Shopping was the order of business today. Armed with a list of supplies and essential dorm room accouterments, Jeanine, Kyle and I went on a shopping spree that ended when our rental SUV reached full capacity. It was amusing to see other college freshman flanked by their parents with equally full shopping carts at each of our strategically selected shopping venues. Vans and SUVs stuffed to the ceiling in our hotel parking lot revealed that a half dozen or so Santa Clara bound student were also staying here. It was a very busy and productive day during which we procured exactly what we needed. Unfortunately, I came down with a bout of food poisoning which left me sicker than I have been in quite some time. I took a short nap in the late afternoon and was able to join Kyle and Jeanine for dinner in Cupertino at the home of the Meugees, friends of ours from 18 years ago when we lived here. It was great to reconnect with them and to see how their son, David, one of Kyle’s early childhood playmates, had grown up.

After a busy morning of packing Jeanine, Kyle and I left for the airport with a pair of round trip and a single one way ticket for San Jose, California. During the long flight, connecting through Phoenix, I had time to think about the various one-way tickets I had purchased in my life. Each one demarcated a major transition point in my life journey. I suspect the same will be true for Kyle. In twenty years will this day be remembered as the one on which he moved from the east coast to the west coast? The day that led to a job in Silicon Valley or marriage to a girl from Santa Barbara? Only time will tell. My emotions today have been running the gamut but mostly I am excited for Kyle as he embarks on this new chapter in his life. Kyle is fully ready to begin college. Santa Clara’s academic school year begins later than most colleges and Kyle has been bouncing off the walls for the last few weeks. Kyle leaves the nest very well prepared for what lies ahead. I wish I could say that Jeanine and I were as well prepared for the void we will feel when we return to Boston without our first born.

Kyle leaves for college tomorrow making today the last time we will eat dinner as a family for quite some time. Time has passed so quickly and it is hard for me to accept that our little boy is leaving the nest. We are all excited for him but at the same time there is going to be a huge empty spot at the table and we are all going to miss him terribly. Jeanine and I will travel with him to California and I will post again when we return on Monday.

Nico’s soccer team faced Bedford High School today. Because it is so close to iRobot, I was able to arrive in time for the second half. Nico, as these photographs demonstrate, is a beast in the air and also demonstrated great leadership on the field. His team came back from a 1-2 deficit to secure a 4-2 win. Kyle took time out of his work schedule to watch his little brother play for perhaps the last time before he is off to college. Jeanine, despite a nasty cold, was also cheering from the sidelines.

This evening we hosted a beginning of the season party for Nicolai’s soccer team. With roughly 50 guests we opted to hold the event outdoors despite the onslaught of mosquitoes. Coach Baron who briefed the players and their parents on the expectations and rules for the team also served as our grill master (it is amazing how much food 21 athletic teenage boys can eat). My day was interrupted when one of the temples on my glasses gave way. Fortunately my optician was able to fit a temporary replacement while the proper piece is shipped from the manufacturer. My back up glasses contain an old prescription and gave me a headache within minutes proving to be an unacceptable option.

As the fog was rising off our field this morning I noticed this very healthy looking doe having breakfast. It was a very peaceful way to start a day which will forever be remembered for being anything but. I watched coverage of the 9/11 anniversary with the kids and took time to explain the significance of this day to Maya who was only two at the time of the attacks. I then left for Bolton for my first soccer game of the fall season. Although we dominated play, we had to settle for a 0-0 tie. I had several solid shots on goal but all found the keeper rather than the back of the net. I felt that I let my team down by not scoring on at least two of these opportunities both of which I should have finished. In each case I dispossessed my defender and had a one on one show down with the goalie. The only consolation was that I created these chances myself and had not squandered a build up by the team. Kyle visited his cousin Johnny who is attending Babson although he had to return prematurely having taken Nicolai’s car which contained his backpack and homework materials. Late in the afternoon I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and did a 2 hour, 8-mile paddle on a section of the Sudbury River which was new to me. Jeanine returned from her weekend classes at the University of Bridgeport later in the evening and has decided to drop her Biochemistry course because they have rescheduled the dates of the class which now conflicts with our upcoming trip to California. Missing an 8-hour class and her first exam was simply not an option.

This morning Jeanine left the house at 4:30AM to attend her first day of classes at the University of Bridgeport. She is studying Biochemistry and Anatomy which are prerequisites for a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition. Back on the home front I enjoyed watching Maya play in her first outdoor game of the season. She remains tiny for her age group but shows no fear when taking on much larger opponents. In this photo she clears a ball before the charging forward can put her foot to it. The away game against Southborough was played on their 9/11 Memorial Field. It was sobering to be here on this day and I took time before the game to read all the names of the Massachusetts victims which are memorialized here.

