Spent the day home with the dogs. It was nice, peaceful and a bit lonely.

Diane was off with freinds who took her on a post birthday surprise day. She had a great time. 

 

Are 11:30 I headed in to town because i’d heard that our old friend Barb was going to be co-leading the service at the Congo.. 

Babr was there with her Daughter and two of her grand children.. none of whom’s names I can spell. (makeeda, arcana)  but are good old friends. 

Barbara has a special place in our heart. Hse lead Sam’s memorial service. It was very good to see them all 

 

 

 

Late afternoon I took the girls our for a romp in the woods. THe snow and ice is still pretty deep out there. I was glad to be 

wearing crampons’ 

 

areound 8 I headed over to my cousin-in-law Billys to meet up with him and our mutual cuusins Bill, Erin. Sam and Cora.  who are in town college looking . 

It was great seeing them !

 

 

 

Billy and I even got a few miuntes to tes a motor out. We’re building a small exhibit for Echo. (at least we think we are) 

 

Bill and Deb’s house is like a museum of geekiness. ,, like this giant slide rule 

bills very nice machien shop 

his weird mechanical clock (uses a ball rolling as a regulator) 

 

and his two player pianos

Full day. .now time for sleep

nite all, nio=te sam

-me

 

Beutiful quite day at home. Lots of small , important things accomplished. DIane found her sun glasses, I caught up on email, we took a good hike in the woods.. and we cleaned out our refrigerators. Our ‘backup’ fridge burned out.. leaving us with the daunting task of moving everything into one.. We we re forced to clean out both fridges.. .. and you know what we found.. most of everything in there was condiments.. . We had SO many types of hot sauces, relishes,marinades, seasonings, dips and dressings that there was no room for food !

 

it was a great lesson in letting go.. as poured out the last 1/4 inch of 20 jars of random hot suaces.. some made befre the advent of electricity.. I thanked each and reflected on where I’d gotten the bootle, who’d given it to me.. and what we’d eaten it on. It was emotionally cathartic.. 

I will say this.. if any animal  gets into our garbage tonight. they are goign to seriously regret it 🙂 

 

Speakign of hotsauces.. we met our friends  Jim and Sue at Aquave in WIlliston.. t was so good hanging out with them. Their son.. and our really close friend Dylan died 7 years ago tonight. He was a very close frind of Sam and Gabes../ He is still very much part of our lives

We spent the dinner talking about all of our kids.. it was really good 

 

speaking of kids.. our good friend Luke was running the bar there tonight. good seeing him as well

one last cool thing. We woke this morning around 5 with a dog with a digestive problem (don’t ask) . 

I walked out side and was treated to a beutiful site of the moon with mars and saturn nearby..  the picutere here doesn’t capture the magic of it..   Our heavens are pretty magical places

 

 

nite all. nite sam

-me

 

Very busy day with two nice breaks. I joined my friend and mentor Chris A for a late lunch. Like a dummy I forgot my wallet (sure you did, John :-).. so I got treated. It was really good catching up with Chris. 

Rest of the day was full of meetings from current job and next.. it’s starting to get a little crazy.. I’m still enjoying both.. so thats good. 

I had to stop at 5:30 to welcome friends.. Tonight we went to a concert at the Richmond Free Library.. Our friend Letitia (Lucy’s daughter) played a  concert with her Stellaria Trio . Stelaria I just learned is the genus of the Chickweed family. 

Lucy, Victor and their friends  Cynthia , Loretta, Manet, Dom and,.. (dang.. cant remember her name) . all came to eat at our house before the concert . We had Diane’s  wonderful eggplant fake lasagna.. I say ‘fake’ because the eggplant plays the role of the noodles. it was so good !.. We also had eggplant capanade.. (which was my dad’s favorite). I’m kinda allergic to eggplant.. makes my mouth bleed.. but these were so tasty it was well worth it.. besides.. the blood makes it somehow tastier. 

 

Great old friends, new friends and conversation .. got almost 3/4 the way through dinner until ‘he who must not eb named’ name came up  

 

 

freon there a short drive to the Richmond Free Lbrary for the concert

 

the program was Beethoven and Dvorak (one of my favorites) 

letitia warms us up

 

it was a great performance.. a well earned standing ovaion at the end 

 

Letitia’s viulin is from 1840. and it’s on loan from the VT Violin Shop.. 

it’s worth .. (drumroll please)… 

$350,000

 

gulp 

 

Here it is modeled by Viktor . 

 

the viloin was foudn in an attic by the grandkids of a woman who had recentl died. she’d gotten it as a gift in 1904

here’s letitia’s score.. never can beleive that somone can read this !

 

 

now home..and a  blanket of fresh snow.. 

 

 

don’t we realize this is spring ? 

 

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

I apologize for not posting anything last night. it was a really , really crazy day.. 

it related to 3 bands.. including these two 

let me start this post by saying that I’m fine.. and healthy…

 

It all started with a greater dinner with my good friend Jared. We went to Honey Road an amazing Mediterranean place downtown at the corner of church and main.. Cant believe I’ve never been there. 

 

 

from there we headed over to Higher ground . I gave them my ticket.. and got the first band.. a green one aroudn my wrist whic said I was of drinking age. 

We were there to see Mike Gordon Band.. (this .. now band 2)   . We know Mike and his band so we wnt backstage for a bit to say hi.. Saw Mike, his mom, Richard, Sue.. Also ran into some other old  friends Liggy. Kyle, Craig, Tyler  and of courswe Friday !

 

 

On the way out.. I noticed the REEL waitign to be launched. Colin built this as version 2 of the EEL project we did for Mike many years back. I wrote soem of the code for the REEL.. so I was eager to see it work.. but I didnt get the chance (foreshadowing) 

 

 

We went front of house when the band started playing and caugth the first set.. They sounded good and tight. 

Then it was intermission.. and thats where the third band came in.. the hospital bracelet..

Iwas near the bar at the back hanging out with my friends Jared and Ryan.. and enjoying their  company.. when all of a sudden I started feeling a little funky.. kind of faint.. then things started to get a little dark.. and I felt really hot.. I told my friends I was heading outside.. ant next thing I know .> Jared is leaning over me.. I’m on the floor and he’s waking me up to see if I was ok .. I was ok.. or thought so.. he helped me up.. and we started to go outside.. then again.. Next thing I know he’s waking me up again. but this time i’m out in the lobby. Id’ passed out again.

The nice folks at higher ground got me to a chair and got me some water.. . In abut 2 minutes I felt absolutely fine !.. 

though I was a little freaked out. I called diane.. and she suggested.. correctly of course.. that I get my self to the hospital to get checked out. 

 

Jared and ryan walked me out to Jareds car.. and off we went to the hospital. By then I felt 100% normal.. I checked my self in.. whiel Jared hung out with me. A bit later Diane and Gabe showed up.   FO\or the next 3 hours I got poked and prodded, EKGed blood pressured, standing sitting.. blood tested.. everything. (bp 95/65 heart 63 BPM, EKG normal, normal sugar, blood tests normal  etc)  The folks at FAHC emergency room were so awesome. I felt knida foolish being there by that point as I really did feel fine. by about 1 AM the Emergency room doc agreed with me.. I was fine..   He said i’d had a vasovago syncope . Not uncommon.   could be caused by a heddy topper on top of mild dehydration ….  By 1:30 we were on our way home. 

 

TOday I felt absolutely 100% fine.. went for a run.. etc. I’m goign to check in with my GP to see if there’s anything else we need to test, but for now.. i’m good to go.

Interesting day.. no ? 

 

niote all, nite sam

-me