This evening after dinner the kids all gathered around the computer and collaborated on a Garage Band musical composition. The result was outstanding. Even better was the interaction and cooperation they demonstrated while creating their master piece. Every once in a while we get the idea that maybe this parenting business is working out.
This morning the Concord United Over 40 soccer team competed for the Division 1 championship. This was my team before moving up to the Over 50 squad last season. I was happy to photograph the match when asked although the 18 degree air temperature with sub zero wind chill added to the challenge. Concord scored first to take the lead mid way through the second half. Acton-Boxborough equalized off a direct kick, pictured here, to force a penalty kick shot out which they won. the full set of photos can be seen here. Kyle was also in action at the same soccer complex tying his first game and winning the second decisively.
Jeanine and I were proud of our little dog who studied diligently in preparation and was undaunted by the audience of several hundred town residents.
Maya’s team name was the Perfect Puppies. They were perfect through 8 rounds and stumbled on “recitation” finishing in second place.
This evening Maya participated in the town wide spelling bee with teammates, Sarrinagh and Lydia.
Last night after a nice dinner with fellow board members at a sushi restaurant I drove through Monument Circle on the way back to my hotel. The Indianapolis Power & Light building was lit up in patriotic fashion as is the custom. Next week the lights which are strung from the peak of the war memorial will be illuminated forming the world’s tallest Christmas tree.
On the way into my board meeting this morning I drove past our old home in Indianapolis and was able to shoot this image through the window of my car while driving by (not a recommended practice for good photography or accident free driving). Although I love living in Concord, there are many things I miss about this 80 year old classic English Tudor that was our home for 8 years. Heating 9000 square feet of poorly insulated living space is not one of them and the first thought that came to mind on this particularly cold November morning.
I worked in Cambridge today and grabbed a 7PM flight for Indianapolis via Chicago. Once a year I participate in an all day strategic planning session for an Indy-based private company called Cine-tal on whose Board of Directors I serve. I believe O’Hare is the only airport in which you will encounter the skeleton of a dinosaur while making connections. Despite more than a hundred visits with this particular fellow, I never cease to be amazed and always pause to enjoy the moment which places me in the good company of most children but few adults.
Jeanine returned yesterday from a 5-day trip to Indianapolis. She joined her sisters there to close on the sale of her father’s home and continued the work of finalizing his estate. She was able to take a break and visit with her nephew’s son, Bradley. She also had a chance to connect with dear friend Monica Frost for a dash of fun and relaxation amidst the otherwise work packed visit.
With the leaves down, the tree house affords a great view of the pond behind our house from one side and the horse farm on the other.
A nice detail of the ladder and proud owner of her first home.
Maya requested an elevator bucket so we added a rope hoist to one side.
Today Maya and I added a ladder to the treehouse. I am fairly certain that we spent more time on the ladder than the rest of the construction combined. We mortised the rungs into the stretchers at Maya’s request (she described it as digging little holes in the wood). This makes for a very sturdy ladder but quite time consuming to machine the 24 mortises needed. I should add that Maya wanted the rungs angled to match the slope of the ladder so each foot fall would be on a level surface. What Nico is doing flying through the air I have no idea.
A rare brother and sister moment.
Rainy days always inspire me to take portraits. Today Nicolai is hanging out with his friend Isabella and I coaxed her into the bubushka outfit for this shot.
This is the antique carved wooden chandelier that hung in the bedroom of our home in Indianapolis. It has adorned our attic for five years now and it is time for it to find a better home via Craig’s List.
Maya and I continue to make progress on the tree house. By the time I get home at night it has been dark for hours. We find an hour to work together each morning at 7AM.
Nala in hyperdrive this morning. Jeanine is in Indianapolis for the week attending to the sale of her parent’s home. So far I have managed not to lose any of the children.
A view from the bottom reveals the structure of the cantelevered base and angled support members. We used composite decking over pressure treated pine. The floor stands some 14 feet above the ground. The entire structure is supported by four lag bolts. Key joints have been reinforced with steel tape and all the hardware is galvanized steel. I will add safety lashing around the tree to guard against a bolt failure. Ladder design is still under development.
Maya’s treehouse is starting to take shape. The main platform and roof supports are in and the roof section is assembled and is ready to hoist into position. Kyle provided invaluable assistance this weekend as we tackled the tricky bit of securing the assembled main platform to the tree. Maya worked on the project for the better part of the day and Nico also pitched in for a while.
After my soccer match this morning the family joined me for an end of the season party at the home of team mate John Bemis. Nicolai and Maya could not resist playing with Sally, the puppy of the house. We ended the season with a tie against Newton and finished in the middle of Division 2. I scored a goal off a rebound late in the game to even the score at 2-2.
This morning Jeanine and I took Maya to renew her passport at the post office. The family will be traveling to Costa Rica for the winter break and she is the only one in the family with an expired passport. She has been to France and Sweden and this will be her first journey to the tropics.
Nicolai’s middle school soccer team is recognized for their perfect season in the Concord Journal. Nico is in the front row with the ball.
An image from the lobby of my hotel in Santa Barbara. This vase is filled with water which pours forth over the edges to make a nice fountain. Very peaceful.
Sonos has grown to the point where we can no longer accommodate an all-hands meeting within our facilities. In Santa Barbara our monthly meetings take place in the historic Granada Theater located in the downtown area.
The plants and flowers on the grounds of the Sonos office in Santa Barbara abound with beauty. I took a moment on my way in this morning to single out this beautiful specimen.
I never tire of photographing Utah from 30,000 feet. I am traveling to Santa Barbara for my monthly four day visit with my team. Someday I would like to rent a small plane and take these photos without having to shoot through a dirty window.
This afternoon Maya, her friend Lydia, and I made further progress on her treehouse. Maya and Lydia pre-drilled all the anchor holes in the flooring after I showed them how to use the drill. The floor deck and supports for the roof are completed and ready to be hoisted into the tree (perhaps next weekend, weather permitting). We will add the deck boards, railings and roof, after the frame is in the tree to reduce the weight we have to lift.
Despite a very sore ankle from last week’s game, I played one of my very best soccer matches today. Sudbury scored in the opening minutes to take the early lead and put us back on our heals. Late in the first half I volleyed a ball from the far corner of the box, over the head of the goalie into the top back corner of the net. There are a million ways to miss-time a full volley but I got an exceptionally good foot on the ball and knew the second I released it that the score would be tied. Early in the second half our team manager scored a very nice break away goal to put us in the lead. Sudbury quickly countered with a header to even the match. With five minutes left to play I brought the ball up the center of the field and gained a slight advantage over my defender. From about 25 yards out I crushed the ball with one of my strongest kicks in recent memory. It travelled like a cruise missle and careened off the inside right post to find the back of the net. It was one of those highlight reel shots you dream about making and to win the game with one in the closing minutes made it that much more sweet. A game I shall not soon forget.
I did not get any particularly nice shots of Kyle and Chloe but did rather like this solo one. For a complete album of the photos from the evening please follow the link to Brittany’s Party.
The evening was a great success and culminated with the birthday girl blowing out the candles on her cake.