Long time no post

Bunch of stuff. Work busy and I have new responsibilities which are taking me variously in and out of my comfort zone. Surprised to realize that I have been at ACN for over three years.
A few weekends back Sharene and I went to Roseville to see her dad, who isn't very well. We stayed over and spent time with her dad. Coming back we stopped on Treasure Island and saw some cool things.




Treasure Island is an old Navy base and, oddly enough there are a bunch of vintners there.




This guy makes sulphate free wine and is a riot. Has about 30 different wines and offers free wine tasting. He's also pretty free with his pours. His tasting room looks like a repurposed utility room but it was all riotously fun.




We crossed the new part of the Bay Bridge, very impressive.




Sharene took arty shots along the way.



Not so arty but enjoying yummy fresh oysters.
A few weekends back we went to Big Sur and ran a 5 miler. It was amazingly hot and all uphill. So really we did a walk run. We stayed in some sweet little B&B we found in Carmel and enjoyed the end if the summer at the beach.











Found a cool little wine bar and enjoyed a wine tasting flight.




House is painted! Irene and I very happy. Stairs are also painted now but gives you a sense of it; I'll post before and after next time.




Nike Women's Marathon next weekend and I am not marathon fit so will be having a very slow marathon. Employing every trick I know to get me through!!! This is a tough marathon because it is hilly - I guess we'll see how it goes on the day (she says bravely).
Added a pic of Brax and his art!








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Doing time

Running time that is! Ran to Sausalito, 15m/25k. It's a tough road back but I did it, albeit slower than I did this time last year. Saw some sights:



Midway on the Golden Gate Bridge, Team NZ getting ready for Race 9. Catching the ferry back from Sausalito I saw both boats up close rounding the bouys....very impressive.


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JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge

I joined the Accenture team for this. 11000 runners with approx 100 from ACN, not all pictured. At 3.5m/5.6km this is a very peppy fast run for me. It really was fun tho and nice to be able to identify the other ACN runners. Afterwards we went and had tacos and beer at a bar where a few other ACN folk who hadn't run joined us.



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Seven years- it's your lucky lucky day

Here we are again....anniversary time.  Every year on the day I arrived in the US I try to take time to reflect on where I am and where I have been. Well I am actually a day late, I arrived on Sept 7, 2006.
The last few years seem to have moved me in leaps and bounds.  I've been two years in my house; startled to think that I can actually own a house in San Francisco!
My job has taken me so far professionally I am equally startled to think I have it and I am rapidly heading into having this be the longest time I've spent working anywhere.  All going well I don't see anything changing so I might be celebrating another record.
Running.....it's not like I had never done this but never thought I would be a marathoner, let alone an ultra marathoner.  Today it's a journey back from the op and putting my back out but I am back on a training plan and working my way to the Nike Women's Marathon.  Iconic in San Francisco and fortunate to get in as it is a lottery, complete with Tiffany's necklace at the end (needless to say already claimed by someone).
Then the best, most surprising and delightfully happy making thing....Sharene and the kids.  Sharene because she is so kind, sweet, creative, smart and funny.  The kids, because they are equally smart, funny, creative and engaging.  I can't say I predicted this one.
I am happy in my world!

Nike Women's Marathon

As you can see, I have my next marathon on the calendar.....and Big Sur locked in as well (that one sold out in 59 minutes!).
The Nike Women's Marathon is a lottery and I got in via a team entry i.e. when you enter the lottery if you are attached to a "team" you enter a team number.  You then have two chances to get in, one as an individual and two, if anyone in your team gets in you all get in.  Of course I don't actually know anyone in the team but the team organizers, she was working for me on a project and invited me to join.  You don't run together or anything, it's just a way to have two chances to get in.
Given the op and my back troubles I am behind in my training.  It's a slow crawl back up the hills of San Fran for me but I am back on the training regime.  Usually at this point in the plan my long run would be 18 miles, as of today my longest is 9 miles (three days ago).  If I can get to a long run of 18 in the next 6 weeks before the marathon I'll tough out the rest (normally your longest is 22 as part of training).  I have to balance getting the miles with not getting injured.  I'm a little bit scared about the whole thing but it's the 10th anniversary of the run so I really really want to do it.  I've run various parts of the course before so I know the ups and downs really well. I'm just going to stay positive and get the job done.
Labour weekend here.  Low key getting lots of chores done and spending time with Sharene and the kids.  Also we gave away our koi a few weeks back ..... made me sad but the maintenance didn't fit with Irene and my schedule and they've gone to a really good home with a guy who loves them and has an awesome pool.  While we figure out the backyard I am making the tank into a plant pond....work in progress!  I will send pics when done.  Also we are getting the house painted so will send pics of that too!

Hot tubs

Sharene and I have been taking some nice time out to visit this place http://watercourseway.com/tub-rooms/. Watercourse Way is this very cool spa place in palo alto. It has several really cool spa rooms you can book for an hour at a time.



Each has a different theme and has a steam room or sauna included. It's easy relaxing and we are working our way through the rooms, the pic above is Six Dragon Flies.



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Pandering

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Stuff

Last week we had a change team event and went to the ball game.


We were high up but good views; mostly I people watched.
I left earlyish because the next day I had to drive to Roseville for work. It's about 2hrs from San Fran. My HP counterpart was giving a half hour presentation then in the evening I went to dinner with a bunch of HP folk before driving home. Needless to say I was tired.
I am very happily back into running after putting my back out three weeks ago. OMG quite possibly the most painful thing ever.
Rose and Jo came and stayed for a week as well.



As a yummy treat Rose and Jo took us to the NZ pop-up restaurant in the America's cup village. In that typical NZ way Jo knew the guy who set it up and he was the first person we met!









Work is changing and I am taking on new responsibilities. My first year as a senior manager is over and I am now getting more insights and opportunities to do other things. I get the sense the opportunity to keep moving up the chain is there; at a minimum it's a four year journey to partner. I am not sure this is what I aspire to as it is heavily weighted towards sales and I like my delivery role. But I am keeping an open mind as I am now three years at ACN and the time has flown by. I've learnt a lot and done some unexpected things. It has been a very good move for me. It is also intense, demanding and no time to sit back and be complacent. As always, we shall see!

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Ranch update

Sharene the kids and I went to New Mexico to visit Karen and Brice on the ranch. It was amazing to be back. None of the old ranch staff are there now but I did feel a little like I was coming home.



Karen and Brice in great form and the kids say on a baby bill.



We went into Santa Fe and checked out the shops, toured the ranch, watched movies on the big screen, swum in the pool and ate great food!

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Location:Hanover St,Palo Alto,United States

Arty stuff

Went to this awesome outdoor art tour today....in the Santa Cruz hills; private artists colony retreat. Booked months ago and went on the Directors tour....4 miles up and down the hills...very cool.

































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Been slack on the blog...

So here's some updates.
Hawaii - awesome! Went to Maui and stayed in a condo away from the maddening crowds.



Our balcony view ... Every night. Condos were in a cove where we got to swim with turtles and watch them night and day.



In the evenings we drove a couple of miles to where all the hotels were, had dinner and Madison and Braxton "pool hoped". Hotel pools are right on the beach, not fenced and nobody cares after 5pm who swims in them (very un-American).



Who knew there a penguins in Hawaii.



And these!



We hired life jackets for Madison and Braxton, buddies up and snorkeled everyday.
I even went running twice! Once in the rain, which was yummy.












Life's a beach and I love how these photos o Sharene and I have us look almost the same height....not even close!
Next, 4th of July and El Rancho!


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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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