Jeanine and I both attended Maya’s soccer game this morning. She had a great game demonstrating athleticism far beyond her years. Despite dominating play for most of the game her team lost 0-1. I spent a few hours working on the installation of our new standby generator working mostly on the interior wiring. In response to a last minute call for volunteers, Jeanine and I attended the dance at the high school as chaperons. Nico seemed unfazed when he discovered we were there. Many things have changed since I was in high school but at the end of the day it is still just boys and girls trying to get close to each other. I was called upon to vanquish a boy from another high school trying to sneak in through the open quad area. I was very BA in an appropriately parental way.

Today would have been my father’s 87th birthday and his 55th wedding anniversary. I am happy that our children each had a chance to know him deeply and that he will live on for a very long time in the memory of those who loved him. I am sad that he is no longer here to witness and take pride in the lives of his nine grandchildren.

My dad always used to complain about having to share his birthday with his anniversary. Felt he was being cheated some how. I once asked him why he chose to marry on his birthday. He told me it was so that he would never forget the date and then laugh at the outcome of his brilliant plan.

I miss his laughter.

My mom always complained that we only called on this day to wish my dad a happy birthday and never remembered it is was also her anniversary. Very tricky business keeping both parents happy.

Does one continue to “celebrate” birthdays and anniversaries after a person dies? I am more confused than ever. If I call the house my dad will not answer and when my mom does I am fairly certain “Happy Anniversary” will not be the way to start the conversation.

I think I will just call my mom tomorrow and tell her that I love her.

Thanks to LinkedIn I just reconnected with my roommate while I attended Stanford University, Ken Zabriskie. We shared an apartment in Palo Alto, hiked the Napali coast in Kauai together, and ran the Bay to Breakers. We are pictured here after the 7.5 mile race from the San Francisco Bay to the breakers on the Pacific Ocean. As I think back on it Ken was responsible for kindling my interest in photography and was also the man behind the camera for some of my favorite photos from that time in my life. He is living in Indianapolis, has 4 kids in college, and is a Systems Architect at Global Tel*Link. Connecting with him has inspired me to try and locate other members of a group known as the OYOCs (One Year On Campus). Back in the day, Bell Laboratories would hire promising college graduates and sponsor their Master’s degree while paying them half salary. It was a fantastic program and I met some of the most wonderful people while on that program.

During the 8 years we have lived in Concord we have seldom lost electrical power for more than a few minutes at a time. On only one occasion were we powerless for more than a day. With changing weather patterns seemingly producing more and more extreme weather I decided it was time to invest in a standby generator. An extended power loss during sub freezing temperatures could result in burst water pipes which are very expensive to repair and cause huge collateral damage. The system delivered today is powered by natural gas and is completely automatic. In the event of a power loss it will restore power to essential circuits within the house in a matter of seconds and will run for as long as needed. I will complete most of the installation myself but will probably sub out the gas line connection. Now all I need to do is figure out how I am going to move this 350 pound behemoth to its service position on the southwest corner of the house.

With soccer season in full swing Nico is putting maximum stress on his crutches. Over the weekend one of his crutches had a total failure. Today the second one had the exact same failure. The aluminum insert to which the upper end of the carbon fiber tube connects appears to have suffered a material fatigue failure. We spoke with Kerith at SideStix this evening and will be returning the broken parts for failure analysis. Meanwhile Nico will use his backup crutches which are of a slightly different design. Nico had an assist on his team’s first goal before he was forced to sit for the rest of the game. Nico continues to be the most aggressive field tester that SideStix has and they are committed to make their products “Nico proof”. We can literally point to a half dozen major design improvements that address prior Nico induced failures.

Maya continues to show interest in learning to play the guitar. While we were away in California she taught herself to play a new song which she was happy to audition for us. As the first anniversary of my father’s passing approaches I can think of absolutely nothing that would have given him greater joy than to see another of his grandchildren take up the instrument he loved so dearly. We have now made arrangements for Maya to take lessons with Kyle’s former teacher.

Kyle joined Jeanine and I for an on campus outdoor non-denominational Sunday morning service this morning. Sitting between us it is not clear whether he noticed our tears as the music tugged at our heart strings. The moment had arrived to say goodbye. We enjoyed a nice reception after the service and posed for a family portrait before leaving our son to start his college adventure.

Jeanine and I drove over the foothills to Santa Cruz where we got some exercise along the Pacific ocean before returning to San Jose for our red-eye flight back to Boston.

I felt infinitely better this morning after a quick rebound from my severe illness yesterday. Rising several hours before the sun I decided to spend some time on the SCU campus, my first real visit, to familiarize myself with Kyle’s home for the next four years and to take some photos. The architecture and layout reminded me of a smaller and more intimate version of Stanford University. Centered on the historic Mission Santa Clara this private Jesuit school was the first institution of higher learning in California opening its doors in 1851.

