The week that is

The week has flown by and mostly consisted of days starting with 7am conference calls and ending around 8pm; long and a little stressful as folk aren't necessarily playing nice with us!  I've been pulling together a bunch of training materials, having items reviewed and working on a daily basis with the boys in India.  I do like them, they are very sweet and responsive.  I have learnt so much in these last four months and think that (so far at least) the move to the new job has been a good one.  I think too, as I learn more about how the company operates, I will be able to make an even bigger contribution and feel there is lots of scope to grow.  Seems it's all been a risk worth taking.
Sunday I went to Zoe and Pam's for the football event.  It was great fun.  The folk their were just hilarious, total football nuts and, I have to confess, that even I was able to follow some of the more exciting plays.  They also all knew all the football gossip including stories about one of the star players sending nude photos of himself to some chick, while wearing crocs....not sure if it was the nude pic or the crocs that horrified people more.  Some did speculate that perhaps members of the All Blacks might behave in a similar way.  I assured them All Blacks wouldn't wear crocs....beyond that I couldn't comment!  Because Wisconsin were playing Zoe put on a "Wisconsin" food festival.  The local food seems to consist of brats (and the attendant condiments), potato salad, cheese, meat, gherkins etc etc followed by some pastry things that, in sum, could all be summed up as a heart attack waiting to happen.  I was assured by the ex.natives of the region that this was, in fact, exactly how the locals ate, every day!  So I can tick this one off as another little cultural moment in the U.S of A.
Tonight I went for a four mile run.  I am tapering for NY now but, given the butt drama combined with work, I've run even less than I should.  Today is the first day though where my butt hasn't hurt, so I guess it's getting better.  The bruising is still rather impressive.  Too bad, running NY, so it better keep up!
Rose arrives tomorrow.....yippee.

A taste of Cat Power

This concert was a riot.  I recorded this on my Blackberry to give you a flavour of the music.  This chick is totally awesome to listen to, the sound that comes out of her mouth doesn't quite fit the "look".  Irene had somehow managed to get us tickets front and center so we had a fantastic view of the whole show.  While "Cat" is awesome she is also totally crazed - her body and facial movements were an endless source of fascination and, at one point, she just walked off stage.......the band just carried on while we waited for her to return.  Five years ago she did this more than once and often didn't return (Irene went to one concert where she just announced she couldn't do this, sorry and walked off stage).  Cat also has some seriously crazed groupies - all relatively young women who clearly idolize her - watching them "perform" was equally entertaining!  Anyway, great night, drove up to Napa (about an hour or so away) in driving rain, met up with Irene's friend ("our" hairdresser, Connie) her mother and husband had a quick dinner and headed to the theater.  Got home around midnight, both buzzed and delighted by the whole thing.

Well that was a week.....

So the whole butt injury has proven to be quite the challenge to manage.  I did go for my run midweek but it was a challenge and I realized I needed to give myself more time to recover. Arrrrrrrgh - resting is lovely but it isn't exactly the right time to be "resting".  Fitness wise I probably have lost a little of my edge but the real challenge is your mind, losing confidence is quite a challenging thing to correct.  The mind plays tricks, telling you your body isn't up for it and, really, you don't have to do that (okay that would be a part of my mind that doesn't really take that type of rationale seriously) - it's a battle of wills at this point.  So today I made it my goal to run to the Ferry Building and back, no compromises, no changing my mind, no whimping out, just get out there and do it.  It's only 8miles (13k), that's a little under a third of a marathon distance.  So run it I did.  Three awesome things to come out of it. 1.  I can still run; my mind and body are willing. 2.  Some of the other little niggly muscle strains I have been nursing appear to have eased, given the break. 3.  My butt is not yet a 100% functioning muscle but it is good to run on (and ice now I am back) and should be fully functioning by the time the marathon comes around.  Keep the mind focused and the body will arrive.

Work was at an all time peak.  Most of my deliverables are coming due and I am still on a big learning curve around managing the training.  As is always the way, as we lead into a release people go a little crazy so I've also had to manage down some expectations and hose down some other people who are, quite frankly, insane.  My old job involved a lot of hosing people down so stepping back up to the edge of that has reminded me that, sooner, rather than later, I will be back in the point role.  Although I have no idea where I might land next (almost 100% sure it will be Cisco....and that is what I am asking/looking for) - current role is due to end at the end of December - so we shall see.  It seems, too, that I've got myself involved in writing a second white paper.  So enough to say that I am busy.

Irene and I off to Cat Power in Napa tonight.  Irene's playing the music around the house so that I can know what to expect.  I like it so all going well should be a fun evening.

Butt update

Because I know you are all fascinated......I have THE most impressive bruise on my arse!  I refused Irene's kind offer to photograph it and post to the blog, you will just have to imagine.  Today I am going to go for a run - it is still tender but nothing like it was.  Clearly nothing terminal has happened - Monday my body ached from the fall and I got to notice all the other bumps, including the bruising that is around the lil gash I have in my arm - I was a wreck, today I feel positively sparkly by comparison.
Last night I got on a conference call to NY that TFK run about preparing for the marathon.  Apart from the fact that some people are ...... hmmm ...... less than stellar at knowing how to mute their bloody phones so we can hear what the presenter is saying.....it was excellent.  They took us through the entire course and talked us through pacing, what to watch out for at various stages and even had this very cool idea for surviving the last four miles (given all of us have now run 22).  They suggest dedicating each mile to a person, someone who would never let you down and that you would do about anything for.   Idea is as you start the mile you are focused on that person.  You won't think about them the whole way but when you doubt (or your body does) you just refocus, then the mile is done and you move onto the next person.  I thought it was a cool idea and as good as any to help the mind get over what the body can do but the mind isn't entirely convinced about.

My butt hurts

This might be a little TMI but I am 19 days out from the marathon so I get to be a little crazed.  Yesterday I fell down the outside stairs at home.....and my butt hurts!!!!  Clumsy I know but it was raining, the stairs were wet, I was on Lotte watch and taking her out (being on Lotte watch is actually quite nice, it's lovely to have a beastie around again and she is quite a character.....strong character.....anyway back to my butt).  My foot slipped out from under and my right buttock slammed into the step and I promptly slid down two more.  Arrrrrrrrrgh - first thought "fuk, the marathon, I better not have chipped anything", second thought "gotta take Lotte outside".  Poor thing, I gave her about as big a fright as myself.  Apart from the shock, which had me feel kind of ill (but I think that had more to do with thinking maybe I'd screwed the marathon) I appeared to be in reasonable order.....well nothing appeared broken.  Fact is my butt isn't the most heavily padded of places so I still wasn't entirely sure how much damage I had done.  Needless to say spent a good part of the day variously icing my arse and waiting for the bruising to show through.  I am still able to walk but can't run (yet) as I've clearly done some soft tissue damage......so there, that's why my butt hurts!
Other things.  I've been involved in some recruiting at work.  This is fun and kind of funny to think I've only been with Accenture for three months and now I get to comment on whether or not someone is a "fit".....funnier still that I have no qualms about saying "no", even if they are a skill fit, much like my old job - people have to fit into the team as well.  All good practice/learning for me and something outside of my day job.  Speaking of, I've learnt more than I ever thought I would about pulling together a training plan....herding cats in the process and generally how bloody complicated it is.  Fortunately Melissa (my current boss) is a guru at this stuff so has been excellent at pointing me in the right direction.  Other fun thing, as a team we've decided to put together a "white paper" on using offshore vs onshore resources for projects.  It will be grand if it all comes together and we get it published (internally)......will see how it goes - just something on the side!
This weekend Irene and I are driving up to Napa for a Cat Power concert.  Needless to say I had never heard of her but Irene is a fan.  Her music kind of suits me, a little mournful and ballad like.....well and she also has some more techno sounding stuff (all of which is a terrible description - so go listen!).
Sunday going around to watch Football (american football) at Zoe and Pams.  They have a bunch of folk coming over - I won't understand what is going on but I'm sure someone will explain!
Then one more week to Rosie.........yippee, then one more week to NY......then four days to Dublin....

Totally awesome

And now they are all free.....but I so loved this guys accent that I just had to post this!

Fleet Week, 22 miles/35 km and adventuring

So these things have been buzzing over the city for the last few days - they are the Blue Angels.  It is Fleet Week.  To save myself alot of grief this is how Wikipedia describes it:
Fleet Week is a United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard tradition in which active military ships recently deployed in overseas operations dock in a variety of major cities for one week. Once the ships dock, the crews can enter the city and visit its tourist attractions. At certain hours, the public can take a guided tour of the ships. Often, Fleet Week is accompanied by military demonstrationsand air shows such as provided by the Blue Angels.


We all know I like things military but Fleet Week proved to be an added bonus for me today as I did my longest and last big run before New York (22 miles).  8am this morning I set out to (again) run from Potrero Ave to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge (with an added leg to get me the extra two miles I needed).  As I hit the Embarcadero there was a lot of action going on (although, thankfully, not yet a lot of people involved).  Various military types and vendors were gearing up for the flood of people that arrive at the waterfront to enjoy the show, visit the ships and generally hang out.  As I got closer to the Golden Gate Bridge more and more folk were setting up "camp" and I started to see the Destroyers coming into port.  Place was humming.  All types of military folk decked out in full regalia.  Although I did make one slightly disconcerting observation.....why is that the adults that are in charge of the Cadets look so god awful in their uniforms and are, inevitably, overweight and unhealthy looking?
That aside, I think I can say with some authority now that 22 miles is a long way........so I was very grateful for all the distractions!  I arrived home in better condition than I might have expected, although still stiff and wondering how tomorrow might feel.
Given that little adventure took me four hours I was cutting it close to get to my haircut.....yay to Irene who dropped me off and picked me up (walking Lotte in between).   Given it was Irene's hairdresser the salon wasn't hard to find....for her, I think I might well have got a little lost as it sits in a nest of one way streets!
Tomorrow morning I'm having breakfast with a new friend (or potential new friend I guess) that Michelle and I met at Mango.  I am being brave about getting out and meeting more new folk, which was the whole point of moving to the city.  After that taking the bike down to Santa Cruz to spend a day helping clear Marcia's yard (all part of her 40th birthday present).
Nice busy weekend and running the 22 is a great confidence booster.....which is, I guess, why they have you do it now in the training program.

