This week I will be working out of our Santa Barbara office. My flight to LAX affords me great views of Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. As dramatic, but in an entirely different way, is the Mission Fire burning in the hills above Los Angeles. The city was almost entirely obscured by the smoke which has filled the valley and the magnitude of the fire is apparent from the plumes which resemble an erupting volcano. Between the Kennedy funeral procession and this fire I feel like I was a photojournalist covering the news this week.
Maya attends the birthday party for new friend Eden. The Hanna Montana themed party begins with the creation of a massive banner. After the party Maya and I made a quick stop at the Willard school. The new building seems to be very nearly complete and demolition of the old school appears to be half way done. Maya’s class will be the first to enjoy the brand new school building. Earlier in the day my soccer team opened the fall season with a disappointing loss. I did not get a single shot on goal and nothing came of several very nice crosses and passes to teammates in scoring position.
A rather large dinner this evening. In addition to the family, we had Jolle plus three of Nicolai’s friends and Kyle’s friend Hanna join us. At times like this, it is nice to have the kitchen island for overflow seating.
Today at work the CEO of Sonos formally announced that he was stepping out of his role as the Conscience of Wi-Fi Performance and passing that responsibility to me. In my monthly departmental newsletter I intend to memorialize this auspicious occasion with the aid of this photo demonstrating my full and total commitment to this crucial role. Our products are distinguished in the market by outstanding wireless performance throughout the home and this is in no small part due to the personal interest my boss has taken in this aspect of our product development.
On the way home from work today I swung by the State House in time to see the Ted Kennedy funeral procession pass by. His body was driven from the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport to the JFK Memorial Library in Boston. The end of the 70 mile journey was through the streets of Boston and the North End which were lined with mourners and respectful onlookers. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause when the hearse, seen here, passed by. Perhaps because I grew up during the years of the Kennedy dynasty (JFK’s assassination is one of my earliest memories), I felt compelled to bear witness and pay my respects to a man who so clearly cared about people and made such a profound impact on social justice. He was not without faults, but no one can deny that he was a great man who will leave behind many great friends and a legacy of legislative leadership that will likely never be matched. Farewell Teddy.
With the lighting worked out last night, Jolle posed for portraits again this evening. She is extremely photogenic, and it was hard to take a bad photo. This was one of my favorites.
I have promised Jolle a nice portrait before she returns to Belgium. This evening, we did a practice session and played around with some different lighting. This was my favorite.
It took almost an hour to get this extreme close-up up but I am glad I put the time in. Doing so made me appreciate the beauty of this flower even more. I do not often speak of God, but admiring the wonders of nature is where I see mine.
The Revs won 3-1 with all three goals coming from Dube. It was a very exciting game and a late evening breeze made conditions perfect for spectating. Maya who earned all four tickets in exchange for cat sitting was not able to join us because she is still suffering from flu symptoms.
Today was all about soccer. At 8AM the boys and Jolle joined me for a scrimmage with my over 50s team. All three kids held their own with the adults while I played rather pathetically despite finding the net four times. I spent the bulk of the afternoon recovering from the mornings game before taking Jolle, Nico and his friend Haley to a Revolution soccer game at Gillette Stadium. Jeanine prepared a nice tailgate cooler before we left and we enjoyed sushi, chicken drummies, chips and salsa and chocolate pudding before taking our seats.
Kyle’s friend Hannah joins us for dinner this evening along with Nico’s friends Greg and Kevin. Earlier in the day, Jolle and I went kayaking on the Sudbury River. Even though she had little experience, she paddled like a pro. Maya is not feeling well, and I spent the bulk of the day hanging out with her.
I was in the mood for a burrito today and took a short stroll at lunchtime to obtain the object of my desire. Along the way, I saw this interesting juxtaposition of nature and urban infrastructure and thought it would make a nice photo.
