Had it not been for the need to rebuild portions of the framing I suspect I could have finished setting all the deck boards today. Nevertheless, I am pleased with the results thus far. Maya provided major assistance including several very astute suggestions for joist reconstruction. Jeanine has put the finishing touches on every countersunk screw I drove by tapping in a matching plug to complete the blind fastening system. The boys returned this evening, Kyle from NYC and Nico from upstate NY, allowing us to enjoy our first family dinner in ages. Both have offered to help with the remaining work and I look forward to their assistance. The problem with a desk job is that it is very hard to stay in shape. Every single non-soccer muscle in my body (most of them) is as sore as can be. I will need a few days to recover before getting back to the project.

Jeanine noticed a hawk hopping up and down in the field behind our house this morning. I grabbed my camera and went out to investigate. It was trying to subdue the larger-than-normal prey secured in its talons. By the time I got close enough for a decent photo the combat was over and the hawk was off with its dinner. As I turned to return to the house I spotted this young male deer a few hundred feet away. One of the things I like most about living in Concord is the abundance of wildlife just outside the door.

I had hoped to make a significant dent in my deck rebuilding project this afternoon. The decking material was delivered on schedule but as I got set to fasten the first board it became apparent that the deck framing was poorly constructed. I found variations in height of up to two inches across the deck and an amazing difference of 1 inch between two adjacent joists. I considered tearing all the framing out and starting from scratch but after further study determined I could correct the major issues by replacing just four joists. Unfortunately this will turn a weekend project into one that will probably take several to complete. Few things irritate me more than having to deal with poor workmanship of so called professionals. I decided I needed a mental cooling off period before starting the joist deconstruction and postponed work until tomorrow. I used the balance of the afternoon to book air travel to Nepal for my next solo trekking adventure. I am all set to depart on Thanksgiving evening for a 3 week traverse of the Annapurna Circuit. I joined Jeanine and Maya for an evening stroll downtown and was happy I dragged my camera along.

Each year, on or about their birthday, I interview each of our children on video. I think they will one day enjoy seeing how they changed from year to year as they grew up. This year, I am very late initiating the process for Maya who turned 14 last month. The boys, having reached the age of majority, are no longer subject to this father-imposed “requirement”. Kyle was kind enough to conduct the interview this year which led to a more casual conversation and created a nice two-for-one .

Kyle is back from California where he has completed his sophomore year at Santa Clara University. After enjoying a road trip to Las Vegas for the Electric Daisy Music Carnival he returned in time to celebrate his brother’s 19th birthday. He is currently pursuing internship opportunities in Los Gatos, CA, and NYC so it is unclear how long he will remain in Concord. We are happy for every day we get.

The senior management team at iRobot spent the day at the Wylie Conference Center in Beverley, MA for a strategy review meeting. This was followed by an elegant dinner at the home of our CEO, a short walk from the site where this photo was taken on the rear patio overlooking the Salem Sound.

Starting in September Jeanine will take over as President of the Open Table organization replacing Peter Hilton, pictured here with her. This photo will run in the local news when the transition is announced. Offering weekly community supper programs and food pantries in Concord and Maynard to more than 300 guests since 1989, Open Table’s mission is to provide healthy food, friendship, and support to those in need while respecting their privacy and dignity.

I am usually quite active and always looking for something new to do. Occasionally, however, I just need a day to “veg out”. Recent travels to Japan and NYC have left me exhausted and behind on sleep. I only left the house once today to watch a movie with the family. Nicolai requested Monsters University which was a nice intellectual match for the day I spent lounging on the couch. Can’t say that I fully recharged the batteries but I recovered enough to be fit for work tomorrow.

At the last minute, Maya’s good friend, Sarinnagh Budris, found herself without a ride to the USA Track and Field Region 1 Junior Olympic Trials being held at the Icahn Stadium in New York City today. The three of us decided to make a road trip of it and set out at 5:30 AM. I folded down the back seat and placed sleeping pads and bags in the back of my SUV. Both girls slept for the entire 3-and-a-half-hour journey. The Region 1 event includes qualifying athletes from all over New England. We arrived early and devoured the lunch that Jeanine prepared for us before checking in. Sarinnagh received her numbered bib (1176) and I received a coaching credential which gave me access to the field area. Maya was able to join Sarinnagh for warmups on the adjacent soccer field but had to stay in the stands during the actual competition. Shortly after 11 AM, Sarinnagh participated in her first event, the 100m sprint.

Her second event did not start until 1:30 PM and took an hour and a half to complete under the blistering sun and oppressive 95-degree heat. Despite the long wait and difficult conditions, she did very well advancing to the finals where she placed 8th overall (the top five finishers advance to the Nationals). After the competition, we surprised my mother, who is living with her sister and brother-in-law in nearby Little Neck Bay. We shared a delightful dinner at my Uncle’s club before returning to Concord.

With Kyle in California, Nicolai on Martha’s Vineyard, and Maya returning from her ballet intensive in Philadelphia, Jeanine and I made a visit to the Butterfly Garden in Westford this afternoon. We had a great time appreciating these wonders of nature.

For almost a decade now we have enjoyed the Fourth of July at the home of my high school friend and wrestling partner, Tom Metzold. Karen and Tom throw a fantastic party and this year they were giving away babies. Jeanine grabbed this one during the dessert buffet.

Our flight back to Boston is not until this afternoon leaving us the morning to explore Kobe on foot. The Ikuta Shrine is thought to be one of the oldest in Japan dating to the beginning of the third century. Our walking tour covered about four miles and included a lovely park near the waterfront where we met a Japanese woman who was all too happy to guide us in my pursuit of some ice cream.

My body clock had me up very early this morning and as soon as the sun rose, I decided to explore the area around my hotel. Less than half a mile away I found the lovely Takushima Central Park. There are few things I find more relaxing and pleasing to my senses than a Japanese garden. I share this passion with my mother who created an exquisite version of her own in the backyard of my childhood home. I was able to spend 2 hours exploring the park before returning to the hotel and preparing for my business meeting.

I don’t often feature stylized photos on this blog but am making an exception for the one below. Somehow this version conveys the feeling of the place more genuinely than the more accurately rendered original.

Examples of fine Japanese woodworking and design aesthetics were to be found at every turn. I took hundreds of pictures despite the gray skies and poor light.

After completing what proved to be a very fruitful day of business, all but one of my colleagues headed off in different directions. My traveling companion and I were chauffeured to Kobe where we would spend the evening before traveling on to Osaka for our flight home tomorrow. We arrived with just over an hour of sunlight remaining and decided to make a quick tour of the Nunobiki Falls, a short walk from our hotel. In Japan, Nunobiki is considered one of the greatest “divine falls” and includes four separate falls: Ondaki (top fall pictured below), Mendaki (bottom fall pictured below), Tsusumigadaki, and Meotodaki.

I am in Japan to meet with battery vendors and to learn how both nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries are made. After completing today’s meeting in the Shinagawa area my colleagues and I flew to Takushima for our meeting tomorrow. The flight took us past Mount Fuji whose peak could be seen poking through the cloud cover and over an oil tanker which was being docked to an off-shore depot pipeline.