Wednesday night – better than…

So.. I was on a run this morning with the dogs.. and realized that I was feeling troubled. Several of my ‘great’ ideas at work are proving to be more complicated than I originally thought.. As I ran I was tossing over the various technical barriers I was hitting.. then a funny thing happened.. Even as I realized I was gritting my teeth over my work troubles, I started to smile.. I realized that I was unhappy in a much happier way than I’d been in a long, long time..  

It’s only in hindsight can I see the dark  tunnel I’ve felt every minute since Sam’s passing..   and only in hindsight can I see the tremendous healing that all of us have done since.   I’m aware enough now to know that I’ll probably look back on where I am now a couple of years forward and feel that much more .. though never truly.. whole

I had my phone on my run this morning because I had to pretend to listen to a work call.. that meant I had a camera.. I caught this picture of one of the trails by the river I always run. I remember helping to cut this section of the trail out of the wood about 5 years ago.. .. it’s grown too.

I love htis trail.. every step I’ve run or walked alng it in the past 3 5 years has helped me heal. Here’s the place I stop every day to admire Robins moutnain, the mountain behind our house..

And beneath that view, here’s the spot I write Sam’s name every day I run. I write it in whatever’s there as canvas.. snow, or dirt or mud or leaves..

It’s always gone by  the next day.. time to rewrite it..

A friend send me  a blog entry  about  grieving today.. I liked what it said.. Check it outif you’re interested..

Eek.. it’s after midnight.. gotta go to bed…

night folks.. nite Sam
-me

Tuesday night – flood

Were in the middle of ‘The Thaw; . it happens most years.. for some reason temperatures suddenly go above freezing for a few days  and all hell breaks loose.. the snow turns to rain, the fields turn to lakes, and the rivers turn into …. well bigger rivers. The Winooski was out of its banks this morning and spilling into the field in front of our house.. It’s still a long way from our house.. it hasn’t reached here since 1992 when we re pregnant with Sam..

All along the drive to work I could see signs of the flood. roads were closed, fields were flooded.. and the river was covered with car sized chunks of jagged ice.. It was beautiful in an ominous kind of way

All floods are compared to the one in 1927 (i remember it well 🙂 ..   The winooski flooded so badly that all the bridges form montpellier to the lake were washed out in one day  . Here’s how our house looked a day or two after that.


I love it when the weather misbehaves.

Speaking of cold water

I’m planning on participating in this years Penguin Plunge when a bunch of crazy folks all jump into Lake Champlain in Feb. It’s a fund raiser for the Vermont Special Olympics.. I did it a few years back with the fine folks form Mexicali’s restaurant..  ( I go there so often that I consider it my second office)
If you’re interested in participating, let me know. If you’d like to watch me freeze my *** off, come on down.. If you’d liek to help us raise money for adults with special needs, please consider sponsoring me at   http://www.firstgiving.com/johncohn

It’s a great cause !

Thanks so much !

Nite all.. stay dry.. nite Sam
-me

 

Monday night – Science Otaku

I learned another new word today.. and I love it !.. Otaku..  (Otaku (おたく/オタク?) is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests  usually video games, manga, etc) .. A new friend said that she was a Science Otaku ,too..  
   I’m finding the older I get the more I appreciate others.. and my own obsesions.   I love finding kindered spirits in others who share my own obsessions, but there’s nothing more entertaining than meeting someone who is irrationally absorbed with a topic I know nothing about.   I have friends who are in to model trains (you know who you are) ,
postage stamps, clarinets, word play, history, metal, music, player pianos, musicals, postcards, guns, languages, helicopters, orchids, accordions, ..

The world is a better place because of these obsessives..  I salute you (us) all.

Speaking of Science obbsesives..   I got the official word today that the colony is casting season 2. They’re specifically looking for the mad scientist person. Are you her/him ?
Here’s the official notice that I got today…


Now casting season two of

“THE COLONY”

The

Discovery Channel invites you to participate in an extraordinary,

once-in-a-lifetime experience: in the second season of this critically

acclaimed docu-reality series deemed a “social experiment”, a group of

eleven strangers must co-exist in a simulated, post-apocalyptic world.

The world as you know it is gone – there is no water, no food, no

communication, no power. It’s now up to you and eleven strangers to

fend for yourselves as you rebuild society and re-engineer the world as

you once knew it.

If you understand the science of survival, if

you have a skill that would help you and others survive after a

catastrophe, if you are ambitious, motivated, resourceful under

pressure and willing to un-tap your personal ingenuity, we are looking

for you. Join us in this true test of the human spirit.

To apply, log on to www.metalflowersmedia.com

Must have TANGIBLE survival skills and big personalities.

Apply NOW if interested or forward this to anyone you think would be great. We’re only casting for a SHORT TIME!

I’m thinking that a large number of evil or mid-evil mad scienctists are reading this blog right now thinking.. ‘hey.. I could do that..’  If you think you’d be interested.. let me know and/or.. go straight to metalflowersmedia.com  and  apply.

I can tell you it was a wonderful and difficult experience.  I’d love ot help find the next batch of .. uh… victims..

is it you ?

nite folks, nite sam
-me

Sunday night – media blitz

I had another quite day at the house aloe doing geek projects which restoreth my soul.
I love just puttering on techie projects.. Midday I decided that the day was to beautiful to waste.. especially with several days of thaw and rain coming. I grabbed my snowshoes and running shoes and ran up t to the Safford Preserve. There I put in my snowshoes and ran/walked up to the ridge that borders the preserve. I clomped around up there for a while .. placed a SamStone in a tree.. then ran back down.. It was great being out in the woods on the crunchy snow.. Most of it will be gone in a few days.. bummer..
    On my run I was thinking about this crazy year.. this time last year I’d set my intentions on using media to help with my education outreach.. I had no idea how much of it I was actually gong to do in a year.. even outside of the TV show.. I’ve been a really getting in to mass media..from myspace, to facebook to twitter.. then the youtube videos.. and now a TV commercial. It’s amazing what can happen when you set you intentions..
I wonder when it will stop.. do I want it to stop ? How much is too much ? My ever neurotic mind is asking me those questions.. I guess we’ll see.
   Speaking of Youtube.. I’ve gotten a bunch of feedback on the Engineering Paradise spoof. Several folks have suggested that I change the tone of the chorus. Tonight Avery and Jacob B. came over an dwe rerecorded. Jacob did a great job with a single male line on the chorus. I’m still trying to mix it down and see if it makes the chorus clearer.. I’ll post both versions.. you guys let me know which you prefer..

Here’s the original..

and here’s the newer one. Which one do oyu prefer.. It’s only the chorus that’s differnt. Any suggestions much appreciated

Sorry folks.. listened this morning.. and didn’t like it.. so I pulled

it from the blog.. give me another day on it.. than I’ll ask again..

sorry for the false start

Man.. it’s almost 1:30.. gotta sleep. More tomorrow.
Nite ya’all. Nite Sam
-me