If only I had a blog...

It has been 3 months...

2011-03-19T18:43:00.000-04:00

since my last post.

I never intended for that to happen. It just did. And since people have basically been begging me to blog, here I am. Back. I will give you a post (or two). But no guarantees beyond that.

Here's the thing. In January, my sister moved out. She just picked up and headed to London for 4 months. The unfortunate side effect of me being really good at my job. So, I found myself living in a house all alone. Living alone isn't something that I do particularly well and for some reason this time it was extra rough. (It could be that I don't exactly live in the best neighborhood and more houses on my street than not have been broken into. Nah. That can't be it. I am tough. And I have a really heavy duty maglite next to my bed.) Many of you know... January was tough. So, I did what I always do when I don't want to deal with something. That's right, I got busy. I caught up on Mad Men and watched seasons 1-3, finished all three of Stieg Larrson's books, cleaned out my closet, went to a slew of birthday parties, spent a weekend hanging with (and sleeping on the floor with) the high school kids at church, completed another Warrior Dash, trained for another 1/2 marathon and finished that 1/2 marathon (in under 2 hours, thank you very much).

Some Photographic Evidence:

Well, by early March, I was over the whole distracting myself thing. I gave in. So the day after the cheetahs ran our third half marathon together, I hopped on a plane to London. (Sidenote: I don't really recommend doing that. My legs severely hated me for a while.) But it was all worth it to see my little labradoodle.... (Emily).

I actually had a series of meetings in London. But Emily was able to snag me for a bit and we crammed all of London into about a day and a half. We were very mission minded and we managed to see Harrods, walk through Hyde Park, eat cupcakes, eat crepes, eat gelato, tour the Olympic Village, catch a show, walk through SoHo, Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, the Borough Market, see the Tower Bridge, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Tower of London, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, go to football (soccer) match, eat fish and chips AND we went to Hillsong on Sunday.

I now miss her more than ever. But I came back with a few sleeves of McVitie's Chocolate Caramel Digestives that are rather soothing.

In a year's time.

2010-12-21T19:53:00.001-05:00

Here is a little curve ball for you all. I know that you think that I still have 3 more things to do (that I have never done before). Well.... I don't.

I have saved a number of things throughout the year. Thats right, they are stashed in my figurative back pocket. For this very moment. Yes, the time of year where I am too busy to fit in anything else and, frankly, too tired to care. Pretty tricky, huh?

I guess I just kinda thought that I would come up with something better, more exciting or dramatic. Well, time is basically up. So, for #18 and #19 I present seven, yes SEVEN, things that I had never done until this year.

In no particular order:

- I bought a Mac. A MacBook Pro or just MBP around here. I can no longer say, "I'm a PC." And yes, I am hooked. I now want an iPad. Bad.

- I rode a bike through a BMX park. I know that you are all disappointed that there is no photographic evidence, but it is hard to take a picture of yourself on a bike when you are, well, on a bike. Back in May when I tested my mad mom skills, I also got in on the fun. What I failed to tell you in that post was that Maxx let me borrow his bike and I tore up that track. Seriously. so. much. fun.

- I made it to Silver Medallion. All of the time spent breathing recycled air has finally paid off. That's right, Delta is giving me the recognition that I deserve. Granted I am still a peon when compared to the gold, platinum and diamond peeps. But I walked on that red carpet with pride. Well, not really.... but I do check bags for free.

- I met my blog stalker. I couldn't believe it. A stalker of my very own! Anyone who has the guts to walk up to someone (me) and say, "Hey, this may sound crazy.... but do you have a blog? I totally read your blog. It is so nice to actually meet you. You are even prettier in person. And funny, gosh, you are just brilliantly funny." has my vote! (I may have embellished a bit. A lot was happening then, I can't remember exactly. Either way, Hi Blog Stalker!)

- I worked in the nursery. Babies, not plants. You may not know this about me, but I am completely awkward around babies. So far from a natural, they make me so nervous. So how exactly did I end up in the nursery at church one Sunday? Well, quite simply, they were desperate. They needed a moderately responsible, willing adult and guess who was sitting in the back row of the service and who could easily be grabbed to help and who happened to be "safe church" trained. Oh, that's right... this girl. So I spent 90 minutes one Sunday rocking babies, keeping them away from electrical outlets and wiping snot. Really, not much different that teaching in the college ministry. (joke. It was a joke.)

- I joined the Junior League. After resisting for years, my friend Rebekah finally twisted my arm. She is a very convincing gal. So now my life is full of meetings (as if it wasn't already.)

- I saw Ludacris in concert. Dressed as Ke$ha. I was dressed as Ke$ha. Not Luda. He was dressed as... Luda. It was halloween. No further explanation is needed.

Seven things. That is much better than two. And hopefully that will make up for me not riding the mechanical bull. I just couldn't do it. There were waaaay too many people watching.

No, I didn't meet him on Craigslist.

2010-12-19T22:02:00.001-05:00

Well friends, I just got back home from a lovely weekend in Arkansas. (No, your eyes do not deceive you. I really just ~~said~~ wrote Arkansas.) And while that technically could be #17 of 20, I will do you one better.

I went to see my sweet friend from college and her family, one of my favorite annual events. Nicole's husband, Justin, took a position this summer as the student pastor at a church in Jonesboro, so they made the move from North Carolina. They have two of the cutest kids I have ever seen. No, really... the cutest. Well, not long after they moved, Nicole told me about this guy that worked at their church. How he was sooo fun and sooo nice and she wanted us to meet. Well, she once said the same thing about her realtor in North Carolina (who I never met), so I didn't really think much of it. That is until Justin got in on it. Somehow between the two of them... they got us to meet. This past Thursday. In Arkansas. So...

#17 of 20: Go on a blind date.

That's right. I went out with a guy that I had never seen before. Never talked to. No phone call, text, email, tweet. Nothing. We weren't even facebook friends.

He thinks I'm crazy. He has to.

So the ~~first~~ second time we met was at the church staff Christmas party. Where I was, you guessed it, his date. And we sat by, you guessed it, his boss. The first time we met was earlier that day during a very Gone with the Wind staircase moment in the church foyer. I can't make this stuff up. Anyone familiar with the dynamics of a church staff know what a stir we caused. Mild awkwardness aside, we had a good time and four of us (Nicole and Justin included) have some quality inside jokes.

Well, I guess I should be expecting a phone call from my mom any minute now....

Reason #271 why the French are crazy

2010-12-13T21:52:00.000-05:00

So you have heard of this little book. If you hadn't before last fall, Julie and Julia surely clued you in. Ah yes, the scene were Julie falls asleep while making Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon comes to mind, doesn't it?

Well, there is a reason that she fell asleep. It is the world's most time consuming recipe ever. I mean EVER. That's right. If you want to make le boeuf, just plan on committing 5 hours and all of the pots, skillets, knives and slotted spoons in your kitchen to making it. You will also want to plan on having a nice chat with the butcher at Publix when you ask him for a 6 oz chunk of bacon. (gag). Then look forward to patting meat dry. Browning it. Simmering it and let it chill like this in your oven for 3.5- 4 hours while you fix mushrooms and onions. 20 onions to be exact.

And then plan on taking it out of the oven where you will have to remove the liquid from the solid and clean your casserole, only to put it all back in and let it simmer some more. Like so....

And then you serve it over potatoes or some nice egg noodles or something. And you pray that the onion smell will leave your house and your pores by Christmas.

And how do I know? Oh, that's right....

#16 of 20: Make Julia Child's $*%# Boeuf Bourguignon

Boom. Roasted.

I have leftovers. Come on over, help yourself. Ignore the lingering onion.

December, is that you?

2010-12-12T15:38:00.002-05:00

It is freezing in Tallahassee. Absolutely freezing. Lights are strung around town. The parking lot at the mall is full to the brim. The mass of college students that days ago made it impossible to find a table at Panera have vanished. The always anticipated Marshall Christmas card has hit the mailbox. Football season is all but over and I am looking at a candy cane. Yet, I cannot seem to wrap my mind around the fact that it is Christmas time. All signs point to yes. But, it just doesn't seem real and I can't quite figure out why. If I were Lea Marshall, I would have some profound understanding of why. I would then tell you all about it on my blog, using lower case letters and alliteration. But, if I were Lea Marshall, I would rearrange my furniture just to host a dinner party. And well, I am way too busy organizing my Netflix queue to rearrange furniture, or to cook dinner, or to... blog. (Yes, Eva, I know. It has been a while.)

With December sneaking up on me the way it did, I now have 21 days to do FIVE things that I have never done before. Yikes.

Don't panic. (I have that part covered.) But with panic comes a plan. I have a plan. At least I think I do. And one of those FIVE things that I have never done before is in the oven. The oven in my kitchen. That was not a euphemism. I mean my non-stainless steel appliance. (Not that I love it any less. Ok... a little less. But hey.)

To be continued...

From Hannah to Miley and back to Meghan

2010-11-07T20:36:00.000-05:00

For the past decade, I have been an absolute slave to the master that is my hair. College kicked off a desperate attempt to resist the inevitable. My baby blonde was fading fast. Highlighting quickly became a way of life. After all, I was Meghan "The cute little blonde". I had a rep. Had to live up. Well, early last fall, I let the girl who was doing my hair at the time (read: student at Aveda) go all over blonde. And many of you remember how horrific the news anchor blonde was. Shockingly horrific. And since Aveda is like a bad boyfriend to me, I went back. To. the. same. girl.* for a fix. A fix that involved a lot of hair dye in a lovely chestnut color. So for the first time in my life, I was a brunette. I know you all remember Lea's reaction. No? Well, let me remind you. "Hey, that is Meghan Greene't butt, but that isn't her hair!" Yes. She not only thought those words, but said them out loud. So, here we are 12 months later, and I have done something that I have never done in my 20s. That's right.

#15 of 20: Go a year without coloring my hair.

Here is a recent photo taken from the last game that Florida State won. My hair is pretty darn close to natural. It really is a nice low maintenance place to be.

* Yes, it is true. She even invited me to her baby shower. Customer of the year, that's me.

A little bit of awesome. With a side of shame.

2010-10-25T19:27:00.000-04:00

I am almost embarrassed to admit this, but I think that it is best that you hear it from me. In the spirit of full disclosure, I had never been to Maclay Gardens. Gasp! I know. What kind of Tallahassean am I? (The kind who hadn't been to Dorothy B. Oven until last Christmas- but thanks to Lea, we got that base covered.)

Last night this all changed. My Tallahassee social coordinator, Julia, put together a lovely little date for us. A picnic in the park, oh and there was live jazz. It was very romantic. (Note: there is nothing wrong with two friends going on a date. There is also nothing wrong with her boyfriend being there. Yes, I am a professional third wheel.)

And thanks to my sister, we had a super lovely wicker picnic basket. And thanks to Fresh Market it was filled with goodies. And thanks to Steve's phone, we could see once the sun set.

And thanks to Publix and their lovely BOGO items. Our signature wine made a special appearance.

