My sister Mayela, her husband Stephen, and their dog Jake, who live in the Raliegh area, joined us for the day. 

Despite getting only 5 hours of sleep, Kyle plays very well in both his games today. Here he gets a lot of air to make a nice header. The boys won their first games in freezing conditions and lost their second after the temperature had risen almost 20 degrees. We will hope for more cold tomorrow. 

I made it back to the office in time for a stream of meetings before heading back to the airport, this time with Kyle for a weekend trip to Raleigh, NC to participate in a soccer tournament. Strong winds at LaGuardia delayed our flight and would have caused us to miss our connection. We booked a later direct flight which also was delayed. By the time we made it to our hotel it was 1AM. Given the 6:15AM meeting and 8AM first match, this was not a great way to start the weekend for Kyle. For me it was an exhausting 21 hour day which included the following way points: Indianapolis, Chicago, Manchester, Tewksbury, Boston, and Raleigh. 

Yesterday started with an early breakfast with Cine-tal CEO, Rob Carrol, followed by an all day board meeting and then a nice dinner with the board and employees of the company. I had no time for photography. Today I get up at 4:30AM to catch an early flight back to Boston. Pictured here is a train yard in Chicago from the air. 

I sit on the Board of Directors of a company called Cine-tal, founded by a former colleague at Truevision. Today, after work, I flew into Indianapolis to attend our annual strategy meeting to be held tomorrow. 

Jeanine’s best friend from Indianapolis, Monica, is visiting us for a few days. While in Indy, we were part of a gourmet dinner club. Monica not only inspired the club but took photos at every event. As a gift, she presented us with an album containing photos of every feast including the menus (always works of art in their own right). With each turn of the page you could almost taste the delicacies we had enjoyed years ago. It was an incredibly wonderful gift, typifying the thoughtfulness and love Monica brings to everything she does.  

Each year Avid executives serve a Thanksgiving Turkey Feast to our employees as a way of demonstrating our appreciation for all of their hard work. Today we served the 800 staff at our Tewksbury campus in three seating shifts. I was in charge of the squash and corn with temporary assignments on stuffing, mashed potatoes, peas, and the turkey. I love the symbolism of this event and look forward to it with great anticipation every year. It reminds me of who I am here to serve. 

This afternoon Maya and I attended an end-of season party for her soccer team. The brunch was unbelievable and the girls had a terrific time. I came directly from my game covered in mud. This year, my team made it to the final four play-off of our 84 team league. We faced Juventis, a team that has not lost a game in over a year. The temperature at kick-off was 29 degrees and the field, one of the worst we have ever played on, was frozen. We battled to a 0-0 tie after ninety minutes of regulation play. The thirty minute overtime period remained tied until the 24th minute when the ref awarded a direct kick at the top of the box on a very questionable call. They converted with a very nicely taken direct kick. We shifted everyone forward in hopes of an equalizer but it was not to be. I played my best game of the season and had a lot of field time. I had a very nice header attempt that just missed the mark and I launched a missile from about 25 yards out that was on target for the upper left corner but the keeper made a nice save. In overtime, I intercepted a pass and had a breakaway opportunity. I was forced wide and played a perfect pass to our center forward but he was unable to finish. Despite losing a bunch of skin from both knee caps, it was a nice way to finish what will likely be my last game with the Concord United O40 club. Next year, I will be eligible for the over-50 league and my body is telling me that I should move up. Nicolai was also in action today ending his season with a very satisfying 3-2 win. 

Jeanine’s sister Lauren enjoys playing with her grandson after dinner. It was a wonderful evening. 

Kyle spent the afternoon at the home of his band’s newest member. She plays the bass and is a gifted vocalist whose parents are both professional musicians. He informs me that the acoustics in our basement are not up to snuff after rehearsing in their sound studio like basement. Kyle is our adventurous eater and sampled all forms of the delicious Indian fare we enjoyed. 

We enjoyed dinner at an Indian restaurant in Lexington. Maya finished her soccer season with a 1-1 tie and contributed with an assist despite having thrown up twice last night for reasons unknown. Nico also had an assist to help his team secure a 2-1 win. He played one of his best games ever doing a great job of distribution and dominating the midfield. 

