Maya danced in two routines during her end of the year recital (once to the theme of Fame and the other time to Gimme Some Lovin by Sam and Dave). She was her effervescent self and a pleasure to watch. My soccer team faced Nashoba on their grass home field. I scored the season’s first goal 10 minutes in with a crushing half volley from about 25 yards out. I shot with the outside of my right foot and bent the ball around and over the goalie into the upper right corner. We won the match 3-1 and it was a great way to start the season.
After lunch, I drove to Brattleboro, VT, enjoying the photographic opportunities along the way. Each of the three states I spent time in today has a distinctly different character, and I managed to return to Barre just in time to have a late dinner with Jeanine in between workshop sessions.
This morning I drove to Keene, NH stopping at a half dozen photogenic covered bridges along the way. The harsh light was not very flattering but I found a few angles I would like to come back and shoot in the fall when the leaves are turning.
This is my favorite Seuss sculpture. The background was extremely distracting so Maya and I stripped it out (a tedious and time-consuming job). Please click on the image for a closer view and try not to laugh.
My next stop was the Dr. Seuss Memorial Sculpture Garden where I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This man was a genius. I reread his book, Oh, The Places You”ll Go and it is like a treatise on Life.
Today Jeanine and I had planned to attend a personal development conference together (she is one of the facilitators of the workshop) but I got kicked out last night when I could not commit to stay for all four days of the program. My outdoor soccer season opens Sunday morning and I was compelled to honor the commitment I made to my teammates which would have had me miss four hours of the last day. As this was unacceptable to the conference leader, I found myself with a free weekend on my hands. I spent the morning hiking around the Quabbin Reservoir and the afternoon in Springfield where I started with a visit to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
This evening after work, I joined Jeanine at the Jenkins B&B in Barre, MA where we will spend the next three nights enjoying a long weekend getaway in celebration of her upcoming birthday. My first three weeks at iRobot have passed in the blink of an eye, and I am looking forward to a lighter meeting schedule next week.
The pace of my life right now feels a lot like the blur of my sons disappearing into the distance on their way to school. Their initial departure was aborted when Nicolai discovered he had forgotten his shoe. I can understand forgetting your homework or your lunch bag but it is hard for me to comprehend how unconscious a child must be to forget their footwear.
iRobot offers an on-site fitness facility, which I took advantage of this evening. My outdoor soccer season opener is this Sunday and I am woefully out of shape. Forty-five minutes on the elliptical machine and I got a pretty good workout.
Almost as if overnight, spring has arrived. The torrential rains have come to an end and everywhere you look there are signs of renewal and growth. In New England we enjoy four distinct seasons. While autumn is my favorite, spring has to be a close second and I must make sure that I do not let my enthusiasm over the new job keep me from getting out into nature.
After seeing the movie Food, Inc. (highly recommended) Jeanine only serves beef from range fed cattle. She found a local source and purchased one quarter of an entire cow which now occupies the majority of our freezer. Anytime meat is served the kids ask if it is from our cow and such was the case for our Easter dinner which featured this delicious roast. After dinner we had a bocce tournament. Hannah and I teamed up and quickly eliminated Kyle and Nicolai despite their bravado and trash talking. Jeanine and Maya proved more difficult adversaries but they too were no match for Hannah’s short game finesse and my long distance accuracy. The boys are demanding a rematch but I have told them they will need to work on their game before I can be bothered with defeating them again.
Anticipating a big Easter lunch with my parents and an even bigger Easter dinner with the family back in Concord, I set off this morning on a 2 hour walk. I started out at Union College where I was determined to come up with a new photographic take on the iconic Nott Memorial. I then walked down to the historic Schenectady Stockade area where I learned much about the city’s past that was unknown to me while growing up here. I discovered Riverside Park and enjoyed views of the Mohawk and distant Scotia. Next I made my way to the downtown area which has undergone significant redevelopment in recent years. Jay Street now features a boutique lined shopping area at one end and Little Italy on the other. I spent the remainder of the morning talking with my parents at length, something which is rarely possible when visiting with the entire family. We were joined by my sister Alissa and her family for lunch before I made the 3 hour drive back to Massachusetts.
After a Boys Breakfast with Kyle and Nicolai and a subsequent landscape plan review with Jeanine, I drove to Schenectady, NY to spend some time with my parents. My father is looking much better after his recent hospitalization and stay at a rehabilitation center. It was a gorgeous day so I elected to take Route 2, the longer but much more scenic route. I stopped for lunch and photography in Shelburne Falls and took a little nap afterwards. The trip took six hours in total.
When I returned from work this evening I found Nicolai and Kyle in the backyard with a bunch of their friends playing bocce. It should be noted that the last bocce match between brothers resulted in a broken window on the side of our home. It is not at all clear to me how a bocce ball can be thrown in such a way as to crash through a window that is 5 feet above the ground. Nicolai earned the $50 repair bill to help him contemplate that question.,
Cyclists in our area are hardcore. This woman did not pause for a moment as she pedaled through the foot-deep water. I imagine it is hard to see a pothole in the road when it is underwater. Each of the last photos is of a different closed road. I checked six different routes before finding one that was passable.
