This evening we had a small family celebration for Kyle’s 19th birthday. Hannah took Maya’s place and Nico drove back from Vermont to be here for the occasion. Kyle enjoyed fresh corn on the cob and steamed lobster and then two different types of birthday cake, a key lime cheesecake (out of this world) and a peanut butter chocolate pie (divine but a little too sweet for me). Earlier in the day we completed a birthday video interview, something I have done for each child from the time they could talk. One day I will compile the footage into a single time capsule of their childhood. Today I also sold the kayak that Jeanine has been using for the past few years now that we have a pair of home built boats. I purchased it used for $300 and sold it for $525, not too shabby.

My brother has always been concerned with safety. As a pilot he conducts the most thorough aircraft pre-flight inspections of anyone in the business. He simply will not compromise safety which on occasion has put him at odds with other pilots and his employer when he refuses to fly an aircraft that has an unresolved issue. His concerns with safety extend to his family and earlier this week he convinced/coerced/bribed me to invest in a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) given my frequent solo excursions into the back country and on the seas. This device, the size of a cell phone, once activated anywhere on the planet will send a distress signal to a network of satellites which will relay exact GPS coordinates to the appropriate search and rescue organization within minutes. It is a device I hope I never have to use but if that day comes I will have my brother to thank for saving my life. The antenna is shown deployed in the photo and normally warps neatly around the exterior of the case. Battery life is 5 years and the device is waterproof although it does not float. I plan to tether it to my kayaking PFD (life jacket) when on the water and throw it in my backpack when trekking.

Jeanine spent the evening sailing in Boston Harbor with members of her book group on the Edward’s boat while I had a soccer scrimmage, our last tune up before the big tournament this weekend.

In recognition of another record quarter my division celebrated at the Border Cafe. Our new products have been well received and the systematic improvements we have been making to quality are beginning to pay dividends. I am very proud of my team for the work they have done to contribute to our success. iRobot still face challenges with the price of raw materials and labor on the rise but our prospects remain bright as we continue to expand our channels into Latin America and China.

I have always wanted a light weight pair of soccer cleats. Before my recent weight loss, however, I could not bring myself to spend the money just to save a couple of ounces on each foot when I had dozens of pounds spread out everywhere else. Now that I am at a good fighting weight I treated myself to these boots made of a synthetic leather. They are practically weightless. It remains to be seen whether I play any better in them. Jeanine joined me on the shopping excursion and we did a little house hunting for an investment property afterwards.

We received our first letter from Maya today and learned that she is having a wonderful time at camp. She apologizes for not missing us yet, explaining that it is still too early. We sent her to camp with Nicolai’s camera, and I am hoping that she will return with many photos to share.

Kyle drove his cousins to the airport very early this morning (4:30AM). We had a wonderful time with them and are already looking forward to their next visit. When I returned from an 8AM soccer scrimmage, Jeanine and Nico were ready to depart for Vermont where Nico will be doing community service by volunteering as a summer camp counselor. The plan is for Jeanine to return with friends either Monday or Tuesday. I did a little photography combined with some house hunting (for an investment property) and returned to prepare dinner. I topped fresh tomatoes, Ciabatta bread, and mozzerrela cheese with basil from Jeanine’s garden for an appetizer followed by a main course of Rigatoni with a marinara sauce. This is the full extent of my cooking ability. Kyle seemed to find it acceptable and I managed to put back a few of the pounds I have been working so hard to shed. My kayak is still in the shop receiving a several new coats of varnish and I hope to have it back on the water by mid week. I also posted an add on Craig’s List for Jeanine’s kayak as we now have more kayaks than placed to store them.

Mario and Rory return to Minnesota tomorrow making this our last evening together. The five of us headed down to Harvard Square to enjoy the street performers and a fine burrito dinner. Kyle decided to take on one of the local chess champions and put up a respectable battle considering how long it has been since he last played. Entertainers were out in force and we enjoyed sampling the music and taking in all that sounds and smells of Harvard Square on a Saturday night. We took two cars so that I could pick Jeanine up at the airport on her return from Chicago.