So there you have it. #14 of 20: Visit Maclay Gardens. Done and done. (And will likely be done again.)

From Charlotte to Charlottesville

2010-10-05T20:06:00.000-04:00

As previously mentioned, in the past two weeks, I have been on seven college campuses. Of those seven, it was my first visit ever to two of them. (I just typed "tu-tu". I laughed. I am a nerd of epic proportions.) Of those two, one is of particular note. I have always wanted to visit the University of Virginia. Something about the Thomas Jefferson-Frances Eppes connection that I just find irresistible. (Again, nerd of epic proportions.)

#13 of 20: Visit UVA

I couldn't leave without snagging a pic of Tom Kat. I just couldn't let Julia down.

Oh, did I mention that I went with 52 college women. Well, I did. It was fun. They are fun. My job is fun.

And to boot, I ran into my college roommate on the side of the road in Charlottesville. It was the best surprise of 2010 by far. It was her son's first FSU game. He enjoyed every minute......

And the weather was delightful. It really was. I am such a sucker for good weather.

By the numbers

2010-10-03T15:14:00.001-04:00

This is what the last 2 weeks have looked like for me...

Airplanes that I have been on: 10
Flights that have been delayed: 8
Times upgraded: 1
Times running through the airport in heels: 3
Times in Hartsfield Jackson: 3
Times in Charlotte Douglass: 4
Desk agents that complimented the aforementioned heels: 3
Cars rented: 2
Cars rented without a vanity mirror (which IMO is just stupid): 1
Nights I have spent in a hotel: 10
Hotel beds I have slept in: 5
College campuses visited: 7
Days in my office: 1
Times I had dinner with Nelly: 0
College roommates that I ran into unexpectedly in Charlottesville: 1
Times I went to Panera: 5
Hours spent on a bus: 13
Women on said bus: 54
Aspirin taken: 4

I need a nap.

Peppermint oil is my jam.

2010-09-12T17:27:00.001-04:00

After having ~~major surgery~~ a mole removed this week, I decided that I needed a reward. Ok, so maybe my definition of major surgery is different from yours. But when a doctor puts a scalpel to your face and you handle it like a big girl, you deserve a treat. Really, just knowing that you will have a bandage on your FACE for a few weeks means you deserve a treat. So, Emily and I found ourselves at Aveda were we experienced....

#12 of 20: A Massage.

That's right. I have never had a massage. I mean, I have had the friend rub your shoulders massage or the lady at the nail salon rubbing your feet massage. But, never have I had the whole lay on a table, breathe in the aromatic aromas, hour long, tour of bliss massage. Heaven, people. Absolute heaven. This may become a habit.

(Sorry Eva, I went with out you- but I will go again! Promise.)

I had nothing* to do with the making of this video.

2010-09-07T19:42:00.000-04:00

How not to intercede from fbctlh on Vimeo.

*I may have had a little to do with it.

Something about a Rogue Sociologist

2010-09-06T09:37:00.001-04:00

Every year August kicks me in the tail. Like some crazy whirlwind and I am left not knowing who I am or where I am. This year was no exception. Yet in the midst of the chaos, I received some fun news. Brace yourself for this people, it legitimizes me in my profession and, more importantly, it made the list.

#11 of 20: Got published.

Bam! Just like that, I am an author. My high school English teacher is beyond proud. (I know this for a fact. She commented on my facebook status about it.)

Now before you start asking when the book signing at Borders will be, I must stop you. I wrote a lovely little book review of, well, a book that appeared in a professional journal. So, if you want to see my glorified book report on Gang Leader for a Day, grab your nearest copy of The Journal of College Orientation and Transition. And if you are looking for an interesting read, go grab yourself a copy of Sudhir Venkatesh's little treatise on gang life.

Running out of time.

2010-08-14T20:36:00.002-04:00

Someone buy me a new life.... *

2010-08-03T19:35:00.000-04:00

Instead of blogging last week, I was...

Killing ants in my kitchen.

Watching water flow into my yard, compliments of a busted pipe, compliments of Brian.

Living without water in my house for 15 hours, compliments of Matthew.

Calling the City of Tallahassee.

Calling a plumber.

Throwing away an insane amount of dead yellow flowers, compliments of a wedding.

Killing ants in a bedroom.

Killing ants in the kitchen.

Afraid to go in the yard, compliments of the 3 foot snake.

Killing ants in another bedroom.

This is what I get for turning down the opportunity to live in a fancy schmancy guest house with stainless steel things and a pool and batting cages in a gated community. The kind of gated community that might cause Bravo to consider filming the Real Housewives of Tallahassee.

But, no, here I am. Keeping it real.

*Don't worry, I am actually completely satisfied with my life. But if you are interested, you could buy me some new fall boots.

My sister got married last Saturday.

2010-07-29T20:58:00.000-04:00

We did not.

The stranger in my bed.

2010-07-19T21:29:00.000-04:00

I am sooooo tired. A restless Saturday night has left me ~~catching up on~~ desperately chasing after lost sleep. Although, I will say, it might have been worth it. I can't believe I just said that. Because, all in all, it was absolutely terrible. And absolutely unplanned. Most definitely unplanned. But I did do something that I have have never done before. Thus, qualifying it to be on the list of 2010. I mean, how many people can say that they woke up with a scorpion in their bed?

Yes, your eyes did not deceive you.

#10 of 20: I got stung by a scorpion. In my bed.

And I am not just playing that whole fortune cookie "read your fortune out loud and follow it with 'in bed'" game. There actually was a scorpion in my bed. It stung me. That woke me up. I'm talking I went flying out of bed at 3am from the shock and the pain. And then I frantically shifted through my bed linens to find the little creature that was the source of my mind (and body) numbing pain. When I saw a scorpion lying on my duvet like it was no big deal, I nearly passed out. But nearly passing out is not enough to keep someone from grabbing a paper towel, grabbing the scorpion and flushing it down the toilet. So that is what I did. Had it not been 3am and had my hand and arm not been throbbing, I would have grabbed my camera and taken a picture of little Mr. Not welcome in my bed. I do have a blog, after all. But instead of taking a picture, I went with the whole flush down the toilet game plan and then I followed it up by googling "scorpion first aid". Turns out, all you can do it but ice on it and take an aspirin. So made a bag of ice and while I had my non-stung hand in the freezer, my mom (who is in town for my sister's wedding) cracks open the bedroom door* and then quickly closes it and goes back to bed. I started to cry. I was tired. In tremendous pain. I was sufficiently freaked out. AND my mom didn't love me enough to help. When she heard me crying, she came back to the living room. Her response to me telling her that I got stung by a scorpion was "There aren't scorpions in Florida." Wrong. So wrong. There are indeed scorpions in Florida. There was one in my bed.

*She alleges that she thought someone was breaking in and when she saw that it was "just" me, she went back to bed.

Dobry Den

2010-07-08T21:19:00.001-04:00

I know, I know. I am a bit late in posting. But in the epic battle of Meghan v. Jet Lag, jet lag won. Now that I feel like a relatively functioning human, here is a little update on the quest to complete 20 new things in 2010. My most recent addition:

#9 of 20: Check out what the fuss in Prague is all about.

And here are just a few things that I did in the Czech Republic.

I taught this guy how to blow glass.

I went to Terezin. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. It still makes my heart hurt to think about it.

I ate gelato (a lot). I was on an endless quest for Nutella gelato. I failed.

I watched the World Cup. Here. Right in the middle of the Old Town Square.

I went to see Swan Lake. By myself. I am a really good date. I snapped a picture on my way. (Had to prove I was in Prague.)

This also proves that I was there. Just a little view from a castle. NBD.

And for the record, I still have not lived down the fact that while we were in the Tallahassee airport, I said, "I am so hot, I can't wait to get to Europe." I was definitely referring to the scorching temps. Others thought I meant that my pilates class has been paying off....

Those dog days of summer....

2010-06-29T03:17:00.000-04:00

As you likely know, I am halfway through completing #9 of 20. There will be a full report on that when I get back. But to hold you over, here is a little series dedicated to my dear friends Julia and Angie. It is just a little something that I like to call "The Dogs of Prague".

Just a hint.

2010-06-22T11:57:00.000-04:00

I am staying here.

Well, in this city, not that castle. But if they happen to have a room, I may be making alternate plans....

Too hot too handle. Yes, I just said that.

2010-06-17T21:52:00.000-04:00

Check out that temp. That is just wrong. I have to get out of Florida. The heat is driving me crazy. For the safety of those around me, I am going to bounce. Expect a full report on where I've been when I get back.

It's that time again.

2010-06-08T19:49:00.000-04:00

Well, I can't guarantee that there will be much blogging around these parts this week. We are busy. It is time for the most awesome annual summer camp in the whole wide world. That's right people. It is time for Camp Greene.

Breakfast for dinner is the only way to go. As are chocolate chip pancakes. Dinner is even better when the camper makes it. Don't worry, there was moderate adult supervision.

See, this looks supervised.

All of those pancakes made one tired camper. Or laughing camper. Maybe that was the chai latte. Yes, chai lattes are standard at Camp Greene. What did you expect from the Greene Girls? We are bigger fans of resorts than camps.

Well, while we are busy over here, you can catch this camper's mom as she blogs from the road. With a bus full of teenagers. Pray for her and them. And read what they are up to.

I have 50 days.

2010-06-03T21:08:00.002-04:00

To find a date to my sister's wedding.

I think that it is time to resurrect the dateplication. That's right. I said it.

A few year's ago, my friend Stacey developed a screening process for my potential suitors. It is simple really, I just need a bit of information before I decide to meet you for coffee, dinner, trip to St. Lucia or in this case my sister's wedding... It really is in your best interest and mine.

So, if you are interested in being my plus one, please forward the following...

Resume.
A reference letter from your current employer or other confirmation of employment.
A reference letter from your pastor.
College transcript.
Health Records.
Confirmation that you have a savings account. With savings.
Top three restaurants.
10 randomly selected songs from your iTunes playlist.
List of sports played.
List of sports watched.
List of current magazine subscriptions.
A twitteresque statement (140 characters or less) of why you want to wear a tie that matches my dress on July 24th.

See, simple. And clearly the most important thing on the list is your personal statement. The winner of this challenge will be revealed at First Baptist Church. On a Saturday. In July.

We are the Champions

2010-05-28T19:16:00.000-04:00

Blog a Day in May has reached the end. So here a a finale, albeit not so grand....

For your enjoyment a lovely slew of links to the songs that were featured as post titles for the month of May:

What is Love

What’s Love Got To Do With It

Airplanes

One Day

The Sign

Just a Spoon Full of Sugar

FSU Fight Song

Tik Tok (I refuse to put a link to that song)

Telephone

I Will Buy You a New Life

Why

Georgia

It Must Have Been Love

You Found Me

I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing

Drop It Like It’s Hot

Winner

I’m A Survivor

Confessions/ Dirty Little Secret

Forever Young Yes, I went with the Jay-Z version.