The things nobody tells you.....

about running a marathon......well actually about preparing to run a marathon.  29 days out, things to know:
1.  Paranoia - alive and well, deeply fearful about getting injured.  Every little tweak, odd new pain or ache sends the mind into a spiral of "what if this is really bad".  Not at all helped this week by Zoe having discovered she can't run the Nike Women's Marathon two weeks from now (and she has been insanely training for it and we ran 20 miles together a few weeks back) because she has a stress fracture in her foot.  Stress fractures are special badges of honour.....they mean you have been training hard.....too hard and they are scary and they are common among "novice" runners training for marathons.  Deep breathes, breathing in and out!  Zoe chose a different training regime from me, she is an icon and she is tough, she is two weeks out, I am four.....
2.  Anticipation - mine, and others.  Okay so I'm my own worst enemy on this one.  Of course I'm anticipating it but I enrolled a whole bunch of folks in this as well....talked/talking about it obsessively etc etc etc.  Well now everyone is anticipating; it's good and it's weird and and and
3.  Fear - blood curdling cold fear.  Although I'm not sure what of.  Frankly I think I'm more scared of not being able to run it than actually running it!  See point 1.
4.  Surprise - ummm yeah, this "thing" might actually be going to happen.  Seriously, I remember the day I thought "I can do that, I'm going to do that".  December 2009 (not that long ago), sat in the cottage having read Ultra Marathon Man and decided "...if he can do that then I can do this.....".  No one close by to say "wtf?", instead everyone said "okaaaaaay, then go for it" or variations on a theme.  One notable "well, that's ambitious..".  September 2009 it took me an hour to run 5 miles / 4 kms.....and it seriously seriously hurt. Tomorrow I run 22 miles / 32 km....and I will feel exactly the degree of hurt I felt when I ran that first 5 miles (maybe more)......understanding that is totally weird.
5.  Elation - I might actually pull this off.  This not unlike how I felt immigrating to the US.
6.  Finally, over it - over thinking about it, focusing on it, being angsty about it, worrying about it, anticipating it, wanting it, dreaming about it, feeling guilty about not training or not training hard enough or drinking or eating the wrong things.......ready. to. run. now.

Rock n Roll

Picture of the team who ran on Sunday.  Lila and Jon (who I stayed with and ran in Nashville with), Julie (who replaced me in my old job and was on the team with Lila and I), me and Lynda (a friend of Lila and Jon's).  Funny too - I mentioned that I had signed on to the Big Sur Marathon in May..........Jon's signed on now too and Lila is planning to run the 5k! Yay, running buddies!

San Jose Half Marathon.....done

Had a grand weekend heading to San Jose on Saturday to stay over for the half marathon on Sunday.  Stayed with Lila and Jon, who I housesat for last year.  All the pets are still in residence!  Saturday the local restaurant (renovated garage I have mentioned before) had an Oktoberfest event so we headed on over for dinner to drink beer (not too much) and meet up with Julie (who I worked with in the old team) and her family.  It was a really pleasant evening, meeting the locals and enjoying some very yummy trout!  Afterwards we went back to Lila and Jons' and watched Michael Jacksons "This Is It" - it was fab, totally had me revise my view of him....incredibly talented man; it's a movie worth watching (I'd avoided it like the plague....my bad).  Up very early Sunday (as in 5:30, although start time not until 8am).  Funny thing about running these races is, unless you have running buddies that run to your time, you don't actually end up running with them.  It was nice to have peeps there to go to the event (we met Julie as we walked over to the start) and have peeps at the end.....really nice, need to find more running buddies me thinks (photo to come).  Came in at 1:58, so under 2hrs makes me happy.....feel maybe I should have gone faster but then I remember that I am going to have to do twice that for the marathon so I think my body/mind just goes "nah we're good".  Afterwards headed off for some lunch and a Lemon Drop.....yum.  Headed back to San Fran around 2ish.

"We" have had a minor household trauma.  As part of the regular and rather impressive exercise regime Lotte has she had an unfortunate encounter with "something" sharp, cutting her paw pad quite badly.  Good mother that Irene is off to the vet it was......and so it was, minor surgery, three stitches and a very bright pink bandage (we really aren't going to mention the bucket contraption she's now supposed to sport for 10 days.......omg and no rigorous exercise).  Herewith a shot of Lotte, looking.....Out.Of.It (thank you to my beloved exes who took me through some major surgeries and resisted the temptation to take any photographs).  For those that follow this blog on a regular basis you will note that she appears to be lying on my bed.  Well she is!  Lotte has got every fond of my bed - apparently Temperapedics are the lastest in dog "wear".  She also seems to like my room.  Neither Irene nor I really understand why but enough to say doped out dog belonged exactly where she was placed and drifted off into a drug hazed comma while Irene and I variously hovered!  Lotte is fine, or will be, but it is rather unsettling when the "children" hurt themselves!

Seriously.....check it out

NYC Marathon Route in 7mins 21sec.....ummm yeah, check out the elevation change at mile 14ish and mile 23ish.....well and the course isn't exactly flat along the way either. Best quote I've read so far "....don't think this course will give you a personal best...." Well it will for me, of course, because it will be my first - I am thinking more about survival though, one step at a time.

NYC Marathon....a reminder

Donate......http://www.runwithtfk.org/Member/PublicPage/287.  Doesn't matter if I cross the line or not. Give, it's a good cause.  If you don't give by October 7th then I'll make up the rest.....it was a pledge.  It's okay not to give because you think the cause isn't right, it's also okay not to give because you think I'm personally insane.....it's not okay not to give because you forgot.......my final ask, having already said I'd match what anyone else gave....give a little and I'll run alot.

Kiwi's in the world

Just back from Berkley having attended the Launch of Peter Limbrick's Making Settler Cinemas.  Peter's a kiwi, a colleague of Irene's at UC Santa Cruz and is a Dunedinite.  What can I say, small world!  He read excerpts from his book where he shared some fab stories about how the making of films in small town NZ (Whakatane being one) in the 1930s-1950s impacted those communities.  Not that that is the focus of his book but it provided a lovely context for what the publishers describe as:
"In Making Settler Cinemas, Peter Limbrick argues that the United States, Australia, and New Zealand share histories of colonial encounters that have shaped their cinemas in distinctive ways. Going beyond readings of narrative and representation, this book studies the production, distribution, reception, and reexhibition of cinema across three settler societies under the sway of two empires. Investigating films both canonical and overlooked, Making Settler Cinemas not only shows how cinema has mattered to settler societies but affirms that practices of film history can themselves be instrumental in encountering and reshaping colonial pasts."
Delightful, smart guy.....