Nicolai rests on the couch while rubbing Nala’s belly. This week has seen temperatures well into the nineties, which has made soccer camp quite exhausting for the girls and left everyone ready to relax at the end of the day.
The new gardens have been a source of delight and nutrition for the entire summer. Now it is also the source of something of a mystery. There are two football sized gourd like objects which are growing adjacent to the raised beds. Jeanine has theorized that they have come from seeds in the compost. We will no doubt discover what they are when Jeanine cooks them into something or other.
Yesterday I received several 30″ x 20″ posters of photos I took on our southwestern RV adventure. The dining area of our kitchen features one wall which features a magnetic wall (steel embedded in the paint under the wall paper). This morning I mounted the various prints with magnets and enjoyed the reaction of the kids as they came down stairs for breakfast.
We can now choose the most fuel-efficient car for the trip at hand and Kyle can add an hour to his day by not having to ride the bus two ways. With Nico attending the same high school, it is a double bonus.
Meet 15 year old Jolle from Belgium. She will be spending the next three weeks with our family. She is the daughter of Jeanine’s Youth for Understanding (YFU) exchange sister, Frances who came from Belgium in 1980 to live with Jeanine’s family in Lebanon, Indiana. When Jeanine was twenty she stayed with Frances and her parents in Belgium. In no small part due to Jeanine’s father, Larry, the families remained connected over the last 30 years and we are delighted to host Jolle. This week she is attending a soccer training camp.
Today I participated in a charity soccer tournament in Ipswich with my former Concord United Over 40 teammates. The temperature was well above 90 and we played a total of four 35 minute games. The first three were back to back and we only had one sub. We tied the first game 1-1 and won the second 1-0. During the third game we were losing 2-0 with 15 minutes left to play. I spent most of the day as a defensive midfielder but at this point moved to the front line where I scored a very pretty diving header within a few minutes. The team rallied around this goal and we scored another two in quick succession to win the game and advance to the semi-finals. By the time we played our final match we were all exhausted and in my case sporting a pretty nasty blister. We did our best but were defeated by a younger and more skilled team. Proceeds of the tournament went to a college fund for the daughter of an Ipswich soccer player who died.
We paused at this self-serve, honor system book store. Very reasonably priced books are laid out on a table, and if you want one, you simply put the marked price into a lockbox on the table. What a great concept.
Jeanine took the train into Cambridge, where she met me at work (her first visit to my office since I started at Sonos). With all three kids scattered to the winds, we enjoyed a date night, which started with dinner at Arabian restaurant Oleana. Later, we walked about Harvard Square, which always offers a lot to take in.
This evening Kyle clipped a curb and popped one of the tires on the van while avoiding another car in the very chaotic Route 2 rotary. Just last weekend we entered into the AAA teenage driver contract with him which spells our parent and teenager responsibilities regarding use of the family car. Tire damage is addressed and Kyle will pay the $150 repair bill. A painful lesson but better than a collision for which we are thankful.
The undisputed champion catcher was Jamie, who was virtually indistractable and had a near perfect record. He may, consequently, be the first to throw up.
From my perspective, the winning teams had the best tossers. A good toss required very little repositioning by the catcher. Dave received my vote for best tosser.
This evening Kyle had a number of his friends over to the house to hang out. How do 6 teenage boys entertain themselves? One activity involved tossing mini-marshmallows across the kitchen and catching them with your mouth. Tossers and catchers alternated while attempting to disorient or distract their opponents.
Maya just got had her braces removed and shows off her very nice and straight teeth. As I understand it she will need to wear them again in a few years when all of her permanent teeth come in. Until then we will all enjoy her unobstructed smile.
This evening we had Kyle’s family birthday celebration. Maya was largely responsible for baking the chocolate peanut butter pie that Kyle requested. Each year I do a birthday interview with each child. This year, Kyle’s interview was done by his friends Dave and Jamie who did a far more entertaining and compelling interview than I ever could have.
This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.