Forever Young

2010-05-27T15:43:00.001-04:00

Here is the actual text from a recent conversation that I had with my dad. Yes. I talk to my dad on gchat. He is cool, except that he still sometimes uses the greeting “wassssup!” That aside, here is what my dad thinks about my ~~needs~~ wants.

me: guess what I got?!

dad: a new car?

me: no

dad: a boyfriend?

me: no

dad: a new watch?

me: no

dad: I don't know what else you wanted because you already have your Macbook

How do you like it?

Oh, he knows me so well. It is a shame that I don't know him better. His birthday is this weekend. I think it is the 30th. (I always forget. It is either the 29th, the 30th or the 31st.) I will just have to call him every day and make some reference to it being his "birthday weekend". And I gave him is birthday present when he was in town last weekend. See, I am smart. This would be a crafty plan if he didn't read my blog. But he does, so I am busted.

Not much I can do now except remind him that will age there are benefits. AARP has an entire list of them. He is eligible for nearly all of them.

Happy Birthday, Dad! Expect a few phone calls from me this weekend.

Confessions

2010-05-26T16:15:00.000-04:00

Alternate title: Dirty Little Secret(s)

Here are a few things you probably don’t know about me. Of course, these are things that I really should never admit. I am aware of that. So, I figured this was a safe space to confess. The three of you who read my blog are now sworn to secrecy. So here goes… The Meghan Greene tell all. TMZ will be all over this....

1. I started drinking coffee in college. By reheating my roommate’s when she had left for class. Gross. I know. But sometimes I still reheat coffee.

2. When I visit your house, there is a good chance that I am redecorating it in my head. Just trying to imagine if my couch would fit in your living room.

3. I applied eye shadow with my finger until grad school. There is nothing more that I can say about that. It was basically my last leap to womanhood. Oh the difference a brush makes.

4. For dinner last night, I had corn and a scone.

5. In 2006, I bought Nick Lachey’s cd. Even worse, I wrote it on my to-do list. Lea Marshall found that list. She occasionally threatens to out me. (Too late Lea, I just did it myself.)

6. I hate cleaning the bathtub. I mean, major hate.

7. Sometimes I go to movies by myself.

8. I once fractured my wrist playing kickball. Kickball, people.

9. I have a really good sense of direction. So good that I have, on occasion, pretended not to know where we were to protect a man's pride.

10. I have a girl crush on Eva Baxter. I want to be her.

I know, that is one juicy list. Remember, you signed a pact not to tell. Oh, you didn't? Whoops.

I'm a survivor

2010-05-25T17:04:00.001-04:00

Because yesterday's post just wasn't enough. Here are more pictures from Warrior Dash.Yes. That is a mound of shoes. Mine ended up in it. They were all donated. (And cleaned.)
Oh, just some people running on tires.
Oh, just some people running through a lake.
Oh, just someone's dog running the course. (They caught him before he leapt the hurdles.)

Yes, Emily took a "bath" in the lake. Everyone did.

Yes, that guy ran in a red gown.
Yes, those guys are wearing safety vests. I think they were saying "Caution. We are wearing orangey tighties."

Yes, I am pretty sure that there is nothing left for me to say about that.

Winner

2010-05-24T16:51:00.000-04:00

Raise your hand if this weekend you....

1. Visited Blair and Holly.

2. Stopped at Caribou Coffee (and QuikTrip).

3. Wore a hot pink tank top.

4. Saw a bride and his bridesmaids.

5. Crawled through mud.

6. Ran through a lake.

7. Climbed over cars.

8. Rolled over walls.

9. Leapt over fire.

10. Got a viking hat.

My hand is raised. And so is Emily's. (Cause I know she reads my blog and I know she did all those things.)

I officially added something else to the list of things that I have never done before. In this year long series, I bring you:

#8 of 20: Become a Warrior.

Before:
After:
During:

Ok. So that guy isn't us. But we did run through that. It is really hard to get an action shot of yourself. Cut us some slack here. But, you can get an action shot in the car, wearing viking helmets.

Yes, you are looking at two winners.

Drop It Like It's Hot

2010-05-21T08:14:00.000-04:00

So, Piperlime came out with their top 10 for summer. I can completely support a number of things on this list. Wedges. Check. Nautical. Classic. Punchy Dresses. Oh yes. But Denim leggings? Really? In the summer? Let us all review a few things. I live in Florida. In Tallahassee. While I love Tallahassee (I really do), let's face it. I essentially live in the armpit of Florida. There is zero breeze and this joker gets hot fast. There is nothing less desirable to me than getting into my car (with that black leather interior) in late July wearing denim. And not just any denim, but denim that clings to my thighs. I can guarantee. This trend just isn't going to happen.

A special thanks to Angie (my most fashion forward friend) for sharing the sentiment.

I don't wanna miss a thing

2010-05-20T11:22:00.000-04:00

I also don't wanna* blog. So I won't.

Whoops. I think I just did. *&@#^@! This blog tricked me.

*I also don't say wanna. It is not in my vernacular.

You Found Me

2010-05-19T11:39:00.000-04:00

So, Jane Buckingham was right. Foursquare has definitely taken off. My news feed and twitters updates are now stacked with who has just check in at Momo's pizza and who is the mayor of Starbucks (ahem. Jeff Latimer). I miss the days of cleverly crafted status updates....

If I actually had the ability to create a social media game, it would be a lot like foursquare. With a twist. I mean, who wants play fourquare when you can play tether ball. On the playground, you never know if the ball is going to the left or to the right. Well, did I just check in at Target or Starbucks? Or the Starbucks in Target? This local social media game would really keep you on your toes. It would be the game of say one thing and do the other. Or do what you actually said. It would definitely take the challenge of stalking to a greater level.

It is a good thing that I don't have the capability to create such a thing...or the time...

It must have been love...

2010-05-18T10:24:00.000-04:00

I do not even care if it is May. This just absolutely made my day.

As I walked into the office kitchen and saw that delightful little package, I thought... "Perfect. Just simply, perfect." I just love the flavor of the day.

See, doesn't it look perfect.

Why Georgia

2010-05-17T12:52:00.000-04:00

Here are some things that you will find in Georgia:

1. Pecan Shops

2. The original Chick-Fil-A

3. This:

4. Tripp and Tyler
5. This condo. You know you want it.

6. Holly and Blair

7. Me (and Emily) at Warrior Dash. On Sunday. Expect a full report on Monday.

I Will Buy You a New Life*

2010-05-14T08:43:00.000-04:00

So a friend of mine is moving from Atlanta to Portland this weekend. She sent this video to entice a visit. It worked. I want to go. Bad. I can just picture her life. Full of coffee, sustainability, bike rides, hikes and I just know that she will become best friends with Donald Miller.

But, no. I am stuck here. I think Tallahassee runs at a slower pace. At least according to this video. I added the border to make it seem cooler. Did it work?

*Clarification. I am not a super huge Everclear fan. But they are from Portland So there ya go.

Telephone

2010-05-13T09:38:00.000-04:00

Weird. I did the same thing in my living room last night.

Tik Tok

2010-05-12T11:44:00.001-04:00

Things I don't like:

1. Milk at a percentage higher than skim.

2. Standing in line.

3. Playing team sports.

4. Ke$ha

5. Cleaning the bathtub.

6. Starbucks drip coffee.

7. Feeling bloated.

8. Carnations.

9. Math.

10. Split ends.

Fight Song

2010-05-11T08:16:00.000-04:00

Well, after a near non-post yesterday. I am going to be super vigilant in getting this one up. But first, thank you to Thomas Lee for appreciating the inner geek in me last night. When I learned that the post from yesterday morning didn't exactly post, I hit panic mode. "Quick. Thomas, do you have your ipad I need to post my blog." "Yes, but we don't have wifi here. Use my iphone.." Thomas, I think I love you.

I had to drive over to Jacksonville for work yesterday and I am still living out of a suitcase. And I am running out of clothing options and I have learned that I am not really a fan of king sized beds. I just don't know what to do with all that space. But, I did get to hang out in the same room as one, Tommy Wright. Granted, he was in this room about 7 months before I was. Details. Details. Confused? probably.

Well, logistics aside, I just needed an excuse to play this video. Enjoy this Seminole great.

Just a spoonful of sugar

2010-05-10T08:46:00.000-04:00

For Mother's Day Weekend, I did a little role playing. Lea and Millie skipped town for the lights of NYC and Adam just happened to have a business trip in China or Korea or both. So that left Maxx and Rosie all alone. Well, all alone with....ME!

Here is what I learned from a weekend with the Marshall kids....

Reasons I would fail as a mom:

1. Rosie and I watched 20 minutes of Maxx's soccer game...until we realized that he wasn't on that team.

2. I may have accidentally taken a nap that lasted 2 hours, give or take. Supervision is SO overrated. I really like naps.

3. The whole monkey milkshake debacle of 2008.

4. I suggest things like this.

Reasons I would rock as a mom:

1. I went to church 3 times on Sunday. Twice without make-up.

2. I didn't actually let them watch Taken.

2. Two Words: BMX park.

I did make her wear a helmet and sunscreen. Go me.

The Sign

2010-05-07T09:23:00.000-04:00

Now that you have Ace of Base in your head... Check this out...

I walk past this sign everyday. And everyday it confuses me. It is located in an area of campus where students in the Film School shoot scenes for their....you guessed it, films. First, it says no parking. I get that, it makes sense to me. (Although there is rarely a day when there isn't a car parked there....but that doesn't really affect me.) The part that doesn't make sense in my little head is the "Do Not Discard Boxes or Trash In This Area". I am not sure which that means....

Is it?

a. If you have a box or trash and you want to put them somewhere... this is NOT the place to put them.

b. If you see boxes or trash in the area, you had better leave them there. As in "do not remove items from this area."

It hurts my brain just about every morning.

One Day*

2010-05-06T08:31:00.000-04:00

I love Jane Austen. I really do. But let's be real, her books have a lot of characters and some fancy words. I lose track, get frustrated and stop reading. I suppose it is only fair to say that I love the Hollywood interpretation of Jane Austen. I have watched Pride and Prejudice at least a dozen times. (Likely more given that I watched it 3 times last week.) The Matthew Macfadyen** version. Not that Colin Firth stuff. Man, I just get sucked in. Sometimes I watch the whole movie, other times I fast forward to the scenes between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and my heart gets all fluttery. Oh Mr. Darcy, with all your stubbornness, oh and that big fat house. It is really good stuff. All packed into 127 mins. And I was watching P&P last week for the 3rd time, I remembered that I have never actually read that book. Being the P&P snob that I am, I was embarrassed. Then a strong determination overwhelmed me. I grabbed my copy (yes, I own it- but had never read it) and started whipping through the pages Marshall kid style. You had better believe that I finished that book. And I finished it in ONE day. I am not lying. I literally couldn't put it down. And yes, that is #7.

#7 of 20: Read Pride and Prejudice. (All of it. In a day.)

