Today at work I conducted a half-day Engineering Leadership Team meeting. We spent the first 2 hours doing a design and construction competition. I am very found of these kinds of projects because they allow me to gauge how well my teams works together and to spot behaviors that are unproductive. They are also a ton of fun. The second half of the morning was devoted to a series of exercises design to help clearly define roles and responsibilities.  I recently added two new Directors to the engineering leadership team and experience has taught me the value of spending time early on to delineate boundaries and clarify accountability.

At the end of the business day we regrouped to see which team constructed the stronger bridge.  The prize?  Bragging rights for the coming year.  The team with less mechanical engineering education won so there will be a lot of crow to eat.

By the time I got my camera out and adjusted the shutter speed to my liking, the torrential downpour I was trying to photograph had already subsided.  I had a meeting at our contract manufacturer in Westford this morning and spent the balance of the day working from home.  I am preparing to facilitate my first team-building event at Superpedestrian tomorrow and worked well into the evening to fine-tune the exercise and presentation materials I will be using. 

Nico recently posted a couple of images from a long hike he did with Karuna and their dog Kubo.  I am unclear on all the details but I believe they covered 8 miles.

Even more painful than putting our piano up for sale was listing this 8″ jointer from my shop.  It has served me incredibly well over the years but must find a new home.  After an hour of cleaning it looks as new as the day I purchased it some 20 years ago.  Delta has since exited the jointer market so it may even have some incremental value for the right collector.

In 1995 we purchased a grand piano hoping it would encourage our children to play and as the centerpiece for a rather large living room.  All three kids took lessons and developed a reasonable degree of proficiency.  Nicolai went on to become very accomplished and now plays the keyboard for a jazz band in Colorado for fun. On visits back to Concord he will spend hours every day tickling the keys to the pleasure of anyone in the house. For that reason, it was with great regret that I listed it for sale today.  At nearly 7 feet in length, the piano effectively requires a room of its own which is incompatible with our future plans to downsize.

Jeanine enlisted my photographic services to shoot the image that will be used for their annual appeal marketing materials.  The concept (“Help Fill the Truck”) was developed by the Open Table team and my job was to execute it.  In the background is Open Table’s new refrigerated truck that is used to collect and transport food. In the foreground is one of Open Table’s youngest volunteers. This was my first time using such a large prop and young model.  I had to position the truck in the shade and at an angle to manage the reflections from the windshield and truck side. I lit our tiny model and the wagon full of food independently and shot from a very low angle to increase the relative size of the girl to the massive truck. Even though I can think of ten ways to have made this an even better image, I am pleased with the outcome given I had to work very quickly and was limited to roughly twenty exposures.

Jeanine believes it is her responsibility to ensure our local hummingbirds are properly nourished.  She makes her own hummingbird food recipe which they seem very fond of.  During the early morning and late afternoon hours, there is usually a parade of visitors with occasional jousting over who will visit the feeder first.

Nico flew out last week for his grandmother’s birthday/family reunion and returns to Colorado tomorrow.  He and Jeanine enjoyed doing some shopping together at REI.  They returned with a very nice backpack, padded gloves, and two pairs of boots (more accurately, 2 different left-footed boots, sold at a deep discount).  These were belated birthday presents. Nico turned 24 back on July 8 and this is the first time we have been together since then. New this year are glasses that seem fitting for someone pursuing a career as a professor.

I finally had a chance to upload the video I shot of my mother dancing at her birthday party last weekend.  How many 90-year-olds do you know who can do this? She is an inspiration to all who know her.

Over the weekend, I used my drone to capture images of famous Schenectady landmarks including Nott Memorial on the campus of Union College, the Saint John Evangelist Church, and City Hall. Schenectady fell on hard times when General Electric moved much of their operations out of the city decades ago. Now it feels like things are on the rebound with a new sense of vibrance at every turn.

Although his grandmother was the center of attention yesterday, Kyle was the star today. We celebrated his 26th birthday at a family reunion brunch this morning.  He will start his third week of work at Cengage tomorrow with a trip to Ohio and then on to New York City for a programming conference.  Last week he joined the Boston Sports Club where he works out every day before heading into the office. Below he takes my sister out for a spin at his grandmother’s party last night.

My mother celebrated her 90th birthday today (technically not till Aug 6).  Pictured here with her four children, their spouses, and her nine grandchildren, she chose to have the party at a dance studio.  Why? Because she loves ballroom dancing and can easily keep up with partners half her age.

Watching her grandchildren take to the floor demonstrating both interest and aptitude in ballroom dance was probably the most rewarding part of her evening. A full set of photos from the party and reunion weekend can be found here. I prepared a retrospective slide show dedicated to my mother which played on a TV in the studio. Those images can be found here.

Tomorrow members of my family and loved ones coming from far and wide will celebrate my mother’s 90th birthday.  This evening the first wave arrived and gathered to celebrate the birthday’s of my sister-in-law Marie, above with my sister Mayela and nephew Mario, and brother-in-law Stephen, below.

Niece Rose.

Daughter Maya.

Man seeking employment as a shopping mall Santa Claus?

Niece Sophia.

Sister Alissa and Jeanine.

Nephew Rory.

A member of the US Congress for 41 years, Ed Markey is the junior Senator from Massachusetts.  He is pictured here with Caleb Symons, Maya’s boyfriend, who is working over the summer as a Legislative Fellow for Markey. Caleb is a rising junior, studying Political Science and International Relations at Tufts University and is also a managing editor of the Tufts Daily. Because her flight from Indianapolis to Boston was delayed, Caleb was able to pick her up at the airport after work.  Maya is back for the weekend to attend the 90th birthday celebration for my mother being held in Schenectady, NY this weekend.