Movin' Out

We moved. I wish it was as much fun as the musical by Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp.  While it couldn't have been much easier than it was, moving sucks a lot.

We listened to Bill but didn't dance like Twyla

Our new place is about .15 miles away from our old place but it may as well be on another planet.  When I first moved to San Francisco I wanted to live in a place that at least looked like Full House, which meant that it had to be an older building.  I was extremely lucky to find a place that was perfectly located in the middle of a neighborhood that I liked and was convienent to the express bus.  But that was about it.

I didn't live there, or even close. 
But we have friends that live close to it so it is cool

After living there for a few months, it became clear that that place was a one year only kind of place, or two at the absolute most.  The square footage was a few hundred sq/ft bigger than our place in New York but more than 200 sq/ft were wasted, the kitchen was crap, the heat didn't work, the windows were akin to stretched plastic wrap, the walls leaked, and I could go on and on. But I won't.  Instead, after they raised the rent, we moved.

As soon as the wall was leaking we put in our 30 day notice and started looking for a new place.

Runners, don't be assholes

On Runners' World's website, there was an FAQ about the 2012 New York City Marathon.  It had more information than the NYRR has been able to push out to its members and marathoners.  I, like so many runners, am disappointed at not being able to race.  I am also not so pleased about shelling out many hundreds of dollars to change my flights, eat, and get around New York when the race was off.  I was lucky in that I have a place to stay.  Some out of staters spent upwards of $2500 to get to and stay in New York.

Those people calling for legal action against Bloomberg, or getting all their money back from the city are assholes.

Plain and simple, they are assholes.

Deduct the cost of your bib from your taxes. Talk to you accountant about ways to mitigate other expenses.  Never go back to the best city in the world. But to bring legal action against a city that still has well over 50,000 people without heat or power is not even close to ok.

Sure be disappointed.  Vent online but don't even kid about bring legal action, asshole.

The 2012 New York City Marathon - Race Recap

Today at about 2:15pm I looked at the clock and said, "I would have been crossing the finish line now."  I was sitting with friends, some who had no power just a day ago, others who have yet to hear from co-workers, others who were spared Sandy's wrath.  I wore my marathon shirt.  But this day was about 72 hours in the making. Well more like four months in the making but that is a different story.

I made no bones about my issues with holding this race. I was relieved when it was canceled. But that doesn't mean I wasn't disappointed.  I am trying to wrap my head around the entire weekend of events but I am having some serious trouble with it right now.  But this is what I am thinking now.

Friday
After picking up my bib and other stuff, with thousands of others, we came back to our apartment to do some work and relax a bit. The Twitter rumor mill was rumbling and it was a matter of hours until the race was canceled.

The SFRRC was slammed with media requests and I fielded a number of them. I was "a lot mad" at the mayor for his late game move but it was the right choice to make. However, he should have made it on Tuesday.

 

The interviews, one from the NY Daily News and one with the SF Chronicle, both stressed runners' frustration with Mayor Bloomberg for not making the obvious call earlier.  People around the city and on the social medias were talking about conspiracies about getting the people to the city to salvage as much economic benefit from the marathon as possible.  I have a hard time believing that but I can't say it didn't cross my mind.

We went to services on Friday night at our old congregation and ordered in Thai food for dinner, so I could be at home for the interviews.  And while it is hard to say when so many are out in the cold, Friday was the first good night of sleep I had since the storm.

Saturday
In that I am still running another marathon this season, I set my alarm to get up and run but that did not happen. After checking in with the volunteer activities list from my State Senator, I saw that there was no longer a need for just walking up stairs but for people with cars, we left and got out to Brooklyn to check in on friends and spend some quality time with them and their baby.

Blog, this is Ruthie. You met last time we were in NYC. She is bigger now.

We exchanged some stories about the storm and were pissed at the Mayor together.  Walking around their neighborhood, you would have a hard time believing that just a few miles away entire sections of the city were destroyed.  It was surreal.