The weekend that was.....was busy

Probably the busiest weekend I've had in a long time!  Friday late afternoon I headed down to Santa Cruz having done a house swap with Marcia as her and Michelle stayed at ours.  The trip was in support of going Kayaking at Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing.  Saturday we (Irene and her work colleague Linda) hired open top kayaks and headed into the slough.  It was fabulous.  Pelican's, otters and seals abounded, as well as alot of other unnamed birds!  We spent a good four hours paddling about and generally making the most of the sun.  Haven't got photos of the kayaking but afterwards we went to Phil's Fish Market and Eatery where I got to enjoy my fav thing of cioppino.
Driving home Michelle called about going to Mango, which is a monthly "Tea Dance" in the city......now that I live in the city it's easy to say yes.  So got home, showered and raced out the door to go to the dance.  The weather was fab and the venue is partly outside so the place was heaving (took us 40mins to get in the door).  Met some really nice folk AND ran away from one very insistent.........but so not my type.....girl (at one point asking the pals for an "intervention" and quick)!  Was all good fun (well except for that having to run away thing, which was kind of odd and the first time in along time I've had to deal with that!).
Sunday Marcia had another little birthday celebration at this very fab galleria in the Mission.  Quite an eclectic crowd and a lot of fun.  Some of the art work for your pleasure.  As part of the days events four of us
headed off to the Folsom Street Fair.  Which kind of speaks for itself and I went to in 2007....leather/S&M ALOT of people and alot of sights to see.  It was particularly fun to wander around with one of the woman who has never been before.....watching her was almost as entertaining as watching the "entertainment" and the outfits.
Back to Marcia's event then a few folk came over to the house for a while.  All up a very busy tiring weekend.
Well and because a post can't go by without the mention of running I had a little crisis...Thursday I got back from my run and had this odd shooting pain near my knee, it felt like nerve pain but I was petrified I had a stress fracture (which seems to be a rather common injury, particularly for us amateur and novice marathoning training folk).  Anyway took all my will power but I didn't run for three days.  I iced the area every day (prompting some bruising to come out...so I'd definitely done "something").  After a day of no pain and the bruise having faded I hit the streets last night (sweltering hot here at the moment...as in

early 30s....which is kind of unheard of for SF!).  Yay, all good, did an easy 6.5 k with no ill effects.

This weekend San Jose Rock n Roll half marathon.....all flat so should be fun....although hopefully a little cooler than it's been.

Thursday....running the hills

I expect most everyone is getting very bored with reading about running BUT......NY is seconds away and it's way worse for anyone I actually speak to on a daily basis!  I feel as ready as I will ever be, at this point (madly excited about seeing Rose too and having her visit SF and actually be in NY when I run.....then going off to Dublin to visit with Pauline and Bernice).
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..... 

Overachievers anonymous

I've just arrived home from the most delightful evening (such a very british turn of phrase), with my work colleagues.  It was fun and totally scary on a number of levels. Fun because it was a "working session" where we shared how each of our projects connects to one another.....my boss is away so I got to be the "spokes geek"......90 seconds or less, "tell us about the project you work on and how it connects to other projects at Cisco"!  As part of the show two of "us", that would be me and one other dude, got to "share".  This ended up being a Q+A where we talked about ourselves i.e fav concert, how long with the company, how long with Cisco etc etc. Revealing moment "what are three things you would share with the team".....well guess what I chose?  Running the NY Marathon for charity on Nov 7, flown solo in a helicopter twice and spent 8 months peacekeeping in Bosnia with the NZ Army.....no idea why those three things so much as I just thought they were interesting things to share.
Why the headline "overachievers......."?  This is a seriously smart, ambitious bunch of folk.....they are also funny, talented and.....I don't know, I just like them.  I hope they like me too.  Tonight at least, I felt like I belonged and could, maybe, see if I work hard and stay focused and decide it's for me that I could be a valued part of the team.
Oh, and best of all, we were at a very fine establishment in San Jose that offered up yum snacks and good vino!

Housewarming

Thought I would share the arty 'lil housewarming invite Irene put together.....  In case there is any doubt or it's not entirely obvious - Lotte is clearly in charge of the household.  See if you can guess which silhouette is mine.

I made a pledge

NYC Marathon Team for Kids - I pledged USD2620 and still owe USD1365.  It's a pledge, I'll pay it come October 8th (when it's due) but I'd really like it if everyone who reads this blog donates (I don't even know who you all are and you can do it anonymously).....why?  Because it's a good cause and backing me personally isn't enough.....October 8th is the last day for you to give and maybe, just maybe, we could raise more than USD2620.
From today, September 17, I'll match whatever anyone gives......it's not about USD2620, it's about the cause.  
Jody's Team for Kids Page

Lady Gaga Rocks

SLDN is the group Zoe co.chairs and is actively fighting against Don't Ask Don't Tell.

