This evening I dragged my arse out of the house (working from home so had to ditch the pjs) and "ran the hills". Saying that in SF has a deep and spiritual meaning. Well I guess it's like saying you ran the hills in Wellington, minus the wind of course and it's far easier to run a grid in SF. Hmmm so I'd confess, I'm getting a little obsessed with running the hills because I signed on to run the Big Sur International Marathon in May 2011 (such optimism I have about where my life will be in May next year!). If you scroll down on the Big Sur site there is a very fab video of the actual course. It's lovely, it takes us along the Coastal Highway, which is one of the very few scenic drives I've done in the US that seriously rival NZ for views. Along the way they even have a guy playing a grand piano (yuh it's around about when you do a 2 mile/ 3.2 km up hill.....so hence my obsession about hills). Well and I know I haven't run NY yet but it crossed my mind that I needed to find goals post NY (well yes I did sign on to the New Orleans Rock n Roll Marathon in Feb 2011 - but it's flat, I should be able to do it and who cares - New Orleans, I can just jump off the course and go find me a jazz bar!!!!).
I've actually got some folk I know running the San Jose half marathon in October (old work colleagues, including Lila who I went to Nashville with). That was a painful run. I am going to stay at Lila's the night before (the house where I did the mega pet sitting) and then we will walk to the start of the course and plan to have a few drinks after wards with some other folks we know are running. A half marathon isn't quite as daunting as it was when I did my first race in February and my second in April.....I've run quite a few more in training. But don't get me wrong 13.1 miles/21 km, it's a long way, it hurts at times and anyone that gets out there and does it deserves the medal, the tee shirt and a rousing cheer! So my obsession is alive and well.
I've been busy doing something else too - well not exactly me but the sis and the sis-in-law in NZ. I decided to complete my room (oh last of the furniture arrived, the two bedside tables.....shown with the very funky and much loved light Irene encouraged me to indulge in!). BSTs are lovely and the guys who deliver this stuff are sooooo lovely I'd go back and spend more money just for the delight of having them deliver. Anyway back to the point - I decided I would like some NZ art. Back in the day I was lucky enough to be able to hang some of J & Ks art around my house. Art is (among other things, one of their "things", they know about this stuff), so I asked where to go, what was out there. Yeehaa - Kathy sent me a Webb catalogue for art and I found a piece that I loved.....well then Janine was at a fundraiser and....bloody hell, love NZ, met the artist who had a piece in the "series" that he was willing to sell......and so it went. This is what you have to love about NZ (well and my family, make a connection and make it work!). So I'm about to be the proud owner of this:
It's not a great photo of the work (it's called Dr Tutu Featuring Tame Iti)..... but it is! It's four individual pieces that can also be hung in a rectangle.....but I like how he's done it. Well and I googled to find out more. It's an awesome reflection of NZ, each panel has a story and a song that goes with it. Frankly I'm not sure I would have taken as much notice of any of this when I lived in NZ.....but now it just feels totally different. I am going to love telling people about this art. I am ridiculously excited about it and cant' wait for it to arrive so I can hang it.....
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