Punchbowl Blog

I’m back on the East Coast, awaiting my wife to pick me up at Logan. My flight landed 25 minutes early.

A little disappointed with JetBlue. My TV didn’t work, and they didn’t have any wine on the flight. I opted for a Diet Coke instead, and was able to get a lot of work done overnight. I guess I’ll sleep when I get home in a few minutes. It was a relatively smooth ride and we got here safely– and that’s all that really matters to me.

I remember the days when I used to bring tequila in a small bottle for a redeye. A few swigs of that and I was out. Hmm, can I still bring 3oz? I doubt it. (Note to self: check the TSA website).

I’m getting pretty good at this coast to coast thing. Does that make me bi-coastal??

I had planned to do some blogging tonight before my redeye back to Boston, but I’ve run out of time. I have lots to write about– and I hope my readers are interested in my whirlwind week in Silicon Valley.

I’m now sitting now on the plane right before takeoff. I ran out of time to blog for a few reasons, one of them being that we (my cousin and I) decided to head to In & Out Burger before hitting the airport. If you’ve never been to and In & Out Burger, you won’t understand. It’s great. I had a double-double with fries. No tomato. Fries were hot, and the bun was toasted. Brilliant.

I doubt I’ll sleep much on the red-eye, and I can’t live blog. Bummer. I think I’ll write some posts in Word and then post them later. That is, if my battery lasts for more than an hour…

Ladies and gentleman, please turn off all of your electronic devices. We’re ready for takeoff.

I knew I shouldn’t have listened to those weatherpeople…. they said low 60’s. Maybe they were reading it upside down.

I’ve had a great week in San Francisco– met some really nice people, and went to some very worthwhile events. It’s been over 5 years since I lived here last, but there are many things that I really like about this area.

I’ll write more later (before my redeye) about the events that I went to and some of the people that I met.

Sometimes this blog gets personal. If you don’t want to read, please don’t.

Yesterday I was shocked to learn that my neighbor Robert Meszaros was in a horrible bike accident. He’s in critical condition. Of course bad things like this happen all of the time. But this feels personal. Allow me to explain.

I wouldn’t say that Robert and I are friends. We’re neighbors. And in typical neighbor fashion, I see him a few times a week, usually working on his yard. We’ve chatted many times, about his job at the Wentworth Institute of Technology, and about my startup. It’s a friendly, if inconsequential relationship. Secretly, I’ve taken to calling him “Ned Flanders,” after the Simpsons character who always has the better lawn.

After I came back from a run a few weeks ago, Robert was going out on a bike ride. We chatted about bicycles, and I mentioned that I hadn’t been on mine in a few years. I explained that I really wanted a road bike instead of my current mountain bike. I took out my mountain bike to show Robert, and he encouraged me to swap out the tires and get a new seat. He told me the best shop in town to go.

Two weekends ago, inspired by Robert, I went to the bike shop and bought road tires and a new seat. I was psyched. I went on a bike ride for the first time in years. A few days later, while taking out the trash in the early morning, I saw Robert and showed him my bike. He was excited for me, and we ended up chatting for 25 minutes about different bike routes in the area. I told him where I had gone: up route 27 to Sherborn. He’d been that way many times, he told me. We talked about safety, and how some routes (like Route 27) have hardly any shoulder on the road. He mentioned a different route that he likes. He pointed out that there are lots of bicyclists on that road, and that it felt more safe to him than Route 27.

This past Saturday, I went on my 2nd bike ride in years. I went on the route that Robert told me about– a beautiful ride to a Horticultural Center in the area. It was great, and I’ve looked for Robert this week to tell him how much I enjoyed it.

Yesterday, I heard the horrible news that Robert was in a bike accident on Saturday– at the exact time I was out riding. He went on the other route that we had spoken about– up Route 27. Apparently, he lost control coming down a hill and hit his head on a guardrail (yes, he was wearing a helmet). There were no cars involved. He’s in critical condition with swelling in the brain and multiple broken bones.

His wife is 6 months pregnant. His family has gathered. His prognosis is unknown.

I’m not particuarly religious, but I’m praying for Robert. If you can, please pray too. He’s a good person, and he deserves to pull through and make a full recovery.

Life is inexplicably random. Could it have been me?

His house sits quietly across the street as I write early this morning. Inside is a heartbroken family, hoping for the best.

Please pray for Robert.