In my office I have two 10″ digital picture frames which sequence through a selection of my favorite photographs. Last week I decided to purchase a 40″ TV which I plan to replace them with. Rather than have the facility folks mount it to the wall (not appropriate given this is a personal purchase and not something needed for my work) I will be placing it on the top of the back side of my wrap around desk where it will look best if raised by about 5 inches. This weekend I made quick work of a custom sized riser which will sit under the stand and match the set nicely. It took roughly 30 minutes to complete over a period of 24 hours (5 minutes to cut the MDF, 5 minutes to glue the joints, 5 minutes to round over the corners, 2 minutes per coat of black enamel repeated 8 times). I will install it on Monday and load a set of recent photos.

Maya was asked to choose a restaurant for our family dinner this evening. Having spent 3 of her 4 weeks of adventure on a diet of roti (wheat-based flat bread) and dal (dried lentils, peas, or beans that have been stripped of their outer hulls, split, and prepared in a stew) we thought she might enjoy choosing from a familiar menu. Her choice was Papa Razzi. Unfortunately, the Shamrock Ball is this evening and the restaurant was overrun with elegantly dressed fathers and daughters. We ventured outside of Concord to the River’s End restaurant in Maynard where Maya ordered cheese fries. Both Jeanine and Maya struggled to stay awake through the meal but having done so are well on their way back to operating on local time.

Before leaving for India a month ago, Jeanine prepared detailed instructions for me to ensure all went smoothly on the home front. The list of items included everything from when to water the plants and take out the trash to contact information in the event of emergency and her complete travel itinerary. As the weeks passed by I started to focus exclusively on the date and time of her return flight, March 15th, 7:50PM. Imagine my surprise then, when she called me last night from the airport wondering why I was not there to meet them. Thirty minutes later, Nico and I were reunited with Jeanine and Maya and enjoyed hearing many of their stories on the ride home. Fortunately, I was off the hook because the date error was not mine. Between them, Maya and Jeanine shot close to 1500 photos which we have whittled down to just over 800. The one posted here, taken by Maya, is one of my favorites.

Tomorrow my boss, the Chief Operating Officer of iRobot, turns 50. Today we paused from our work to surprise him with a brief celebration which included cake (of course) and the reading of a top ten list (Dave Letterman style) of “Jeff-isms” which was really quite funny.

In other over-50 news, my indoor soccer team competed in our winter league playoffs to determine a divisional champion last night. We made it to the finals and were losing 0-1 with 3 minutes left to play. I received a pass at midfield and dribbled up the middle for a few yards and then unleashed a long-range strike which was shielded by the defender (the goalie could not see it coming until there was no time to react) which tied the score and sent us into Golden Goal overtime (first goal wins). With 90 seconds remaining before the end of overtime (and a penalty kick shoot-out) I scored the game/championship winner. It was a powerful strike into the upper left corner from distance. No better cure for growing old than playing young.

Jeanine and Maya made it to Agra where they visited the Taj Mahal. They are now officially on their way home and we expect them back on Friday evening. I also received Indian newspaper clippings covering an International Women’s Day event during which organizers honored Jeanine and Maya for their volunteer work teaching English and Math respectively at the Yeklavya Parivartan School. Although I cannot read the article, I know my wife and daughter when I see them, even if I have to squint.

Jeanine reports from India that she is feeling better and that after a day of rest in New Delhi they are pressing on to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. She has also posted a couple of images. I do not know the story behind either of these photos yet and can’t wait for the girls to return so I can hear all about their adventure. I had to make a trip to Maya’s middle school today to submit her course selections for high school. She will be in all honors classes and I have signed her up for 3D CAD, a prerequisite for the school’s engineering certificate program. Meanwhile, Nicolai has developed an allergic reaction to the Amoxicillin he is taking for his abscessed tooth. Fortunately, he had completed all but one day’s dosage and his tooth is better.

It has been several months since I made changes to my engineering leadership team and an updated photo has been long overdue. The gentleman standing to the right was one of my first hires after joining iRobot. He has advanced from the role of Manager to Senior Manager and now to Director over the course of 3 years. Few things give me more satisfaction at work than recruiting and developing top talent. He joins a group of equally impressive Directors to round out one of the best engineering and program management teams I have ever assembled. My work life becomes easy when I am surrounded by “A” players.