After a nice day, we took the train/shuttle bus home.  Again, it was like nothing was wrong and that was strange.  I came home and made a donation to a friend who is doing some grassroots work to get stuff into the hands of those who need it.  If you want more info, let me know.  She is trying to keep it small so it can be effective.  I do have to say it made me feel a bit better.  I do hope to help organize some "next week" relief efforts through our Synagogue and running club in San Francisco.

Marathon Sunday
The weather was perfect today. Cold. Crisp. Sunny. A perfect day for a marathon.  I went out to get in 17 miles for the CIM training and was joined by at least 10, 000 runners in the park.  It was strange.  I had a little trouble with it all but it was very powerful to see all those people out there getting something out of their trip.  Many, many runners joined a relief run, where they collected goods and cash for the worst hit areas.  But most were international runners who were just out for a run in their marathon gear.

This doesn't do it justice. (via Catie Becker)

My buddy Steve and I ran the last nine or so miles of the course together and met up with another guy in from out of town for the race.  The three of us went up First Ave into the Bronx.  We ended up flying along the course at about race pace.  I got to run my 5th Ave hill and got to the finish line.  It wasn't the finish I wanted but it did just fine under the circumstances.

Thanks to a nice Canadian,  I have this finish photo.

People in the park were excited, disappointed, and understanding. 

Parting Thoughts

• I don't know how to feel.  I wanted to get my hands dirty and help but I didn't. I feel a bit guilty about that.  But I know that I would have been in the way for much of it and I know what most people need right now is money.  I have done some of this disaster relief in the past and honestly right now, hands on the ground can just be an additional burden. This knowledge doesn't make me feel any less guilty.
  
• Mayor Bloomberg really screwed up here and the NYRR should have canceled this race with or without the Mayor.  In light of pushing off the cancellation, the organization should have written a better explanation, something like this would have been better.  
  
• Not living in this city and being here this weekend made me feel like a disaster tourist. I believe that is part of the reason why I didn't volunteer during this trip. Perhaps next time we are here we will do something, you know when everyone has forgotten about Staten Island, Stony Point, The Rockaways and Red Hook.
  
• Nearly 100 people died earlier this week in this city and many more throughout the region. Ten thousand or so runners were celebrating in Central Park today. It is a hard thing to get your head around these things.  But as our rabbi noted at services on Friday night, even in the face of such unimaginable tragedy, we still celebrate.  We did get to see loved ones. Babies and wish congratulations to expecting parents personally and open our (empty) apartment to friends. And thousands of runners did help out today and thousands of others celebrated their own accomplishments.
  
• My automatic bid for the 2013 New York City Marathon may go unused. 

I still have no idea what to make of this trip and the race that thankfully was not.

No longer conflicted

They canceled it.

I am not conflicted.

I am upset.

I will volunteer for a few hours during the day instead.

A longer post later. 

I am running, for now

The Expo was packed.

Sitting on the shuttle bus back to Grand Central, Abby and I spoke to two women from Westchester who are without power, water, or heat but are now with their bibs for the marathon. One couldn't drive her car to the train station because the huge trees that used to provide shade in her front yard are now barricading her street.

They were conflicted about the race but they are running it because it is on.  And I feel the same way.

But it seems that rumors are flying on a cancellation.

Regardless of if it is canned or we run on Sunday, I will say that I am still unbelievably torn about the event.  There has been a long back-and-forth on my Facebook page about my last post in which many of my friends, calmly and respectfully, shared differing opinions.  And I respect that. We heard both we should for sure run and we should for sure not.

One thing that seems to be completely out of place are the threats of violence against runners. There is no place for that. It isn't the runner's fault nor should we be blamed for running.  Those who choose not to run are right and those of us who choose to run are also right.  The people who are wrong here are threatening to storm the course or throw eggs at us. If you have time to throw food at me, you have time to do what you think I should be doing.

All I can say is that this is a PR disaster made completely by NYRR and the Mayor. I would have been extremely disappointed if the race was canceled but I would have understood. But now the rage of the storm has a face and that is Mary Wittenberg and every other runner who toes the line. People are mad and will make poor choices.