You will be happy to know that my all time favorite line from the movie is actually in the book. That's right. "A thousand times yes."

*Yes. I used the title of an Akon song. Well, really a Matisyahu song feat. Akon.

**May 14- Matthew Macfadyen in Robin Hood. I'm in.

Airplanes

2010-05-05T08:17:00.000-04:00

No, this is not a post about travel. Or that old Leslie Nielson movie. This post is actually about collaboration. If I were following Lea's lead, this would go under things I like in May. But I also like it in June, July and the other 9 months. (Now I am pretty sure that some pregnant lady just found my blog by googling 9 months. To that lady...do yourself a favor...google pajama jeans.) So....I just love collaboration. As my friend Rebekah often says, "Its about working smarter, not harder." Almost all of my projects involve some form of collaboration. And since I can't seem to get enough of this song right now... here you go. My favorite May collaboration. If I could sing I would absolutely do something with Hayley Williams. But I can't, so I will let B.o.B. have that honor. Oh, and I doubt this is a radio edit.... warning that is what happens when you also collaborate with Eminem.

What's love got to do with?*

2010-05-04T08:52:00.000-04:00

Were you looking for me on Saturday? I just know you were. I bet you didn’t find me. Actually, I know you didn't find me and it is probably because you didn’t look at the Big Wash Coin Laundry. You really should have looked there. Not only would you have found me, you would have stumbled across one of the greatest projects in Tampa. (oh yes, I was in Tampa for the weekend. My hometown for those who don't know me.) OK back to the topic at hand. Here is what you need to know.... Every first Saturday… Laundry Love.

After knowing about this project from the start, I finally checked it out. I went to visit my friend Jason who is the founder of Current, the organization responsible for Laundry Love. Jason spent the morning introducing me as his “old friend”. I quickly had that corrected to “incredibly hot and attractive friend”. Although in the sense that I have known him since our youth camp days, when he had a gig as a youth pastor and I was a rockin’ intern….I am an old friend. Well, Laundry Love has grown exponentially over the year. They used to go through $200 in quarters on a Saturday. Now, they average $400-500 in quarters, they have more volunteers than they know what to do with, and they have people waiting in line for them to show up in the morning. In an email that Jason sent out the other day, he shared this story:

Her name is Vickie. She's mother to 2 beautiful children. After paying bills she has $90 a month for her family to live on. One of her greatest struggles every month is laundry for her family of 4. To do all the laundry (clothes, linens etc) her family has would easily cost her over $40 every couple of weeks (I'm no math genius, but even I can figure that math doesn't work to provide clean laundry on top of other needs for her family.) She read the article about our Laundry Love Project, showed up with 7 garbage bags full of laundry and found a little reprieve from her burden. I wish I could describe to you how her countenance and attitude changed from when she showed up. She was all smiles and full of gratitude when she left. Hope had found its way to her heart.

I couldn’t help but think… How do I spend the 1^st Saturday of the month? Now, how should I spend the 1st Saturday? This project is about showing people love. Something that we so often keep bottled up on the inside. The answer to why Jason and others do this is so simple.... they love because HE first loved them.

If you are in the Tampa area and want to help with Laundry Love, let me know. I will get you connected with the right peeps. If you aren't in Tampa and would like to help, you can... they need quarters. If you send them a check, they can cash that. The bank will give them quarters. It is just that simple.

*not to be confused with yesterday's post...What is love?

What is love?*

2010-05-03T08:05:00.000-04:00

Tips for surviving a road trip with your sister. Emily and I have tested all of the below methods.

GPS Games- Quick. Find the nearest Starbucks. Do you want coffee? No. I just want to know where they are.

Food Pacing- Are you sure you want to eat that sandwich now? We still have 3 hours in the car? Yes. But I am hungry. OR What is that sound? What are you doing? I am only eating 1 chip per minute.

Radio Station Fake out-You really like that classical medley? Yes. Wait...you want us to listen to folk music?

90s Dance Party- *Thank you Haddaway. Extra points for power ballads. (This activity takes about 80% of any given road trip.)

Classic Question Game- If you could visit any city in the US which would it be? San Fransisco, Portland, Austin, Denver or Boston. (20 mins and 12 conversations later) You forgot Honolulu.

In other news, Blog-a-WEEKday in May is back. For rules see here or here.

And for a more inspiring blog, click here.

Four things I didn't get for my birthday.

2010-04-26T08:21:00.000-04:00

My first 29th birthday was a success. Dinner with a few of Tallahassee's movers and shakers was priceless. And by "movers and shakers" I am directly implying that they have smokin' dance skills, not necessarily that they have the ability to impart change. (Although they probably do.) Last night, I was reminded that I have a lot of well intentioned, yet budget conscious friends. So, here are the things that people wanted to get me for my birthday. Not one of these items are actually in my possession. But there is always next year!

1. A Micheal Kors Watch

2. A cheetah (a real live one)

3. Bradley Cooper

4. A MacBook Pro

Guess which I want most?

Here I go again...

2010-04-19T15:40:00.000-04:00

Here is the story of how this:
Ended up like this:
It all starts Reagan. I met Reagan in grad school and I will not tell the story of our first meeting. It doesn't paint a very positive picture of me. All that is important is that we are dear friends now. Well, Reagan's birthday is tomorrow and as it is a milestone birthday, she wanted her friends to be able to celebrate with her in Atlanta. So grand plans were developed to have 2 of her friends from Ohio come into town. (Two super awesome friends who I had to pleasure of going to Vegas with a couple of years ago.) I was also planning to go that weekend and Rebekah (another Tallahassee/grad school friend) was hoping to go as well. Things were looking great until both Rebekah and I had Saturday conflicts causing us both to back out of the weekend. We were even more bummed out when Reagan told us that in May, she is moving to Portland. The Portland in Oregon. And we were so sad. That is until we thought a bit more about it and realized that we could actually leave Tallahassee on Saturday afternoon to be in Atlanta by dinner time. So Reagan thought that Georgia and Katie were her only two guest for the weekend, until Friday when Erin also flew in from Ohio and Saturday when Rebekah and I showed up at the restaurant. Surprises are fun. And Rebekah and I would make an excellent team on the amazing race. So our crew now of six had a fantastic dinner and hopped back in the car (I am pretty sure the valet guy didn't approve of my music choices and changed the station, but not important to the story.) So at this point, we parked the cars and were are out in the Highlands. Lucky for us it happened to be "Zombie" night... I don't even know.... So to avoid the "Zombies" roaming the street, we ducked into "Metalsome Karaoke".
You all guessed it.... #6 of 20- Heavy Metal Karaoke.

This was definitely not your mom's karaoke. And definitely something that I had never done before. There was a stage. There was a band. A long haired band. There was a smoke machine. There was a mic. And there were rules. If you were bad. You were gone. Gong Show style, gone.

This was just too much for Georgia. She was in metal heaven. She signed up so fast to rock, "Here I Go Again." And Ladies and Gentlemen, she rocked it.

Just for the ladies, looky there.... it is the Brit who took our pic. (His words, not mine.)
Happy 30th Birthday, Reagan! Here's to a new year!

88.9

2010-04-16T08:36:00.000-04:00

I listen to/ watch VH1 in the morning. I tune in for Kidd Kraddick in the morning and Ryan Seacrest in the afternoon. My primary news source is twitter. So the fact that I have NEVER done this before will be of no surprise. So......

#5 of 20: Listen to NPR. (and only NPR for one whole, super long, I really needed Lil Wayne week)

Well, here is a full report on my experience. I wanted to change the station a good 3-4 times each time I got in the car. I realized that was more out of my channel surfing habit than a desire to avoid what I was hearing. While I tuned out about every 3rd story, I actually got sucked into a few. I learned something about the potential of a high speed rail connecting LA and San Fransisco. I learned of tragedy surrounding the plane carrying the Polish president and other high officials crashing. I heard endless stories about Massey, coal mining, and safety. I found out that Natalie Merchant has come out with an album of lullabies and jigs that will drive hippie parents wild. Days of texting while driving may be numbered. In local news, I learned that Nims Middle School is the first middle school to EVER be selected to perform at the Sugar Bowl. Oh and I actually knew that the eruption of the Icelandic volcano had closed airports in the UK, long before I made it to the office and saw the commotion that it created.

It was fun being smart for a week. But I am going back to pop music and 90s hits. I just need it. I can't help it. It is who I am.

Those &^$#% April Showers!

2010-04-09T12:02:00.000-04:00

If you were me, here is what your Thursday afternoon was like.... You leave work, you meet one of the most lovely people in the world for a cupcake date (and maybe a glass of wine). It is bliss. So wonderful. So yummy. You don't even mind that it is as if the heaven's have opened up and poured down so much rain that you doubt there ever was (or is) a drought. You don't even mind navigating ever so cautiously around the swelling lake sized puddles that you have formed as you walk back to your car. That is of course until you have a real life, true story, Bridget Jones moment.
That's right. A car just drilled me with a tidal wave of water. I might have shrieked. Julia immediately says, "Give me your camera, I know you have your camera!" Of course she said that through her laughter... that I am sure hasn't stopped.

In all fairness, she was pretty wet herself. The kind of soaked when the weight of your drenched pant legs causes them to fall down. We had no choice at this moment. We just had to go home.

Welcome to April in Florida. (Who am I kidding, welcome to April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November.)

Baby got back...

2010-04-02T08:24:00.000-04:00

The following conversation about another conversation actually happened. It occurred via text message. (As most great conversations do.)

Z is the college pastor at our church. (I know, 80% of readers know exactly who that is.)

M is well, me.

Z: While thanking Emily* for helping with the Boston Butt fundraiser** this was her reply..."No problem, I love anything that has to do with butts! It runs in the family."

Thought you should know. I can recommend a good counselor if needed.

M: Haha...No amount of counseling can help us.

Z: Didn't think so.

*My youngest sister and college student extraordinaire.

**Fundraiser for FBC's College Ministry- Smoked Boston Butts sold every fall and spring for $25. Buy one, you won't regret it. Yes, that was a shameless plug. But not as shameless as this one.

I've got 99 problems, but this bridge ain't one....*

2010-03-30T09:42:00.000-04:00

Ah, I just love Charleston. That little city just makes me smile. (And not because Lea's mother-in-law lives there...though it would make for interesting stories...) I have become quite fond of my annual Spring visit, even if my visit coincides with the visit of oh say, 40,000 other runners. As long as Glenda Bebber is one of them, I am good.

So, why is the Cooper River Bridge Run so special to me? Glad you asked. This was the first race that I had EVER run. It was a huge goal that Glenda and I sent our sights on a few years ago. Honestly, this race was the thing that really brought us together. All of those afternoon runs in Wingate, NC brought a shift in our relationship. We quickly transitioned from coworkers to friends. For us, SO many life decisions have been discussed out on the road. Something about the heat or the cold, the shortness of breath, and the sweat.... it just created a safe space. I love that even though we now live 550 miles apart, we still meet up.... just to run.

