Every parent of an exhausted teenager will recognize the posture above. Sophia has returned from a very arduous gymnastics training session and seeks the comfort of her mother’s lap. Since last we saw them, Sophia and Rose have matured into young women both taller than their older cousin Maya and no longer sized to curl up in the same chair with their mother.
For dinner, we were joined by Mario and his ever-delightful, long-time girlfriend, Brook. Mark carved the brisket he has been cooking for the last 48 hours and served it with baked potatoes the size of your head.
Later in the evening, Jeanine, Maya, and I stepped out with my 93-year-old mother to go dancing. Maya has clearly inherited Angela’s grace, poise, and aptitude for dance. Led by a female instructor, Maya looked like a pro in her first-ever exposure to the Tango, one of the most difficult of the ballroom dances.
While investigating kitchen cabinets, Jeanine and I both found ourselves attracted to ones made of bamboo. It is a sustainable species, wears like iron, and is naturally light-colored. We were particularly impressed with one manufacturer that uses a very thick veneer (~1/4 inch) over a laminated core. yielding a very stable structure (will not warp) and the ability to refinish multiple times without sanding through the outside layers. The company that makes these cabinets is located in Plato, Minnesota, less than 45 minutes from where we are staying. Jeanine, Mark, and I drove over to see their showroom and cabinet-making shop this afternoon. I think Mark and I enjoyed the factory tour as much as looking at the cabinet on display.
In the evening, Mark, Marie, Jeanine and I went out for a very nice dinner while Maya hung out with her cousin Mario and his girlfriend Brook.
Maya, Jeanine, and I arrived in Minneapolis this afternoon. We rented a car and drove to Minnetonka where my brother Mark and his family live. High on the priority list was the preparation of a brisket to be served over the weekend. Here, Mark is seen trimming the fat from an enormous slab of beef before placing it in a 5-gallon drum with a sous vide submersion cooker where it will tenderize for the next 48 hours. In case it is not immediately apparent, my brother takes food preparation as seriously as I do photography. We were joined later in the day by my mother and nieces, Sophia and Rose. I enjoyed sharing our house plans with everyone and Mark had some really good suggestions to optimize the kitchen which we will incorporate.
I found time this evening after a very long day of consulting work to finalize the HVAC trunk line routing for the River House. Normally, this is not an especially difficult task but I wanted a design with no protruding ductwork in the basement and no routing in exterior walls or the ceiling. Those constraints made it a much more challenging task. I am pleased with the result and hope the plan will stand up to scrutiny from our architect, builder, and HVAC contractor. Also shown are the intake and exhaust pipes for the ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilation system) that we will be installing.
One of the biggest challenges in the design of our new home is how to handle seating in the living area. With spectacular views out of both the east and south-facing windows, it makes sense to orient seating to look out over the river but that is at odds with fostering social interaction which favors seating that has people facing each other. Furthermore, we will have a second large flat-screen TV in the living area for when the family gathers and wants to watch a soccer match together for example. That screen is oriented opposite the river. Today, I happened on what I believe will be the perfect solution, one Jeanine was already thinking about. Instead of couches, we will have chairs that swivel. This way you can pivot to look across the river, down the river, make eye contact with a guest, or watch TV. It is really the perfect solution. Of the swivel chairs I looked at, the one pictured above is my favorite (perhaps in a different fabric). It is described as very cozy and I love the simple lines and organic form. Best of all, four of these organized in a partial arc around a coffee table fits exactly into the space we have available and centers perfectly on the windows.
The spring soccer season kicked off this morning, and for the first time in many years, I am playing for a new club. I have graduated from the over-56 age group to the over-62 league. Since I am one of the oldest players on my Concord United team, I am generally the first to move up an age bracket. In 2 or 3 years, the rest of my former teammates will move up and I will rejoin them. Until then, I will be playing for Boston Villa. We started our season on a positive note with a 4-0 win including a goal I scored from the wing midfield position. I made a far-post run and received a perfect pass about 25 yards from the goal. I really concentrated on my first touch which set me up nicely as I dribbled in on the keeper. When I reached the top of the box he started to cut off my angle to the right and I calmly slotted the ball past him into the lower left-hand corner. It never hurts to score a goal on your first outing with a new team.
For some time now, Nicolai has been organizing a New England Amputee soccer team. This evening they played an abbreviated match at Gillette Stadium during halftime of the Revolution-Red Bulls match. Nico had a hat trick in the 3-2 win and both teams received a standing ovation from the crowd of 16,000+. I know this because one of my teammates was at the match and called me to share this information. Best of all, many of Nico’s students and colleagues were in attendance after the Principal at the school where he teaches arranged for discounted tickets and bus transportation to the stadium. I am hoping someone took photographs during the game and will share them in a future post if I can find any.
