Nala surveys our backyard to ensure it is free from squirrels, wild turkeys, skunks, geese, deer, woodchucks, foxes, other dogs and cats. Her level of barking and whining at the door is a function of the proximity of these would be intruders to the house. The approach of a masked man carrying a crowbar, however, would more likely lead to enthusiastic tail wagging. It is amazing to me how much love and adoration this otherwise talent-less creature enjoys. I receive no such attention when I lie around the house all day and pee in the backyard.

It took many years to learn but I finally figured out that giving a woman a toaster for Valentine’s Day, no matter how nice or how much we needed one, is just a bad idea. In point of fact, I have discovered it is never acceptable to give a woman a gift for any occasion which can be used in the performance of a chore or from which you will derive some benefit. Note to sons, please take to heart this hard-won wisdom. Alright, I never actually gave Jeanine a toaster but some of my gifts have come close. This year my Valentine gave me a book entitled The 5 Love Languages (couples who understand each other’s love language hold a priceless advantage in the quest for love that lasts a lifetime). Note to daughter, men like toasters.

Kidding aside, I have started to read the book and as is generally the case I have a lot to learn.

Maya will be visiting China as part of a cultural exchange program later this year. To do so, she must obtain a Chinese visa which requires two passport-size photos. My photographic services were requested and I was happy to comply since Maya is more likely to shun the camera than to pose for it these days. Just this weekend while dining at a restaurant, I noticed Maya resting her chin on her (emptied) upside-down water glass. I thought this would make a nice photo and placed my camera into position for the shot. When she ascertained my intent she began gyrating her head, making faces, and sticking her tongue out to ruin the image. She was extremely pleased with her strategy until I informed her minutes into these antics that I had switched my camera into video mode and had recorded the entire bobblehead routine. The result is too embarrassing to post but will be the source of gut-busting laughter for years to come.

Each Sunday we try to do a Skype video call with Kyle. Today we noticed he is sporting a new high-speed haircut. I have been after him for a while to send a photo that I could use for the blog. When I asked him for one of his new haircut, he started in with a lame story about being so busy it would take a while (this while holding in his hand an iPhone that could complete the capture and transmission in about 15 seconds). I decided to take matters into my own hands and did a quick screen capture which you see posted here. Kyle seems to be doing OK this term although he reports that his programming class is not going that well. He has opted, wisely I think, to not rush a fraternity at this time while he continues to rehab his various sports injuries (he had two ice packs on during our chat). Jeanine and Maya will be visiting him in the next few weeks and I regret that work obligations will prevent me from joining them.

Winning all three of his matches today, Nicolai clawed out a 3rd place finish in the Division 2 State Wrestling Championship securing the only podium position for CCHS. He demonstrated great composure and strategy as he faced two highly regarded grapplers in the final rounds. He is pictured here using one of his favorite holds while looking up to check the time and score. We are all very proud of the way Nicolai shook off his only loss of the season to finish in such fine form. Maya insisted on attending all his matches, even though the event consumed most of the day. Jeanine texted Kyle constantly to keep him abreast of his brother’s progress. By virtue of his finishing position, Nico has qualified to wrestle at All States in 2 weeks time. He is going to take a couple of days to decide if he will enter or not. He has grown weary of cutting weight and the prospect of practicing alone for two more weeks is not something he looks forward to with much enthusiasm. On the other hand, it is a once or twice in a lifetime opportunity and the chance to shatter yet another barrier.

Nicolai left the house this morning still a pound overweight for the Division 2 State Wrestling tournament which begins today. Not good, but considering he was 6 over last night it could have been worse. He won his opening round with a first-period pin advancing his record to 15-0 with 14 by pin or technical fall. He faced a talented opponent in the second round and suffered his first loss of the season 10-3. Nicolai did not look sharp or wrestle well. Fortunately, he was able to bounce back and won his third match by a technical fall (point differential reaches 15) which allows him to advance to the consolation rounds tomorrow. The top six finishers of this tournament qualify for All States (D1, D2, D3). He will need to win at least one of three matches to advance.