Each year Jeanine’s book group invites the men to join in and combines the discussion with a dinner party. We hosted this evening as we examined Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer a non-fictional look at the origin and evolution of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a modern double murder of a mother and her baby daughter committed in the name of God by brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who subscribed to a fundamentalist version of Mormonism. This reader was left pondering the origins of all religions and the violence perpetrated by the most “faithful”.

Twenty years ago Jeanine and I purchased this Thayer Coggin couch and remarkably it has held up extremely well despite serving at various times as a trampoline, canine teething toy, wrestling mat and child conception aid. Although it was very expensive it has certainly withstood the test of time. Unfortunately the fabric is now showing signs of wear which can no longer be ignored. After looking at new couches we have opted to reupholster ours. Although we stand to save a little money the primary motivator was that we simply could not find a modern design that was as elegant or well constructed as this contemporary classic. We will move our downstairs couch upstairs while it is being worked on. Jeanine needed this photo to send to the designer who will help us with choosing a new fabric.

Rather than a pair of wooden kayaks I am wondering if it would have been smarter to build an arc given the amount of rain we are experiencing. Over the last few days we have had a steady torrent of rain as hurricanes Lee and Katia have made there way up the eastern seaboard. Relative to the hardships faced by many other communities there is really nothing to complain about but we are looking forward to the improving weather that has been forecast for this weekend. Maya and Nicolai report a good start to the school year and Kyle is negotiating on the purchase of a business to merge with his own. I place Kyle’s business experience and sophistication about 8 years ahead of mine when I was beginning college.

While Kyle sleeps in, Nico and Maya are up early today for the first day of the new school year. Nicolai is a junior and Maya will be entering the 7th grade. This year demarcates a more dramatic boundary than others. Kyle will be leaving for college, Nicolai begins the year a full fledged driver and looking more like a man than a boy, and I can no longer credibly describe Maya as my little girl. She has matured into a young woman complete with holes drilled through her ear lobes and a new focus on fashion. Randomly colored toe nails have been covered with a single hue, wild and flowing hair has been replaced with tight braids, a fashionista inspired outfit has taken the place of care free summer attire. It has been a terrific summer but I think everyone was ready for school to start including Jeanine who will be attending the University of Bridgeport every other weekend for the remainder of the year. Everyone in the family seems to be getting smarter except me.

I spent the better part of the day working around the house on this Labor Day. I got a great workout removing a massive root ball which needed to be cleared so that we can plant a new tree to replace the one killed by last winter’s heavy snowfall. Even though I got an early start to combat the heat I was sweating bullets in no time. Jeanine assisted by removing my totally soaked shirt and making flirtatious comments. I look ridiculous with my soccer tan (brown arms, neck and head with white torso). Next I worked with Nico to reorganize his bedroom furniture for the new school year. He likes to change things up just for the variety. While moving his bed we noticed that the main support beam had a significant bow in it so I took it down to the shop and machined and attached a much stronger stiffener. Next I organized my electronics equipment, cables, and probes for easier access. Finally, I added a more powerful UPS (uninterruptable power supply) to my home office computer and moved it to a more convenient location. I feel as if I lived up to the title of the Labor Day holiday.

Jeanine prepared a wonderful Sunday dinner which featured this shoulder roast from “our” cow. Here she sears all sides to seal in the juices before placing in the oven. My day started with a second soccer scrimmage of the weekend. Maya helped me map out all the electrical circuits in the house in preparation for installation of a standby generator which I hope to have on line before the end of the month. We also worked together in the shop to build a pair of drawer organizers so that her study area is totally ready for the beginning of school. Jeanine organized a yard clean up detail to clear the lawn of downed branches from hurricane Irene. Meanwhile, I took care of a sticking door which required planing the full length of one side and remortising the lock sets.

Jeanine’s sister Susan has joined us for the long weekend primarily so she can bid Kyle farewell as he prepares to depart for college. We decided to go into Boston for dinner in Chinatown and afterwards to the beach overlooking Old Harbor with a nice view of the JFK Presidential Library. I think Susan will miss Kyle as much as we will. She has cultivated a special relationship with all her nieces and nephews. She has always connected with our children at every stage of their lives and engages with them deeply. There are few people who truly know our children as well as Susan.