My sister Alissa’s son, John, arrived this evening just in time for dinner and an evening ice cream run to Bedford Farms. I spent the afternoon working on the deck which is taking shape nicely. The bulk of my effort today was correcting poor workmanship by the crew that initially installed it. The header which supports all the joists is composed of a lamination of two 2x14s (pressure treated) and two 3/4 inch fascia boards (pine). A 4-1/2 inch wide 30-foot long beam if you will. Ideally, the tops of these four boards want to be flush so that the decking that will rest on top sits level and even with the rest of the deck. It took three hours with a hand plane to achieve the needed result. By the time I was finished, I could scarcely move my hands and wrists but did manage to eat my cup of ice cream unassisted.

Kyle interviewed and was hired for a well paying accounting internship here in Concord. We are thrilled as this will keep him home for the bulk of the summer rather than returning early to California as was his plan.

Last night my nephew, Rory, called to ask if he could visit for a few days. Such questions are never required of family or friends and we were thrilled when he arrived early this morning from his home in the Minneapolis area. Rory is a highly accomplished tennis player but showed up without his racket for fear of having to face his uncle on the court. He was so flustered, in fact, probably at the thought of me rushing the net, that he missed a spot while shaving. It took little time before the cousins were comparing feats of strength or in this case filthy feet. Nicolai seems much taller only because he is closer to the camera as both boys are about the same height.

At Kyle’s request, we went out for an early morning paddle on the Concord River. It is hard to believe but this was my first kayak outing of the season and it was great to be on the water again. Although he has had little kayaking experience, Kyle was looking like a pro by the time we finished our one-hour tour. We put in at Egg Rock and explored both up and downstream.

It is rare these days when all three kids are in the same place at the same time. Realizing this as we sat down for dinner together I coerced them into posing for a photo. Although I take more than the average share of photos of the family, I find that I have very few groupings that include either all of us or all of the kids or a kid and a parent. No doubt that they will one day cherish their solo portraits. That said, I think the group shots will be of even greater emotional significance to them.

Last week I had a chance to see one of iRobot’s latest products in action. Our CTO injured his back camping and was unable to fly to Massachusetts for an important strategic planning meeting. Instead, he attended via Ava, our remote telepresence robot. He “walked” about the front of the room and “looked back and forth” across the audience as he gave his 45-minute presentation from the comfort of his office in Pasadena. Until now, I have assumed that the value proposition of this robot would be autonomous mobility (just tell it where the meeting is supposed to be and it navigates there all by itself). Now, however, I have come to fully appreciate how the humanoid dimensions and ability to move and look around while presenting create a much more immersive and engaging experience. I wonder if I could attend the next offsite from say Barbados using Ava.

Had it not been for the need to rebuild portions of the framing I suspect I could have finished setting all the deck boards today. Nevertheless, I am pleased with the results thus far. Maya provided major assistance including several very astute suggestions for joist reconstruction. Jeanine has put the finishing touches on every countersunk screw I drove by tapping in a matching plug to complete the blind fastening system. The boys returned this evening, Kyle from NYC and Nico from upstate NY, allowing us to enjoy our first family dinner in ages. Both have offered to help with the remaining work and I look forward to their assistance. The problem with a desk job is that it is very hard to stay in shape. Every single non-soccer muscle in my body (most of them) is as sore as can be. I will need a few days to recover before getting back to the project.

Jeanine noticed a hawk hopping up and down in the field behind our house this morning. I grabbed my camera and went out to investigate. It was trying to subdue the larger-than-normal prey secured in its talons. By the time I got close enough for a decent photo the combat was over and the hawk was off with its dinner. As I turned to return to the house I spotted this young male deer a few hundred feet away. One of the things I like most about living in Concord is the abundance of wildlife just outside the door.

I had hoped to make a significant dent in my deck rebuilding project this afternoon. The decking material was delivered on schedule but as I got set to fasten the first board it became apparent that the deck framing was poorly constructed. I found variations in height of up to two inches across the deck and an amazing difference of 1 inch between two adjacent joists. I considered tearing all the framing out and starting from scratch but after further study determined I could correct the major issues by replacing just four joists. Unfortunately this will turn a weekend project into one that will probably take several to complete. Few things irritate me more than having to deal with poor workmanship of so called professionals. I decided I needed a mental cooling off period before starting the joist deconstruction and postponed work until tomorrow. I used the balance of the afternoon to book air travel to Nepal for my next solo trekking adventure. I am all set to depart on Thanksgiving evening for a 3 week traverse of the Annapurna Circuit. I joined Jeanine and Maya for an evening stroll downtown and was happy I dragged my camera along.

Each year, on or about their birthday, I interview each of our children on video. I think they will one day enjoy seeing how they changed from year to year as they grew up. This year, I am very late initiating the process for Maya who turned 14 last month. The boys, having reached the age of majority, are no longer subject to this father-imposed “requirement”. Kyle was kind enough to conduct the interview this year which led to a more casual conversation and created a nice two-for-one .

Kyle is back from California where he has completed his sophomore year at Santa Clara University. After enjoying a road trip to Las Vegas for the Electric Daisy Music Carnival he returned in time to celebrate his brother’s 19th birthday. He is currently pursuing internship opportunities in Los Gatos, CA, and NYC so it is unclear how long he will remain in Concord. We are happy for every day we get.

The senior management team at iRobot spent the day at the Wylie Conference Center in Beverley, MA for a strategy review meeting. This was followed by an elegant dinner at the home of our CEO, a short walk from the site where this photo was taken on the rear patio overlooking the Salem Sound.

Starting in September Jeanine will take over as President of the Open Table organization replacing Peter Hilton, pictured here with her. This photo will run in the local news when the transition is announced. Offering weekly community supper programs and food pantries in Concord and Maynard to more than 300 guests since 1989, Open Table’s mission is to provide healthy food, friendship, and support to those in need while respecting their privacy and dignity.

I am usually quite active and always looking for something new to do. Occasionally, however, I just need a day to “veg out”. Recent travels to Japan and NYC have left me exhausted and behind on sleep. I only left the house once today to watch a movie with the family. Nicolai requested Monsters University which was a nice intellectual match for the day I spent lounging on the couch. Can’t say that I fully recharged the batteries but I recovered enough to be fit for work tomorrow.

At the last minute, Maya’s good friend, Sarinnagh Budris, found herself without a ride to the USA Track and Field Region 1 Junior Olympic Trials being held at the Icahn Stadium in New York City today. The three of us decided to make a road trip of it and set out at 5:30 AM. I folded down the back seat and placed sleeping pads and bags in the back of my SUV. Both girls slept for the entire 3-and-a-half-hour journey. The Region 1 event includes qualifying athletes from all over New England. We arrived early and devoured the lunch that Jeanine prepared for us before checking in. Sarinnagh received her numbered bib (1176) and I received a coaching credential which gave me access to the field area. Maya was able to join Sarinnagh for warmups on the adjacent soccer field but had to stay in the stands during the actual competition. Shortly after 11 AM, Sarinnagh participated in her first event, the 100m sprint.

Her second event did not start until 1:30 PM and took an hour and a half to complete under the blistering sun and oppressive 95-degree heat. Despite the long wait and difficult conditions, she did very well advancing to the finals where she placed 8th overall (the top five finishers advance to the Nationals). After the competition, we surprised my mother, who is living with her sister and brother-in-law in nearby Little Neck Bay. We shared a delightful dinner at my Uncle’s club before returning to Concord.