Thanksgiving

It's been a lovely long weekend. Thanksgiving is a very sweet holiday - all good food & people, no gifts! I hung out with a friend and went beach walking at fort Funston & Half Moon Bay.








Tonight I am on dog watch....Henri & Lottie.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Check it out....

Went hiking yesterday in this really beautiful reserve and this little dude was just hanging out:



So cool!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Roseville

Interesting week in Roseville......Around 70 people turned up for the three days of workshops, presentations etc etc.  It's been interesting for me as I'm leading one exercise that I'm not actually an expert in, although it seems having some type of business degree can be helpful!!!!  I presented to a small group and now I am helping to facilitate some additional working sessions.  I fall in and out of feeling confident presenting to groups and really admire people who can routinely stand up in front of large crowds and present with ease.  The HP campus we were on once housed 6000 people, now most of the buildings are closed down, so it was somewhat eerie to drive around.  The office layout is cubicles but the walls were so high that you can't look over them, so often it felt like nobody was in the building.  The meeting rooms were windowless as well, adding to the sense of isolation.
I stayed in a hotel next to possibly the largest shopping mall I have ever seen.  At one point I drove in circles trying to figure out how to get back on the street.  I didn't actually go shopping but was instead looking for the supermarket.....suffice to say my sense of direction remains challenged.
It is nice to be home and I am inclined to think that I really do like working locally and not being a traveller.  Although there is always a possibility I will get staffed outside of the Valley......

LA, visitors and working

The year is flying by and I need to get back on both the running and blogging wagon!
Two weekends ago I headed to LA and had a great fun weekend with Michelle and Ruth.  Ruth was transiting through to a conference in Miami.  The three of us have developed a little tradition around meeting up and always have fun.  I arrived Friday night and Michelle and I did the annual clothing run for Jody - whew that's that done!  Ruth flew in that afternoon and we all just hung out.  Michelle is currently Faculty in residence at UCLA so we hung out on the campus and I got to experience eating the the college dining hall.....the food was very impressive.  We went to dinner that night with Michelle's girlfriend, Nina and moved on to a bar before we all conceded we were happy enough to go home.  Gone are the days of partying out late, or at least that wasn't going to happen that day.
Sunday, after walking Monkee we went off to get Michelle an i-phone, funny time was had as she's not the most literate about these things.  Ruth and I then set it all up for her, including downloading some useful Apps - her life is transformed.
Getting out of LA was a little tedious as my flight kept getting delayed, finally arrived home around 11pm (as opposed 8pm).  Still all worth it to spend time hanging with the Kiwis.
Work was incredibly busy with a team dinner on Wednesday as well.  I am still learning alot and settling into life as a senior manager - it is different and I am figuring it out one day at a time as new and different things are required/demanded!
Ruth flew in for a stopover on her way home on Friday.  Flight was late in but I'm 15mins from the airport so it was an easy hop to pick her up.  Saturday we went Lotte walking with Irene at Fort Funston (pic above) the Ruth and I walked into the Mission and ended the afternoon sitting in the sun in the Garden Bar at our local queer bar.....which I never really go to so it was a treat for me as well.  She flew out Saturday so it really was a short stopover but sweet to spend time with her and have her see where I live etc.
Monday (early) I drive to Roseville; 2hrs North East of San Fran to spend four days doing workshops with the client.  Not wildly excited about the travel but then I haven't been to Roseville.....so I'll put it in the column of "new adventure".  Does mean organizing myself so today is full of washing and household chores.
Thanksgiving is looming and Irene has invited me to Reno but I have decided to stay home.  I think I'd just like to putz around the house.  TG is such a sweet holiday here, everyone very excited and in the past I've gone to friend's houses.  This year though I feel content to just do my own thing, go for a long run and maybe buy in some nice food, watch a movie....easy.

Me & Monkee

Michelle's dog Monkee, so cute!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone