Just sitting down to write.. It’s just past 2AM and I keep falling asleep as  I type Good day today.. the main even was a great visit to the site by Senator Pat Leahy and his wife Marcelle. I had the honor of doing a short presentation for the senator and about 200 of my co-workers.  My task was to link IBM’s recent Watson victory on Jeopardy  to the patent contributions of some of my Burlington-based coworkers.. It wasn’t hard to do.. Burlington had help drive at least 20 patents that were used in the creation of watson.

after I spoke, the Senator gave a great talk on the importance of patents.. and outlined some of the patent reform legislation he’s currently pushing through congress.   I really respect Leahy . He’s very smart, very principled and he’s been a great friend to IBM in VT.

One of the cool things about the Senators visit is that he immidiatly recognized my Jerry Garcia tie.. Leahy is a big Greatful Dead fan.. so we got to talk about that for awhirle. He told me a great story about taking Jerry Garcia and Bob Wier to lunch at the Senate Cafeteria.. and meeting Strom Thurmond..

Here we are with the IBM Master Inventors .. several thousand patents between the 40 of us..

I had a chance to talk to Marcelle Leahy for a bit.. It was great getting to know her a little more.. I remember seeing her and the Senator this summer when Diane and I  were at friend Bob’s wedding.. Leahy walked into the restaurant we were in for the reception .. We had to turn him and Marcelle away.. but I noticed that they were still holding hands after 49 years of marriage,,, That’s pretty cool.  I gave her a couple of samstones to keep…

Ok.. I’m pretty sleepy right now.. Just came back from a live Grateful Dead  cover band show at Higher ground with George .. A great end to a very good day.

I did see that WPTZ, a local TV station did a story on Leahy’s visit to the plant. tonight.. here it is..

Can’t stay awake anymore.. gotta sleep..

more tomorrow

nite all, nite Sam

-me