Now, if the mob keeps growing, and keeps threatening bodily harm, the "for now" might change.  I remain unbelievably conflicted about this race.

Conflicted

Since July I have been training for November 4th.  I have logged over 1,200 miles to train this year so I could toe the line on the Verrazano Bridge.  I did hill repeats and tempo runs.  I cut out meat and dropped pounds specifically to run faster in New York.  I did it for the love of the sport and for the love of my former city.

Super Storm Sandy completely changed the reality.  What I was getting ready for was not a tour of destruction but a celebration of New York and my progress.  Now it is being billed by supporters as a Race to Rebuild, or some such nonsense, and wasteful, dangerous, and callous by those opposed to it.

I sent a note on Tuesday to the San Francisco Road Runners group that is running the NYC Marathon saying we should make alternative plans for this race.  There was no way they would be ready for us.  But then on Wednesday the Mayor said it was a go and we boarded our rescheduled flights and now I am sitting in our completely unscathed apartment on the Upper East Side.

Upon landing, the military guys sitting across from us on the plane said something to the effect of Mayor Bloomberg is an idiot for allowing this race to go on. My mother thinks it is a waste of resources. My running chum Kai, who is running the race, also thinks this might not be the best of ideas to run a race through a city that is just days off from a catastrophic event.

But then there is a runner friend of mine who is currently living in the dark and says that the race is a fine thing to do now, and it is silly to say no to millions in revenue even if it is less than other years. There are people celebrating the city for its resiliency and ability to, as the mayor put it, move on with life. It is notable that the NYRR, the marathon's host, and ING, the marathon's named sponsor, have already given $1.5 million to the efforts and are calling on all runners to give at least $26.20 to the cause.  And not for nothing, people worked hard to get to the marathon.

I don't know how to feel. I know I feel guilty for wanting to have a good time.  I am worried that no one will be out supporting the race and if they do come out they will have nasty posters telling us to get off the streets.  I want to be principled and say I won't run. But then again, I want to run very badly and I want to PR. The wife and I always have a party and celebrate the marathon but now, after Sandy, it seems out of place.  The race will happen, and it will be toned down, but it is still an accomplishment for all the runners and the city.  So...it is hard.

The issues of the aftermath and canceling a road race don't even come into the same worlds.  But thanks to the powers that be, I have been given the choice to compete, gain a personal best while millions in this area are without power, water and heat. And honestly I thank them for this opportunity to run this race. I have wanted to run it again since I started running it in 2009. But that isn't without internal conflict.

I am hopeful that the race will be a nice distraction for people who have had a really bad week. I pray that it isn't a major drain on resources.  I also hope people are excited for the runners and the city.  This weekend will be one to remember. No matter what happens, it will be a hard day for all involved.

Not really the prep I was expecting

**WAYS TO SUPPORT THE RELIEF EFFORT**
The Mayor's Fund
URJ's Hurricane Relief Effort
American Red Cross
Give Blood

Now that this has been said.

I wasn't really expecting it and was planning for the worst.  But New York is the best city in the world and if anyone can dig out (or pump out) of a mess quickly it is New York.

A few notes about this mess:

1. Cory Booker is a bad ass.
There isn't much to say about that besides the fact that he is just in fact a bad ass.  He opened his home to anyone who needs help.  He is calling grandmothers to talk.  He is also saving puppies from burning buildings.  He is the perfect example of leadership and calm.

2. Chris Christie is a strong leader. 
I don't like his politics or his style but in this case he is doing a great job and understands the bigger picture.  His work with and praise of an arch rival such as President Obama is telling to his character.  I still would never vote for the man but it is nice to see.

3. WOW what a mess. And I am SHOCKED this race is still on.
But I am very happy it is on. It might be a great day for the city and it might be a drain on resources, but whatever it is, it will be and it will be one hell of a story. 

4. As always people are good.
The extension cord pictures. The adding people to cars to get into the city. The offers of bunking up.  We live in a great country and we should be proud of how we are working through this.

 I will update as we learn more about our beloved city.  Wish us luck.

Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts:

1. I am running a marathon in 10 days and again in a month and nine days.
Back when I was trying to prove to myself that I was able to do anything I set my mind to, I signed up for the California International Marathon. Mind you I was already registered for the New York City Marathon.  All of my training has been focused on New York. My hill mantra is "5th Avenue" and I visualize my kick starting as we run through Engineer's Gate.

But I have another one to consider...and I think that just hit me, especially as I deal with my shin splint. But in reality, I am ready for both and I am just getting into my head.

2. Being the Bandwagon is fun.
Let's go Giants! My lovely wife is a life-long Cards fan and I am sorry she doesn't get to watch her team in the Fall Classic, but come on!  This is exciting. San Francisco is acting like a normal city with normal sports fans.  We were there for the Perfect Cain so it is clearly our arrival to a City by a Bay that took the team back to the World Series.  One down side: Listening to Joe Buck for another baseball series. I really dislike that man.

#PerfectCain

3. This is my soft launch of asking for money.
I have often coveted those with fantastic facial hair. Due to my impatience and my wife's insistence, I have never sported much more than a week and a half of beard, stash, or anything else. However, now I have committed to raising some money for testicular and prostate cancer as part of Movember, in order to be forced into facial hair.  I will be using this forum as a progress report but I will not go all Armstrong and use Rogaine or Just For Men, no matter what.  I want my contribution without controversy. (I intend to make a lot of jokes at Lance's expense.)

4. This election could be over now. 
I am done. And so are most Americans. Here in California we have all these wacky Props that will most likely not work and I am sick of the ads.  I bet FOX is pretty excited that the election is after the World Series...at least they get the reveune from these interminable ads. I will be voting for the goods guys and not the bad guys. That is all.
 
5.  I am now on the Board of Directors of my running club.
I was honored to be asked to join the SFRRC board and I think based both on my presentation of ideas and my outfit, I got the job. 

A Pro Running Outfit

I am excited to take part in organizational management and help our club be even better. Join us for a run sometime.

6. In one week I will fly to NYC. 
I am excited to see friends and family. Also I get to run the marathon...in case I didn't mention that.

My Bib - 42053

The Power of Egg Salad

1. Boil eggs
2. Peel eggs
3. Place eggs in vessel 
4. Add mayo and Dijon mustard until right
5. Salt, pepper, and paprika, to taste
6. Paprika on top for color

This simple recipe dominated our pre-Yom Kippur preparation for years.  More or less since I left the URJ to move into the private sector, Abby and I have hosted the break-the-fast for our Jewish friend who were stuck far away from family on the holiday. It started small, with about 10 people (a dozen eggs) we collected at services who had no where to go and ballooned to about 35 people (four and half dozen eggs) in our 550 square foot apartment in New York, with the smoked fish sponsored by the CC parental units.  

It was a big deal. We had kuggel and bagels.  We had fish for about 300 people and fruit and cookies and challah, juice, coffee, soda, and every once in a while a few shots of booze.  But for our friend Anna, the egg salad was reason enough to move heaven and earth.  Her break-the-fast was not complete without the consumption of copious amounts of the above listed egg salad. 

This year, we did not make it nor did Anna eat it. And that was strange.

Eating the humble pie

NYRR caved listened.  There will be a baggage check for the NYC Marathon.

And the peasants rejoice while I am must eat my humble pie.

Nice work NYRR.

However, you have to think that this was an option from the very beginning.  NYRR did some really serious damage to its reputation.  As a friend said to me earlier today, you can't unring a bell.

But this is still the right move and will help with the finish.

Well done.

Look at all the social medias NYRR gives

Early this morning, the New York Road Runners announced that due to overwhelmingly negative reviews of the post-marathon park exit that it was instituting "a new No-Baggage Policy designed to ease finish-line congestion and provide a better and safer post-race experience [and] as a result, you will no longer be able to check baggage at the start of the race and there will be no baggage retrieval after the finish."

Needless to say this did not go over well.  NYRR was trending on Twitter in New York.  The Wall Street Journal,* New York Times, Runner's World and countless blog post reported on or fueled the controversy.  I know the New York Daily News is also planning a significant story on the topic.  The NYRR Facebook page exploded with negative comments, many of them very funny and some just down right mean. 