With many of the large-scale design features of the River House starting to settle down, I have turned my attention to the kitchen details. Since Jeanine is the master of this area, I have been very careful to address her every wish. I am happy to report that she seems very pleased with the way things are shaping up. Here is a partial list: ample room around the island for multiple cooks to work at the same time, a large galley style sink (46″) with cutting board and colander accessories overlooking the river, a dedicated drink/coffee nook, a dishwasher adjacent to both the sink and storage for flatware, dishes and glasses, pull out bins for trash, compost, paper, and metal/glass recycling located next to sink, large landing zones for the refrigerator, double oven, dishwasher, cooktop and sink, island seating for four with views of the river, ability to see the TV from either the sink or cooktop, a walk-in pantry (not shown), pots and pans storage under the cooktop, and easy access to the dining room table. Some details remain to be worked out but I think the basic layout is looking really solid.
While visiting our friends on Harbor Island last weekend, I offered to work on any jobs they might need help with. Chuck and I, with shovel and hoe in hand, excavated several areas to restore water flow to a spring-fed creek running through the center of the island. The work was less than glamorous but also quite rewarding as each section of the creek was reconnected and water gushed downstream. Today, Jeanine informed me that our hosts have named the restored rivulet “Carl’s Creek.” I feel quite honored by this tributary tribute.
Our River House design is approaching completion. The last area of refinement is window placement and sizing. The latest riverside elevation is shown above. Our initial concept was very modern but also had something of a “commercial store-front” vibe. In this version, we have established a three-floor repeating pattern covering the living area, aviary, and game room, and the dining area gets its own window centered on a circular table. Much of the initial design was driven by the outside appearance of the house. We have now shifted our focus to make sure that the windows make the most sense from the inside looking out since that is where we will be spending 99% of our time.
After an extremely restful night in the guest house (to the right of the long deck in the photo above), I was up with the sun for some aerial photography. Because of the location of many trees, I struggled to get a perspective that did justice to the house design which is modern with interesting angles everywhere. We picked up many ideas for incorporation into our new house plans. Not shown is a large barn that houses the woodshop and additional living area. I spent a portion of the morning helping Chuck to reestablish proper flow to a small rivulet on the island while Jeanine enjoyed an extended walk with Lydia. We returned to Concord in time for the Academy Awards, hoping to see Geoff McLean win an Oscar for his short documentary, “Audible..” Unfortunately, the award went to “The Queen of Basketball,” a very well-done interview with Lusia Harris chronicling her legendary career in basketball. While very good, I personally believe that “Audible” was a far superior documentary in terms of dimensionality, nuance, and overall storytelling.
Jeanine and I drove to Sebasco, Maine early this morning to visit with friends, Lydia and Chuck, who have recently finished building a new home on Harbor Island. Transit to the island, located only a few hundred feet off the coast, was by way of their amphibious vehicle; half Zodiac style boat, half three-wheeled rock crawler. The hydraulically deployed wheels carry the boat over rugged terrain and are retracted once in the water. VERY COOL! It is the ultimate mode of personal transport between the cars they leave parked on the mainland and their home which is a fair distance from the landing cove on the island.
After a nice lunch, we were treated to a tour of their home and the ~65-acre island, much of which they own.
While in Mexico the US Amputee Soccer Team was followed by producer, Geoff McClean, and his videographer. His most recent project. “Audible” is up for an Oscar Award this weekend in the Short Documentary Film category. He has been following Nico for at least four years now and is interested in doing a project involving the team. He was gathering footage and interviews to prepare a 3-minute video to present to Netflix executives. If they greenlight the project, he will be assembling a crew to follow the US team as they prepare for and compete in the World Cup. If you have a Netflix subscription, I highly recommend watching “Audible.” There is a reason it has been nominated for an Oscar.
When in countries where motorcycles and scooters are primary modes of transportation, I always find myself drawn to photographing families riding together. There is something very intimate I find in these scenes. Here are some of my favorites from San Juan de Los Lagos.
My primary motivation for choosing to visit Puerto Vallarta after the World Cup Qualifier was to photograph the Playa del Amor, the “beach of love” more typically called the Hidden Beach, a secluded sandy cavern on one of the islands that make up the Marietas Islands National Park. Unfortunately, I was not able to accomplish that goal and the photo above is not one I took. Had I been less busy when booking travel I would have done more research and learned that (a) access to the islands is not permitted on Mondays and Tuesdays (the two days I was in Puerto Vallarta), and (b) that drones are not permitted over the islands. I had assumed that this was a natural formation but have since learned that the round opening over the sea cave was created when the military was testing new explosives.