Our move in time was scheduled for 10:30am at which time we entered a well organized queue of cars which pulled up to the dorm, Swig in our case, and discharged passengers and belongings on the curb. Huge containers on wheels were provided into which all items were loaded for the elevator ride to the seventh floor where Kyle will share a room with Tyler from Seattle. With the three of us working in concert we had Kyle situated and organized in his dorm room in no time flat. He selected the bed adjacent to the window which overlooks the Santa Cruz foothills and gives him a good overview of the party scene at the off campus housing below.

Shopping was the order of business today. Armed with a list of supplies and essential dorm room accouterments, Jeanine, Kyle and I went on a shopping spree that ended when our rental SUV reached full capacity. It was amusing to see other college freshman flanked by their parents with equally full shopping carts at each of our strategically selected shopping venues. Vans and SUVs stuffed to the ceiling in our hotel parking lot revealed that a half dozen or so Santa Clara bound student were also staying here. It was a very busy and productive day during which we procured exactly what we needed. Unfortunately, I came down with a bout of food poisoning which left me sicker than I have been in quite some time. I took a short nap in the late afternoon and was able to join Kyle and Jeanine for dinner in Cupertino at the home of the Meugees, friends of ours from 18 years ago when we lived here. It was great to reconnect with them and to see how their son, David, one of Kyle’s early childhood playmates, had grown up.

After a busy morning of packing Jeanine, Kyle and I left for the airport with a pair of round trip and a single one way ticket for San Jose, California. During the long flight, connecting through Phoenix, I had time to think about the various one-way tickets I had purchased in my life. Each one demarcated a major transition point in my life journey. I suspect the same will be true for Kyle. In twenty years will this day be remembered as the one on which he moved from the east coast to the west coast? The day that led to a job in Silicon Valley or marriage to a girl from Santa Barbara? Only time will tell. My emotions today have been running the gamut but mostly I am excited for Kyle as he embarks on this new chapter in his life. Kyle is fully ready to begin college. Santa Clara’s academic school year begins later than most colleges and Kyle has been bouncing off the walls for the last few weeks. Kyle leaves the nest very well prepared for what lies ahead. I wish I could say that Jeanine and I were as well prepared for the void we will feel when we return to Boston without our first born.

Kyle leaves for college tomorrow making today the last time we will eat dinner as a family for quite some time. Time has passed so quickly and it is hard for me to accept that our little boy is leaving the nest. We are all excited for him but at the same time there is going to be a huge empty spot at the table and we are all going to miss him terribly. Jeanine and I will travel with him to California and I will post again when we return on Monday.

Nico’s soccer team faced Bedford High School today. Because it is so close to iRobot, I was able to arrive in time for the second half. Nico, as these photographs demonstrate, is a beast in the air and also demonstrated great leadership on the field. His team came back from a 1-2 deficit to secure a 4-2 win. Kyle took time out of his work schedule to watch his little brother play for perhaps the last time before he is off to college. Jeanine, despite a nasty cold, was also cheering from the sidelines.

This evening we hosted a beginning of the season party for Nicolai’s soccer team. With roughly 50 guests we opted to hold the event outdoors despite the onslaught of mosquitoes. Coach Baron who briefed the players and their parents on the expectations and rules for the team also served as our grill master (it is amazing how much food 21 athletic teenage boys can eat). My day was interrupted when one of the temples on my glasses gave way. Fortunately my optician was able to fit a temporary replacement while the proper piece is shipped from the manufacturer. My back up glasses contain an old prescription and gave me a headache within minutes proving to be an unacceptable option.

As the fog was rising off our field this morning I noticed this very healthy looking doe having breakfast. It was a very peaceful way to start a day which will forever be remembered for being anything but. I watched coverage of the 9/11 anniversary with the kids and took time to explain the significance of this day to Maya who was only two at the time of the attacks. I then left for Bolton for my first soccer game of the fall season. Although we dominated play, we had to settle for a 0-0 tie. I had several solid shots on goal but all found the keeper rather than the back of the net. I felt that I let my team down by not scoring on at least two of these opportunities both of which I should have finished. In each case I dispossessed my defender and had a one on one show down with the goalie. The only consolation was that I created these chances myself and had not squandered a build up by the team. Kyle visited his cousin Johnny who is attending Babson although he had to return prematurely having taken Nicolai’s car which contained his backpack and homework materials. Late in the afternoon I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and did a 2 hour, 8-mile paddle on a section of the Sudbury River which was new to me. Jeanine returned from her weekend classes at the University of Bridgeport later in the evening and has decided to drop her Biochemistry course because they have rescheduled the dates of the class which now conflicts with our upcoming trip to California. Missing an 8-hour class and her first exam was simply not an option.