On Saturday, GB and I ran our 6th race together. It was simply lovely. Well, aside from the wind, the sweat and GB's snot rockets over the bridge- whoops...I said it. (Although, we all know I am not one for keeping other's secrets.)

Here's to next year! April 2, 2011, who's in?

*A Jay-Z reference every now and then never hurts.

Those darn life applications...

2010-03-24T15:46:00.001-04:00

There is a lesson here somewhere....

I must first explain my absence (yet again)... My lovely Sony Vaio has again failed me. Rather, as I have recently learned, I failed it. I know, I know, I can access blogger via this crazy thing called the world wide web. BUT, there is just something about curling up with that lovely little computer in my lap that just makes blogging seem so very right.

So for a little story...

Mr. Geek Squad: Good Afternoon, How can I help you? Wait... have you been in here before? You look really familiar.

Me (in my head): No, I haven't been here. You just used the lamest pick up line in the book.

Me (in real life): No, but I need help!

Mr. GS: What's the problem? (I set my laptop on the counter.) Ooooh- It's so pretty. Did you get it here, I have never seen one like this?

Me: It may be pretty, but it sure doesn't work. And yes, I bought it here. Well, not this actual store...but another Best Buy. You get the point.

Mr. GS then tries his bag of tricks to get my lovely laptop to power on. You guessed it, nothing worked. At which point, he began fiddling with a piece that was moderately loose. So, here comes the shaming question... (much like the Sprint guy asking if your phone has water damage-- yes, dropping it in the toilet is classified as water damage-- but that is another story.)

Cue shaming.

Mr. GS: Did you drop it?

Me: Um...well... yeah...probably....I am moderately clumsy

Mr. GS: Well, it appears that the problem is somewhere between the connection and the motherboard. You will have to take it to Sony to have it repaired. And let's be real, that will cost you more than a laptop.

Me: no words. just sad face.

Mr. GS: (with really sad face) What a shame, this is a really pretty laptop.

Me: I know. I know.

So, as I was walking to my car with my very sad news, I couldn't help but think.... Something can be so pretty and alluring, that people are immediately attracted to it. But if it isn't living up to its potential, or purpose, it doesn't really do us much good.

Life application: I can spend all the time, money and effort in the world trying to look a certain way. But if I fail to sharpen my insides- my thoughts, my speech, my consideration, my sharing my heart , how much have I really contributed? Who is able to benefit from me then. Answer, not many. After all, charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting.

I have power!

2010-03-16T10:51:00.000-04:00

(alternate title: A black girl, a white girl and a man in a Kimono walk into a bar...)

Most of you didn't even notice that I was gone. Indeed, I was. The adapter on my laptop decided on March 2nd that it no longer wanted to perform its God-given function. It probably needs to read something by Rick Warren. But who actually reads all that? Well, thanks to eBay- I have a new AC adapter and I am back in business.

Here is one of many things that happened while I was unable to power my lovely little Sony Vaio with its chocolate reptile cover. (Like you doubted that my laptop would have a chocolate reptile cover...)

I can't make this stuff up. It is like the making of a good joke. Or bad one. This guy. Dressed in this costume. Was out and about in midtown the other weekend. Vita and I were just minding our own business, when hello, look who sits down next to us. I mean, really? Really? Did that just happen. It did. And Whitney had my camera ready.

Who dat?

2010-03-01T20:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I just can't seem to stay in the same time zone for long. So, I headed west to yet another city that I had never been to before. All because a year ago, when Jessica moved to New Orleans (something about wanting to live with her husband), the cheetahs decided to run the Mardis Gras 1/2 marathon.

Presenting #4 of 20. Visit New Orleans.

Things we did. In no particular order. Dressed up like Elvis. Got interviewed by a pseudo reporter. Ate crab cake po'boys. Ate sweet potato fries. Walked through the French Quarter. Peeked at Bourbon Street. Ate doughnuts. Ate bagels. Ate lettuce wraps. Went to a delightful chocolate shop. Ate chocolate. Ran 13.1 miles. Beat the mayor of New Orleans. Laughed. Sang. Added medals to the collection.

Some photographic evidence.

When the cat's away...

2010-02-24T23:07:00.000-05:00

The mice will play...

Yes. Those are my sisters. They make me proud.

All in a day's work...

2010-02-23T12:45:00.000-05:00

For the past 7 days, I have been busy at work on my 20 of 2010. Oh, the lengths (and distances) I will go for this little project. I actually rose above my challenge of visiting a new city and visited a city that I had never been to before, in a country that I had never been to before, in a continent that I had never been to before. Compliments of my new job (oh yeah, I got a new job), I spent last week in Europe for our spring director's meeting.

So, here is #3 of 20: I visited Valencia, Spain.

I could have completed my entire list of 20 new things just on this trip. And since doing that would make for a boring year, I decided that I would document 20 things that I have never done before just on this trip.

#1 Visit Europe

#2 Visit Paris (for a 7 hour layover) and use a French Keyboard

#3 Hang out in the SkyMiles lounge (those International Programs peeps sure rack up some FF miles.)

#4 Visit Spain
#5 Eat paella at Maria's house. She is awesome. Her paella is to die for.
#6 Drink Cafe con Leche everyday

#7 Stay in a building that has a 15th century Roman wall

#8 See a bull ring

#9 Tour Valencia's City Hall

#10 Climb to the top of the Serrano Tours

#11 Attend a private party. In Spain.

#12 Eat my weight in tapas

#13 Hang out with an Italian Man (Don't get the wrong idea, he is my friend Kelly's husband.)

#14 Find Hannah Montana on a menu

#15 Watch the Valencia Marathon
#16 Participate in an international paper airplane competition #17 Go to an Irish bar in Spain with friends from London and Florence #18 Run in a river bed

#19 See the City of Arts and Sciences #20 Have a dance party with co-workers

It is official. I love Valencia. I really do. I may move there. Dare me.

Come on in...the water is fine...

2010-02-09T16:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever put something off for nearly a decade? Well, let me tell you. It is such a great feeling when you finally do it. And what a great year to make it happen. Because now it is in the official 20 of 2010.

My Next Step is... from fbctlh on Vimeo.

#2 of 20: Join the church AND get baptized.

Yes, you read and heard that correctly. You do not need to adjust your screen. I, Meghan Greene, was not a member at First Baptist Church. Cue jokes about commitment issues. Well, no more! It was time to make it official. So, on Sunday, I was baptized along with my sisters and my future brother-in-law.

Because inquiring minds want to know... here are the answers to the questions that you are asking:

Have you really NEVER been baptized?

Well, I actually have been baptized. In 1981. As an infant. With a lovely little sprinkle on my head. My family attended Methodist church at the time and that was the practice of the church. I certainly do not take that baptism lightly. I am very grateful that my parents made a public commitment to raise me in the church and place an intentional emphasis on my personal spiritual development.

So, if you have been baptized, was it necessary to do it again?

If by necessary, you mean "to get past the pearly gates", I would say no. Salvation is through grace alone. But here is why I believe it to be important. It was about me, as an adult, making a public profession of my faith. It was also important for me to recognize and honor the heritage and tradition of the baptist church. Thus, I wanted to be baptized by immersion.

So, why did you wait until you were 2_ years old?

Honestly, this is something that has been on my heart and mind for a while. And there are two reasons for the procrastination. 1) There were parts of me that just felt like it was a hoop to jump through. That it wasn't necessary. It wasn't a requirement. So, why do it? 2) I was afraid. I was afraid of what people would think. I feared the reaction would be ::gasp:: Meghan Greene has never been baptized! Did she just become a Christian?! Wait... she was on staff at our church!?

The reality is that reason #1 was just an excuse to validate reason #2.

So, how did people react?

Well, from what I hear, there was a bit of a stir in the pastoral staff meeting when they read my "next step" card. Then I had a flock of church staff members eager to book the date. (the very next Sunday, as it turns out.) And then a flowing of support and encouragement. Very clearly demonstrating that the above mentioned reason #2 was all in my head and not one bit in God's plan. Other reactions...well, I saw lots of cameras clicking away on Sunday morning, got lots of hugs, and my parents came. They were excited. (Well, once I convinced them that we weren't joining a cult. I kid.)

Did you do a cannon ball into the baptismal?

No. But I wanted to. And I wanted to wear floaties on my arms. Safety first.

Got any almond paste?

2010-02-05T14:33:00.000-05:00

Well, I know that many of you have either (a) assumed that I have forgotten my year commitment to the 20 of 2010 or (b) forgotten yourself that I ever made a claim to do 20 things that I have never done before. Well friends, rest assured. I have not forgotten. In fact, I have been busy at work developing my list and scheming its execution.

So, without further ado, I present #1 of 20.

I learned to make Petit Fours. Yes, I took an official baking class. Complete with made for tv style demonstrations, the distracting banter between our chef/teacher and the store owner, a water outage, and the lovelies. That's right Julia and Angie. And Matt was there too. He took the picture, how could we forget him.

After seeing what an involved and time intensive project making Petit Fours is. I doubt I will ever actually make them myself. I will just order them from the lovely folks at Piece of Cake Tallahassee.

If you ask me...

2010-01-29T17:56:00.000-05:00

Not a bad day at all. It is amazing what a slice of cake will do for office morale.

Dear Carvel,

2010-01-23T10:19:00.003-05:00

It is almost February. Time to update your "seasonal" items.

Our Island in the Sun

2010-01-21T09:27:00.000-05:00

Last night, my middle school dream came true. One word: Weezer. Two words: in concert.Thank you TMobile for the opportunity for victory. FSU students, staff and alum rose to the occasion and voted our little hearts out on the Facebook Motorola Clic Challenge. The results, we won a Weezer concert at our school. Oh, and our 10,000 plus votes also landed us a nice little check for SGA. (Just think $1 per vote. Nice.) Well, Em and I grabbed our free tickets and headed up to the Civic Center for one of the best concerts we have ever been to. Honestly, it was a fantastic show.

I mean, has your school's marching band played with Weezer? Well, mine has. Boom. I am now a firm believer that every concert should start with the Warchant.
Look closely. Yes, that is Hayley Williams (of Paramore fame). She just happened to drop in to assist with "Say It Ain't So". (Which just so happens to be both Emily and my fav Weezer song. AND we both just happen to love it with female vocals. So yes, it was blissful.) And if you missed the concert (ahem, Kevin), I have a 30 secondish clip posted. I promise, they sounded great live. The quality on my camera does no justice.

Well hey there Jermaine Dupri. Glad you just dropped in, ya know, cause Atlanta is just up the road and you thought you would come perform the song that you wrote for Weezer. Nice. I nearly fainted. But that would have been uncool. Uncool is not my style.

To Alison (my bff from middle/high school), it was everything that we dreamed it would be. Thank you for introducing me to the blue album (a personal fav).

To my mother, you missed their cover of Lady Gaga's Poker Face. You would have loved it. We did.

Not just a day off.