With the Marietas off the table, I decided to visit the Los Arcos Islands instead. They also feature many sea caves and birdlife proving to be a pleasant consolation. All in all, my time in Puerto Vallarta has been relaxing but I found myself constantly missing Jeanine who would have really enjoyed the food, music, and art.
Puerto Vallarta is a city with much to recommend it. The beaches here stretch for miles and there seems to be one for every type of visitor. As with most such locations, the economy is based on tourism so you are constantly exposed to merchandise or services for sale. Despite the fact that every inch of the beachfront appears to be developed, there is no lack of wildlife to be found. I enjoyed a casual day of strolling the boardwalk and Malecon before enjoying an afternoon siesta and delicious food. I tested negative for Covid and should be all set for my return flight to the US tomorrow.
The final qualifying matches last night were followed by an Awards Ceremony which I was able to watch live on the San Juan TV streaming channel. Nicolai was awarded the “Jugador Mas Valioso” (Most Valuable Player) of the tournament scoring a total of 3 goals and 2 assists. His lifetime international goal tally now stands at 29. Although I was not there in person, I did photograph his acceptance off the TV screen in my room. As far as the team standings go, it remains unclear if the USA finished 2nd or 3rd. We were initially awarded the 2nd place trophy but later in the ceremony asked to exchange it for Mexico’s 3rd place trophy. Since Haiti, the USA, and Mexico all finished the tournament with 7 points, the finishing order is determined by the tie break criteria. Apparently, there remains confusion around those criteria. Either way, the US is headed for Turkey in the fall.
As much as I have enjoyed the excitement of the last several days, it has been anything but relaxing. This morning I returned to Agua Calientes and flew to Puerto Vallarta where I will spend a few days decompressing. Destination beach towns are not generally my thing, but I wanted someplace nearby with good flight connections and at least a few opportunities for hiking and good photography. Although the US has secured advancement to the World Cup tournament, its finishing position in the CONCACAF qualifier will not be determined until the final two matches are played this evening. I will, no doubt, report on the results tomorrow. Pictured below is the bed and breakfast where I am staying. It is very lovely and the wi-fi, while not great, is much better than my hotel in San Juan de Los Lagos. The top-level has a large hot tub/pool and sunbathing deck which also makes for a perfect drone launching helipad.
The loss to Mexico put the US hopes of a World Cup ticket in jeopardy. Nothing short of a win in their last game against Haiti would guarantee advancement putting a great deal of pressure on the team. Even so, everyone seemed resigned to their mission and calm in the build-up to the match. Inspired by an emotional visit with Don Bennett, founder of organized amputee soccer, the USA team secured the win and a trip to Turkey for the World Cup. Nicolai scored both goals in the 2-1 victory. The first was a penalty kick and the second was another brilliant header. In remarks to the team after the match, Nico described the day as the best of his life and I can understand why. I was thrilled to share it with him and my face below is as happy as it gets.
Playing the host country is never easy. In this case, about 3200 Mexican fans showed up for the soccer match giving them the 12th man advantage. Many calls went their way and their stalling tactics went unaddressed. Even so, Mexico played an excellent match and beat the US by a score of 2-1. The Mexican defense did a good job of neutralizing Nicolai whose contribution was limited to the assist on the only American goal. The sound in the stadium was deafening. Between the cheering fans and blaring music on the PA system, it was impossible to communicate on the field or with the bench.
After games, the players are generally besieged by fans seeking autographs and photographs. Over the years Nico has signed soccer balls, jerseys, scraps of papers, and all manner of clothing and body parts. The look on his face, when handed a baby for the first time, was priceless. Fortunately, he made no attempt to sign it but rather held it securely for a photo.
This morning the team visited el Colegio Miguel Bolonia, a middle school in San Juan de Los Lagos. We were greeted by faculty and students who presented each of us with handwritten letters and medals. We reciprocated with school supplies. The team played a match with the students and had to settle for another tie 🙂
By match time, it was down to business. The US came out strong and pressured El Salvador for the entire match. Nico had the assist on our only goal which was enough for the win. The entire match can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/sanjuantv/videos/251158840458769
The USA faced Costa Rica in its opening match. With seconds remaining in the first half, Costa Rica scored on a direct kick which caught our goalie off his line. The US put the setback in their rearview mirror, rallied around their keeper, and responded with an equalizer midway through the second half. Although the team had hoped for a win, a tie would have to do. In this tournament, a win earns 3 points and a tie earns 1 point. After all five teams have played each other, the three with the greatest number of points will qualify for the World Cup tournament which will be held in Turkey later this year.