Friday - so some random things from the week

Roomie is a lecturer in Film and Digital Arts Media at UC Santa Cruz.  She's currently working on her own documentary.  Over the past weeks I've been hearing random "animal"noises coming out of her office.  She's in the process of filming a doco about how we, as a society, decide which animals are worth keeping and those we kill (I expect she has a much more elegant way of saying it.....or maybe not...anyway).  As part of this little extravaganza she's been filming in various locations including an animal sanctuary north of San Fran.  Here's a little insight into her work to date.  I love the shot of the goat and the pig(s) well and the birds too....actually I'm liking the whole thing!
Wednesday night I went off to the Sports Basement to get some new running shoes (mine are 200 miles over their use by date....seriously).  Lots of lovely things to discover a. place is fab, just like an old warehouse but with cool stuff. b. they have a "free" weekly running group (which caught both mine and Irene's eye as we watched them gather......).  I'm going to go along and check it out - might be fun and full of interesting possibilities.  Tried the new runners out last night on some of the SF hills - cripes, quite different, my bad, should have kept track of this!  Anyway I could almost argue running up and over those hills was a joy as I bounced along.

I've mentioned before the view from my bedroom window, well I've been taking some random shots (hey I'm a point and shoot girl....so no claim to art here!).

Check out how the mist rolls in over the Twin Peaks.  Some days I get to watch the tower emerge top down....it's quite surreal and the first time I saw it I had no idea what the hell I was looking at.

Okay here's the other shot of the day....eventually everyone is going to discover that I really am going to run the marathon in a bright fluorescent green vest!

This is my practice shot for when I cross the line.....things to note - shoes are unlikely to be quite that bright and sparkly (alot of running to be done between now and Nov 7), face likely to be somewhat redder and most definitely sweaterer.....so there you go, you saw it here first.......

40th Birthdays, 20 milers and new furniture

Sunday, lounging in bed....last night Irene and I hosted a small dinner for Marcia's 40th birthday (she's having a series of events so this is one of many!).  When I say "we" hosted I mean Irene cooked and I did other stuff!  It was great fun!  This is our first real dinner party and the house is perfect for it as we have the lounge and dining room separate and the house is big enough to not have folk tripping all over one another.  Andreana and Joan made the carrot cake to the right and Irene and I supplied the very stylie, adult plates to go with.  Of course in time honoured tradition nobody remembered to bring birthday candles so Joan improvised with her lighter.

Friday I went for another 20 miler.....this continues to feel like a very very long run.  I ran from my house to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge - so it took me along the waterfront, which was very lovely and also had me run through some areas I haven't been into before.  I left late in the day as it was really hot (around 5ish).  I had to dodge folk around Fisherman's Wharf and figured I probably looked like a bit of an idiot....didn't much care though, on a mission, gotta keep going.  I also thought that maybe this was good practice for NY as the start of races are always congested and I expect there are parts where dodging people (and being dodged) will all be part of the experience.  What was most unexpected and really delightful was being in the perfect position to see the most gorgeous sunset. The photo on the right, above isn't mine but pretty much captures the view - this as I was heading back home, so a lovely boost as there was a little hill to traverse along the way!  The last three miles were predictably painful, particularly as I missed a turn and had to run an additional hill.......I continue to be my own worst enemy sometimes.  Hilariously I ran exactly the same time I did with Zoe two weeks before (but frankly didn't feel as good as I had after running with her) - although I guess this route had hills, no evil wind though - unpredicatable.....I think I have to do two more 20s before November.

Friday some of my furniture started to arrive too - YAY.  It's all quite as lovely as I remembered.  The little table works perfectly in the lounge and Michelle was happy to model it for me.  The bookshelf on the right fits perfectly in my room as well and now you can see my desk (and new filing cabinet) - my room is starting to come together.  The rest of the bedroom furniture arrives in two weeks so I think I am about done.....hmmm although I am trying to buy a piece of NZ Art work at auction in a few weeks time.....now that would really complete the room !

Meet Accenture

Accenture Corporate recently sent out this video.....it's designed to help clients, friends and family get some insight into who Accenture are and what we do (given world wide there are 200,000 of us....it's not exactly a small company). Anyway, enjoy, get enlightened (or not).....

The real dirt.......60 days to go

NY is looming, fast - well I guess it's coming through in the obsessive writing about running.  But here are some cool metrics:

This is a snapshot of my NikePlus site where I record all my runs.  The Nike band is a pretty basic tool for measuring how far I run, how fast, the calories I burn and the time it takes.  I like it - I get back from my run and it tells me stuff about the run and I can enter in notes about how I felt and compare different types of runs.  It's so simple - I love it.  Because it is just 60 days out I thought I'd check in.....some cool things to reflect on since I started running in August 28 2009; I have:

• run 100 times
• clocked 103hrs
• run 642 miles / 1033 km
• averaged 9'34s miles (yeah, average....don't be looking for that for the marathon)
• burnt 63422 calories
• my longest run as 20.8 miles

So here's hoping all THAT pays off in 60 days time, as this doesn't take into account the amount of time I have spent at the gym, lifting weights and doing circuits.

Yesterday was Labour Day - I mostly did "not much".  Stayed in bed late (which is particularly lovely these days now that I have a Tempur-Pedic bed!).  This thing is insane and insanely comfortable.....ruined!  I did go the gym but that was about it.

Sunday I went over to the East Bay and visited with my pal Dee.  Haven't seen her in months and was entirely startled when she opened the door and had cut all her long hair off.  She was equally startled at how much weight I had lost - so we met as two physical strangers over a very pleasant brunch and solved the problems of the world!

Not much else to report....work is busy and getting busier as we are rolling out some training......I continue to do the business development stuff and getting very excited that we might actually be about to kick off a whole new service line...which will be mega-kudos if we pull it off!