This driver thought he would ignore the high water road closure, and I watched as he came to a grinding halt in the swollen river. With only one road open and clogged with traffic, it is very tempting to risk a high water crossing. In this case, the gamble did not pay off.
This morning, my normal 20-minute commute was closer to an hour. Rainfall during the month has set an all-time record, and all but one road in and out of the area where we live was closed due to high water. Drivers of SUVs seem to revel in the opportunity to take advantage of their high clearance. I believe this is the adult form of jumping in puddles.
There was little opportunity for photography today after a 12-hour day in the office. I did notice this rather interesting light fixture and reflection in the stairwell as I left the building this evening. It has been raining all day like you would not believe, and I am guessing tomorrow’s post will feature a submerged road or bridge.
I was too busy with the new job today to find time for a single photo. Instead I am posting from my archives. Exactly two years ago I had just started construction of my kayak and as the spring paddling season rapidly approaches I am looking forward to getting out on the water again. Yesterday I played in an outdoor soccer scrimmage and tweaked my knee again. I am hoping to heal in time for the season opener in two weeks. There is a nice gym at work and I plan to do some rehab there as soon as I can.
Today’s photo is a scanned black and white print that was taken and developed by Kyle for his photography class. I am very impressed by the composition he selected. He has a distinct foreground, midground and background. He has captured two leading lines, made use of complimentary diagonals and included reflections. Most importantly, the photo tells a compelling story. I do not know if Kyle intentionally composed around these design elements but he has certainly demonstrated a keen photographic eye. I absolutely love this photo and was thrilled when he shared it with me.
This morning Nicolai, Jeanine and I drove to Franklin, MA to attend a wrestling clinic conducted by Anthony Robles. A junior at Arizona State University, Anthony is a two time All-American ranked third in the nation at 125 pounds. He was born without a right leg just like Nicolai and spent time after the clinic giving Nico some private coaching. Beyond his wrestling prowess we were all impressed by Anthony’s demeanor. A nicer man you will not meet and we were delighted when he accepted our invitation to drive him to the airport for his flight back to Arizona. We will look forward to attending the NCAA Nationals next year and watching Anthony go all the way.
The Abby Fund was created in memory of the former CCHS student AbdiraufAbdullahi. “Abby,” as his friends called him, graduated from Concord-Carlisle High School in June 2006, having received a full scholarship to college. Two months before attending his first semester, he was shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity and urban violence. This evening Maya performed an African dance to drum music during the fundraiser and will dance two more times this weekend.
Eye of the Storm is a Massachusetts equine rescue center dedicated to saving the lives of horses who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. Jeanine, Maya and her Girl Scout troop visited the Stow center today where Jeanine took this photo.
My new office is very reminiscent of the one I had at Truevision. It is only day two but I feel very at home in my new surroundings which is good as I have spent 30 hours here in my first two days.
Today begins a new chapter in my professional career as the Senior VP of Product Development for the Home Robots Division of iRobot. I spent the entire morning in orientation briefings with 7 other new employees (the company is growing fast). The Government & Industrial Division does some work for the defense department on Secret and Top Secret projects. Because of this all employees must understand and comply with stringent security policies. I enjoyed lunch with my new boss and spent the afternoon in meetings with new colleagues. I spent the evening settling into my new office and made it home in time to enjoy the 11pm news.
For the last few days many of the roads to and from our home have been flooded due to heavy rains. This has added significant delays to our simplest journeys. Today, fortunately, the water has subsided sufficiently to allow slow passage. Our home sits on high ground and we have been spared the problems of many of our Concord neighbors who have flooded basements.
The Black & White Ball was held this evening at the high school. Kyle escorted the lovely Hannah, and both allowed me to photograph them after the event. Nicolai, after much vascillation, also decided to attend. Both fit in the tuxedo I wore at my wedding and it was amusing to watch them fight over it.
When we returned from the talent show the family enjoyed an Angel Food cake prepared from scratch by Maya and her Aunt Lauren. By the time I set up a proper fill flash, the cake was already being devoured and I had to settle for this poorly lit photo of the cooks and their creation.
Maya with friends Sarinnagh and Kristina performed a dance routine that she choreographed during the annual Willard School Talent show this evening. Thunderous applause from the standing room only audience was the reward for extensive rehearsal and flawless execution. Maya reports that she loves being on stage.
Jeanine’s sister Lauren and nephew Luke are staying with us for a couple of days while they check out the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. This evening Kyle and Luke grilled a chicken and built a nice fire. Nico and I helped eat the chicken. Later the cousins took up a game of cards on the deck making the most of the great spring weather.
This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.
