I traveled to NYC today to participate in a press conference announcing the shipment of a new Avid product which my team and I were responsible for developing. It is a massive storage system (64 terabytes pictured) which is used by broadcasters and post production houses to store massive amounts of video and audio. ISIS stands for Infinitely Scalable Intelligent Storage. It was a very high-pressure setting and I was quite relieved to pull off my presentations without any mistakes. Can’t remember being so completely spent after a day of work in a long, long time.
Maya and I went on a photo date today (we both take our cameras and head out in search of beauty). Here, she is taking a picture of White Pond. Kyle had another soccer match today and scored a powerful left-footed goal from the 18 to help his team to a 3-0 win.
Nico had an assist on his team’s only goal against a much stronger team. Nico was in fine form and did a magnificent job of distribution from his center midfielder position. Kyle also had an assist helping his team to a 3-1 victory.
Maya’s team won 6-4 and she scored one goal on this break away. She was knocked to the ground on three different occasions but bounced right back due, no doubt, to the extensive “training” provided by her brothers.
It is starting to turn cold here, and the flies are getting very slow. I was able to sneak up on this guy for a quick portrait. I don’t particularly care for flies and have killed more than my fair share, but it is hard not to admire the way these critters are engineered.
I have enjoyed my Mercedes immensely, but it was time for a new car. I picked up this Audi A3 yesterday and just love it. I wanted something that was fun to drive, could hold the entire family, was able to haul a lot of cargo, and got excellent gas mileage. This 5-seater sports wagon fit the bill. It has a turbo-charged 2L engine, 0-60 in 6.2s, a dual-clutch automatic that shifts faster than a manual (steering wheel mounted paddle shifters) and I averaged 31mpg on the way home from work yesterday (almost double my SUV). Kyle has figured out that if I stay on my new car every 4 year pattern that he will inherit this “pocket rocket” when he is ready to drive and has given his enthusiastic approval to the new purchase.
The weather this fall has been very unusual, and the leaves have not turned yet. I was in the mood for some fall color and found it in Jeanine’s garden.
Kyle beats a defender who grabs his shirt to slow him down. It didn’t work. Kyle has been playing center midfield this season and is quite dominant at the position. He is very unselfish and will always look to pass first. I have been encouraging him to make an occasional attacking run and he did so today twice with very good results. He has just turned 13 and I would have to say he has already surpassed me in skill. Fortunately, I am still bigger and can knock him over so I think it will be a couple more years before he can claim total domination over his father.
Today I took more than 800 photographs, 99% of them of soccer games. Kyle was in action today and his team earned a 1-0 victory despite wind gusts of 50mph. My team won a 2-0 match and I was forced to watch (photograph) from the sidelines. My groin muscle injury looks like it will probably keep me out for the rest of the season (although I am holding on to a glimmer of hope that I will be able to make the playoff games). The non-soccer 1% included this set of stairs I came across.
Pictured here is the target. The wall proved to be remarkably sturdy and withstood over 50 assaults before collapsing. The people inside the castle did not fare as well with heavy casualties during the initial attack. Kyle also fashioned a grappling hook which he launched from the catapult to successfully breach the wall.
We decided to have family night on Saturday this week. Nicolai chose a catapult vs. castle construction challenge. Nicolai, Maya, and Jeanine were on one team and built a castle wall, popsicle stick people, and a tower, respectively. Carl and Kyle constructed the catapult shown above.
To say their aim was dead accurate would be an understatement. Although I was permitted to move around, they kept the stream of water on me for the entire two minutes. Even the money in my wallet was wet.
Today I conducted a team building event at work. Ten teams of 7 each constructed a water cannon from popsicle sticks, bailing wire, a hose and nozzle. They had to aim the cannon remotely from a distance of 10ft using rope. The object was to spray as much water as possible into a bucket 30ft away during a period of two minutes. The winning team got to use me for target practice (next photo).
Nicolai with a bunch of his neighborhood friends posing with their AirSoft guns. For the record, the father of this family had nothing to do with the acquisition of these toys. It is the work of their oatsy, goatsy nature loving mother.
Waiting for the school bus, Maya studies the pine needles that have begun to blanket the ground. At what age do we cease to find wonder in pine needles? Tomorrow, I may try and see if I can rediscover them.
Kyle on the attack in the backyard. Jeanine, at a weak moment, allowed the boys to purchase pellet guns. They are now all the rage in the neighborhood, and our backyard is the scene of frequent battles.
This weekend, we are visited by Swedish cousin Sophia and her friend Maria. Working with Maya to prepare an apple pie after a day full of sightseeing in downtown Boston despite the torrential rains.
Kyle enjoyed, for the first time, playing in a soccer stadium today. I can remember my first game in a proper stadium and I could see the same look of excitement in his face as we drove up. His team won a hard fought match 4-2. My team also enjoyed a win this morning and I was thrilled to be back in the line-up after more than a month of recovery from a muscle injury.
Child liberates parachute seeds, father spreads fertilizer with weed control, mother plucks dandelions from her garden. Is this what they mean by the cycle of life?
This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.
