Baseball, whale watching.....Hawaii

Off to Hawaii on Thursday.....can't wait!

In the interim Friday night we all headed off to the baseball game at AT&T Stadium in the city.  I can't tell you how many times I've run past this place, so actually walking in the gate was cool.

What was really funny was we realized we mostly didn't watch the game at all!  To the point where it was 3 all and......we left.  We did lots of people watching, ate some bad/good food, I had a beer and watched Braxton play on the slide for a while.  It's all such an American thing.....not really something Sharene and the kids normally do, it was unexpected fun.

The Thursday before I took a day off work and we all went to Monterey.  At the last minute Sharene found a good well priced lodge in Carmel so we stayed over Wednesday night so we could go whale watching.  I've never been whale watching!!  Arriving 830ish Wednesday night we found a good place to eat near the lodge we stayed at.  Got up bright and early Thursday and headed to the wharf.  It was pretty rough so we all took motion sickness pills and waited to see whales!  We got two humpbacks and a gaggle of white stripped dolphins.

Afterwards we went to the Monterey Aquarium, which I loved, as always!

I've done my usual thing and waited a little too long for my holiday.  We've rented a condo on Maui and I can't wait to get there and stop.....

Added bonus, Karen and Brice are back living on the Ranch in New Mexico so Sharene the kids and I (it's the summer holidays here so kids of school) are going for a four day weekend in July.  I am very happy to have K & B closer and very excited to share the ranch!  On balance, life is lovely!

Working life

The last few weeks have been big and busy.  Coming back from surgery and landing in the thick of it.  My first year as a senior manager is all but done.  Really we are an up or out culture so now I have to do all the things that would have me be positioned to be a managing director (partner).  Yikes, I really can't decide if I am into that.  Right now a lot of what I do is "delivery"; put things on the ground and make them happen.  MDs do "sales".  It's not as sleazy as it sounds but I will have to find the love for it to actually want to do it!  Davin, my forever mentor, is teaching me how it works.  There are big numbers involved and a whole lot of behaviors I don't yet understand.  I guess it's complicated and easy all at the same time.
My team has grown to 6, which doesn't sound like much but I think I might be the largest team on the project.
Oh best thing this week.  It was the Prom (the yearly celebration we have across the company that has a very swanky party at a nice venue with great food etc etc).  This year it didn't all quite stack up.  Sharene and I have been busy and still have busyness planned.  She couldn't come to the Prom because she was working and I didn't much feel like going (it's still work after all). But the folks from my last project had a "reunion" before the Prom. So I went to the before party.  You should all know my brand is mostly "doesn't show up".  In my defense I never say I will from the outset.  I got a bunch of messages asking if I was going so decided I would.  It was great fun to see everyone, laugh alot and hear what they are doing.  It was also lovely that they asked about Sharene and were genuinely disappointed she wasn't there.  It really is nice when you build working relationships where you are more than the job.
Counting the days to Hawaii.....taking this Thursday off and heading to Monterey with Sharene and the kids - whale watching and the aquarium, bliss.

Rockn Jump.....

One of the delights of having kids in my life is it keeps me honest and simple and sometimes it's also complicated.  What isn't complicated is Rockn Jump!

Bunch of trampolines where you get to JUMP!

Then this cool thing where you jump into a bunch of foam bricks!!!

All of this totally appeals to me.  Friday night we took Madi and Brax, but really we took ourselves too.  This is where lots of parents take their kids for birthday parties.  What was really funny was Sharene and I were the ONLY adults who actually jumped.

Crashing into Hawaii

Well that's an overly dramatic headline but you get the idea.  End of June Sharene, Madi, Brax and I head to Hawaii for the long awaited celebration of Sharene's birthday.  I can't wait!!!  It's been over 20yrs since I last went to Hawaii (then with Michelle as part of my first trip to the US of A).  We are heading to Maui and I will post pics.

Sad news too.....some may remember, when I was living on the Ranch (El Rancho) in New Mexico I worked with Peter, the part time 80yr old ranch hand who used to own diners in NY State.  Well Karen texted the other day, he passed away two days ago.  As always, these things give you a moment to pause.  Time on the ranch was incredibly peaceful for me as I tried to figure out my life having newly immigrated to the US.  Peter was a big part of that.  We did simple chores, raking leaves, painting fences and barns.  He always had a word of advice and a story to tell.  He lived a long and colorful life and, for a time, had a huge impact in my world.  Such is the nature of life I guess people move in and out of our lives but he most assuredly left a mark in mine.

Time ticks on....well it races on....

It's June and this has been a BIG year and far from over!  My health is good but not quite "there" yet.  I have the marathon as my goal and this takes both a physical and mental commitment (I am not entirely in charge of the physical bit! And not always as strong mentally as I would like.....recovery is exhausting!).  Really there is nothing wrong beyond getting over surgery.  I am working on it and Sharene is helping me with her knowledge of massage and generally being an easier person in the world physically than I am.  I don't much like being uncomfortable in my body and, really, I feel a thousand times better than I did before the surgery.  Funny how we sometimes don't even know how unwell we are and then we are forced to deal and get reminded.  So, whinging aside, I am really really good.
Work is intense and busy and I am starting to feel and get what it means to have that promotion and be a senior manager at my company.  I also feel I need to understand and decide my commitment to this.  I don't mean day to day.....we are an up or out culture, so I have four years (one down) to either decide I am on the path to partner or .... decide I am not and figure out what is next.  Right now I am a little overwhelmed to think I can even choose a path to partner and have them think that's vaguely reasonable..... well they've told me it is.....but....really.......it's a long way from getting on that plane in NZ with no job, nothing being quite what I thought it would be and just "believing" in something......

Back on a plan

I know I'm not posting much these days. No excuses, I've been very focused on the here and now, not so much the telling the story!
Today I got back on "the plan".



There is a chance I might make the Nike Women's lottery and be able to run the Marathon in October!!!! I'm part of a team entry, so if one of us gets in we all do. I am going to train like I will make it in. They give you a Tiffany gift, needless to say Sharene is happy.
Work has been intense and stressful. Mostly I am taking it day by day - doing the job.
I've been having some fun times too.



Eating out (no Bluff Oysters but making do), Braxton's birthday....life is good.




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