The weather in San Antonio took a distinct turn for the worse today. Rain held off for the morning clinic at the STAR soccer complex which was well attended and produced a handful of potential amputee soccer recruits. The afternoon training session was conducted in the rain and cold. Spirits on the team were lifted when Steve Sampson arrived to observe the team and share his coaching wisdom.

Sampson, known to many as Uncle Sam, was the head coach of the United States men’s national soccer team from 1995 to 1998, head coach of the Costa Rica national team from 2002 to 2004, and head coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy from 2004 to 2006. He had some very complimentary things to say about Nicolai after watching the team play and joined us all for dinner on the River Walk.

As it was just around the block, we made a brief detour to visit the site of the Battle of the Alamo. Following a 13-day siege in 1836, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission during which all of the Texian defenders were killed. Santa Anna’s perceived cruelty during the battle inspired many Texians to join the army. Buoyed by a desire for revenge, they defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto six weeks later.

The Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) was the site for this mornings AASA (American Amputee Soccer Association) outreach clinic. Members of the US National Team participated in a family sports day for the Warrior Transition Battalion, the unit charged with returning Wounded Warriors back to service or into civilian life. Those missing a limb were introduced to the sport of amputee soccer and those with two legs were encouraged to play on crutches using only one leg. It is always an honor to work with our veterans and sobering to see first hand the price that is paid to wage war. An IED nearly killed the woman in the upper right corner of the group picture who survived with massive injuries to her face and head, left eye, throat, left leg and arm. She was not strong enough to play in the organized tournament but she was on the sidelines watching every game. As things wound down I approached her and asked if she wanted to kick the ball with me. She was delighted by the offer and took shots on me in goal. I was humbled by her courage and determination and will never forget the sacrifice she made in the name of our country.

Up at the crack of dawn, Nicolai and I flew from Atlanta to San Antonio this morning. Nico is here for three days of practice with the US National Amputee Soccer Team in preparation for the 2014 World Cup tournament to be held in the fall. When we arrived at the team hotel, Nico was understandably more interested in hanging out with his teammates than joining me on a three hour round trip to the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and five mile hike in the park. The drive went quickly in the sporty Mini Cooper I rented given the 75 mph speed limits that abound in Texas. The park features a massive, 640 acre pink granite dome which rises 425 feet above the base elevation and 1,825 feet above sea level. One billion years ago, this granite was part of a large pool of magma seven miles below the earth’s surface. It pushed up into the rock above in places, then cooled and hardened very slowly, turning into granite. Over time, the surface rock and soil wore away. I followed the established trail to the top of the rock where numerous vernal pools are to be found sporting all manner of beautiful microhabitats. In quest of the picture above, I unwisely elected to scale down the rock face pictured below. In retrospect, it was a very poor decision. I managed to avoid falling (barely) but paid the price when the brand new Misfit Shine activity monitor I was wearing came off my wrist somewhere during the decent. It was re-gifted to me by Nicolai who had received it in his Coca Cola gift bag. I was extremely unhappy about this but figured it was a karmic reprimand for taking such an unnecessary risk. I returned to San Antonio just in time to join the team for dinner.

Nicolai and I are visiting Atlanta as guests of the Coca Cola company to participate in their Global Marketing & Commercial Leadership Town Hall presentation today. We arrived early to clear security and meet our host for the day.

Nicolai was greeted with a standing ovation as he was introduced on stage following the presentation of the Powerade commercial in which he is featured. He then did a brief Q&A to close the session. Pictured below with Nicolai is our host, Daryl Weber and Joe Tripodi, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer who leads the global team entrusted with Trademark Coca Cola, the world’s most valuable and recognized brand, along with more than 500 brands and 3,500 products found in over 200 countries.

Following the meeting we were treated to a tour of the private Coca Cola archives where we saw the original drawings for the iconic glass Coke bottle, original artwork for the famous Coke and Santa ads (did you know that Coca Cola invented the modern day image of Santa Claus?), and countless other artifacts including an actual Olympic torch.

