When I returned from work this evening I found Maya and Nico playing a little Frisbee. More often than not they will choose to hang out with their respective friends but occasionally, perhaps when other options are exhausted, they will play with each other and they invariably have a lot of fun doing so.
It has been 6 weeks since I joined a group of my colleagues at work on a voluntary weight loss plan. My start weight was 186 and my goal was 166. Today, after a 6am soccer scrimmage I weighed in below my target for the first time. Losing 3 pounds per week has taken its toll on my muscle mass so now I will shift to strength training with a slight increase to my calorie intake. It is amazing how much speed I have gained on the soccer pitch by shedding 12% of my weight.
Each year the Boston Globe ranks the top 100 public companies in New England in terms of business achievement. iRobot moved from 45th position last year to 4th place. From the Globe: As a group, they matter because they are leading the state out of a painful recession and slowly putting the Massachusetts economy back on its feet. They are selling more, earning more, and becoming more powerful engines for economic revival in a time of need.
My last woodworking project was a kayak and before that the finishing of our basement. This weekend I started a furniture project when all attempts to find an entertainment center of the proper size and proportions failed. The unit will be composed of four sections, a console, two flanking bookshelves and a bridge. I am on pace to complete construction of the carcasses by this evening. Next weekend I will start on trim and veneer work (assuming we can decide on a wood species by then). This morning my soccer team played Wayland and came away with a 2-1 win. I played very well in my leaner form factor and just missed two headers. Jeanine and Kyle are taking advantage of the weather to work outside.
Our friend Doug Yoder celebrated his 50th birthday this evening with a culinary gala at his home. Guests were treated to passed hors d’oeuvres (Maya was one of the passers) followed by a sit down dinner and dessert. The food was out of this world and it was fun catching up with friends I have not seen in some time.
After our Harbor cruise yesterday, as I was waiting to board the bus back to iRobot, about a dozen race cars accompanied by police escorts zoomed through the streets of Boston. Not your every day scene. After work I headed to REI for the start of their big annual sale where I took advantage of the savings to upgrade my tent and sleeping pad which will yield a most welcome 2 pound weight reduction in my overnight pack weight.
In celebration of the production start on two major iRobot products, contributing members of our product development and marketing teams were treated to a cruise of Boston Harbor and an exquisite lunch served on board. Despite a forecast for continued rain, the weather cooperated and we got to enjoy the views without getting wet although the grey skies did little to enhance the quality of the photographs.
After work the family was joined for dinner by Nora, who is about to complete her Master’s Degree at MIT. I have been her Gordon Leadership Program Mentor for the past two years and she will be leaving for Seattle to join Microsoft as a Program Manager when she completes her thesis. It was great having the opportunity to introduce her to the entire family and the kids really enjoyed meeting her. I hope to remain in touch and am expecting great things in her future.
While I was in Peru, Nicolai attended the Sophomore Semi (semi-formal ball at the high school) with his friend Chloe and we just received this photo of them together at her house. I hate missing an opportunity to photograph the kids when they are all dressed up and I am simply going to have to wait until the junior prom for my next chance.
My Audi was in for its first scheduled service today. While waiting, it was hard not to admire the R8s on the showroom floor. While I appreciate the beauty and awesome engineering, I no longer find myself coveting such cars. Now that I can afford one my priorities have shifted to a car that can carry the whole family, a couple of kayaks, and never be stranded in the snow. The thought of a second car just for tooling around is simply too wasteful to consider.
Sporting the alpaca sweater I purchased for him while in Peru, Kyle does internet research on a company which has a very similar business model to Yard Dogs. He is trying to decide if it makes sense to expand his general landscaping business to include lawn mowing. Doing so would mean buying mowers for each of his crews. I enjoy discussing the various options with Kyle and watching the mind of a true businessman at work. There is little doubt in my mind that his career is destined to follow a very entrepreneurial path.
A team photo I took earlier in the season was missing a couple of players so we took another today after our match with Ashland. Spirits were high as we avenged our only loss of the season and moved solidly into first place. We scored twice, late in the first half and held them scoreless for the 2-0 win. I have lost ten pounds in the two weeks since I last played and was feeling down right speedy.I had one shot on goal, a chest trap to a left foot volley which was just wide of the net. Jeanine and I went out for lunch and then spent the afternoon shopping for furniture, something we do about once every five years. We were unable to find what we were looking for and agreed that it made more sense to complete our shopping on the internet. Poor excuse for a date, but I was happy for the time together.
Occasionally I am presented with a photo opportunity which defies my own imagination. This afternoon Maya and a group of her friends created this human collage and I was actually requested to take a photo so they could see the results of their artistic endeavor. Earlier in the day, during her soccer match, Maya scored a very nice goal off a full volley and I enjoyed listening to her retelling of the story.
After work this evening I met Jeanine and our friend Carolyn Haney at the CCHS soccer fields where Maya has practice until 7PM. We did some power walking on the course used by the cross country team. It was a very healthy way to pass the time. We also paused to watch the high school students attending the Junior Prom emerge from the school, dressed to the 9’s, promenading in pairs to the buses which would take them to the gala. I found it both entertaining and a little sad to watch all the young girls struggling to walk in their ultra high heel shoes and have made a note to discuss the insanity of these foot torture devices with Maya before she is brain washed into thinking that fashion trumps comfort.
After each quarter in which my division at iRobot exceeds its business plan objectives we head out to a different venue to celebrate. Q1 was a great success and our destination today was Waxy O’Connor’s Irish Pub and Restaurant. I made a point of socializing with folks outside my department and was glad to meet and get to know several folks from the sales and marketing organizations. The party began at 4PM at this unlikely looking building which looked more like a high end home than an Irish pub. Once inside, however, there was little doubt as to the authenticity of the theme.