I arrived in Aguas Calientes, Mexico this morning where I rented a car and drove to San Juan de Los Lagos where the Amputee Soccer World Cup Qualifier for the CONCACAF region is being held. The journey was not without drama. To start, I was robbed at the airport. Mexican customs charged me $220 as an import tax on my drone. Next, I had to wait one hour while my rental car was being “fueled”? Finally, Google Maps guided me to my hotel by way of the pedestrian-only square surrounding the main cathedral here. Once I entered the area, it was impossible to back out and I had to drive ahead at about 1/2 mph until I found an exit. Very embarrassing. Still, it was all worthwhile. I joined Nicolai for the opening ceremony which featured many traditional Mexican dances and costumes, singing, acrobatics, and pyrotechnics. Nicolai was introduced with the other team captains from Mexico, El Salvador, Haiti, and Costa Rica.
At my request, Maya shared this photo which I find quite humorous. She is pictured here carrying a “crash pad” to an outdoor rock climbing location. She left for California today where she will be doing some climbing during the coming week while on spring break. I appreciate it when she takes the appropriate safety precautions while she pursues her passions.
At Nicolai’s invitation, we gathered at his apartment this afternoon for a send-off party. He leaves for Mexico tomorrow morning with the hopes of helping the US qualify for the Amputee Soccer World Cup. Maya prepared a mushroom/tofu/egg drop soup and pan-fried potstickers. Jeanine did a Thai chicken dish. After the meal, we walked to nearby Davis Square for bubble tea and ice cream desserts. Maya leaves for a spring break vacation in California tomorrow and I will follow Nico to Mexico on Tuesday.
I spent the better part of the day working with Kyle on his basement renovation project. Today we focused on framing. The future kitchen area posed the greatest challenge as we had to work around existing plumbing and drain lines. Almost every stud required special treatment and took much longer than building a typical wall. The results, however, were very satisfying and you can almost see the kitchen layout starting to take shape. Kyle has been a terrific apprentice and I would venture to say that he has graduated to an entry-level journeyman. He certainly looks the part with his tool belt and chop saw. We enjoyed delicious roast sandwiches during an extended lunch run to Mikey’s Famous Roastbeef. As we were wrapping up for the day, Kyle observed that we could expand the size of the new living room considerably by shrinking the mechanical room which will be possible with the new much more compact equipment.
Maya shared this photo of herself with all of her Olin roommates. It appears she may have lured them in with the treats she is holding in her hands. From all reports, this has been a fantastic set of people to live with. On our last visit, Maya described how they worked as a team to do all of the household chores, treating it as a well-run engineering project. As much as she has enjoyed her college years, I get the sense she is really looking forward to starting the next chapter of her life.
Ever since my recently purchased Apple Macbook Pro arrived, the “A” key has been finicky. Press anywhere but the upper left-hand corner of the key and all was fine. Hitting that particular spot, however, would result in a missed keystroke. When your name contains four “A”s, five if you count my middle name, it becomes a hassle quickly. This morning, I took my computer to the Apple Store in the Natick Mall to have the issue addressed. I was in and out in 10 minutes and am happy to report that all is AAAAAA OK now. This is probably my first time in a shopping mall since the onset of the pandemic and I was shocked to see how few people were out and about. Perhaps it was just too early in the day (11:30 am). The lack of crowds did make it easy to get this shot of a “Celebration of Spring” exhibit. I was less interested in the display than the interplay of vertical and diagonal lines and shadows.
After Maya stuck her entire nose into this tulip yesterday, I decided to do some investigation for myself. I choose, however, to use a camera rather than my snoot. Here are some interesting facts about tulips that you probably did not know. At one point in history, tulips were the most expensive flower. In fact, in the 1600s the flowers were more valuable than most people’s homes, and cost almost 10 times what an average working-class man earned in a year. Tulips are known for their bold colors and beautiful shape, and most varieties are indeed almost perfectly symmetrical. The blooms have three petals and three sepals, but since the sepals are almost the same size and shape as the petals, tulips appear to have six petals to a bulb. Like many other flowers, tulips are edible! In fact, during World War II, tulips and tulip breads were often eaten by those who couldn’t afford other foods. The flowers can be used to replace onions in many recipes and are even used to make wine. Perhaps Maya was simply sizing up a tulip for her next recipe.
The kids joined us for dinner this evening for the second time in as many days. We enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by Maya as head chef, with Susan as chief chopper, and me as sous-chopper and dishwasher. The centerpiece in our kitchen at the moment is a lovely arrangement of tulips that Susan gifted to us. After dinner, Maya decided to take a big sniff and stuck her entire nose into one of the flowers for the full experience. I asked her to do it again once I had my camera at the ready.
This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.