Each morning, I generally spend the hour from 5AM to 6AM at my computer. This is when I usually write my blog entries and process photos that I have taken. For the past few months I have been trimming down and organizing my photo collection so that I can find images with greater ease. This week I have been going through my collection of ariel photographs taken from commercial aircraft. Most are best viewed in large format and do not translate well to the computer screen so I don’t often post them. This one of the Colorado River was taken above the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah.

Jeanine and I had the great pleasure of celebrating the 50th birthday of our good friend Susan Reynolds this evening. The soiree, hosted by her parents, was held at the Legal Harborside and attended by some 50 close friends. The measure of a life well lived may well be the positive impact one has on the people and world around you. Judging by the toasts she received, there can be little doubt that Susan has enriched the lives of everyone she has ever known. Her circle of friends is as eclectic and diverse as any I know. With each new dinner course, guests moved to a new table for a chance to mingle with each other. My present to Susan, pictured here with her adoring dad, was a slideshow of photos from the evening.

Maya is nearing completion of the entire Harry Potter series which she began reading a few months ago. When finished she will have read 3,407 pages in total. There is no doubt whatsoever that she inherited her passion for reading from Jeanine or that it will serve her well in school (she had a perfect report card last semester). On the downside, I am increasingly being discouraged from kissing her on any part of the face which would obscure her view while reading. Fortunately, I am still being granted access to the back of her head and neck. Although my pages are significantly shorter, I wonder if Maya (or anyone for that matter) will ever read all 4,645 entries that constitute my “book” in its current state.

Nicolai’s picture and bio have been added to the US National Amputee Soccer Team website.

From an article published in the on-line Concord Journal.

Undefeated Patriot wrestler Nico Calabria captured the106-pound D2 Central wrestling championship and Outstanding Wrestler honors on Saturday at Marlborough High School. In the early rounds of the tourney, Calabria recorded a first-period pin and a dominating second-period technical fall. The junior saved his best wrestling of the year for the championship match in which he executed an elegant variation on the Japanese Whizzer to take down Jeremiah Monks of Quabbin in the first period. He then flipped Monks to his back and quickly secured the pin. Calabria enters the D2 State championship next Friday as the 8th ranked 106-pounder in Massachusetts.

As New England families go, we are not remotely what you would call professional sports fans. We tend to participate rather than watch others play. That said, the Super Bowl is a special event. One to be appreciated as much for the over the top coverage as the inventive commercials. Nicolai took advantage of the occasion to have a party in the basement where his friends enjoyed watching the game on the 12 foot screen in our home theater. I captured the group when they came up to enjoy Jeanine’s freshly baked brownies during halftime.

Nicolai extended his undefeated wrestling season record to 14-0 with two pins and a technical fall. In so doing he became Sectional champion and was awarded the tournament’s top award, Outstanding Wrestler. Thirteen division two schools from the central Massachusetts section competed during the 1- hour tournament. The top four finishers advance to the division two state tournament next weekend and Nicolai’s first-place result should give him a favorable seeding.

Nicolai was featured on the front page of the Concord Journal sports section for his first-place finish at the DCL tournament last week.  Click on the image to read the article. Tomorrow he is in action again at the DCL Sectionals tournament which is the gateway to the State tournament.  On the next page of the Journal, you will find my photo of Maya (who appeared last week on the blog) and her indoor soccer team in recognition of their league championship last week.

What I appreciated most about the coverage in the Journal, and this is the first time it has happened in any of his media coverage, is that no mention was made of Nicolai’s unique morphology.  He was just a wrestler who won a tournament.  Bravo!

Jeanine was otherwise occupied this morning and unable to take Maya to Concord Tea Cakes for their weekly breakfast ritual. I was the benefactor of this circumstance even if only Maya’s reluctant second choice. She enjoyed an almond pastry and hot chocolate while I enjoyed watching and photographing her as she devoured the latest Harry Potter book.

