landing.. More tomorrow.
Nite all, nite Sam
-me
Now, my company is not saying that we are essential .. We recognize that Thats something other folks have to say about you.. But.. We were discussing what it would it
Hello from the deck of maxs boat.. it’s a warm and muggy night down here in Brooklyn.. Max and his freinds and I are just hanging out on the bow of the boat.. all working.. We’re right under the flight path for jfk which keeps covering us with a numbing wall of sound . I got here around 7 after a full day of travel and work.. I slept well on the plane(s) .. and ended up pretty well rested at LGA around 10.. I had a full day of interesting meetings at Research punctuated with ultra brief chance meetings in the hall.The fact that I didn’t have time to talk to folks i saw makes me feel like a really bad friend.. I need to get down here for a longer and slower visit..
Tonight has been a welcome slow point in an otherwise hectic week.. Max, Jac and Dave and I went to a cool middle eastern sandwich place for dinner. They had a sauce they called red harissa that was unlike anything I ha ever tasted. it was hot and spicey.. but not sharp.. more of a warming heat.. really yumm.. I want to go back there and get some..
Not much more to report today.. hmm.. rocket went up (wasn’t THAT COOOOOOL !) .. Facebook went down.. and more or less, all is right with the world
Blogging tonight one handed from a long baggage line waiting to board an oversold plane. I have the middle seat on the back non reclining row. It’s going to be a longgggg might
Good day hear, though. Good , productive meetings. A great 4 mile run in the palo alto hills around the radio telescope.. Then dinner with Rafe and his lovely family…
Ahhh just got ‘upgraded’ to a different middle seat. A bit better. More tomorrow
