Today was my last day working in my Cambridge office at Sonos. I will finish up my last two weeks working from home before a brief vacation and then on to iRobot. Two images of special significance to me. The first is from the refrigerator in our mini-kitchen. It appeared one day and made me smile every time I saw it. Not quite sure what it means but I liked it. When I arrived at Sonos almost two years ago there was not a single plant on the entire floor. I brought in several for my office and was pleased as I left the building today to see how many plants now grace the officescape.
I swung by the Old North Bridge this morning on the way into the office. This remains one of my favorite post snowfall photography sites. Had I arrived a few hours earlier there would have been a lot more snow still in the trees which would have made for an even better photo. With all that is going on this week, however, I gave myself permission to watch the sunrise from the comfort of my bed.
Kyle prepared a Mickey Mouse pancake for visiting cousin Rachel who returned with us from Schenectady. My sister Alissa and her son John William arrived last night after touring Babson and Bentley. Today they will join Kyle and Jeanine for tours of Boston Univeristy and Northeastern University. My father’s condition has improved although he remains hospitalized.
Today was a big day at work and the reason we had to leave Schenectady last night. I announced to my team and the company that I had accepted a position with iRobot as their Senior Vice President of Product Development and that I would be leaving Sonos. It was not an easy decision because Sonos is such a wonderful company which is doing extremely well in an economic climate where most others are not. The iRobot opportunity, however, represents a tailor fit role and exciting challenge for me. The 20 year old company was founded by MIT grad students and is headquartered in Bedford which will cut my commute time in half. I will transition out of my role at Sonos over the next few weeks and will start my new job mid March.
When we arrived in Schenectady my dad was not looking very well at all. While we were touring schools he went to see his physician who promptly summoned an ambulance and sent him to the hospital. When we visited, he was still in this examination room after almost nine hours as the staff continued to monitor his condition. The entire family visited with him briefly before we had to leave for our return drive to Boston. My brother Mark flew in from Minnesota while sister Mayela coordinated from a distance. The latest reports have my dad showing great improvement and the situation as summed up by my brother – He is not going to croak. For me it was the first time I ever considered that as a possible outcome and we are all very relieved that we will get to enjoy his laughter for a while longer.
From my parents house it is a 45 minute drive to Saratoga Springs where Skidmore College is located. Just a tad larger than Union College with some 2400 students Skidmore seems highly focused on the arts. Kyle did not see as good a fit here and has placed it on his maybe list.
Union College is my alma mater and where my father taught psychology for most of his career. It was our first serious college tour with Kyle. Nicolai also tagged along for the experience. Union has changed appreciably since I attended and I found myself discovering a whole new school in many ways. Both boys came away with a favorable impression and given the proximity to my parents and to Boston it will likely remain on Kyle’s list of possible options.
Maya makes Belgian waffles for Valentine’s Day breakfast. We add food coloring to the mix in celebration of the holiday although it did little to change the appearance of the finished product. I had a nice two hour outdoor soccer scrimmage (first of the season) before the whole family drove to Schenectady to visit with my parents while doing a couple of college visits with Kyle.
Kyle spent the better portion of the afternoon creating a special Valentine’s Day present for Hannah. This bouquet features chocolate dipped strawberries with a white chocolate decoration. Meanwhile, my sweetheart arranged for me to receive an hour long full body massage for my special present. I am so relaxed I have done little today other than enjoy the Winter Olympics.
Last night, Maya performed with the Concord All Town Band with her friend Sarinaugh. This was her first time playing saxophone in front of an audience, and she was fearless. Unfortunately, Maya was seated deep among the 50-piece band, and I had to settle for this shot of her taken as the band was taking the stage.
The Calabria men may have to step to the side for Maya, who is starting to rack up some serious hardware. Her indoor soccer team placed first in their division. Despite a long and interesting day in the office, I managed 2 goals, both toe pokes, and 2 assists to help my team to a solid win during my evening soccer match.
This evening Kyle completed his photography assignment for the week. He enlisted both his brother and sister as interchangeable models and gaffers. He set up the lighting for this photo and I simply shot over his shoulder. He is using film so it will be some time before I get to see his results.
Kyle is taking photography this term and we went out this evening to do a little night photography together. Kyle spotted this nicely illuminated tree and thought it would make a nice subject. I could not agree more.
This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.
