i did my first 15k race in oakland on sunday. it was painful. i also learned that oakland is a cesspool. we ran around lake merritt- lake merritt reminded me of an unflushed toilet. i will not elaborate but instead encourage you all to utilize your imagination in order to bring the point home.

disgusting.

i can't imagine running a half or a full. god thats a lot of hours on the road with nothing to do but think about how boring life is, how heavy your legs are, how much longer you must go, the stupid ideas you come up with, and (if you're running around lake merritt) how we must really do something about polluted stale foul water besides calling it a lake.

i haven't run since then. i'm a lazy wench.

a season for running

people say your life is like a book- filled with chapters and themes. when i was a kid, i'd read books where whole chapters would be devoted to the charater's 'summer of' something- love, death, music. to tell you the truth, i didn't see much theme happening to my summers except for laziness, heat and popsicles. this summer, however, is turning out to be the summer for running. bless the people in my life who've taken it upon themselves to involve me in their running endeavors- esp the few who are aspiring marathon finishers. don't get me wrong, i still hate running. its a dredful wretched thing. but it does get better with time and practice.

now. people. who wants to come to oakland with me on sunday to see a 15k miracle happen? i'll buy you a bouncy ball:  http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1516373&assetId=658eb67a-06f1-4e15-9f7d-fb2f41ee4060

lets be honest. i'm a wretched little person. i think thats a pretty well known fact. the other day i was thinking how truly wretched i am (mind you i'm okay with this and rather like my negative view of the world) and thought 'what are the things i do like?' it took awhile but here is a list:

1. reality tv: i find reality tv fascinating. not all are created equal - certainly the midwest is keeping the trashier ones running- but some are not bad at all. my favorites include the hills, almost anything from bravo and a&e (esp top chef, project runway, intervention), check please! (a nod to public television), hell's kitchen (only because gordon ramsey is mean. we like mean.)

2. entertainment tv: i find celebrities facinating as well. i am not above admitting this.

3. tv in general: the era of produced television more or less died with seinfeld. the crap thats out there now is for stupid people who live vicariously through desperate housewives. there's only one show that raises the eyebrow for me and that is HOUSE. mostly because house is mean (see #1). 

4. non-annoying foods: sugar free jello, laughing cow cheese, diet coke (pepsi is shit)

5. annoying foods: peanut butter (i'd be a better person for banning it)

6. certain people: you know who you are. if you're not sure, you didn't make the cut 

making this list has now lost its zest and i'm bored. there might be more things out there that i like but it cant be too much more than what you see here. before i sign off i need to get some stuff out of my head before i forget:

* spencer and heidi are trash. how they got to go to the white house correspondents dinner i do not know. actually, given the incumbant i should not be surprised.

* why are celebrities popping out babies and ho bags socially acceptable (i.e. paris hilton)

* i stink at running

* happy mothers day

its funny how when you're finally going home, you're not ready to go home. i thought i'd be deliriously happy to finally get on a plane back to sanity. now that the time is near, i'm nostalgic. yesterday the team invited me on their offsite. i didn't really want to go- being tired and all but ended up being guilt tripped. and yes. i am so very glad to have gone. the people here who i've had the pleasure of meeting have been just plain great. i wish i could come up with a better word but the fact is that whatever is the adjective, the google hyderabad team is awesome.

they really are a family here and treat each other as such. thats definitely not a sentiment present in mv - a true  shame. sriram is a super guy and a father figure to his reports. he takes such care and time with each and every one of them in addition to all his other obligations which are vast. in the months to come, this team will be pushed hard. its a product of the new management but, that said, is the direction that is appropriate and necessary to drive this operation forward. i've been so very impressed and humbled here. i adore the leadership, i adore the team. i could live without the city- but these things are trivial in the end.

yes, i do look forward to going home but i also look forward to coming back again. perhaps not a long trip but i feel a kinship with the team here and have invested myself in their well-being.

thank you google hyderabad.

its some sort of festival day in hyderabad. the office was a little empty because of it. i was dead tired and hallucinatory this morning but it got way better as the day dragged on. i feel really anxious as i have so much to do and not enough time. essentially monday is over. that means 3 more full days until i depart india and i want to present something to the mgmt here. who knows- no one seems to be pushing me too hard. thats good. still, 'd like to have buy in before i move.

tomorrow the ba team goes on an offsite. i hope i get tons done before then.

i have to go get food.