We were joined by several members of the Powerade brand team for lunch, at the end of which, Nicolai was presented with some very serious parting gifts. After a final meeting to discuss potential future media campaign activities we returned to our hotel where Nicolai elected to chill out. I opted for a walk down to Centennial Park where the famous Olympic ring fountains are located and then on to CNN headquarters.

While working at Avid I routinely visited CNN for meetings with management and their engineering staff but never took the time to take the tour that is offered. I learned many new things about the company and facility from a very knowledgeable guide who was equally interested in learning from me about my experiences with the execs at CNN. I volunteered to demonstrate how the green screen chromakey works and used the opportunity to take a selfie.

By the time I returned to the hotel it was time for dinner. We managed to find a great Pan Asian restaurant as we walked to the Georgia Dome where the national soccer teams from Mexico and Nigeria were playing in a friendly. The fine folks at Coca Cola magically produced a pair of complimentary tickets shortly after we mentioned we were thinking about attending the match. A first class organization in every regard.

Nicolai and I arrived in Atlanta late this evening. Our hotel overlooks Emory University and the downtown skyline but it is straight to bed for us in anticipation of a busy day tomorrow.

Since the moment it was announced I have been coveting the Canon 200-400mm f/4 lens pictured here. The idea of spending more than 10 grand on a lens has helped me resist the temptation. The imminent payment of a sizable iRobot bonus, however, is forcing me to reconsider.

Nicolai and I leave tomorrow evening for Atlanta. We have been invited and are being flown down by the Coca Cola company so that Nico can participate in their Global Marketing & Commercial Leadership Town Hall presentation. They will be presenting their Powerade FIFA World Cup 2014 Campaign to 300 of their global marketers for the first time and would like to have Nico join them on stage at the conclusion of the presentation for a brief interview. Nico is the sole subject of one of their Powerade television ads that is set to air during the World Cup and will be used to culminate the presentation.

From Atlanta we will fly to San Antonio where Nico will train with the US National Amputee Soccer team for three days. I will not be updating the blog again until Sunday when we return.

I have come to realize that my photos will die on my computer when I am no longer here to access them. I have far too many to print and frame and there are only so many square feet of empty walls in the house. Instead, I have embarked on a path of publishing them in the form of photo books. It is a very time-consuming process, as I give considerable thought to design and placement. The results, however, are very satisfying and create a permanent and universally accessible record of my work. I am currently working on a book covering my travels in Peru and spent several hours today reprocessing old image files with newer software. Shown here is one of Machu Picchu.

This evening the girls attended Havana Nights, a fundraiser for the Concord Conservatory of Music held at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln. The Cuban-themed event featured the tropical cuisine, drinks, and music of Cuba. Maya with her bright red lipstick and dark flowing hair looked like she had come straight from the island. Her mother was equally beautiful but looked like she had come straight from an island off of Sweden. On the way to the event, the fox pictured below was spotted from the car. Maya jumped out to get as close as possible for a good photograph. By contrast, I spent a very quiet day preparing another book of photographs, this time of my trip to Peru a few years ago. It was a good way to stay off my recovering sprained ankle. I did get out briefly for a lunch date with the fox on the right.

Just for the fun of it I created a word cloud for my February blog entries. I guess it is apparent who has been on my mind.

A word cloud is a visual histogram of word use. The larger the word, the more often it was used.

It generally takes a day or two before I can fully assess the extent of a soccer injury. Experience tells me that my most recent misstep will probably take a week or two to heal. At the time it happened, I thought I was going to lose the season for sure. Frequent visitors to this blog are accustomed to photos of black and blue ankles and various other injured body parts. My apologies to first-time visitors.

This week my leadership team at iRobot evolved with the arrival of our new Director of Software Engineering (far right). Naturally, a new team photo was required, both to update our internal company website and to memorialize the transition. I have used the same framing and composition for several years now and it is fun to look back on earlier versions of the team. In the past I have shot with the blinds drawn to simplify the lighting challenge. This time I took a few extra moments to set up and was able to hold exposure on the outdoor scene without compromising the interior illumination.

