Sometimes so little happens in a day that it defies description . Today I worked at home. I worked from 9 until 6 and only remember getting up twice. Its not as bad as it sounds Im at a really interesting transition at work. Im finishing up one job and about to begin another. As I ramp up on the new job my brain is getting full of cool new stuff. Its interesting being at the beginning of a learning curve… I have so much new stuff to cram into my head.
Anyway… Only thing I did today that I can describe in detail was that I put on gabes new license plates. Nice… Huh ?
1:30 am and Im just getting home from my first burger night . burger night is an informal weekly gathering of 20 and 30 something folks from all over northwestern Vermont . They get together every Tuesday to talk, eat and listen to someone talk about an idea on her or his mind. ITA sort of like a Victorian salon but full of pierces and inked hipsters . Theyve had folks in to talk about their masters projects ( photographing couples as they wake up) . One guy talked about moose hunting and served everyone moose burgers… But tonight the talk was me.
I talked about my time on The Colony and the joys of passing on your passion. It went pretty well.. But I know I spoke too long. There were about 50 folks there and they stayed through the whole thing. It hence got to hang out and talk . I met musicians, architects babysitters, engineers , restaurant owners and piorogi makers. Very eclectic, fun and interesting crowd. All there just to share ideas… How cool is that ?!?! I hope I get invited back !
Worked at home today . After a short run this morning with Diane and the dogs didn’t go outside once.. I didn’t want to .. outside the weather was going from bad to worse.. The wind this morning actually made us change our running route.. The wind blew throughout the day.. sometimes shaking the house ferociously.. Each hour got a little warmer until now it’s almost 40 degrees and raining.. Compare that to the average low of 8 degrees for the month. It’ s been really bizarre .. Friend Tim told me that he heard we’re about 5 degrees above average for the month..and it’s got to be one of the least snowiest winters on record.. I can’t recall having this little snow cover this late into winter. The ski places must really be hurting. Diane and I have had our cross-country skis outs only once and our snowshoes not at all. In a normal year we’d be out every weekend a couple of times.
Why’s it happening ? I don’t know.. we’re definitely in a weird climate cycle.. I do believe in human caused warming.. but I think that to be a more subtle long term effect on top of more natural climatic cycles.. but who knows..
All I know is that I’d prefer 15 below and snowing to 40 degrees and raining. Time for the snow dance..
(wow … did I just blog about the weather ?! Isn’t that one of the ‘never do’s of blogging ?)
Diane and I just came back from a memorial service for a man we never met.
Tim O’Rourke was the brother of our very good freind Jen (husband Tim, daughter’s Ave and Sid)..
Tim died suddenly two weeks ago while on a mission trip to Nigeria.. he was 53. He had a wife and two kids… . It was very moving getting a sense of someone from the stories and pictures we heard today. This I know.. he was a kind and talented guy.. an deeply committed to his family and his community musician who devoted his adult life to helping other people. Several of the folks he helped spoke at the service today.. all told the story of a guy who’d do anything for other people. He was a really talented musician who wrote religious folk music that we heard at the service. There was much music at this service.. some was from the liturgy, some was religious folk music.. some was just pop folks music. We saw a slide show of Tim’s life.. we got to see the progression of his life from cute kid to husband, to dad, to committed missionary in 5 short minutes.. The church in Montpelier was packed with Tim ‘s freinds.. many from his religious community. There was a strong sense of family there.. It was interesting and reassuring being able to see a little into a community that had such strong common beliefs. They have very concrete views on what death means.. much more so than I have.. I guess I wish I did have that.
The service ended with sister’s Avery and Sid singing an Irish blessing.. It was a beautiful and uplifting way to end the service..
It was sad and heartwarming.. and in this case inspiring to get a glimpse at soemone’s entire life in just 90 minutes. Our thoughts go out to Tim’s family, His parents and our friends Jen, Jim, Ave and Sid..