Triathlons and why they aren't for me

I've been reading up about triathlons (yes, yes I've become the girl that reads runners magazine).  I'm not reading because I think I want to do one.....seriously it has no appeal at all, I'm reading because people keep telling me that's what I will want to do next.  Honestly, no.....I'm just not interested.  The fact I'm a terrible swimmer and/or may or may not be a terrible biker has nothing to do with it.  Really I just can't be bothered to think that hard about it.  Really, it's very technical, you have to think about a lot of things.  When I run I throw on my shoes (thought hard about that), my running gear (thought about that too), may or may not need to think about hydration/energy......done.....hit the road.  Jeezus the whole tri thing soooooo complicated, gear, bricks, x-training blah blah blah.  In theory I am a candidate for it and I've been pondering why not......hit me tonight (as I finished reading, yet another, article on training for tris).  On a daily basis my day job is actually very complex, lots of moving parts, lots of relationship management, lots of stuff.  Personally I don't need to translate that into my other world.  Lots of tri (ironman) folk have very complex day jobs.....clearly they like the complexity.....me, after the day is done (and it never is which is also what makes it complex), I just don't want to have to organize all that stuff....I really do want to keep it simple.  Now ask me about ultra -marathons.....now we might have a conversation........

Long weekend

It's Labour Day Weekend here, so Monday off.  One of the oddities of being here is that my body still runs to a different time clock.   Public holidays still don't land quite when I need them.....I'm ready for Easter (yeah not a holiday here), Christmas.....not quite happening, Waitangi day - yuh all not happening for my body clock that says "I need a long weekend".  These are the things nobody tells you when you immigrate!
Last night Irene, me and Lottie went for a little walk into the Castro. Irene needing to buy a gift BUT so random......I'm holding Lottie outside the shop (she attracts a lot of attention btw) I have on a NZ teeshirt, guy walks up to me and starts a whole conversation about NZ......seriously, even knew about the earthquake!  Anyway, odd dude but perfectly pleasant, although totally disheveled looking and smoking, what looked like, a very expensive cigar (I should probably add that last week when I was walking to Wicked.....same thing.....okay no cigar, different tee but same type of interaction.....go figure).

Today I took myself off to the Marin Headlands, the site of my first, and terrifying,  race. I ran the same circuit and then some.....well quite a lot of some.......6.2 miles vs 12 something.  Knarly hills and the most remarkable weather.  See the shot that I actually stopped to take, mostly because it really was amazingly beautiful and, yes RR, spooky.  The fog was "rolling" over the hills.  In a lovely twist, to get to the Headlands I drove across Golden Gate Bridge.....also cloaked in fog.....day was quite surreal on many levels.  Now that I've run 20 miles with Zoe I really get why it's nice to run with others, but I also love running alone.  What is nicest of all is that I capture the most amazing images in my head...trail or road running, there's always something that makes me pause, look at the world differently.  Oh and it still holds true, folk are so much friendlier on the trail....road runners, grumpy folk we are, self included!

Trapped miners

So I am finding this whole thing fascinating.  Given they are all alive at this point I'm feeling fine to feel very voyeuristic about it.  A couple of years back I went on a tour of the submarine down on SF wharf.  I think I did it with Brice....it is a WW2 submarine, so really tiny.  A lot of folk on the tour commented  how they would hate it, find it a terrible living environment and difficult to cope with.  Oddly enough I think I'd do fine.  I'm very self contained at the best of times and, honestly, think it so much easier to physically navigate little spaces.  I'm watching the miners and wondering how I would do.....then I remember Bosnia and think "well ummm.....yeah, I'd do fine".  Physically (and emotionally) that was 8 months of total constraint.  Yeah I was lucky, I could travel through the country more than most, but it wasn't exactly a Contiki Tour.  I navigated it through self containment; on one level totally participating.....on another, really not.  I think I'd be fine in the mine......but really hope I never get to put that hypothesis to the test!

4th Anniversary

Life is different, very different, from how it was Sept 1, 2009 (well 7th) last year.  I most definitely hadn't decided to run the NY Marathon, let alone complete 4 half marathons.  I didn't see such a big work change on the horizon, nor that I would be living in San Fran.  I certainly didn't know that my personal trainer would become such a big part of my life and that he would also be gone.  I didn't know that I would lose 20lbs, join a top five consulting firm and feel committed enough to "things" again to start buying furniture!  I also didn't know that along the way I'd meet some great new people, make some new friends and connect with some old friends unexpectedly, March in SF Gay Pride, visit Yosemite National Park,  Nashville,  NZ and Chicago, have lasik surgery,  have the mother come visit and and and.  The things I didn't know or anticipate are so overwhelming I just can't think about it too much or I'd be a possum caught in the headlights.
The things I was sure of......I'd make good, everything would become clear, hard work pays off (but don't get complacent), I'm loved - very well loved, by my family and friends (distance doesn't matter) and and and.
So here's to a remarkable year of change that's followed several years of change and will, undoubtedly, lead to more change.

Power shopping

Irene and I have just arrived home from here where I've spent suitable amounts of cash buying the most gorgeous furniture for my bedroom......so happy, this place is my nirvana for shopping.  I have to share photos now because none of it actually gets delivered for two to six weeks....

Purchases:

Side table x 2 but the draw handles on mine will also be chrome.  Cute story behind this.  Each one is crafted in the factory by a single person....they choose the grain of the wood and build the item from beginning to end and then sign the back of it, just so you know they made it!