I spent a few hours at the Fenn School this morning playing futsal (indoor soccer on a hard court). Several members of my outdoor soccer team got together to start getting ready for the spring season. While my speed is an advantage, this game favors technique and creativity, the former of which is not one of my strong suits. Although I enjoy this version of soccer the least it is probably the best game for helping me to develop as a player.

Jeanine called from India for the first time. Unfortunately, it was to seek my assistance with modified flight arrangements as she has come down with the dreaded Delhi Belly and is not sure she will be able to tolerate flying tomorrow. I am hoping she feels better and will not be forced to shorten the sightseeing part of her adventure with Maya.

My mother’s 17 day visit came to an end today as I saw her off at the train station this morning. She returns to Douglaston, NY where she is living with her sister and brother-in-law in a beautiful house that overlooks Little Neck Bay at the base of Long Island Sound. She managed to avoid catching the cold that both Nicolai and I caught using early intervention with homeopathic preventatives. Her visit has been a blessing, helping us to survive while Jeanine and Maya are in India.

Kyle checked in this afternoon and sounds like he is ready for a new living arrangement next year which offers less partying and more privacy. It seems he is running and working out regularly and says he is almost ready to take up soccer again. He has also started making plans to spend several weeks in New Zealand this summer (too bad he no longer needs a chaperon or I would volunteer to go with him). Jeanine and Maya have completed their volunteering stint and are headed to New Delhi and Agra for a few days of sightseeing before they start the journey back home. There are two guys and a dog here who will be very happy to see them.

It has been snowing like mad all day long. As I left the office this evening the sky was lit up and the snow was piled up. We had a total of about 12 inches in Concord. Fortunately, I cleared half of it before goingtoo work which made the final cleanup much easier. Today was the end of a “Biggest Loser” weight loss contest I joined at work back in December. I lost 17 pounds which represented 9.1% of my prior weight and has put me in good shape for the spring soccer season which starts in just a few weeks. The winner lost more than 15% so I was never in real contention for the top prize.

Hard to believe my mother is 30 years my senior. At 84 she is still nimble as a cat and graceful as a swan. She has been staying with Nicolai and me for the past two weeks ensuring we are well-fed and clothed. Jeanine will no doubt credit her with our survival during her absence (a probably correct assessment). I thought it would be nice to make a mother-son portrait this evening. I can count on one hand the number of photos I have with just the two of us in it. I thought it turned out rather well except for the intense-looking guy in the picture who doesn’t know how to smile.

Having missed my indoor soccer match last week while in China, I returned to the field this evening with a well-rested body. Unfortunately, I was still suffering from the head cold I had been fighting for about a week now. I predicted ahead of the game to my teammates that I was either going to play exceptionally well or exceptionally badly based on my prior experiences when playing while ill. We won our match 11-5 and I came away with a double hat trick (my highest-scoring game ever) and several assists. The best part is that I managed to do this without getting injured, which often happens when I push myself this hard.

I received another picture from the girls. It appears they are enjoying a latte with fresh buffalo milk.

After seeing an interview with co-directors Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush, my mother and I went into Boston to see their documentary about hunger in America this evening. 50 million people in the U.S.-one in four children-don’t know where their next meal is coming from, despite our having the means to provide nutritious, affordable food for all. “A Place at the Table” examines this issue through the lens of three people who are struggling with food insecurity: Barbie, a single Philadelphia mother who grew up in poverty and is trying to provide a better life for her two kids; Rosie, a Colorado fifth-grader who often has to depend on friends and neighbors to feed her and has trouble concentrating in school; and Tremonica, a Mississippi second-grader whose asthma and health issues are exacerbated by the largely empty calories her hardworking mother can afford.

Judging by the fact that the movie is playing in exactly one theater in the entire Boston area and our screening was attended by only 6 other people, I think it is probable that hunger in America will be with us for some time.

Lately, I have been playing around with long exposures which often reveal patterns that would otherwise go unnoticed. Several small chunks of ice caught in this eddy made for a circular pattern when exposed for 15 seconds.