During indoor soccer match play this evening I managed to injure my right ankle. I caught a nub of my turf shoe on the field and then landed awkwardly on my heel. The searing pain in my foot signaled the end of my game and probably several more. Worst of all, I was on pace to having my best indoor game ever with 5 unassisted goals in the first half.

Nala seemed agitated this morning as I called her to come inside after her morning outing. I went outside to investigate and she presented me with this blue jay, holding it gently in her mouth. I suspect the bird had died on impact with one of our windows and Nala instinctively thought to retrieve it. It was a sad way to start the day and a sober reminder to live life fully every day.

After work this evening I joined many colleagues at the Season 52 restaurant to bid a fond farewell to a long-time and highly revered employee of the company. Joining iRobot in her early twenties as an administrative assistant, Nancy eventually worked her way up to the Vice President of Marketing Communications. She was honored by our CEO, CFO, and the GM of our Home Business Unit at the swank send off.

With Maya on the guitar, Nicolai on the piano, and his girl friend Karuna also on the guitar, the trio could be heard singing in three part harmony this evening. Our formal living room is immediately adjacent to my study where our grand piano is located. My proximity, while working at the computer, to our defacto music room affords me a front row seat to the music emanating from within. Few things bring me more joy than listening to the kids harmonizing.

My sister Alissa and her daughter Rachel arrived on Thursday and have been staying with us while visiting colleges in the Boston area. After returning from an extended family lunch I decided to instigate a snowball fight with the girls. First, I coaxed them outside to lend scale to a photograph of the enormous snow pile that sits upon our deck. Then I showed them how much fun it was to launch mortars at Nala (high lofted snow bombs). Finally, I accused them of throwing like “girls” when their attempts at aerial bombardment proved largely unsuccessful. That was all it took to provoke all out warfare. In retrospect, I should have thought longer about the merits of a two against one show down with a pair of athletic teenagers. The girls immediately split up and attacked me with cross fire. One would attack while the other reloaded. Maya would launch a mortar immediately followed by a direct shot making it difficult to dodge both. When the snow stopped flying I was physically exhausted and thoroughly defeated. Our battle had taken us all around the yard and, to Jeanine’s great consternation, through the house, where I had sought, unsuccessfully, to gain refuge.

This evening Nicolai’s phone lit up with messages from friends across the country who reported they had seen him in a television commercial for Powerade. The family has been under a non-disclosure agreement for several months and I have not been able to talk about the details of this project until now. The clip here is part of a broader TV and internet-based marketing campaign centered on the World Cup. To be on the safe side, I will not reveal anything else except to say that we have seen additional spots that feature Nicolai and will post them on the blog as soon as they air.

iRobot employees are highly encouraged to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related events in the community. Today I spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon in Franklin Park representing the company at the ParkSCIENCE Children’s Festival. The free event, timed to coincide with the winter school break, was very well attended and participants were exposed to all manner of science related exhibits and activities. It was a great opportunity to inspire a future generation of roboticists while supporting our community. By the end of the day I had honed my PackBot driving skills, entertained about a hundred kids, met the new mayor of Boston, and collaborated with the CEO of the New England Zoo on a novel robot idea.

When I returned to the office, the day only got better. I learned that Google had just announced a new project called Tango, a uniquely enabled phone capable of generating 3D maps of its environment. Two weeks ago, during an offsite technology summit, I had predicted that EXACTLY such a capability would soon emerge on a cell phone platform. There was some doubt in the room as to how long it would take and how practical it would be. Watching the Google video of the new device in action provided proof positive validation and will influence our future technology development plans.

Joining the Engineering leadership team at iRobot next Monday is our new Director of Software Engineering (leftmost in photo). My staff and I welcomed her with an elegant dinner in the casual surroundings of the Nashoba Valley Winery Restaurant. It is apparent to me that she is going to be a great addition to an already impressive team of colleagues. I left the group to compare notes on working for me as I raced to my indoor soccer game in Acton. Despite an all too brief warm up, I managed a hat trick that contributed to an 8-5 win.