Lamp to go on the side table.....no backstory beyond Irene pointing out that it looks like one of those wands they use on CSI - you go fill in the gap about what they use it for!  Actually I had thought buying this was an over indulgence but Irene quite innocently asked if I thought I might get it as I was listing off the other things to the nice lady who was "happy to help".....Irene is also asking when I might be traveling next so she can move into my room!

Quirky bookcase....somewhere to put my 'lil nic nacs and the few books I own here.

This one does have a backstory.....it's for the lounge btw, not my bedroom; it was actually designed by a woman, Eileen Grey, it's cleverly done and is adjustable so you can lower the glass top.



Most happy about all the purchases and starting to feel quite grown up again.....all bodes well for the future home as I decided to buy based on how I might like my house to look (when I get around to buying it that is).  Oh and just for good measure here is a picture of the Butchers Block we are waiting to have delivered........seriously even I'm startled that it made it on to the "must have" list.....but it's kind of cool too.

Okay douche bag bragging over.......

Went and saw Wicked again on Saturday night....love that show.  It was great fun and the audience was so excited by the whole thing.  Sunday I tramped the streets looking for furniture (well that was how I found Room and Board) and, delightfully, found a little tiny shop that specializes in PJs; owned and run by a very eccentric woman who was entirely joyful that I was so enthusiastic about the PJ range and prepared to buy several pairs....it's the little things that make life happy don't ya think?

20 miler

Got up really early this morning (6am early) and road BART (train) out to Alameda to run a 20 miler with Zoe.  Alameda is on the other side of the bay - about 25mins by BART.....saved me battling the traffic coming home.  Run was grand, looping around "the Island".  If you look on the map you can see Alameda next to Oakland on the right side of San Francisco Bay (that's the East Bay I refer to).....looking left (West) from there the 101 marker furthest North is around about where I live.  BART actually goes under the Bay; too weird to think about when you are riding it I have to say.
The map isn't that clear but Alameda is actually an Island and there is an old Navy Base where Zoe used to serve.  For those who've visited SF you might know that the USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier is moored here and is now a Museum.  When Zoe retired from the Navy they had her retirement ceremony on the Hornet.....these were the things I heard about as we ran around the Island, battling Wellington winds for the first three miles but still enjoying beautiful coastal views and a fine vista of the city.  It was a flat run and grand to get another 20 miler under my belt.  Although it's fair to say that for both Zoe and I an arthritic 90 year old could easily have walked past us as we completed the 20 and walked/hobbled the last half mile to Zoe's house.  20 miles is a long way and the legs really feel it (mine ache for about 20mins afterwards and feel fatigued for the rest of the day).  Still, a grand way to start the day and great company.
Just as an FYI if you go South from the 101 marker, down to Palo Alto about 14 miles South/South East from there is where I work (an 87 mile / 140 km round trip), mostly on the Freeway.  Distance here takes on a whole new meaning; this is like driving the equivalent of Wellington/Greytownish daily but on a Freeway, so not quite as stressful.....believe it or not!

The humble home

Couch arrived...yay, most happy and love it!  As promised some pics of the new abode.  From the outside.....non-descript, garage door is about as small as it looks, no hummers going in here BUT check out the inside of the garage - we can get four cars in here and my motorcycle.  Picture of the "gated" entranceway too, it's to the left of the garage (well I didn't say the photos would be exciting, just that I would post them.





Picture on the left shows you how big the place is, behind me is the lounge, to the right the dining room, going down the hall Irene's office under the stairs (very Harry Potteresk), bathroom then at the end two bedrooms, Irene's at the end of the hall mine to the right.

Here's the couch in place....lovely!  Shot of the working fireplace in the lounge as well.

Irene's office on the left is incredibly cute - she does film and digital arts media so has a mega IT set up.  Not sure if you can tell but she really is in the room under the stairs, she does have a little window though and she is allowed out to make coffee etc etc etc.



Below looking down the hallway from the bedrooms and on the right kitchen through to the dining room and lounge.

The place really does feel big and someone could be in the bedroom or lounge without you knowing.

Dining room above and final shots of the bedrooms below.  Irene's on the left mine on the right (not quite finished decorating yet.....).

So there you have it, in all it's glory.  Really is a fab place and feels very safe.  It's on the flat and about a mile from Bart.  It is opposite the Psych rehab ward of SF hospital.....frankly the people are no more strange nor disturbed than you see in any other part of town.  It's also a day clinic so at night there is nobody around - they don't bother us we don't bother them.  It's really like living near Wellington Hospital in Newtown although, weirdly, no sirens at night (beyond the usual inner city police sirens and even then not that often....now that surprised me!).
I'll wander around the Mission this weekend and get some "character" shots.  There's some fab artwork on walls and quite an eclectic crowd.  I think there is a very large mexican population as well so lots of diversity and interesting sights and sounds.

Brain drain....

