Monday, May 28, 2012

I'm back.....

These last few weeks flew by - many late nights and early mornings at work - proposal is in and team did an awesome job.  Have to wait for the next stage, orals (what a terrible word) where we go in and present "something".  It's not like I've done this before so I'm just stumbling through each stage and learning a lot. Chasing the work is fun though.  Of course if we get it then a whole new set of challenges! Most likely I will move to the new client, leaving behind my old team......who I really love and the current client who I also really love.  Nature of the job I guess.  Nothing guaranteed of course but the Partner has basically said, "we get it, you go".  Right then.  I guess the exciting thing is that I'm really starting to get some good experience consulting.  Some folk seem to land at Cisco and never move, I think that's contracting, not consulting and my one ask when I joined ACN was that I get to go to other clients - seems to be going fine.
I also wanted to finish my Italy trip - Lake Como.  This place was so beautiful.  The Lake is magnificent with little towns dotted all around it.  You get to them via ferry.  Jo did an awesome job ferreting out some great walks for us (yet really was a walking holiday!).
View from my hotel balcony, sunnier shot further down

Day we arrived we went on a little hike - got caught in a HUGE downpour, totally fun though as we say the "worlds" smallest river.......


Jo organizing, she was the uber travel planner

I think this is the Bellagio,  just one of the sights as we scooted around the lake

Cool tree

While we walked up in the hills we also weaved through the villages.  This in such sharp contrast to Cinque Terre, everything very "put together" here.  

See at the end a little "alter".  They were everywhere

Look closely and you will see a little building up on the hill, in the center almost in the middle of the picture.  We hiked up to this church.  This was really fantastic.  The path zig zagged up the hill and I was very grateful for all the marathon training, quite a hike and we'd already been walking for 3 hrs
Church at the top of the climb

View from church - this place is like Queenstown on steroids.  Lake Como has a similiar feel to Queenstown but bigger in every way.  It also has that uniquely laid back Italian feel, even as there is a sense of bustle.  

Sunny version of the view from my balcony.  Now here's a really really tricky one.  If you can, pop the photo out and zoom in.  As you look at the photo start at the pointed peak in the center of the photo, go left and about half way down the snowy ridge line stop and drop down to just above the middle line of the mountain.....you'll see a building......that's the church we hiked to!

Random boat shot, very beautiful with all that wood

This the group that was at Lake Como,  Rose and Jo, Karen and Sarah and their two children, both of whom are very very cute
 

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The week that is

It's been a big working week.  My optimism about that 14 miler run on Saturday didn't quite come through, although I did run 15 on Sunday.  The last 7 days have gone something like this; working until midnight on Friday then back in the office at 8am on Saturday, out of the office at 2pm.  Sunday awesome run to Sausalito then back at the day job Monday,Tuesday, Wednesday........long days.  We are in the middle of the annual performance process so I have been part of a range of discussions to finalize peoples performance reviews.  I actually enjoy this on a lot of levels (much helped by having a fab team working for me) but we do run a particularly rigorous process so alot of new learning for me as I sit through and contribute to the various discussions.  Alongside this we are continueing to pitch for new work and I went to meet the "prospective" new clients.  Given I've never done this type of thing for ACN before that was also a new learning moment.  The Partner and my manager are being totally fab about coaching me through parts of it and I feel no small privellage in having been asked to contribute at all!  All of this has pushed me outside my comfort zone but also tapped into some of the skills I haven't been able to use for a while.  It's all exciting and exhausting....it hasn't made for the best training week but some weeks just are what they are and I'll make sure to get my long run in this weekend (well if I don't I'll go nuts). 

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Italy continues


 After a fab time in Milan and the marathon done we headed to Cinque Terre.....via a short detour to a shopping outlet mall Jo had found about a half hour out of the city!  Needless to say I spent most of my time sitting in a cafe.....We caught the train to Cinque Terre.  Quick wikipedia intro for those that don't know any thing about this area:
The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" is composed of five villages: Monterosso al MareVernazzaCornigliaManarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Villages are linked by a train system


View from my room



First night we had a little picnic in the room

Had to improvise on the glassware - yeah, Rose's idea, worked a charm

The obligatory church shot - Rose not delighted by the constant bell ringing

Couple of ways to get between the villages - this the "low" road, all quite civilized......more later




This was a cool idea.  This is a paddle boat you can hire.  There is a little sun deck behind, you can paddle out into the water, anchor down and slide into the water till your hearts content.  Great way to keep kids occupied while you sun on the deck I think.

Example of being on the "high" road.  Round corners to be confronted with more spectacular views.  The whole place is breath taking.
Another view of  Manarola


Rose and Jo looking the part, maybe 2hrs into our five hour day.


Last year there were big landslides (some of the actual tracks are still closed).  We came across this  as we were about to go into one of the villages.  On the left, out of shot, is the other part of the house.  It was kind of surreal.

As we journeyed back to our village we popped in and out of others.  This the most spectacular  food stop!

This gives you a sense of how high we were at times...........Still away to go before we reach the village.


You walk through working vineyards clinging to the side of the hill.  Can only imagine how old these vines are.


I think this was our first day, behind is a beautiful view of the ocean
Highlight had to be dinner at Billy's!  Crammed into a tiny space they brought us the fresh caught fish on a tray so we could choose which one we wanted.  Funniest moment, at the end of the meal 6 bottles various types arrived on the table where we proceeded to help ourselves to each one - a little tasting session then served ourselves one or two of our choice - Lemoncello being my favourite!  You couldn't do it in NZ - folk would drink the entire bottle.  No idea how they charged us either, nobody appeared to be keeping track.


Saturday, May 12, 2012

Busy working week.......

We are in the middle of pitching some new work so I am learning a lot about proposal writing and keeping your day client happy!  Actually kind of fun and a little scary as I learn new things.  It has meant only one run this week but I am optimistic for my 14miler tomorrow as we really really have to get this done today (being Saturday of course).
I still have more Milan pics to post so will get to that tomorrow!

Sunday, May 06, 2012

This is what happens at home

on a lazy Sunday afternoon when Irene is avoiding work and has a new "toy" to play with.........
Random shots of:
Me at my computer.....yes, doing work.......

The most recent medal haul: Big Sur and Milan

My "office"

The treadmill multi-purposing

The "new plan" - ultra training starts in earnest on June 10
Runners porn, at least according to Irene
Lounge, without me on the couch


Irene decided I should wash my car.....so she could be further distracted

And I could work in the uncharacteristically warm SF heat......
As at this second and several hours after the photo shoot she still hasn't started working........