I generally look forward to new snow which offers an oasis of photographic opportunities during the otherwise bleak winter months. With today’s accumulation of another half foot, however, I may have reached my limit. I was unusually busy at work today and did not leave the office until 7:30 pm. This worked to my advantage as the rush hour was over and plows had largely done their work. On the other hand, I was thoroughly exhausted and dreading the prospect of clearing the driveway when I arrived at home. As the house came into view I was thrilled to see that Jeanine had already finished most of the work. I must remember to surprise her with an equally nice gift. Having missed an opportunity for a photo earlier in the day, I decided to make this still life.

Open Table offers weekly community supper programs and food pantries in Concord and Maynard to more than 300 guests. Their mission is to provide healthy food, friendship, and support to those in need while respecting their privacy and dignity. Jeanine has been the President of the organization for some six months now and requested some updated photos for their marketing materials. I don’t know if this was my favorite photo or my favorite food but either way, it is my photo for the day.

With only days remaining before the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robot competition construction deadline, members of the CCHS robotics club look on while their adviser attempts to troubleshoot a problem with the design. As a rookie in the club, Maya has been assigned to the relatively mundane task of bumper construction. The bumper must conform to strict size and shape constraints (see vertical cross section below) and the fabric covering must be easily changed from red to blue (for team designation) and must carry the team number (3205). Maya put in several hours this afternoon before Jeanine and I arrived to deliver dinner for the club. To Jeanine’s consternation hot macaroni and cheese went cold and a crisp chicken salad went limp before members could pause for refueling. There is a reason why we are called nerds.

A fan of music from a young age, Nicolai continues to develop his skills. Recently he has fashioned a rather sophisticated sound studio in his bedroom. Able to compose, mix, and edit, he spends hours at a time creating new sounds and music. In addition to the creative outlet, he is learning many skills that will serve him well throughout the rest of his life.

A huge fan of public radio, each year I elect to send Valentine roses to my bride via our local NPR station (WBUR) which also provides them a measure of financial support. When I returned from work the flowers were beautifully displayed on our kitchen table next to a special dinner that Jeanine had prepared for me. Regrettably, neither eating nor romance was on my mind today as I suffered through the pain of a passing kidney stone. Determined to keep my lifelong record of perfect work attendance intact, I managed to maintain a calm business demeanor even though I was in considerable agony. Fortunately, the pain began to subside late in the evening and I am hopeful that it will continue to diminish.

By the time I was ready to leave work today, my car was among the last in the parking lot. A severe winter storm deposited about 8 inches of very wet snow here today. Strong winds left some areas bare and others in high drifts. The plows that patrol our lot left a high berm around my car. Fortunately, I carry an emergency shovel with me during the winter months and made quick work of clearing a path. When I reached home, I was faced with the chore of clearing closer to a foot of very heavy snow which took nearly two hours.

Fast Company magazine recently named iRobot one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2014. In the robotics category we were ranked number one and ahead of Google which placed second. Fast Company spends more than six months researching and analyzing companies to compile their annual list. They chose iRobot for “building the bots among us,” highlighting both our financial success, and the diverse industries that benefit from our robots and technologies. I am proud to be a member of the Gold Medal team for innovation in my field (clearly I have been watching way too much winter Olympics).

iRobot stock jumped to $41.99, up $4.29 (+11.38%) to a near record high today. Would you like to know why? As far as I can tell, it was because I elected to sell a large block of stock options yesterday. Talk about seriously bad timing! I sold a couple of smaller lots today to try and dollar cost average away my poor luck.

Shortly after sunrise, I made a brief photography walk in the frigid (15F) morning sea air. At the conclusion of our meeting, I corralled the rather eclectic group of iRobot participants for a team photo. I am not displeased with the result but feel I could have made better use of the panoramic view from our conference room for the background by shooting from a much higher angle.

The Intercontinental Boston (center building above) is a landmark of luxury overlooking Boston’s historic waterfront and the site of a two-day iRobot “Brainstorming Session”. I left Concord early enough to beat the rush hour traffic and arrived in advance of our 8:15 am start time affording me a brief window for photography. I opted to skip dinner with the team and turned in early after a long and tiring day.