My thoughts exactly Fred. (Via Kevin Beganics)

Now my views on this are simple: This is a bad idea. But that is not what I am taking away from today's events.  What I see is the power of social media to create a ground swell and still have no impact.  Hear me out on this one, considering I am blogging about it.

These little town blues

This past weekend included 15 eating and drinking establishments, at least seven different kinds of beer, a lot of Mexican food of varying degrees of authenticity, and that piece of New York Pizza.  It also included a two month-old, old friends, a set of parental units, paint cans, a flee market, 16 miles in Central Park, and mid-town lunch specials. The only place something like that could take place in what amounted to three-and-half day vacation is in the best city in the world: New York City.

Some background:

1. The wife and I have not been on a non-wedding/non-visiting hometown vacation since our honeymoon.  This is not to say that these other trips weren't fun or we couldn't relax during them, but there is something to be said about this luxury of a "real" vacation.
2. San Francisco is a nice town.  There is good food and the people are nice, but it is not a city and it is very slow. Stuff closes too early, it isn't easy to get around, and there are no good bagels. This isn't to say we don't like it here, but we should be honest, it pales in comparison to New York.  Anyone who says otherwise either has not lived in New York or couldn't cut it in New York.
3. Going on vacation to your old home is strange. But at least you don't have to pretend you are getting the inside scoop on the local spots by asking the bellmen where they eat. Right, because those guys aren't told where to tell you to go by the same people providing information (and tips) to the concierge.

Now that I got that out of the way, here is what went down.

Sometimes you just want pizza

There has been a lot going on since I last wrote a blog post.

The Olympics and the craptastic coverage NBC has provided, especially here on the West Coast.  A CEO of a chicken restaurant started a family values revolution, boycott, and counter-boycott.  A number of my chums ran and PR'ed the San Francisco Marathon.  All of these things are things I would often write about and try to find some real useful, perhaps even insightful, thing to say about them.

But sometimes you just want pizza and that is the only thing you can think about.

Generational Swings

A little over a month ago, I put down the Dustbuster in our New York apartment after cleaning up what seemed like the millionth dust bunny we had found while getting ready to move, and I tweaked my back.  This was problematic for a number of reasons -- chief among them was the fact that our movers were coming in an hour.

I had been running a lot, trying the 100 pushup challenge (I was up to 45ish pushups) and flying all over the country for work.  Oh yeah, and moving.  There was a lot of pent up stress and I suppose the Dustbuster was the straw that broke my back.

Anyway, after about three weeks of letting it get better, I was on the bus coming to work and the bus stopped very short.  The entire bus load of Financial District Bound San Franciscans whipped forward, and hard. I called a chiropractor when I got to the office.

Over the past week, I have been stretched and cracked and such, and I am feeling much better thank you for asking.  But the really wonderful part of this story is that today I was given homework.

True, homework is never fun. But this homework has some history.

Maybe it isn't nuance

Maybe it is just because people are really stupid.

My last post was all about the inability of people and leaders to see the shades of gray in any situation. But rather, it may be that people and leaders are simply ignorant.

Ignorant of history. 

Let's start with a little test -- Fill in the blanks:

[The] solution to the current problem is “more prisons and migrant detention camps,” and that BLANK must “prepare more military bases where we can jail all of them without exception.” (Italics mine)

Any guesses? Oh, yeah it is Israel. Interior Minister Eli Yishai said this in an interview where he claimed that Israeli woman are "often" raped by African migrant workers but don't report it because they are worried about the stigma of getting AIDS.

Yup. Israel.

My initial reaction: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  Did you miss the reason why Israel was supported by the UN? Did you not get the memo?  Remember that time when Jews had the same issues in Europe?  It is bad and equally historically ignorant when anti-Semites make the Nazi=Zionism connection but when you make it this easy, it is hard for anyone outside of the extreme to support Israel.

The begining of the end

This is it. Today is the last Monday of the separate coasts thing.  And I am ready.

