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.