The culmination of her Coming of Age program, Maya presented her personal credo to the congregation at First Parish where we are members of the Unitarian Universalist church. We encourage our youth to explore their spirituality and to develop their own belief system. Maya also played guitar and sang a duet as part of the service. I think my father would have been particularly proud of his granddaughter today given his love of the guitar and the passion for life expressed in Maya’s credo. Each participant in the Coming of Age program received a hand thrown chalice which is a symbol of our religion.

I am Maya Calabria and I believe in living fully.

You can filter your experiences in the hopes that you will protect yourself from pain and fear. Nothing can hurt you from an arm’s length away. By reserving your emotions, investing less interest, and taking fewer risks you can lessen any pain that comes your way. But all at the cost of never feeling anything more than you allow yourself to. Or you can dream big, love fully, devote yourself to friendship, and trust others.

It’s true that if you dream big you might fall from dangerous heights. If you love fully, you may be hurt as a result. Trust can be betrayed and friendships can fall apart. Diving into life can unveil harsh truths. This is a very dangerous way to live; daunting, terrifying and thrilling. It is a goal of mine to live like this because I flatly reject living life void of feeling. I believe life is a gift. In order to appreciate it, one must experience every part.

The first time I ever killed a chicken was when I was 11 years old. For the past 4 years I have spent three weeks of my summer in Vermont attending an all-girls sleep away camp. At camp we grow most of our own food and at the end of the session we all sit down to harvest meal. The day before hand, the whole camp goes to the farm to harvest all the food that we have been growing. We also raise chickens. Campers have the opportunity to participate in the chicken harvest if they want to. I did. The farm hand, Beth, showed us how the process worked by demonstrating with the first chicken. Those of us who were still interested found partners and lined up after catching a chicken. I remember practicing my hatchet swing as we waited anxiously for our turn. I stepped up to the block as my partner extended the chicken’s neck between the pegs.

“I’m going to count to three,” Beth said “and then you’re going to chop here.” She pointed to the neck. Without any further notice she started counting, “One, Two, Three!” That was it; I didn’t have a moment to think about it, I just went with it and swung the hatchet. We proceeded to pluck it, gut it, and put it on ice for the meal. I have participated in this experience every year since. Chicken harvest isn’t exactly a beautiful process; in fact it’s quite messy, tense, and emotional for a lot of people. I chose to do it though, because it is a natural part of life and I want to experience every part of life, even if it scares me.

When I die, I want to have really really lived because I have no idea what happens next, not a clue. If there is a heaven or another life or anything beyond this one, then that would be great news! But just to play it safe, I’ll assume that all there is for sure is this life right now, the one I’m living. I believe that if this is indeed the only life I will get, I must jump at any experiences that will broaden my understanding of it. I’m going to do life right! And if I can do that, if I can take those risks, dance to my heart’s content, and see what there is to see, then when my time comes, I won’t be scared or full of regret.

You only live life once, but if you do it right, once is enough.

I have not played soccer since early November and decided this morning it was time to start training for the spring season. I arrived at the Edge Sports Center turf field at 6 AM only to discover I was half an hour early and the only one there. I used the time to stretch, warm up, and grab this photo of the pressurized dome bubble. Despite all the trekking I did in December, I was shocked by my dismal state of conditioning. Halfway through the two-hour session, I was completely exhausted, my muscles fatigued and my knees on fire. I wisely stopped before injuring anything and wondered during my drive home if this might be my last soccer season. Proper training will restore my stamina and strength but I may have reached the limit of what Ibuprofen will do for my knees. Only time will tell.

Jeanine’s sister, Lauren, traveled from Indianapolis to visit for the weekend. She wanted to witness Maya’s Coming of Age ceremony at church this Sunday. The three of us enjoyed dinner at Bondir, a new restaurant in downtown Concord featuring sustainable modern American cuisine. We returned home just in time to watch the Winter Olympics opening ceremony with the rest of the family.