My soccer team travelled to Epping, NH this afternoon to compete for the OTHSL, Over-56. Division 1 Championship against arch rival Medfield. The conditions could not have been more miserable. Air temperature in the 30s, sustained winds of 10-15 mph gusting to 20mph, relentless and heavy driving rain, skies so dark they had to turn on the field lights for the second half. The battle on the pitch had as much to do with resistance to hypothermia as it did soccer skills. Indeed, one of our opponent’s best players had to leave the game at half time because he could not tolerate the cold and one of ours missed 30 minutes of the game so he could warm up in his car. It was bad enough when you were on the field playing but even worse when you were on the sidelines waiting for your shift to start, soaked to the bone and shivering uncontrollably. For 80 minutes the match was dead even with neither team able to find the net or any sensations in their toes. Persistence and grit paid off and we finally scored. Doing so broke Medfield’s spirit and we scored two more goals in the remaining 15 minutes. This match concluded a perfect season for my team with 10 wins in regulation and 2 more for the championship. In the last four seasons we have amassed 172 goals, given up only 14 and have not lost a single match.

On the home front, Jeanine is baking up a storm to get a head start on our family Thanksgiving. I believe we are looking at a pecan pie, pumpkin pie and two sheet cakes.

It is a busy time at Open Table as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches. Jeanine has been working evenings and weekends along side the dedicated volunteers to ensure that all is ready for the one holiday that is really focused on food. Pictured above is a picture taken by Jeanine of ready to eat meals being prepared, assembly line style.

Normally when I repair something in the house I am content with having saved the money for a service visit. Today, I tackled the dryer which has been making some very abnormal sounds while running. In this case, I actually pocketed $2.59 plus 50 cents in Euros which I found lodged in various parts of the machine as I took it apart. The actual problem was a massive accumulation of hair wrapped around the bushing shafts of the five rollers that support the drum (which I had to remove to access the rollers). All five rollers came out for a thorough cleaning and re-greasing before the jig saw puzzle went back together. While I had everything apart, I also pulled the motor and checked its bearings which were just fine.

My sister is an extraordinary ballroom dancer and shared this photo with the family after a recent performance. I would hazard a guess that she spends as much on dance outfits as I do on camera gear which is not a number either of us are likely to share with our respective spouses. Incidentally, my 91 year old mother, who recently survived a brush with death, has returned to the dance floor as we all predicted she would.

After 15 years of reliable operation, my Honda snowblower refused to start this weekend as I was trying to move it from its summer home in our shed to its winter residence in our garage. I became very frustrated trying to work on it in the freezing cold and sought Jeanine’s assistance to muscle it into my shop so I would not get frost bite from the maintenance work. This morning at 5am, I set about removing and thoroughly cleaning the carburetor. Earlier, I had ruled out problems with the ignition system. An hour later, it was reassembled and I had it roaring like a lion. Carbon monoxide emissions dictated that I turn it off rather immediately. After work, I filled it up with fresh gas and drove it into the garage where it now stands ready to do battle with our first snow storm.

Normally, I am not one to advocate for lengthy meetings. Today, I attended a half day meeting including roughly 10% of the company (~50 mostly managers representing all of the various departments). I found this one to be quite interesting and productive. We reviewed our 2019 performance with a look forward to 2020 and talked about new approaches to building a great team and leadership principles we would like to embrace. I did a presentation on Consensus Ranking, a tool I created to help with salary management, which was received very well. A team dinner including many of the attendees followed at the Puritan & Company which proved to be a very enjoyable dining experience and time for team bonding.

While returning from my soccer match this morning, I passed an entire field of abandoned pumpkins (hundreds and hundreds). It was sad to see so much potential food having gone to waste, grown simply for their decorative use on Halloween.

Today we played Peabody in the semi-finals of our division championship and came away with a definitive 8-0 win. I scored the opening goal on a header from inside the 6 yard box. I have not done much scoring this season so it was nice to chalk one up. I played one of my better games of the season despite the 24F temperature at kickoff. Temp with windchill was reportedly 18F. Next week my team travels to New Hampshire for the finals.

I drove past this house yesterday on a new commute route that took me close to Tufts University. The porch was covered in blue bottles topped with blue egg shaped objects. The porch roof features all manner of horse or rhinoceros topped with action figures, dinosaurs, or other horses. I am guessing it is a frat house.

When the temperature drops substantially, so does the air pressure in your tires. This morning I topped off my tires before heading to the office. Several months ago I purchased a nifty DeWalt product that is perfect for the task. You just dial in the desired pressure, connect to the tire and hit the start button. It is small, lightweight and cordless which makes it all the more convenient.

I use my drone almost exclusively for aerial photography. Occasionally, it gets pressed into service for more mundane tasks such as checking the gutters for leaves. A quick flight and sequence of photographs shows me exactly where the leaves are and saves a great deal of unnecessary and dangerous ladder work. Another such use is checking our slate roof for broken or missing tiles.

When I arrived at my desk this morning I found a number of presents waiting for me. Pictured above is the back of a framed canvas photograph of the Form3 printer which is one of three big programs I have been involved with since I started working full-time at Formlabs one year ago. The company makes a big deal of employment anniversaries (call Formiversaries) with increasingly desirable gifts for each year of service. I also received a pair of logo socks and a Cliff Bar (to remind me that my first year stock options are now vested). Of all these things, it is the signatures that I will cherish the most.

Meet the Form 3B (Biocompatible) a version of the Formlabs From 3 designed specifically for the dental industry. Announced today along with the formation of a new Dental Business Unit within the company, this printer supports a variety of biocompatible resins used for printing surgical guides, dentures, orthodontic appliances and crown and bridge models.

Today I announced to my Formlabs colleagues that I have accepted a position with Digital Alloys as their Chief Technical Officer. The metal 3D printing company is an early stage startup with very promising technology. The video below gives an excellent overview of the product, market and company. Located in Burlington, my commute will be cut by two-thirds, addressing my only real issue with Formlabs. As followers of this blog will know, Jeanine and I have been doing much to prepare our home for sale with the intention of moving closer to Boston. The significantly shorter commute to my new job will allow us to stay in Concord, the center of our social and community circles, until we are ready to retire. I will finish the month with Formlabs and start at Digital Alloys on December 2.