Nicolai and I flew to Montrose, Colorado this morning where we rented a car and made the 90 minute drive to Telluride enjoying spectacular views of the San Miguel Mountains along the way.

It was very sweet watching Maya and Nicolai play Frisbee in the back yard this evening. Neither could be bothered to stop for dinner and Jeanine and I just sat back and enjoyed the sibling harmony. Maya started out wearing a blue skirt over her leggings but that was soon shed to increase running speed. Her catching skills are quite good and Nico was very patient as her throwing accuracy continues to improve. No posts until next Tuesday when Nico and I return from the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride. Meanwhile, Jeanine and Maya head to Ferry Beach, Maine for the weekend, leaving Kyle in Concord to make money with his new landscaping business.

Each morning I review my meeting schedule at work and choose the most casual/comfortable clothes that are consistent with appropriate business attire for that day. Yesterday, I hosted a meeting with the Chairman and CEO of Texas Instruments (30 billion dollar market cap) so I dressed up. Today I had no external meetings so I dressed down (polo shirt, cargo pants, hiking boots). A few minutes before lunch I got an e-mail from my boss asking me to make a 15 minute presentation to the iRobot Board of Directors at 3PM. Needless to say it was a busy afternoon which included a return home to snarf down lunch, change clothes and give myself a haircut followed by an intense workout with PowerPoint which I finished at 2:59PM. I entered the Board Room, pictured above, minus the 20 person distinguished audience, tried to appear calm and did 30 minutes off the cuff. Going forward, I plan to leave a full change of formal clothes at work for just such occasions.

The peonies are popping all over the yard. In addition to the variety pictured here we also have them in white and pink. Needless to say this all makes Jeanine very happy.

We learned today that “Nico’s Challenge,” the short documentary film by Steve Audette of Nicolai’s Kilimanjaro ascent won first place in the 2010 Emerging Filmmaker Showcase sponsored by the American Pavillion. The showcase is timed and located to overlap with the Cannes Film Festival with the goal of exposing attendees to exceptional films by students and emerging artists. Winning films are featured in a a screening for an invited audience of industry professionals. We are thrilled for Steve, who produced this piece on speculation and is now receiving the recognition he deserves. A reduced resolution version of the 15 minute film can be viewed by following this link. Although Nico will not be strolling down the red carpet at Cannes pictured above, we are delighted that his story continues to be told.

In my hands is a jar of Number 9 Salsa earned for scoring a goal in my soccer game this morning. I arrived at the Wayland Veterans Memorial field dressed as shown with no intention of playing due to pain in my knee (arthritis I am fairly sure). By half time with no score in the game I was so frustrated being on the sidelines that I decided to try and play. I borrowed a set of cleats (half size too small), shin pads, socks, shorts (from a kid on the sidelines), and a jersey to join my team for the second half. I scored a nice header to help our side secure a 2-0 win. We’ll see if I can walk tomorrow.

Jeanine was attending a conference all day so I had an early father-daughter dinner with Maya before dropping her off for a birthday slumber party. We took turns balancing the salt and pepper shakers. It takes a bit of patience but achieving the goal is very satisfying.

Maya had a beautiful assist on the winning goal in her soccer game today. She has all the skill, speed and stamina of her opponents but I continue to claim she is only about half their size. None the less, she is a force to be reckoned with. What she lacks in size she makes up for with tenacity.

These three baby Red Tailed Hawks have become local celebrities because their parents elected to build their nest on the side of a building near the Alewife T Station. They are 41 days old and expected to make their first flights today or tomorrow. Females of this species are 25% larger than the males leading me to believe that there are two girls and one boy. Dad made a pit stop with some food which was quickly devoured. After lunch the kids did a little wing testing.

Maya had a makeup game this evening, and the girls were all smiles after a very tough fought 2-1 victory. Alex, their coach, was one of my Concord O40 teammates and the girls have taken their passing to a whole new level under his guidance. My skills as a cat herder have improved considerably, as the near-perfect posing in this team photo suggests.

Maya and good friend Allison pose between spoonfuls of ice cream. Allison is recovering from a sprained ankle she sustained in last weekend’s soccer match and it was strange to see an extras set of crutches as I walked into the house this evening. Meanwhile Jeanine is on a planting frenzy taking full advantage of the unseasonably warm weather we are having today.

Kyle received his State Champions jacket recently. It is a very classy affair with the schools crest on the front and the name CALABRIA on the back. Best of all it fits me perfectly 🙂 Kyle continues to rehabilitate from his snowboarding accident and seems very nearly able to return to the soccer pitch.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Nico and I will travel to Telluride, Colorado to attend the Mountainfilm Festival where a short documentary of his ascent of Kilimanjaro will be screened. We learned today that the film, titled “Nico’s Challenge,” is one of ten nominees for the Moving Mountains Prize. We will attend the initial screening followed by an audience Q&A and Nico will be a panelist during a Breakfast Talk on the topic of what life is like for disabled people throughout Africa. Jeanine loves the Mountainfilm festival poster and we have been instructed to return with one.

For many, burgers are rather common fare. With Jeanine’s flare for exotic and healthy cooking, they are something of a rarity on the Calabria grill. Although I did not return from work until 7:30pm, everyone gathered for a very enjoyable family dinner. For followers of this blog these burgers are from “our” cow.