The minute it was announced, I preordered this Canon 16-35mm f/4 wide angle zoom lens, said to be the new standard for sharpness in this focal range. It will replace my trusty 17-40mm f/4 (already sold) as my go-to landscape lens. Reported to start shipping this week, I am hoping to receive it in time for our Wisconsin family reunion next weekend and if not before I leave with Nico for Brazil the following week.

This morning my soccer team played Stoneham F.C. in the Division 1 championship playoffs. We expected the all Brazilian club, including three former professional players, to be more than we could handle. Had we had more than 2 subs to their 8, I believe we might have enjoyed a different outcome. They took an early 2-0 lead with admittedly nice goals.  I scored my first goal of the season, a powerful strike from distance, to open the second half.  We had several good chances for an equalizer but could not find the back of the net and gave up another goal in the final minute.  Overall it was a great season and I was happy to finish it uninjured and with a nice goal.

Maya turned 15 on Thursday while I was away in Rhode Island.  We therefore postponed our family celebration until today. She requested brunch at Nancy’s Airfield Cafe in Stow.  We were joined by her friend Maddie who is spending the weekend with us and Koruna, Nico’s girlfriend.  Maya was very happy to receive a ukulele from her parents, an instrument that she is intent on mastering and has wanted for some time.

The 3-day, iRobot team building offsite I have been attending this week came to a close today at noon.  I was asked to create a team photo which is always a challenge with a group of this size.  I like shooting from a high angle so that it is possible to see everyone’s face.  The trick is to find a location where I can trigger the shutter and still manage to get in the photo myself before the ten-second timer expires. A quick Where’s Waldo search will confirm that I made the sprint in time (just).

On today’s agenda is a sailing event, geo-trekking competition and clam bake dinner.  Half the group does sailing in the morning while the remainder does geo-tracking and then we switch activities for the afternoon after a combined lunch. I was in the morning sailing group which had to contend with rain and very light winds.  Our team of four worked together well by optimizing role assignments, communicating, and working collaboratively. The results after 3 races was a first place finish among the ten teams competing. What do all of the boats in the picture below have in common? They are all in our rear view mirror 🙂

By noon the weather cleared and conditions could not have been more enjoyable. The geo-trekking competition could be described as a high-tech scavenger hunt. Teams guided by GPS devices walk to dozens of locations throughout Newport and earn points by answering questions that can only be answered once you have arrived at the correct location. It is impossible to reach all targets within the three hour time frame and teams must stay together as they cover an average of 6-8 miles.  Our team included a member with an ambulatory challenge so we placed a high premium on advanced planning so that we could maximize points while minimizing walking distance.  I would not be surprised if we outscored more than half the teams.

We ended the day with an outdoor clam bake including lobsters, corn on the cob, clams, and potatoes, all cooked by heated rocks under a bed of seaweed.  A perfect end to a rewarding but exhausting day.

Today begins a 3-day offsite in Newport, Rhode Island for iRobot’s Home Business Unit to invest in the health of our organization.  Our CEO reviewed the 24 year history of the company, the full extent of which most in the room were unaware, myself among them. We then talked about the importance of organizational health and agreed on core values, aspirational values, and areas for improvement.  We dined as a group at the famous Clarke Cooke House Restaurant, defined by its wharf side location, exceptional service and delicious seafood.

The Nashoba Ski Area was the site of this year’s iRobot Mechanical Engineering Department team building event. Fashioned after an Avid event I did almost a decade ago this challenge involved building a water cannon. Teams then competed for top honors by seeing which could fill multiple distant containers with the most water.  Aiming the cannons had to be done by multiple control lines from several feet away (focus on collaboration).

Unbeknownst to the head of the department, I changed first prize from bragging rights to 2 minutes of target practice on the management team with him at the head of the line. I tagged him out after 30 seconds which seemed about the average time needed to totally soak an executive.  Fortunately, I was also tagged out after full saturation.  It never ceases to amaze me how much fun employees seem to have when allowed to drench their management team with a water cannon.

Nicolai invited several friends to the house this evening to watch the USA vs. Ghana World Cup match. The improbable outcome can only be attributed to the level of fan support in the room. It was fun seeing so many of Nico’s high school friends all gathered together and cheering wildly for the US.  There is hope for the future of American soccer.

The Concord United Over 50 team I play for finished our spring season this morning in second place with a strong 7-0 victory.  This result qualifies us for the Division 1 playoffs (top two teams from the North and South regions compete tournament style for top honors) which begin next weekend.  I suffered a slight groin muscle strain 15 minutes into the match and was forced to sit out the remainder of the game.  Nearly one third of the team is currently injured and our chances against Stoneham next week do not look good. Their team includes  three former professional players from Brazil and they finished their season with a +33 goal differential compared to our +11.  It is doubtful that I will have recovered sufficiently in time to play but I am not without hope.

Jeanine prepared a wonderful Father’s Day dinner which the family plus Karuna enjoyed while watching the Argentina versus Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup Match.

Jeanine and I surprised Maya this evening with an early birthday cake delivered to a graduation party she was attending. Her friends paused their water volleyball match to sing happy birthday and later to enjoy the ice cream cake that Jeanine made. Maya turns 15 on the 19th.  Jeanine and I spent the balance of the evening volunteering at the high schools, All Night Live seniors celebration.  We worked the 9pm to midnight shift, Jeanine in the kitchen and I as a bouncer on the main door.

Nicolai is training with the US National Amputee Soccer Team in Myrtle Beach,  South Carolina this weekend.  From his reports, it sounds like the team is starting to take shape nicely.  Several new players have emerged and according to a four-time World Cup veteran, it is the strongest team the US has ever fielded.  The Amputee World Cup starts in late November and will be held in Culiacán, Mexico.

Ken Schwaber (center) is one of the leaders of the agile software development movement, an initial signer of the Agile Manifesto, and co-author of the definitive Scrum Guide. He is a founder of the Agile Alliance, and the Scrum Alliance, and creator of the Certified Scrum Master program. In the geeky world of software development, he is a rock star. Scrum is an iterative and incremental agile software development framework that facilitates faster product development. At iRobot we have been training with his organization all week to learn these methods.

Maya was blessed with beautiful hair which assumes its most dramatic volume after a shower.  One of these days I really must take the time to do a properly lit portrait rather than a quick snap.

Nicolai is off to Myrtle Beach for his Amputee World Cup training camp.  The team will spend four days working on strategy, technique, and conditioning. I had hoped to join him but work obligations and an important soccer match this weekend will keep me in Massachusetts.

The railroad underpass on Main and Wood St. in Concord traps or decapitates about one truck every three months.  My morning commute was delayed by this wedged truck. As encounters with this bridge go, this one was relatively benign.  I suspect that deflation of the tires will be all that is required for a smooth extrication.  It is not uncommon to have the entire roof line sheared off. Such was the recent experience of a volunteer driver for Open Table who was transporting donated food items in a rental truck.  What amazes me is that no one has thought to install a height gauge of the type you find when entering a parking garage.

We received the final paperwork from Coca Cola today so that we may file our Brazilian visa applications at the Boston Consulate.  A special World Cup visa is available for free but requires a good bit of documentation to prove that you will be attending the games.  I did a new set of head shots this evening for the required passport photos. Nico is looking rather scruffy but plans to return to his clean shaven look before we depart.