My Stanford roommate, Ken Zabriskie (far right) and his daughter Kate joined us for dinner this evening. He flew out from Indianapolis and will be driving back with her as she relocates from Boston to take on a new job. This photo is from a vacation we took together in Kauai where we chartered a helicopter to drop us off at the far end of the Kalalau trail on the Napali coast. We then spent three days hiking out enjoying the awesome beauty and forging some of my fondest memories from my college years. This trip was my first hiking/camping experience independent of my parents and I believe it is what inspired my life long interest in adventure travel. Kyle has recently indicated that he is considering joining the Santa Clara Outdoor Adventure Club. I plan to send him a full set of top drawer camping gear so that he may comfortably enjoy his excursions into nature. I hope he will develop and one day share my passion for the great outdoors which has been a great source of joy in my life. Ken presented me with the negative of this image taken of me at the far end of the trail as I photographed the surf pounding against the cliffs. My version was good, his, by virtue of the included human silhouette in the foreground, was exceptional. I credit Ken with having kindled my interest in serious photography and it was an truly meaningful gift.

Featured in this photo, taken in my office, is the product development leadership team that I have the pleasure of working with every day. I make a pretty big deal about hiring only the best people (“A players”). Assembled here is the Olympic gold medal team for mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, systems engineering, quality, and program management.

Finally, it was my turn to be included in an iRobot photograph. Pictured here is the SLT (Senior Leadership Team) including my peers and boss (seated left). I have taken all photos in this series from the top of a ladder to create a more balanced perspective of everyone in the picture. Using the ten-second timer on my camera I would trip the shutter, descend the ladder, and take my place. As much as I have enjoyed taking these images, I am looking forward to completing this project. Each photo takes 30 minutes out of my day (set up lighting, get the ladder, balance exposure, pose the group, take the photo, tear down the lighting, return the ladder, and process the images) which is starting to eat into the demands of my day job.

Jeanine and I teamed up today at our church, where we are volunteering in the 3 to 4-year-old nursery. I enjoy being around kids of this age. They see the world in such simple and pure terms. I take great joy in finding a way to relate to each child on their level. Most adults want to teach children how to be more like them. I believe kids have far more to teach us. After completing the activities in our lesson plan, we enjoyed some unstructured time. Jeanine read aloud to some while I assisted a few with the construction of a lake, which was eventually spanned by three bridges.

Nicolai faced his toughest competition of the season in the finals of the Dual County League Wrestling Tournament held today at Waltham High School. He breezed to the finals securing two first period pins bringing his streak to 10 in a row. There he faced Ben Defranzo, a former wrestling club teammate and sparing partner, who is currently ranked sixth in the state of Massachusetts. The match was extremely close and hard fought. Defranzo secured a lead in the second period after a scoreless first. He remained ahead by one point late into the third period when Nicolai with 2 seconds remaining on the clock scored a takedown to win the match 4-3. The crowd roared with approval for the come from behind, never say die effort. Nicolai was moved with emotion and I predict he will remember this match for the rest of his life. I could not have been more proud, less so for the win than for the heart of a lion that Nico displayed. Several of Nico’s close friends came to watch him in the finals and I credit them with providing the incremental motivation to win that was unquestionably a factor in a match this close. A dejected Defranzo leaves the mat and will no doubt be working out that much harder to defeat Nico the next time they meet. Nicolai will need to match and surpass that effort if he wants to compete at the state level this season.

My nephew John William, who is a freshman at Babson, celebrated his 19th birthday with us this evening. Jeanine cooked up a Mexican dinner which John seemed to enjoy immensely. For dessert, she prepared a chocolate pecan pie instead of a birthday cake. As skinny as a rail, it is not entirely clear where all the food goes into this recently minted adult.

Nicolai joined us at the table but was unable to eat anything as he is cutting weight for a major wrestling tournament tomorrow. He enters seeded second and is feeling very strong. Maya was joined by her friend Sarrinagh who made the fourth in the after-meal Euchre card game.

