An all-day meeting at iRobot’s UK office was the order of business today. I gave a one-hour presentation covering the changes and future plans for the Product Development organization and listened to presentations from my European colleagues. I came dressed for the cold damp weather even if I stuck out a bit.
I flew to London today for meetings in Europe this week arriving at the Grosvenor House at about 10 PM. With the five-hour time shift to my advantage, I went on a 2-hour midnight walking tour. My first stop was Wellington Arch and then on to Buckingham Palace. There was not a soul in sight allowing me to set up a 20-second exposure that really captured the ambient light beautifully. Next, on to the theater district of Piccadilly Circus and finally back by way of Oxford Circus where miles of ornamental lighting hung above the street.
Maya’s performed both a jazz number, I Want to be a Rockette, and a ballet piece, Scottish Dolls from Coppelia, in her winter dance recital. Maya has inherited the family genes for dancing and was in fine form despite suffering from a cold.
Jeanine danced her way onto the Board of Trustees for our Arrowhead Homeowner’s Association, elected by our neighbors at the annual meeting held at Vincenzo’s Restaurant.
I depart tomorrow for Europe and may not be able to post until my return at the end of the work week.
Today our neighborhood was invaded by a marauding rafter of wild turkeys. Eighteen in total, I was only able to capture a dozen in one frame. Nicolai was too slow to locate bow and arrow thwarting his plan to harvest one of the birds for Christmas dinner.
The varsity wrestling season opened today with a quad meet between Concord-Carlise, Lexington, Tyngsboro, and host Waltham. Nicolai weighed in at 112 pounds but was asked by the coach to wrestle up one weight class at 119 pounds. This is often done to improve the team line up relative to the opponents. Despite the weight disadvantage he was extremely competitive securing one win and coming very close to beating a very talented standout from Tyngsboro.
Kyle was feeling a little under the weather today. Nothing like a little dose of Hannah to cheer him up. She is good medicine for Kyle.
This morning I enjoyed a pastel sunrise. Morning light like this is common here but it only lasts for a few minutes.
Maya is now playing indoor soccer at a sports center which I pass each day on the way to and from work. Her game this evening ended at 7PM which coincided perfectly with my return commute. Her team won 6-3 due in no small part to her two friends Emma and Lucy who were part of our car pool. Maya had a terrific game demonstrating some fine ball control and strong shots.
Airing today is the Oprah Winfrey show to which Jeanine’s book group was invited. I had hoped to post some photos from the viewing party that Jeanine organized for her friends this afternoon. Alas, none were taken nor was the show recorded. Instead, I had to settle for close ups of a new floral arrangement that I found in the kitchen this evening.
The lighting of the Concord Christmas Tree brings out the entire town. Downtown traffic is suspended while a small parade ushers in Santa Claus who throws the switch to illuminate the live tree while residents enjoy each other’s company.
This evening Jeanine and I attended two parties. The first, a surprise birthday celebration for a dear friend, and the second a grand holiday gathering.
An unusually long day at work today with no time for photography so I decided to look back one decade to see what was happening then. Jeanine and I were on a weekend getaway to Columbus, Ohio with baby Maya.
Jeanine and members of her book group were featured in the Concord Journal which came out today. Although I was very happy for her, I was equally disappointed that we did not make the Police Log for our weekend call which resulted in the arrest of a drunk driver.
When our kids have friends over to the house they can rest assured that their mother will whip something up for them to eat. In this case, Jeanine prepares brownies for Kyle and his buddies and their girlfriends. I love this about her and hope the children appreciate how lucky they are to have a mom who makes their home so welcoming.
Before his friends arrived, I had an engaging hour long discussion with Kyle on a broad range of subjects. Not so much a father-son chat but rather a great conversation between two adults. We discussed everything from current events (WikiLeaks, nuclear proliferation) to running a business (his experience with Yard Dogs, his new business concepts, my education and which parts apply to my job today) to attributes of a life well lived (remaining healthy, making the world a better place, the relative importance of money) to his emerging interests (computer programming, psychology, game theory). I will long remember this chat and hope he will as well. I look forward to our next one.
