Happy halloween

Halloween has to be my favourite US holiday! Grown-ups and kids alike dress-up and there are some very fab holiday candies to be had. After work I met Michelle and we walked down to the Santa Cruz diner (standard diner fare but fresher than most I suspect). We then wandered down onto the main street of Santa Cruz and mingled with the steadily growing crowd of costumed folk. The main street was completely blocked off and I expect it's all going to get very messy later in the evening. The police were out in force and travelling in gangs of five! There really were some impressive costumes though. Walking to the diner we spotted a few very cute kids out trick or treating too. All very fun and home by 930pm.
I had my final motorcycle class on Saturday and we sat our practical test. I was more nervous than I thought I would be but passed - not everyone did which was a bit sad. Now all I have to do is sit the written test with the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), hand over my passing certificate and I get my full license. It's not like NZ, here (if you haven't done the safety course) you get a learners permit and can ride any size bike you like. Last I knew in NZ you couldn't ride anything over a 250cc on a learners license, here they don't care. On a learners permit you can't ride on the freeway or at night but they don't care what size bike you are on. Overall I thought the course was really well done and I learnt alot. Extra bonus is doing the course gets me a discount on insurance when I get the bike.
Last night I also had my first California earthquake experience. It was 5.6 and really did make the house shake. People here really hate them and several asked if it was my first experience of an earthquake, I laughingly pointed out all of NZ is on a fault line and we learn what to do in an earthquake at school (or we did, I assume kids still do). Apparently only CA kids learn about earthquakes........I guess kids in Florida and the like learn what to do when hurricanes and tornadoes hit.

Of motorcycles and other things

I am now in the middle of my motorcycle course having had one evening class and a half day practical. I love it and was surprised to find I felt no anxiety at all getting back on a bike. The course itself is really great. The instructor is a female Santa Cruz police officer who runs the police dive squad for the area. She's very good and funny. She has a guy help her on the practical days........he is ex.special forces.......so I found out! The focus is entirely on safety and good basic riding skills. I was lucky, as I had ridden before I got one of the 250s (Honda Rebel cruiser) instead of the very very horrid Suzuki 125s.........these things matter of course, but only to me and the others on the course. It's also been a help that Michelle has leant me her car so I can actually get to the classes - some distance from home in Santa Cruz...........difficult on the Thursday nights when I have to travel from work in San Jose (an hour to SC, then half an hour to class). This has also meant I am driving much more and feel far less intimidated by the whole deal.

This weekend is Halloween. Halloween is my favourite US holiday because it is full of all the odd quirky things I like. People around where I live have decorated their porches etc etc. Little gravestones in yards, flying bats and ghosts and pumpkins galore. When you drive around you see "sales" yards with pumpkins in them for people to buy - it's a little like the Xmas tree lots you see but they do all soughts of things to draw people in. I expect in the scheme of things I'd like to give carving a pumpkin a go but this week is all about the bike course. I am heading to Walnut Creek to go to a Halloween dance on Saturday........that should be interesting.
Here's something I've been meaning to write about for ages but kept forgetting. It has, strangely, made it into Wikipedia...not so strange when you think anyone can put anything in Wikipedia. It's basically a bunch of wooden crosses that have been put on a hillside - one for each soldier killed in the Iraq war. It's been wildly controversial but a very powerful way to send a message. I had heard about it but never seen it until I started visiting Walnut Creek. It's right next to the freeway (or whatever they call something that seems to me to be a motorway). Just one of those US oddities.

While Halloween is almost here everyone is talking about Thanks Giving (towards the end of November....I haven't been here long enough to remember yet but it does bring two days holiday). Before then Sharon and I are off on an adventure with the puppy (staying in a cottage down the coast from Santa Cruz) and I am also going to my first football game. Life isn't at all boring.

Lost in space

No I am not yet lost but life has certainly taken giant leaps and bounds. Dating has turned into a girlfriend and has coincided with starting the new job (although she didn't come with the contract and, no, I didn't meet her at work).
Work wise I am into my first week and have been offered the "opportunity" to present some enhancements to the way communications is currently working with one of the groups in the program. I am getting a fantastic handover from the woman I am replacing (who is off to another project) - it's a shame, we make a good team and I think we could do a great double act. I am learning a whole new language (not only where IT is concerned) but in a business sense. It would seem the "net net" of some discussions are that we have "crisp" communications and much better to refer to peoples diaries as "schedules or calandars".......but these are minor things. The project (which is really a program of activities) is damn big (well the companies damn big) and I have a role in one of the streams of work - this suits me perfectly as I am learning alot watching the "bigness" of it roll out. I have found the most fantastic rideshare person who is happy to work to my timetable and we laugh and chat alot, which is good as most days she picks me up at 645am and I don't get home again until 6pm.......it is about an hour commute. At least I am not driving. Of course I now have a regular 730am meeting and one late one as well.........that is a long day. Language is proving to be a strange thing and understanding what people actually mean - I guess NZ is the same, everything is "coded". I'm pretty direct when I work but have been pausing to get some sense of the culture of the organization and to figure out if what I hear is what people actually mean! Still on balance I am enjoying it and will enjoy it more when I get my first pay packet.
Alongside this I am having a very nice social time having met a very nice Canadian girrrl. She lives nearer to San Fran - hence the weekends out of Santa Cruz and why I have learnt so much about public transport. Last weekend we had a very happy time taking Sharon's (there a name at last) 13 week old lab puppy to the dog park for the first time. This, of course, delights me as I love having Goldfish (the cat) around but have missed dogs since Misha. It's also delightful that Maddie (Madelaine) isn't mine so I get all the upside!
The net net of this is that I am very happy although realise that if I stick with the job I will have to move as Santa Cruz is a tough commute and the road I actually have to travel on is legendary for being dangerous (people do love to share) - although so far I've only seen minor smashes.
Bike course starts this week - YAY.

It is San Fran after all

Last weekend we headed off to the Folsom Street Fair in San Fran; which kind of speaks for itself. This little group did a photo shoot and was among the tamer sights to be seen. I'll refrain from adding more - surf around in the link above to see more! Yes I have started work (and got a cold into the bargain). I haven't got a computer yet so mostly I am at meetings or doing not much else. The project is still in it's early stages so it is all chaotically familiar. Managed to find a woman in Santa Cruz to do a rideshare with so the commute is now only 50mins and she picks me up door to door. She sells commercial real estate and is well travelled so we talk alot - she's got a good sense of humour too so the trip flys by. I am still working on the book and will spend some weekend days updating and adding new chapters now that I have info from NZ. My motorcycle course starts in two seeks (yay.......if not a little scared). Because I can't help but obsess about it here is the bike I want to test drive once I get my license. I quite like the retro look and will get a windshield and saddle bags. Got the boots, now need the gloves and the rest of the outfit. I've been spending most weekends in Walnut Creek so have become an expert on all the public transport options available in the "bay area". Some I have discovered are very nice (read unlike Greyhound) and I overcame my brief fear of navigating the BART system (commuter trains) around San Fran, having realised how damn easy it is. Leaning how to use public transport (strangely) inspires self confidence I have to say. Last weekend I also went to my first baseball game. While "our team" (well you do have to back someone) didn't win I thought there were some good catches..........but was promptly informed that this really just showed that I haven't watched enough baseball (hard to argue). After the game there were fireworks - which were very impressive particularly as, once they had roped off parts of the field, we were able to go and sit around the baseball diamond. The grand adventure continues. Next I want to go to a football match and then ice hockey!