2010-01-18T17:12:00.000-05:00

Today I went to brunch with two dear friends. Angie and Vita. The conversation was fantastic. Laughing, sharing, intellectual, yet silly. But this wasn't your typical brunch on a Monday off from work. Why not? Well, because this was not just a day off for kicks. There was and is purpose and meaning behind this holiday. Here is why our brunch on this day was so great.... I am white. Angie is white. Vita is black. Fifty years ago, in the city of Tallahassee, our brunch date would not have been possible. We wouldn't have be served at the same table or likely the same part of the restaurant. Today, however, we were brunching, chatting and drinking endless cups of hazelnut coffee as if it were not big thing.

Not to live completely on Cloud 9, we did discuss how there are parts of our country. Parts in neighboring counties where many would give hateful glances at the sight of a biracial friendship. But today, we celebrated living in a city where we truly could come together as sisters and hold hands. (Ok....more like hug.) I know that our brunch was very much a part of Dr. King's dream.

It's gonna be a good one...

2010-01-11T12:14:00.000-05:00

Upcoming series at FBC...

Next Step from fbctlh on Vimeo.

Butt-busting activities...

2010-01-10T18:37:00.000-05:00

That's right. Who wants monkey butt? Not me. That's for sure. Sarah is also pro Anti-Monkey Butt.
Confused yet? Well, let me provide some education. Listen closely. You're gonna want to hear this one. You will we probably thank me so profusely that I will have to send the flowers away, as my home and office will be so overwhelmed with your gifts. Raise your hand if you participate in activity that, well, involves sweat. Raise your hand if you have previously relied on the classic Gold Bond. Keep your hand raised if you are not a fan of the discomfort that the burning of the Gold Bond creates.... Too personal of a question? Yes, well I suppose it is. But it is a harsh reality. Another harsh reality is the chaffing that can occur when running, oh, let's just say 13.1 miles. (It is that .1 that puts you over the edge.) So I have an invested interest in this. I do. Well, this past summer the Greene girls were visiting our favorite uncle and he introduced us to the wonder product that is Anti-Monkey Butt. (Don't ask how it came up... I honestly can't remember.) But it did. Let me say, word on the street is that it is like Gold Bond without the burn. What a dream.

You may be thinking to yourself, "Self, that Meghan is so awesome. But it seems like such a masculine product...Is it really for me?" Unless, of course you are a man. I only have the most masculine of readers. I am sure that none of you were thinking such thoughts.

Well, dear female friends and readers, I bring to you.... Lady Anti-Monkey Butt. And yes, Sarah and Emily were thrilled at Christmas to each receive a coveted pink bottle of this powder bliss.
You are welcome.

Back to reality.

2010-01-03T18:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I am back in the 'hassee. Back from time in Tampa with the fam. Back from a rockin' New Year's Eve with my favorite noles. Back from a hypothermic bowl game, that I wouldn't have missed for the world. It really feels like the longest break ever. In reality, it was only 11 days. And here I am, back.

I love that we have new years and new months and new days. I really believe that God did that intentionally. Well, I believe that everything God does is intentional and purposeful. But this is one of my favorite things. When a day ends, it becomes the past. And we know that we cannot be chained by the past. We have the present and future. We, by nature, need a fresh start. A clean slate. The ability to do it better. I, by nature, need a fresh start.

I have been asked no less than 2 frillion times if I made a new year's resolution. Resolutions have never really been my thing. While I like having a new start and a clean slate, I am not a big fan of setting myself up for failure. I read that 40-45% of American adults make at least one resolution for the new year. And while most abandon it within three months, those who explicitly make resolutions are 10% more likely to achieve their goal. And 80% of all statistics are made up. So research aside, I have a plan for the year. 2010 will be my last full year in my 20s. ::gasp:: Can you believe that my parents are that old? They are. Do the math.

Since it is my last year in my 20s. I will commit to doing 20 new things this year. Things that I have never done before (and may never do again). I will blog about those 20 things- don't you worry. I don't know what they will be or when they will happen. But they will. And they will be awesome. How do I know? Well, I believe that you learn something of value through all of your experiences. So here is to a year of adventure. And learning!

Because I am one for parameters. Here are a few. Included in the 20 newbies will be an act of service, a visit to a new city, an artistic/creative challenge, and a physical challenge.

Stay tuned for live reports from the 20 of 2010. (Well, I doubt they will actually be live, but stay tuned nonetheless.)

My BFF

2009-12-30T08:45:00.000-05:00

For Christmas Break...
I know, I rarely let my friends be cuter than me. I made an exception in this instance. I also tend not to wear make-up, put on responsible clothes or brush my hair when I am on vacation. As evidenced below....
Ugh, she is such a camera hog. That crazy dog. She is also really strong. And kinda heavy (shhh... she is a bit sensitive about that.) Both of these things prove problematic given that she likes to sit on my lap.
At the moment, her favorite hobbies include playing with plastic bottles, sniffing trash cans, following me through the house, laying on her new doggie bed and whipping Shamu through the air. Warning: get to close and you will be hit with a slobbery splash zone.
Yes, our dog has a stuffed shamu. This should be of no surprise to anyone. Now if I could get her to pay rent, she could totally move in with me. I will not mentioned that my dad said she is a total Greene girl. Which came with a "good luck getting one of them to pay rent!" Thanks Dad.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

2009-12-26T18:15:00.000-05:00

We take Greene Christmas very seriously. Not only is it "Greene" Christmas, it is "green" Christmas. Complete with a recycling bin in the living room. And it has been that way even before it was the trendy thing to do. In the past, we would reuse the paper, but my mom just "can't find durable quality paper like they used to make." So, now it is off to the recycling bin. Note: ribbon and boxes are reused. And there was definitely a crunch for boxes this year. Thank you Emily for the gift I received that was oh so nicely packaged in a tampon box. Yes, it's true. She did. Personal hygiene packing aside, here is how the Greene gifting system works.

Clearly, gifts must be wrapped is a presentable fashion. The packaging is half of the present.

They also must be wrapped using the family member's designated paper. Gift tags are an unnecessary nuisance. This system eliminates the need for them all together. Unless of course you use the random Chinese take out box to wrap something. Then you need to use a gift tag. (I am willing to bet that my mom never saw that there...)

Here Emily is demonstrating the art of rolling the ribbon (to be used again next year). And she is displaying her paper for 2009. Side note: pelting ribbon rolls at others is a fun holiday pastime.

This system has worked beautifully for years. And my mom can coordinate all of the paper to be aesthetically pleasing as the gifts that lay under the tree. We truly have it down to a science or an art. I'm not sure which actually applies in that setting. Well, we almost have it down. You see, this year, my dad was so proud of the gifts that he wrapped. At least, he was so proud until he realized that he wrapped them all in the same paper. The yellow paper with holly to be exact. The paper designated for all of my mother's gift. Major Greene Christmas faux paux. So, he found himself with a bit of a dilemma. Does he rewrap all of the gifts he just wrapped and waste paper. Or... ::gasp:: does he use a nearly forbidden tacky name tag?

Well, since he is my dad, he did neither. Here was his solution:

He decided to cut a tiny square of paper to label each present. So now, this one clearly (sorta) belongs to Sarah.

Not quite the Martha Stewart Christmas my mom had envisioned. But it got a great laugh. In a Charlie Brown Christmas kind of way.

Now if only there was some way to reduce the noise level that the combination of competitive natures and super mario brothers creates. We are thankful that there is no homeowner's association to upset. And the police have only been out to the house twice.... I think my mom placed the anonymous complaint.

Thing-a-mabobs

2009-12-22T09:05:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, I got a very exciting letter in the mail from the State Attorney's Office. How often can you say that? I mean, usually my interactions with the SAO are less than exciting....

But Saturday, I got gold. It appears that a case of interest to me is scheduled for plea in Janaury. That's right....the State of Florida v. The GIRL that broke into our house!

Yes, they caught at least one of the criminals who busted up our front door and walked out with the goods. And it appears that involved in the heist was a girl named Ariel. A girl with 38 some odd counts against her. (Yes, I am internet savvy. I looked it up.)

So, as I am telling this great and exciting news to the Monday Night Dinner crowd (all blog readers/writers, btw), Eva busts out with...

"Stop. No. Her name is Ariel. Like, Little Mermaid- Ariel?"

And then continues with, "I can just see it. She walks into your house, flips her hair and busts out with...

'Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, The girl who takes everything?"

I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I've got who's-its and what's-its galore
You want thing-a-mabobs?
I've got twenty
But who cares?
No big deal.
I want more...."

Oh, how I just love that Eva. She gets it. That's right Eva. I mean really, who steals? Who steals?

Jumping

2009-12-21T09:35:00.000-05:00

There are days when I am polished, sophisticated and the epitome of professionalism. I impress myself with how put together I am.

And then there are days when I am not.

Nothing like a little reminder from a friend to keep me grounded. To, well, keep my head/ego out of the clouds. But not out of the cloud bounce.

Tis the season...

2009-12-19T20:18:00.000-05:00

Last week the party of the year (at least in my little circle) took place. As always, it was epic. The fashion and style was top notch. The Lady Gaga songs brought the dancing. The food was unreal. And the cameras were clicking. As evidenced by the sampling to follow. Cari, Jessica and Karen really outdid their selves. I mean where else would you see faces like that. (Note to my mom- Angie is wearing a lovely bib necklace. Very 2009/10. Very on my Christmas wish list. You have 5 days.)
I didn't post this picture to blackmail Jessica. I'm not usually that cruel. No, it is posted to highlight in the far left corner the spinach artichoke dip that I am responsible for making each year. Angie passed on the recipe to me. It is a must make. Have I ever lead you astray?
See. Everyone just looks so darn happy. But this night took a turn for the worst when first Karen realized that her phone was missing. Oh, then Cari's phone was missing. Wait, what... and Angie's. And Jessica's. Something was amiss. (Quite literally.) Suddenly the few remaining party goers were tearing Cari's house apart on a mad search for missing phones. It seemed the more we looked, the more we found missing. Such as Jessica's wallet. Yes, it was no longer in her purse.

Well, Cari suddenly remembered that she left her phone with her boyfriend. So, he stopped back by the house to return it. For a brief moment, we thought that maybe our greatest fear (the one no one was willing to speak out loud) had not occurred. But when nothing else turned up, we slowly accepted the reality that there was a thief among us. A thief among friends. Such an unsettling thought.

As we sat in Cari's living room, exhausted, we reflected over the events of the evening. Our accusations kept landing on one person. The one who was a friend's guest. Well, to make it worse a friend's new boyfriend. A guy who successful creeped out nearly everyone at some point in the evening. So how do you tell a friend that you think her boyfriend is bad news? Or...what if he really didn't do it? While that is not likely, we all have a terrible taste for him in our mouths and have no ability to trust him.

So what do you do? How do you tell a friend that you think her boyfriend is a super sketchy slime ball? Without concrete evidence, that makes for one sticky situation.

But..... Cari's house sure looked great!

This is Katie.

