Today I traveled to Santa Barbara where I will be working for most of the week. My routing was through Phoenix for the first time exposing me to some new aerial landscapes.,

I have attributed my recent surge in scoring to being injury-free for the first time this season. Another possible explanation is that our team manager recently started awarding a jar of salsa for each goal scored. I must confess, I really like the salsa.

A bruised pinky toe and fat lip were the price I paid this morning for 3 goals and one assist against Foxboro. The very physical contest ended our fall outdoor season with a satisfying 6-1 defeat of a team that had beaten us earlier in the year. It was raining but not too cold and we played on grass. My first goal was the best. I beat a defender down the right side and unleashed a rocket from at least 25 yards out. It screamed past the goalie and set the stage for the rest of the game. On the second, I intercepted a goal kick and dribbled in to easily beat the keeper. The final goal was another breakaway down the right in the second half. This time I was tackled be two defenders but not before releasing a well place ground shot that was beyond the keepers reach and just inside the left post.

As if Maya did not have enough soccer for one day she left her party for an indoor match. This league is for 5th and 6th graders and Maya finds herself battling giant opponents. The score was reflective of the height differential. Maya remained fearless and would attack the largest of her opponents like a wasp after a bear.

The head coach, an MIT guy, keeps very careful statistics throughout the season. He keeps track of and awards points to players on the field when goals are scored and detracts points when goals are surrendered. Maya was recognized during the awards ceremeony for jointly holding the highest power score on the team.

The girls enjoyed quite a feast, which included both healthy and not so healthy snacks.

Maya played her final game of the soccer season in the pouring rain and bitter cold. Her team secured a 2-0 victory despite the very hostile conditions, and we followed the match with a team party.

Kyle’s soccer team advances another round in the state championship tournament with a decisive 2-0 win over Danvers. The team will be in action again next Monday, and the stakes will be even higher. Only 8 teams remain in the single-elimination tournament. Unfortunately, I will be working in California and will not be able to make the match.

Wresting season is right around the corner, and Nicolai could not be more excited. He has grown significantly over the past six months and now is almost as tall as I am. His foot is now a size 10 which necessitated the purchase of a new wrestling shoes.

Maya and Jeanine participated in a ceremonial American Flag Retirement ceremony today at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetary replete with fife and drum band, bag pipes, the playing of taps, and a three cannon salute. Girl and Boy Scouts folded flags to be retired and then handed them off to a military family being honored for their father’s recent return from Iraq. They are then passed to a fire marshall in full uniform who respectfully places the flag in a container in which it is burned.

Dad shows that he has a move or two. I call this one “cut right and run faster than the other old man”. Photo courtesy of Ruth, the wife of one of my teammates.

Maya lost what has to be one of her last baby teeth this morning. She nonchalantly reached into her mouth, yanked it out with one pull, and calmly offered it up for inspection.

A perfect fall day and ideal conditions for soccer. Although we lost I had a pretty good game. I won a header inside the box which I put on frame, literally. The rebound offered another bite at the apple but luck had it fall to the foot of a defender. Later in the game I had a nice assist on our only goal. I spent the afternoon cleaning and organizing the garage. I came up with a solution to store both the Smart car and the snowblower (which is almost as big as the car) in the same bay. Now all three cars can sleep under a roof and we are ready to deal with a heavy snow.

Jeanine attended a cheese making workshop in western Massachusetts. I have a feeling that fresh mozzarella is in our future.

Nala purveys her domain. She seems to have taken a dislike to the horses across the street, and anytime they come close to the fence, she makes them aware of her presence. They do not seem the least bit concerned and seem to have accurately assessed that she is all bark and no bite.

Nicolai is taking a photography class at school. For his assignment this week he had the idea to paint with light. With a tripod mounted camera and Maya’s assistance (she held the shutter open for about 12 seconds), Nico used a flashlight to spell his name and then illuminate his face. He used a digital camera to work out the exposure settings and rehearse the movements and then switched to a film camera to create the final image for his class. I really enjoyed observing the way brother and sister worked together in harmony.

A quick peak into the oven as I returned from work suggested a yummy dinner ahead.

Maya, with alto sax in tow, heads into school early to attend her Mandarin class. She is our little Renaissance girl.

Parking in Cambridge conforms to a different standard than in Concord. A view of Broadway as seen from my office window.

Kyle played extremely well and I was fortunate to capture a nice sequence of him winning a header over a former Stars teammate who easily stands 8 inches taller. If you click on the photos for a larger view you will see that Kyle dedicated his game to Jeanine’s parents, Larry and Eunice Roche. In the second photo, Kyle kicks the ball he has headed to himself on the way down from his flight.

This evening the CCHS Men’s Varsity Soccer Team dedicated its match against arch rival Lincoln Sudbury HS to a Kicks for Cancer fundraiser. Each player’s jersey bore the name of someone in their life touched by cancer who they chose to honor. After a discussion with Tom Bird I realized how poignant it would be to photograph the game from an entirely new perspective. Rather than focus on the faces of each player as is my normal practice, I would shift my center of attention to the names on their jerseys and applied the same concept to the team photo. Unfortuantely Seth Bird was ill and unable to play or be part of the photo inspired by his father. I will try to catch up with him when he is well and add him to the collection of team photos.

It was quite a busy Sunday for the Calabria parents. As I left the house early this morning for my soccer match against Belmont I remarked to Jeanine that this was the first time all season that I was not injured or hurting anywhere. This state of well being translated into a 3 goal game for me and a 5-1 win for our team against an opponent that beat us 3-1 earlier in the season. After the game Jeanine and I attended the Willard School dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony during which Maya, pictured in the lower left background, participated in the fifth grade choir to sing in their new school. Next Jeanine and I enjoyed an extended late lunch which gave us a chance to get reaquainted after weeks of long long days in the office for me. We concluded the day with a family meeting in which all members created goals and measurement criteria to help us be all that we can be.