Okay so this was interesting.  It's an article about NZ expats and what "we" cost NZ:
"....expatriates are costing the country US$10,000 ($14,000) apiece through foregone tax and costs of government services such as education, according to World Bank research."
Can't be a total net loss though - I wonder what it is we bring back into the country when we visit in terms of tourist dollars?  How many expats have property/investments in NZ?  Most American's who know or have been to NZ (and there are a startling number I have met) think I might be a little crazy wanting to live here as they all love NZ.  My current boss lives in Denver, Colorado.  Similar, although different to NZ, Colorado, as I've said before,  is beautiful with sweeping landscapes and lots of opportunities to play in the great outdoors.  At around 700,000 people Denver is the largest city with the next closest half the size....you can see where I am going with this?   I explained it like this: so you live in Denver and travel for your job; now imagine all your opportunities are in Denver and, more importantly, any other opportunities you may have are limited to Colorado.  Equally your social life is focused in Denver or wider Colorado (she is currently single btw) and  that's it.  Sure you can travel, but at a cost, but seriously that's it.  Light immediately went on "oh yeah, I hadn't thought of it that way, I can see why that might not be enough".  Eggzactly.  I think it's the difference between doing your OE and immigrating.  I feel like I've immigrated and have always felt that way from the day I left.
Side note:  I just re.read the Colorado entry....hmm phd....yikes, nope don't think so (although most certainly something else); cross country skiing and snowshoeing still to come; never ever thought at the time of writing that I would consider being one of those crazy marathoners....now I feel kind of chuffed to have driven through that valley and know where the elite train! That trip was awesome and I have some lovely pictures in my head!

New couch and date 2

Irene and I (because we are, after all, housemates) now have a new couch.....well we don't, yet, it gets delivered on Friday.  Yay, it's fab......here's a photo of us sitting on it in the showroom, doesn't it look just like we are at home?  Irene's pal was with us and took this shot; Irene did request a beer, several times, practicing for the real thing I suspect.

Date 2 - excellent, having a lot of fun.  It all seems remarkably easy, it's surprised me - it's not that I wasn't open to dating being easy so much as?? I don't know?  Regardless, we headed off to Golden Gate Park but it was an insanely gorgeous day so the place was beyond packed (so gorgeous and sunny we drove with the top down).  Change of plan, headed to the  beach instead and then ended up at this very cute cafe having a beer sitting in the sun and watching the world go by.  It's a rare SF day that you can actually walk along the beach and not be entirely bundled up against the cold!  Anyway, no complaints, this dating thing is proving to be fun.

Saturday I slogged out 16km.....well shouldn't say slogged, it was a flat run so kind of insanely fast but it does still take some mental energy to get through the whole thing.  Today I committed to a 20 miler next Saturday with Zoe.  Her marathon is in October and she promises me the course she has mapped out is flat....she also says she runs at a slower pace than I do so I won't entirely blow my arse doing it!

Back to the daily commute to San Jose.  I think the thing I'm learning the most about right now is I can still have a life,  work hard and be successful.....everywhere.....or I hope I can because I like the way the world is offering up multiple ways of being.....now it's up to me to make it work.

How I know I live in San Francisco

Here are all the things I see, hear and smell around me that remind me (when I notice) that I live in SF……..

• to get into my house you have to buzz me so I can open the gate to let you in my front door
• the Miata can barely fit through the garage door (seriously, houses in SF were built to garage the original Ford motorcar…….well my story, sticking to it)
•  as I wander around the neighborhood I am guaranteed to come across some crazy soul randomly yelling……that’s when I know I’m not a tourist, I barely notice and don’t for a single moment feel obliged to respond or think it’s really about me…..you know they are just mostly people doin their thing
•  running inevitably involves a hill…..it just does
• the smell of urine and rubbish is just part of an everyday stroll down the street
• at any moment I can come across the most amazing art work……this is graffiti by design
• my neighborhood is full of a colourful cast of characters, diversity rules……I add to the colour
• the fog rolls in and it rolls out, it's just like the wind in Wellington.....it belongs
• if I drive around long enough there is always a car park somewhere, I just have to be patient
• as I walk around I can spot some very cool cafes and restaurants that tourists would never see
• everyday I look out my bedroom window and watch "Twin Peaks" emerge from the mist

There's more, much more, but this is my first flush of feeling like I belong and this is where I should live, for now (because I just can't seem to focus on forever).  

-        

Random interesting read

I picked up on this article today.  It's all about how Obama is using a car driven into a ditch and having to be pulled out as a metaphor for the US economy and the difference between the Republicans and Democrats approach to fixing things.  In sum:

“And yet, after driving our economy into the ditch, they decided to stand on the side of the road and watch us while we pulled it out of the ditch,” Obama said at the Los Angeles event for Sen. Barbara Boxer of California. “They asked, ‘Why haven't you pulled it out fast enough?’ ‘I noticed there's, like, a little scratch there in the fender. Why didn't you do something about that?’”

I thought the analogy thing was clever and it reminded me that when working with Igor he was BIG on this. In one project we started with the equivalent of a virtual foot race (to encourage folks to adopt a new online tool - ummm which doesn't even come close to explaining just how big and painful that process was.....it was also the project where I cut my teeth and, honestly, secured my reputation at Cisco - no pain no gain).  Anyway every week we would gather in an open space and project a race track onto a wall and have guys and girls in suits running along the track while someone commentated the adoption numbers (not unlike a horse race).....it was seriously very funny to be part of, with people clapping and cheering, totally outside the box.  He/we then morphed that into a weighlifting event, again live, with folks representing different continents and pretending to lift weights as sales scores were read out.  These days he's "climbing mountains".  It's become the thing he is known for and we helped drive it.  It was all so non-corporate that you couldn't help but get caught up in the craziness of it all!

Current role doesn't offer up quite the same level of creativity (yet) but I have been involved in some very interesting business development work, coming up with new ideas to deliver services.  I really like being part of pitching for new business, thinking about how you can present an idea to get buy in and then actually selling it in.  This is new for me, I hadn't realized how much I like it and that there are parts of it I am quite good at.....and so much more I have to learn to be exceptional at it.  I think it's because it has an edge of unconventional and creative about it.....there's no precise process to be followed (it's still not my way to revel in process I have to say, even as I diligently execute against it I am forever driven to look for things outside the square).