2009-12-12T17:54:00.000-05:00

I am jealous of her. This is why...

The views expressed in this video...

2009-12-03T09:58:00.001-05:00

May or may not be my own. I am going to throw out a general sensor for the nature of the video. It is not for young eyes or old consverative ones. But I HAD to rep the Tallahassee video shoot. Enjoy the local scenes and FSU and FAMU students. (Hmm, not really sure how well that represents us...)

Yesterday

2009-12-02T20:40:00.000-05:00

You all know what happened. It resulted in this.
And this.

And this.

So, Julia and I decided that we needed these.
Cupcakes make everything better.

Dear Gator Nation,

2009-11-23T18:48:00.000-05:00

While I pride myself on my love of civility and all that it represents. I do on occasion, well, lose it. And on behalf of everyone, everywhere, I have a couple of things to say.

Yes, we are all well over TSPN and the Tebow love fest. We are all completely weirded out by the Urban/Timmy can't bare to be apart relationship. But, we know that these things shall pass. TT will head on to be an at best average quarterback in the NFL, Urban will take the job at Notre Dame (no matter what he says)and like Spurrier, we will soon forget that they ever happened.

What we cannot bear, oh lovers of all things orange, is the way you act. Kicking people when they are down is just a waste of your energy. Yes, my Alma Mater has had arguably the worst season in decades. So, when you, Mr. Random Gator College Kid, say to me in the middle of nowhere SC..."See you in two weeks" (and by "say", I mean mutter under your breath in a threatening yet, cowardly way) I almost feel sorry for you. Is it not enough for you to enjoy your winning season and just leave the rest of us alone? And that goes for all of personal acquaintances who claim the U of F. There really is no need for you not to talk to me for 5 years and then post snide remarks on my facebook wall. You may find yourself defriended if you keep that up.

While I have your attention, I know that you are now accustom to a bit of razzing for your love of the jorts. And you now wear them in a self mocking way. Fine. Whatever. But, you really should know that wearing game day attire out on the town the night before and well after the game is simply not cool. It is not necessary to demonstrate to the world that your wardrobe is limited to an orange and blue polo, khaki shorts and a visor. You look silly. For the love, put on restaurant/bar/club appropriate attire. Class it up a bit. You can do it.

Also, I do not need to hear how God made the sky blue and the sun orange. That does not make God a gator. If so, God must be really busy cheering for Auburn, Illinois, Virginia, Syracuse, UT-El Paso and Clemson (when they mix in the blue). And I really don't see that happening.

So, when those few brave Seminoles head into the Swamp on Saturday, please act like someone who has had a great run. Not with the insensitivity that you love to show so much. All. Year. Long.

Thank you,
A Tired Nole

W...T...Feathers

2009-11-11T16:23:00.000-05:00

Angie and I had such big plans for our midweek day off. We dreamed of a nice long run in the morning (but not crazy early) and then we were going to spend the day crafting. Yes. Crafting. Sometimes cool women in their late 20s craft. Deal.

Here is what we were going to make:

You can click for instructions.

It is awesome. We can all agree on that. And Angie and I both have a thing for peacock feathers. Ever since we simultaneously drooled over the feathered place mats that Z Gallerie had last winter. So after our lovely run, we headed out on our adventure to Michael's. To hunt and gather. Well, that lasted all of 10 minutes. Because.... BAM.... there it was! The very wreath that we wanted to make with our own two (well, four) hands.

Cue Angie with the "you have got to be kidding me" face.

So, what did we do? Well, after ranting for a good 15 minutes in the store, we bought the wreath. In all of it's premade glory and then headed to the mall. So much for a day of crafting!

Thank you, Tripp.

2009-11-11T08:41:00.000-05:00

You are good and what you do is good.

I cried on the inside.

2009-11-09T18:55:00.000-05:00

It would have been on the outside, had we not been in a public place. I am not really big on crying in public. It just isn't my style. So, here is what had me so verklempt....

I know it just looks like a box of earrings to you. And yes, technically, it is just a box of earrings. But to me it was so so so much more than that. As many of you may recall, my jewelry box was taken when our house got broken into. And I was left with only one pair of earrings- the ones that I was wearing that day. And while I do love my gold hoops, they just don't go with every look. (and there was that one day when I forgot one... leaving me looking like a pirate.)

So, last week when I was out with a friend and she said, "I know how much jewelry means to you (well, and me), so........" And cue a sweeping gesture into her purse to reveal the cutest little white box filled with those sparkly gems. Gasp. Heart melt. I was done. No words. (shocking for me... I know.) She didn't have to go to the store and find new earrings for me.... I am sure that she would have rather bought new earrings for herself. But she did. And it meant even more than I thought it could.

Beyond that gift alone, I was reminded of how good my friends are. They are smart, witty, beautiful, caring, compassionate, supportive and thoughtful people. I really have good friends. Do I even deserve that? If even an ounce of their greatness rubs off on me....

Julia, this is your thank you. In the one form that I know you will love.

Because you should know...

2009-11-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

I love pumpkin. I really do. So when I stumbled across this recipe (thanks Rossie!), I knew that I had to make them. So, I stalked my local Publix for ALL of their cans of pumpkin. (I do not take this little pumpkin shortage of 2009 lightly.) To all local readers: Club Pub on Ocala is your best bet.

And since everyone has been asking.... here is the recipe. Go. Bake. Be happy.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package instant butterscotch pudding mix
2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground allspice or nutmeg or cloves*
1 cup butter, room temp.
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 t. vanilla extract
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin purée

*I am not a very scientific baker... I just dump in whatever fall spices I have on hand. Go ahead. Judge me. I dare you.

For cream cheese frosting

4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger and company (see note regarding spices) in a bowl; set aside.

Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract and pumpkin purée with the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops and spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

For icing, combine all ingredients and spread frosting on top of the cupcakes. Makes 24 cupcakes. (Makes more icing that needed. Darn, I just had to eat it by the spoonful.)

I'm enjoying. You should too.

2009-11-03T17:33:00.001-05:00

But who am I to tell you what to do?

Kourtney Kardashian and I had a similar week....

2009-11-01T18:23:00.000-05:00

We both were recovering from home break-ins. Yes, you read that correctly. While the Greene Girls were out of the house, someone (and company) decided it would be fun to bust through our front door. And I mean bust. Because when Emily and I got home that night, we found pieces of our door frame scattered a good 10 feet. Initial thought, ugh... I am going to have to vacuum tonight. Ok. I lied. My initial thought was "They took the TV!" Yes, Emily's graduation present was gone. It was sad. Sarah's Wii was gone. That was sad. My jewelry box was gone. That was sad. The Country Rock Band Game that was left in the Wii was gone. That was tragic. (Wait...I mean... when we sang along to that Country Rock Band game... Now, that was tragic.) And, yes, I had to vacuum that night.

It is amazing how quickly, in such an unexpected instance, our little mantra became, "It is just stuff." "It is just stuff." "It is just stuff." I wish that I could say that I am not caught up with things of this world. But that just wouldn't be true. There are moments when I really miss our TV. It just seems so wrong now to watch a football game on that ol' 25" Sanyo that I got as a freshman in college. And I have to think to myself, it is just stuff. I occasionally think about the the things in my jewelry box (many that I haven't looked at or thought of in years) and now, suddenly, I miss them. It is just stuff. When I think of the time and effort that was spent replacing our front door. (Not that I was physcially involved in that process). But, It is just stuff. And when on Friday night, I was looking for our tickets to the football game and I realized that ::gasp:: those were stolen also. It is just stuff.

Set your mind on things above, not on eartly things.

Colossians 3:2

And the Triangle Tour of Stadiums is complete!

2009-10-24T21:37:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows that real fans travel. I am a real fan. Thus, I travel. And it doesn't hurt that I get to see this little face on my visits to the Raleigh-Durham area.

That is my friend Kate. When she wasn't busy talking on my pink phone or using my lip gloss, I taught her how to take self pics like a college girl. I'm sure that her mother will be spending the next 18 years undoing the damage that I did in a weekend. Speaking of her mom, she is my sweet friend Nicole who I have known since college. For years (long before Kate), I have been visiting Nicole and her husband for the FSU game in that area. We have been to games versus NC State, Duke and Wake Forest... and this was the year that I FINALLY got to go to the UNC game. So, here are a couple of sights from Kenan Memorial Stadium.

Yes, Chuck Amato was there. With Christian Ponder.

Bobby Bowden also made an appearance. (Side note: Coach Bowden and I were in line next to each other in airport security. And, yes, TSA makes him take his shoes off.)

We won. If you missed it, catch the replay tomorrow. And with that win, a little piece of their field was scooped up for sod cemetery.

So, what was that final score? Well, those tarheels didn't leave it up. Literally, final seconds tick. Score down. Sore losers.

Why I haven't been blogging much....

2009-10-09T10:33:00.000-04:00

Well, here is the thing. I have had lots of thoughts recently. Thoughts that were only partially blog worthy. You see, I haven't been able to put together all of the things the have been floating in my head this week. I firmly believe that this is all the direct result of a hair mishap that occurred on Saturday. As is the case with most of my hair mishaps, I typically shoulder a lot of the blame. And 9 times of 10 it is bang related. I have a really bad habit of KNOWING that I do not want my bangs cut. Yet, whenever they ask me in the salon, I say... Sure! Why not? Well friends, this was that 1 time that it was not bang related. It was all about the color. Results: shiny and super ridiculously blonde hair. I honestly think that I am dumber as a consequence.

Get your laughs out now. Ha. ha. funny. And yes, I have had the light off in my office all week. Don't judge.

But as much as I really don't like it. It is JUST hair. It really is so insignificant that I am pretty embarrassed over how much I have obsessed about it. And I am really embarrassed when I think about how it compares to the type of week that others around me have had. Yesterday, my dear friend Karyn was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer. The news has hit her family and our community hard. And it whipped my petty little head into place with a much broader perspective. Karyn's diagnoses is huge and sudden and overwhelming. And really has sucked the wind out those who know her. But here is the even bigger piece, the God that loves us is SO much bigger than too blonde hair... and even SO much bigger than shocking a diagnosis.

Ever want a shift in perspective? Watch this....

Ding Ding Ding!

2009-10-05T14:21:00.000-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have a Stuff Christians Like Winner! Those of us who work with college students voted and we all agree. Check it out: http://stuffchristianslike.net/2009/10/631-the-campus-babysitter/#

The World's Largest Wet T-shirt Contest...

2009-09-27T17:02:00.000-04:00

Before:

During*:

After:
I was too sad to pull out my camera. And wise enough not to capture that sopping, sun scorched mess in digital form.