Apparently 3 hours of 2v2 sand volleyball was not enough exercise for the boys today and they found it necessary to have a tag team wrestling tournament in our basement. Amazingly no one was injured and our home theater survived undamaged. I spent the morning at work and the afternoon sanding my kayak in preparation for new coats of varnish. We all had dinner together at Dino’s which has reopened for business after a lightning strike started a fire which destroyed it. The original owners have returned and the food is better than ever. By total coincidence, Kris Earle, Jeanine’s childhood friend and her family, are vacationing in Chicago and they were able to connect for a few hours joined also by her sister Lauren.

This evening after work I joined the teenagers at Kimball Farm. First stop was the driving range where Rory showed us all how it is done. His drives were straight up the middle and many went beyond the 250 yard end of the range into the forest. Kyle coached Hannah who had a respectable first outing. I made three attempts, enough to produce a 100 yard drive and a clear understanding that a future in golf for me is going to require surgery to fix my shoulder. Next the boys enjoyed a 2v2 sand volleyball game which produced a very close final score the winner remaining in some dispute. We then ordered some dinner which was better than I had anticipated. I saved my calories for the ice cream which was our main reason for coming thus completing our gastronomic tour of the local ice cream scene.

Today the boys and their cousins played a round of golf at the Stow Acres Country Club. I joined them after work when they had just started the back 9. There were moments of brilliance and moments of ugliness. Kyle played a lovely shot out of a sand trap to within inches of the flag, Mario consistently found the middle of the fairway with huge drives, Nicolai sunk a seriously long put playing the break perfectly, and Rory was on the green in less strokes on average than anyone. A great number of golf balls were sacrificed to the course, however, finding their way into forests and the bottom of ponds. After golf we were joined by Hannah for dinner at Not Your Average Joe’s and ice cream at Bedford Farms. An attempt by their parents to have the cousins return to Minnesota tomorrow was thwarted and we have secured their company at least through Saturday. It is very possible that we will be having car trouble on Saturday and the boys will be forced to stay with us until sometime next week.

The boys made use of our field this evening to practice their driving. Conveniently there were a number of geese present which made for inspiring targets. Fortunately for the geese none of the boys had the combined range and accuracy to register any direct (or even near) hits. Jeanine departs for Chicago very early tomorrow morning where she will visit with her ailing Aunt Karen for several days.

We are thrilled to have my nephews Rory and Mario visiting us for the week. They find the ice cream in Minnesota to be abysmal and have requested that we indulge in the local offerings in an effort to determine the best one. We started this evening with our new shop in West Concord, Reasons to be Cheerful. They have also indicated a desire to play golf and paintball. Stay tuned.

The next three weeks are going to pass very slowly with Maya off to summer camp. She will be returning to the Farm & Wilderness Camp in Plymouth, Vermont where she enjoyed a great experience last year. Jeanine will drive her there and then meet up with her sister for an over night visit before returning tomorrow. On the home front, my despondence over the departure of Maya is offset by the late night arrival of my nephews Mario and Rory from Minnesota. They will be staying with us for the next few days and I am looking forward to their company. My brother is an excellent cook and they have pretty refined expectations when it comes to food. My culinary abilities, on the other hand are quite modest. That said both boys seemed impressed with our midnight dinner which included freshly baked blueberry pie from Verrill Farm served once as an appetizer and again as a dessert (I believe I am breaking new ground with this gastronomic concept and may further extend the innovation to a three course pie dinner). In between they enjoyed a very spicy Curry Chicken which Jeanine had prepared ahead of time and rice which I managed to cook correctly.

Maya and I were on the water again today. This time on the Assabet River and this time with a bigger paddle for Maya which she found to be much more to her liking. We did a 3.6 mile upriver run into a strong current which took us a little longer than two hours. We stopped often to check out the wildlife and to share a snack. We put in at the Old Cow Pasture and took out next to Dino’s Restaurant in West Concord where Nicolai shuttled me back to my car while Maya guarded the kayaks. At the current water level we encountered three rapids, two of which we were able to power through, the third requiring a short, over water portage. Maya is a natural in the kayak and looked strong all day. She leaves for Farm and Wilderness camp in Vermont tomorrow where she will spend the next three weeks.