Within three days I will be back in NYC for one last hurrah, which will include two graduation ceremonies, a goodbye party, a half marathon, and a birthday party for a dear friend, as well as a few days of work. Oh yeah, and packing and moving our apartment.

These past few months were hard but the last one really sucked. While the end was near, there was more "stuff" than needed to be addressed (like moving), making the distance all the more difficult. It was no longer just being alone.  It was being alone and feeling out of touch, or alone and pissed off, or alone and misunderstood.

I am excited just to feel out of touch, pissed off or misunderstood.  It is much better to do those things with your wife than far apart from her.

I will post before and after pictures for both apartments when I have them and hope to have some good news to share after the Brooklyn Half.

But for now, I blog about nothing in particular and am happy that it is just three more days.

Eating at Home in a Food City

I am told that San Francisco is a wonderful eating town.

I am told -- and believe it to be a salacious lie -- that San Francisco is a better eating town than New York. I mean come on, really? Really? I might believe you if I was from LA and you said that about New York, but I lived there slim and when you value your micro-biotic, vegan, compost friendly "communal eating establishments" over your U.S. leading number of Michelin Star earning dining institutions, I can't talk to you hippie.

So while you clearly got chops, and they are most likely made of seitan, I have not really been able to see it...for a number of reasons.

Mostly, because I eat at home.

Being sort of lame and actively trying to save money, I have found myself buying chicken and spinach at Trader Joe's and cooking a one person meal about 6 nights a week. I bring lunch about 4 out of 5 days and I eat breakfast at home every day.

But where I have ventured out for food, the food has been really good...won't say better than New York but it is really good. Then again I did just order some Chinese food for delivery, we will see how it goes.

At the Speed of Business

Look. I get it. San Francisco is all hip and cool. The pace is slower and the nights are shorter and for sure the weather is better than New York. Over all things are easier here in California. But for the love of God! Could you walk a bit faster?

It is like everyone in this town is a tourist in Time Square mesmerized by the lights and sounds.

Put your head down, watch where you are going and get there, faster.

I would understand if this was along Fisherman's Wharf or in Union Square but in the middle of the Financial District? Come on people, we have stuff to do and we have places to go. Put down the iPad and individually and intentionally brewed Blue Bottle Coffee and get out of the way.

Thanks!

iNewspaper

Over the past three years, I read the Financial Times on my commute to the office. One of many people reading a paper, it wasn't uncommon to see the Times, Post, FT, WSJ and a number of free dailies folded meticulously in the hands of nearly every commuter on a packed downtown 6 Train.

Cross the country and stay above ground, and I am the one of the only people reading a real newspaper on my bus, and for sure the only one with the Wall Street Journal.

I read the Journal for work and sometimes I even enjoy it (never the Editorial page, though). But the looks I get on a San Francisco bus reading the Wall Street Journal are shocking; you would think I was reading a Playboy in church.

And I am on an express bus to the Financial District!

These looks may be that I get an actual paper and it seems that anyone under the age of ancient (and there are lots of ancient folks on the Muni buses) is on at least one device for the entire commute downtown. My first day a guy opened his backpack, opened up his lap top and took out a mouse, to work...on the bus.

That guy is just as crazy as a 20-something perfectly folding the Wall Street Journal to catch up on economic data and listen to what is Heard on the Street.

No Hair for Flowers

37,965 feet in the air and 971 miles to go on my way to San Francisco where I will be living.

Yeah.

Lots has happened since last I blogged, but I have this funny feeling that I will be hitting this forum up just a bit more over the next few months.

Here is why:

1. I am moving across the country
This is a significant change for me. A few facts to inform this move... I did grow up in California, I did leave as soon as I graduated in a pilgrimage of sorts to the Mecca of all things - New York City. I did said I would be happy living there forever. Then I got all married and my lovely wife said she wouldn't live in New York forever. So yeah. There is that. Now we are moving. (This is a slightly abridged version of reality.)

Granted neither of us were "ready" to leave but I suppose that makes it better; leaving at the top of your game is better than going all Brett Favre. So I am moving.