Today I started packing the POD we will be using for our move. I made extensive use of surplus banana boxes in which food was delivered to Open Table. The uniform size and strength allow for packing to the full height over our 16-foot-long moving container.
Having sold my snowblower last week, I could have predicted we would soon have snow. It arrived today in greater amounts than predicted. It was very wet snow which makes for wonderful images and downed power lines. Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to go outside to enjoy it and had to settle for this picture taken through our kitchen window.
Inspired by my brother who is equipping his new woodworking shop with pneumatic blast gates, I built a prototype of the one I will use when I put my new dust collection system into action. The idea is that all of the dust and chip producing tools share a common vacuum system and each one is fitted with a blast gate to connect or disconnect from the ducting system. When a tool is turned on, the corresponding blast gate is opened while all others remain closed. My brother’s system is much more sophisticated, employing an Arduino controller and current sensors on all machines. Mine is basic with each valve solenoid hard-wired to each tool and a slower close than open rate to allow the lines to clear. Above is a video of my test run. I spent less than an hour putting the whole thing together and it worked like a charm.
In addition to his job at Concord Carlisle High School teaching World Cultures this term, Nicolai is also coaching the men’s junior varsity soccer team. This evening, at his request, I took the team photo employing a small hill to help create a more interesting COVID-19 appropriate portrait. Earlier in the day, I had one of my teeth extracted. It was one I would have preferred to keep but I broke it too badly to repair. My dentist does not feel I will miss it all that much so I am going to do without tooth number 18 from here on out.
We are sending positive energy to my younger sister Mayela and her husband Stephen today. Their beloved dog, Peachy, is having surgery to remove a tumor. Despite her lovely face and docile demeanor, this dog is tough as nails, a lot like my sister come to think of it. This dog is so tough my sister uses her as bait while fishing.
Maya came home today to help pack up her belongings in preparation for our move. While she was going through her stuff she came across her childhood piggy bank and was thrilled to discover that it contained over $800 in babysitting savings. She had forgotten about or never realized she had amassed such a small fortune. I believe she is going to treat herself to a new set of hiking boots with some of her newly discovered loot. Later in the afternoon, Maya and I replaced the front brake pads on her Audi. I did most of the first wheel and she did all of the second. Next weekend she plans to do the rear pads.
My morning on the soccer pitch was rather chilly but netted a satisfying 7-0 win. I played a good 60 minutes and my conditioning is improving with each week. I had one shot on goal but it missed by more than a good bit. Jeanine spent the day packing for the move while Kyle went apartment hunting, returning with a lease in hand.
The last of our trees to show fall color, the Japanese maple we planted 17 years ago was looking very beautiful today. It is not as close to our kitchen sink window as the photo suggests but it does frame one side of the view into our backyard. Over the years, I have pruned it to create a canopy over the stairs that lead from our deck into the yard. I hope the new owners of our home continue with the practice, as it creates a very strong connection between the house and the great outdoors.
This evening, our driveway featured a new addition. Behold Kyle’s Mazda CX 5. Now all three kids have their own cars which will eliminate the source of contention that car-sharing has caused in recent months. Some people drive cars that just do not seem to fit their personality. I’d say that this one is a perfect match for Kyle’s.
Photographing mirrors can be very tricky for obvious reasons. I am rather pleased with the way this one turned out after I carefully selected a pleasing reflection to complement the scene. I have now posted for sale listings for about 80% of the furniture we own on Craig’s List. Our goal is to enter our new home with as few decorating constraints as possible and to give ourselves a chance to change things up after more than 30 years with most of our furnishings.
It has been ten years now since my father passed away. I wish he could have seen how all his grandchildren have grown up. I am sure he would have been extremely proud of them. He was a man who worked hard but knew how to have fun. I hope to honor his memory by emulating his passion for life.
When Nicolai was honored with the Shane’s Inspiration Award in 2008 for raising over $100,000 to provide free wheelchairs for people with mobility impairments in Tanzania, he received a framed drum cymbal and drum sticks signed by Alex Van Halen, Eddie’s brother and drummer for the band. Now that we are downsizing, we have let the kids know that we will no longer be able to store their stuff for them. Nicolai has a number of awards that he does not have space for in his current apartment including this one. Not clear what we will do with them yet, but I thought I would start by photographing them all for digital posterity.
On the way to Ashland, where I played soccer this morning, I came across this lovely scene in Framingham. The sun was not being very cooperative and I could not wait for it to make an appearance. My soccer match was rather one-sided. We were up by 5-0 at the half and played two-touch for the entire second half to make the game more competitive. I got a lot of minutes, had a nice assist, and sustained no injuries; no better outcome on a perfect fall morning. Beyond the pictured falls is the Sudbury River Reservoir Number One. It should be possible to kayak to this location from our new home with one short portage but it would make for a rather long day of paddling.
For almost 40 years now, I have been dragging around prototypes and circuit boards of some of my earliest design work dating back to my time at Stanford, Bell Laboratories, and Truevision. In addition to circuit design, I also hand-wired and tested my own prototypes, and did most of the mechanical and printed circuit board layout as well. With our household move looming ever closer, I am wondering, who, other than myself, is ever going to look at these artifacts in the future and why I continue to drag them around. I decided to photograph the entire collection to make discarding the physical objects a more approachable option. Letting go of the past can be very difficult, especially when you have the actual objects into which you literally poured blood, sweat, and tears.
This year, fall color has been exceptional and looks like it will peak this weekend. I paused on my commute to capture the splendor just off of Route 2. Normally, I make several trips up into the White Mountains at this time of year in search of great photo opportunities. Between work and the new house, however, I have had little time to even think about such excursions.
