Late in the day yesterday, I passed another kidney stone. This one measured 5mm by 3mm. I have been feeling a little under the weather for the last few days but did not make the connection. Back in April, a CAT scan revealed that I had about a dozen stones in my kidney. By my count, that leaves another 8 or so to go. With encouragement from Jeanine and a new Soda Stream machine, I have been drinking considerably more water than in the past. On a positive note, the lower back pain from which I have been suffering for the last year seems to be abating. That, or my brain has rewired itself to ignore those nerves. Either way, I am grateful.

Today, I completed the remaining work to decommission the heating oil tank from the River House. I cut the middle section of the tank off and then proceeded to muck out the sludge (about 2 gallons worth) from the bottom of the tank. The work was time-consuming but not difficult. I cut the bottom off a plastic milk jug which served admirably as a mucking scoop. Kitty litter worked perfectly to absorb the small amount of remaining oil in the tank. Finally, I used an eco-friendly degreaser to remove all remaining residue from the tank.

Maya will graduate from Olin in the spring with a degree in robotic engineering. Two of the companies with which she interned have been actively recruiting her for full-time work after she graduates. The first, Rivian, is an electric car (adventure vehicle) company headquartered in Irvine, CA. The second is Formlabs, a 3D printer company located in Somerville, MA. It will surprise no one that her mother and I (and her brothers) would really prefer to see her remain in the area. At the same time, we want most for her to be happy. It has been clear that she was most excited by the mission of Rivian but earlier today she concluded that the actual day-to-day work at Formlabs would be more in line with what she wants to do long term. We could not have been more thrilled when she informed us this evening that she had accepted the Formlabs offer. A burrito celebration is being planned.

Fall color has lasted longer than ever before this year. This photo was taken ten days ago across the street from the River House. One of the last remaining stands of color in the area, the leaves were incredibly vibrant in the morning sun.

Among other projects I tackled today was the decommissioning of our 300-gallon fuel oil tank in preparation for demolition. Step one was disconnecting the filler and vent pipes as well as the supply lines feeding two furnaces. Step two was cutting off the top third of the tank which took about thirty minutes to make the circumferential cut in the 1/8 inch thick steel. Step three, shown above, was draining the remaining oil from the tank by lifting the side opposite the drain valve. Later this week, I will return to cut off the middle third which will make it possible to muck out the sludge at the bottom of the tank. I will filter the remaining heating oil (about 6 gallons) and pour it into the tank at Kyle’s house or find a neighbor who would like a couple of days of free heat. Once the inside of the tank has been cleaned, I will dispatch the metal to a scrap yard for recycling.

For some time now, I have been searching for a better way to keep the bits I most commonly use with my drill/driver close at hand. After trying a number of different ideas, I finally settled on the use of cup magnets. Each 3/4″ magnet is attached to the tool where the belt hook is normally secured. The four bits I most often use are a #2 Phillips, #2 Square Drive, #8 Flat, and a T25 Torx. I am very pleased with this solution and have now similarly fitted my two other drill/drivers. Odd, what simple things can give me such joy.

Maya was not pleased with the dinner rolls she baked for Thanksgiving and decided to make a new batch today. Apparently, the dough did not properly rise last time and there was much discussion between mother and daughter as to the best approach to proofing. Jeanine and I were treated to the improved rolls, hot from the oven, as we binge-watched Ted Lasso with Maya who has not seen it yet.

Yesterday’s Thanksgiving Day bocce tournament gave me an opportunity to photograph the kids without the normal pushback I get when pointing a camera in their direction. Our family has a long tradition of playing this multi-generational game when we gather for the holidays. My father, who introduced my siblings and me to bocce, would be very happy to see that his grandchildren have embraced the game as well. If there is an afterlife, I am sure my dad was smiling yesterday.

We had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Everyone in the family is healthy and pursuing their passions. We have a green light to proceed with our new house plans and found a great place to live during construction. Kyle is enjoying his new home as we work together on renovating his basement. Nicolai is just back from Costa Rica where he scored 6 goals for the US National Amputee Soccer team during three matches with the host country. Maya has one term remaining before graduating with a degree in robotic engineering and is already fielding job offers. Jeanine continues with her important work at Open Table finding new ways to meet the ever-increasing need for food relief. I am enjoying semi-retirement and am about to start a substantial consulting project with a fourth client. Maya, Jeanine, and I started the day with a 5K Turkey Trot. Jeanine and I walked the course while Maya ran it. Later in the day, the boys joined us for a bocce tournament in the backyard (Maya won MVP honors for some very impressive, if very lucky tosses). We were joined by one of Nico’s roommates, a close friend of Jeanine’s, and her mother for Thanksgiving diner which featured contributions from all participants. I was the designated potato peeler and masher. We normally go around the table before beginning diner to share that for which we are most thankful. With so many guests joining us this year we opted to bypass the tradition so we could enjoy the meal while it was hot. Therefore, I will record my thoughts here; I am most thankful that my cousin Edward appears to be on the road to recovery after suffering a serious stroke. He is an amazingly fit, highly competitive triathlete and the news of his situation came as a great shock. I am not one who believes prayers are answered but I am praying for him every day nonetheless.

Jeanine and I accompanied Maya to a climbing gym this evening. There she demonstrated the considerable skill she has developed since beginning to climb on a regular basis. Nico introduced her to the sport and gifted her a set of climbing shoes a few years back. While she was interning for Rivian she joined a climbing club, the Midwest Bouldering Babes, and has since become quite proficient.

I spent the better part of the day creating a detailed photo survey of our River House, a condition of the approval we received to proceed to demolition. I documented each outside elevation and every room from multiple angles. I compiled the resulting collection into a book-style PDF document adding annotations to each photo describing the location and orientation of the photo. Pictured above is the former family room. In our new layout, this will be the site of the guest bedroom.

The Sunday Boston Globe featured an article about local programs working to address food insecurity. Open Table was included and Jeanine quoted in the piece. I am so proud of Jeanine for the work she does and happy anytime she is recognized for her contributions. In addition to helping to feed thousands of people that she does not know, I am also grateful that she chooses to feed me as well.

My soccer team’s fall season wrapped up today on a disappointing note. We traveled to Epping, NH for the finals of the over-55 Division One playoffs. There we lost our first game of the season 0-1. Our opponents were very strong but their only goal came on a fluke when our goalie launched a goal kick directly into the head of one of their strikers and it bounced back into our goal. I did not see any action because we had our full roster including players who returned from Colorado and Maine, all of whom are more talented than me. Instead, I took action photos of the late afternoon game during the first half while the light was still good and helped manage substitutions during the second half. Pictured above is Mario, arguably our most talented player. Earlier this season he scored an unassisted goal from a corner kick, a difficult but not uncommon feat in soccer. What made his goal truly remarkable is that he hit the ball along the ground rather than into the air. I have never seen such a goal at any level of soccer, EVER.

I replaced two dingy light bulbs with eight four-foot-long LED lightbars in the shop today (only six visible in the photo). While I will no doubt make further improvements to the space, the shop is now officially open for business. Next week, I will likely turn my attention to creating a provisional photo studio on the other side of the basement.