In addition to being very cute, Bradley is incredibly bright. His dad has taught him to recite poetry and to hear him do it with accuracy and all the right inflections is really something. 

Between a 70 hour work week, a midnight soccer game on Tuesday, and the Celtics game last night I indulged myself in almost ten hours of sleep. When I did crawl out of bed, I found Bradley also just rising and very ameanable to my taking pictures of him. 

In addition to today’s recognition, Nico has been invited to an end of the season party where all of the Heros Among Us will be honored together. The Celtics continued their perfect season with a crushing defeat of the Atlanta Hawks. 

During the second timeout of the second quarter, Nicolai received his award at center court to a standing ovation from the crowd of 18,000. It was an extremely moving moment for me, and I can only imagine what Nicolai must have been feeling. Click on the photo for a closer look. 

Nico was invited to witness the coin toss at center court and introduced to several players, celebrities, and dignitaries. I did not have the greatest shooting position but managed to grab this shot of tiny little Nico among the giant professional athletes.  

This evening, Nicolai was honored by the Celtics basketball organization with a Heros Among Us award. We were chauffeured from our home to the Celtics head office where we were briefed on the evening’s agenda and received a behind the scenes tour of the facility. Nico received 4 tickets and invited cousin Gabe and friend Kevin to join him along with dear old dad. 

Our ten-hour meeting was followed by a wine-tasting event, which started with a tour of the wine cellar. The cellar contents were valued in the millions, with some bottles selling for $5000. Needless to say, these were not among the wines sampled. Even though I do not drink alcohol of any kind, I enjoyed the sights and smells. 

Our meeting room included a grand piano and fireplace. A nice change from our typical off-site venues. 

Day one of a two day management off-site meeting held at the Stonehedge Inn. We covered a lot of ground and thanks to my team I was extremely well prepared. We covered our three year operating plan and 2008 budget. 

Another killer day at work, but this one ended with a special treat. I returned home just in time to catch my great nephew, Bradley, before he went to sleep. Jeanine’s sister Lauren and nephew Gabe are visiting for the next few days. 

It was a 15 hour day at the office today so no time (or energy) for even one new photo. This image was from the weekend. Nicolai makes a nice thigh trap before laying off a quick pass that results in a goal. 

On the way home, I spotted this hawk and pulled off the road for a quick shot. The remainder of the day was spent as a family work day. We tackled the leaves, winterizing the sprinkler system, putting up the snow poles, and cleaning out the garage. This evening Kyle wants to watch the Colts-Patriots game for family night. He continues to defy peer pressure and cheers for his birth town team. 

Today was the last match of our regular season. We defeated Stoughton 2-1 earning us a second place standing and qualifying us for the Division one play-offs. I got a lot of minutes today and was pleased with my game. I am still a little rusty and out of shape but with each passing week I feel stronger. After the game we celebrated our win with a cookout. 

Maya posses for Cindy. The two share a love of animals and compared many notes on the subject. 

Today the weather was miserable as the remnants of hurricane Noel skirted the eastern seaboard. Maya played in the driving rain and cold scoring one goal and one assist. Later in the day our day was brightened by the visit of Cindy Garretson, a friend from my Stanford days. She was in from Seattle for a national squash tournament and was able to spend the afternoon with us. 

Having destroyed almost every stuffed animal in the house and eaten half the couch, Nala escaped to the second floor and decided my slippers would make a nice appetizer. I am beginning to think that Nala and Jeanine are in on this together as part of a grand scheme to replace our furniture and my clothing. 

I do not know what a Dead Princess Bride is, but I am quite sure it is not someone you want to mess with. While escorting this zombie on her door to door quest for chocolate and sugar I was wise to stay back at least one house length as instructed. In years past I was able to extract a small tax for my troubles. This year I received no tip for services rendered. Fortunately I can stay awake longer than she and will have my treat in the end.

I could not resist one last image of fall. Actually, there is one more I am waiting on. A lone tree in a field is just starting to turn and I have been leaving for work earlier than normal in hopes of catching it in the fog. Stay tuned. This evening I enjoyed a great game of indoor soccer. I played without my knee brace and scored two goals in a 9-3 winning effort. Even the toughest day at work is no match for a good run on the pitch.

The final result ready to great Halloween visitors.

Next she removes the guts.