Nicolai invited several friends over this evening for an impromptu gathering/party. Jeanine and I really enjoy this group of kids and are happy they feel comfortable hanging out chez Calabria. They are preparing a batch of popcorn as I type explaining the brevity of this entry.

The largest group in my department is the Mechanical Engineering team. It was a tight squeeze but everyone managed to fit in our machine shop for the next group portrait in the series I have been shooting over the past week. See if you can tell which vacationing employee was PhotoShopped into the image after the fact.

This evening Maya’s indoor soccer team secured a first-place finish in their league. The final match was a come-from-behind draw that was settled with a penalty kick shoot-out. Maya took turns playing on defense, offense, and in the goal where she turned away all attempts on net.

I spent more than 20 hours this weekend organizing and streamlining my photography collection. I was able to cull 5000 images bringing the total to just over 80,000. Every photo I take is named according to the time of capture (YYYY-MM-DD HHMMSS ###) and a 3-digit sequential count (some of my cameras can take 5 pictures per second). To remain agnostic to the various picture database programs that come and go I use keyword metadata contained within the files to describe search characteristics (who, what, when, where, rating, etc) to facilitate searching. For a little break from the monotony of keyword tagging, I redeveloped some of my favorite photos. Software has improved dramatically in the last several years allowing me to reprocess my original files into far superior prints. I took this photo in 2009 while hiking in northern Arizona.

Our first winter weather since the freak early storm we got last year led to the cancellation of Nicolai’s wrestling quad meet which I was looking forward to. Instead, I spent the entire day indoors working at my computer breaking only long enough to clear three inches of snow from the driveway. Nico benefited from an extra day to prepare for midterms and capped the day by hosting a dinner for a half dozen friends. He shopped for and prepared the meal which featured a Caprese salad followed by pasta with a choice of marinara or oil and garlic sauce.

After a strenuous work week, it is a great winter pleasure to just sit and relax in front of a nice fire. My father knew how to truly appreciate such moments and he would be pleased with how well I learned from him.

Meet the software development team that works in my department at iRobot. I have been methodically photographing each department for use on a new company intranet site. Unlike group portraits of my family, these folks are extremely cooperative and do not complain when I take ten minutes to pose everyone for the shot.

Nicolai scored his eighth straight pin and has now surpassed his father’s best-ever string. While winning by fall is the goal for which every wrestler strives, the downside is that Nico has yet to wrestle a full 6 minutes match. This may conspire against him later in the season when he faces the toughest competition. He will need to work that much harder in practice if he wants the brass ring.

Every once in a blue moon, I get a request from a family member for a specific blog photo. These are most welcomed as they alleviate the constant pressure to come up with my own ideas each day. Jeanine has been nurturing this flower for some time and today it was blooming in all its glory. I was so excited to have a subject for the day that I neglected to remember the name of this plant.

After joining me for a 6v6 soccer game this morning Nico invited a half dozen friends over to the house for a noon time brunch. Inspired, I believe, by our recent visit to the Paramount, Nico was taking individual orders and cooking all manner of eggs, bacon and pancakes with all the style (see photo of eggs being flipped) and speed of a seasoned short order cook. I was one of the beneficiaries of his efforts and could not have been more happy with my eggs over medium, bacon, and sour dough toast. Jeanine is to be credited with raising three children who all know how to and enjoy cooking.

Jeanine and I spent the night alone at my childhood home in Schenectady while Maya enjoyed a visit with her cousins. My top priority on this visit is to remove as many electrical wiring code violations as possible. A second objective is to do a room by room, wall by wall, photographic inventory of the homes contents for the benefit of my mother who continues to recuperate nicely in North Carolina where she is currently living with my sister Mayela. As we ready the home for sale she has been gifting her artwork and the other emotionally significant items to family and friends. The photographs will help her identify which items are still uncommitted and to create something of an inventory to help the rest of us track everything. We were joined by my brother-in-law Stephen who is in town for the weekend and will drive my mother’s Honda back to NC filled to the brim with items for his family. Pictured here is a portion of my father’s library from which hundreds of books have already been gifted.