Dear Committee/Person/ Decision Maker(s) who declare the ____-out games, Please. I beg of you. No more. As much as I love a good theme party, the "black out" games of years past resulted in the same epic fail that we experienced yesterday at the 1st ever FSU Diddy Style "White Out". (And as Lea Marshall said in the welcome at church this morning- "we really need some white out after that game!") I do love my Seminoles. I always will. But yesterday was brutal. Noon kickoff in Tallahassee meant be in the hot hot hot stadium, only to be cooled off by the afternoon showers. So there we were hot, wet and sad. It was sloppy. The only redeeming factor was hearing the air get sucked out of the Gator nation later that evening when Tim Tebow took that hit. I really hope that Tim is alright. Because I would like to thank him for taking one for the team and making that the lead story on the TSPN (Tebow Sports Network). By 9pm, everyone forgot about FSU/USF.

Well, almost everyone.

Is it bad that when, as I was driving to church, I passed a gathering of Bulls fans waiting outside of the towing lot trying to retrive their vehicles and I giggled a little?

*photo credit: Jason Sowell

We have a plan...

2009-09-22T15:15:00.000-04:00

Let me introduce you to my friend Dane. He is the brother that I never had and I am the sister that he always wanted. Dane is the Campus Minister at Wingate. And he has given me the gift of a life long invitation to the Wingate University Campus Ministries Beach Reatreat.
Dane and I have a plan. And it is a good one. We are going to win the Lottery. And the earnings will allow me to be the Assistant Campus Minister at Wingate. Job duties to include keeping Dnae organized and endless coffee trips.
And at this year's beach retreat, we put this plan into action. Keep your fingers crossed! C'mon South Carolina Lottery- don't fail us now!

MB part 1 of 67

2009-09-21T15:51:00.000-04:00

When you let a spunky college girl sneaks away with your camera at myrtle beach, you come home and find pics like this....

And about 50 others of sleeping college guys.... I felt the need to immediately delete a bunch of them. I didn't want anyone to think that they were mine! Yikes.

It only took him 4 years...

2009-09-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

to get over the fear of being a member of our crazy family. Even if you weren't reading this post, you probably heard my mother shrieking or smelled the aroma of the celebratory meal that Lea will be making. Yes, friends, the rumors are true. There is finally going to be a Greene Guy!

Last night, in the pouring rain, Jeffrey proposed to Sarah. She tried to call Emily and me...but we were at the football game. And who answers their phone at a game? In the rain?

And having been privy to fact that last night was the night, our plan was to rush home and be sitting on the couch, watching tv, wearing bridesmaid dresses when she return. Unfortunately, I recently donated my extensive collection of bridesmaid dresses. So, instead, we were there waiting with wet hair in sweatpants. Oh. so. glamorous.

For the record, her ring does not look like this:

Or like this:

It is actually very stunning and absolutely perfect for Sarah. Whew! All of those nightmares that I had where Jeffrey proposed with a hideous ring were for naught!

Fun Friday

2009-09-11T09:09:00.000-04:00

Really makes me miss summer camp. Oh the memories. Not that I ever pulled this off...

The Aftermath

2009-09-08T14:00:00.000-04:00

At 8am this morning, I pulled into the faculty lot at the stadium, as I do every Tuesday morning. It was quiet. It was calm. It was almost as if the night before never happened. Wait. Really? It is possible that it never happened? And then, low and behold, I saw this...

A small bit of the aftermath. And the reality of the night before back to set in. This place, only 7 hrs before, was full of activity. Well, and if you want to know the end of that story. Feel free to visit espn.com on your own time. Although, the sampling of messages below will be a heavy indicator.

(via gchat at 8:07am)
Travis: I was completely sober last night, yet I still feel like I was repeatedly hit with a shovel.

(also via gchat)
Meghan: Dear Miami fans, Could I please have my soul back? Love, Meghan
Julia: Miami fans, You are thugs. Hate, Julia

(from my favorite minister in NC via txt)
Dane: "You ok this morning? I hope all the starbucks in Miami burn down and they suffer really bad caffiene headaches." Oh, someone who knows me so well!

Motivation

2009-09-03T22:17:00.000-04:00

Ignore that I failed to turn the flash off and focus on the fact that the Noles are ready to turn those hurricanes into a mere tropical depression...

Why?

2009-09-03T20:25:00.000-04:00

So I have this friend. Some of you may read her blog. She is simply lovely. And as two lovely people, we enjoy the occasional social outing. Although I am beginning to think that someone, somewhere is trying to put a ban on our fun. Because these are becoming familiar sights for us:

Now picture two lovely blondes standing outside "pulling hard" and.... entrance FAIL. That door is SO locked and the lights are SO off and the cupcakes inside are SO off limits to us. (Note: quite a few people failed to inform/remind us that Lucy & Leo is closed on Monday. Which is an absolute shame. As everyone knows, there is no day more than Monday for one to need a cupcake.)

Now for Exhibit B. After deciding to grab lunch at Paradigm and spending all morning beyond giddy about it and then heading out on venture downtown, we walked up to this:

And saw this sign:

Yet another failed attempt at bliss. So to whoever is hating on us. We promise, we will be less cool, less fun and less practically perfect in every way if you just let us in! OR...we will remain all of the above AND invite you along for the fun! Deal?

All about ME!

2009-09-01T18:30:00.001-04:00

I will not neglect my blog.
I will not neglect my blog.
I will not neglect my blog.
I will not neglect my blog.

Well, now that I got that out of the way and I have regained my readership. I am pleased to announce that my award for the best marketing campaign of 2009 goes to...... Lexus!

And here is why... Every single month, I get this little gem from them...
That's right. It is a magazine after my own selfish little heart. Complete with all the things that I love. Yes, that would be food, travel, clothes, sports, and clothes. (Mentioned twice for the obvious reason.)

And the inside cover is just so me.... I really do think that they should have called the RX, The Meghan. After all, who cares about anyone in Gainesville.

Done. Sold. Deal. The MDX is dead to me. I want the RX.

(Shh....don't tell my MDX!)

Week One. Check.

2009-08-25T08:11:00.000-04:00

The Greene girls have officially survived our first week all under the same roof (w/o parental supervision).

We have learned one valuable lesson. We simply must wake up earlier on Sunday mornings. (To my judgy blog readers who are thinking... it is SO not Sunday anymore, Meghan is losing her touch... Look, BTS (back to school) has kicked my tail. Be happy that you are getting an update at all.) So the lesson. Yikes. Too many Greene girls. Too little time. I woke up and thought, Perfect! I have enough time to get a run in before we have to leave for church. Which then meant that I would need a shower. At the same time that Emily needed a shower. So, two shorten showers later we are both blow drying our hair and simultaneously begging Sarah to iron something for us to wear. So here is the thing...

Sarah and I had long ago perfected our Sunday morning outfit selection system. You may be wondering why such a system is even necessary. Well, my friends, siblings have the tendency to think alike. So after many mornings of getting ready in our rooms and the emerging at the last moment to leave for church only to realize that we both had on black skirts and white tops (or other matchy matchy ensembles), we developed a system. In the event of this occurrence, we without speaking bust out the good ol' rock, paper, scissors game. Simple solution- loser changes.

Well, that system doesn't work three ways. And there were too many navy blue dresses trying to make an appearance at FBC on Sunday morning. Yikes. New system will need to be created. At least when we have more time!

And now, for my grand question:

Why, oh why, can our electrical system not handle two hair dryers at the same time? I mean, really? It manages just fine with lamps, TVs, the iHome, the straightener, and computers all running simultaneously. But you plug in two hair dryers and... game over. So Emily and I, with half dry heads of hair, are frantically scrambling to move a cooler and bike and hurdle a lawn mower in the garage to flip that devilish breaker! (At least at this point Sarah and Emily have bartered an ironing deal- I believe in exchange for make-up as Sarah left her make-up bag in her classroom.)

Let the record show- all three Greene girls were in their pew of choice by 11:15am on Sunday morning. But we sure broke a sweat getting there!

Something about a blackberry...

2009-08-21T22:34:00.000-04:00

While my post may look a lot like this one, it is not because Julia and I are the same person. We just like to do the same things. And we appreciate that there is a great degree of excitement that these little gems bring us. One of these things would be Bobby Bowden.

Oh Bobby Bowden. Yes, Julia slowed to "old man" speed so that I could act like a 10 year old around the Jonas Brothers and capture this...
We just happened to be going to the same place that he was for lunch. We really should have carpooled. It was just us gals and the offense. Well, the defense also got to eat, but they got seated on the other side of the room. And getting up to snap a photo of Ochucko would have been a bit too obnoxious.
I love women who value the importance of garnet and gold inspired ensembles. (Julia's garnet pants are under the table.)

Oh, well looky there, Ann Bowden decided to show us how to get out of the Civic Center parking lot. (I promise, all encounters were coincidental, we are not actually stalkers.)

I may need to retract my above stalker statement. As we spent a moment in textile envy while scouting out the fashion displayed by the young women going through sorority recruitment. I never could figure out a non-creepy way to roll down the window and hollar a lady. You know, to ask if I could have her dress. So, I just did this.

Oh and for the record, we also like these:

Oh Canada...

2009-08-18T12:12:00.000-04:00

To my Canadian readers*:

I shall no longer neglect you. You deserve so much more from me. Today is your day. (Well, I suppose that technically July 1st is your day.) Nonetheless, this is a little treat to show you how much I love you. And how much I love HIMYM. But Canadians, I love you more. Oh and p.s., could we have the Blue Jays back? K. Thanks!

Yes, I actually have a small following in Canada. At least according to google analytics.

Things that I am looking forward to...

2009-08-17T20:54:00.000-04:00

-Football season. (See previous post.) Picked up the season tickets today.

-Community on NBC.

-Getting a carrot cake cupcake at Lucy & Leo's with Julia. (Especially after today's adventure was an epic fail.)

-The A/C being fixed at work.

-My new roommate* unpacking all of the boxes in the living room.

-Using my super cute new reusable shopping bag from Lea. (That may or may not be monogrammed.)

-My run tomorrow with a cheetah. It has been WAY to long since we have seen each other. Better make it a long run.

-Using the Dyson that showed up with my new roommate. Yes, I can hear your jealousy.

*yet another Greene girl

When scrapbooking and sports marketing collide...

2009-08-10T11:29:00.000-04:00

Oh Hokies, what were you thinking? Are you 16 year old girls at the beach? No. Are you posing for a senior photo? No. Are you intimidating your competition? NO.

(Special thanks to the 5th coolest guy I know for sharing this gem.)

Throw some d's...

2009-08-06T18:34:00.000-04:00

As I see it, the requirements for being socially accepted as a Div I college football player (no one particular institution/team will be identified, although you can guess where I did my research.):

-You must drive a truck, large SUV, or impala and you probably have a moped for parking convenience.

-Your truck is likely lifted, impala on dubs, and SUV has your jersey number on it somewhere.

-You ride with your windows down, seat back, and stereo at decibels that let everyone on campus know that you are fan of Young Jeezy, Yung Joc, or Kenny Chesney (if you are the of the south Georgia truck driving variety).

-Your wardrobe consists of university issued Nike apparel.

-Your keys are carried on a lanyard that is never around your neck.

-You never go anywhere alone. Usually in pairs. Occasionally in 3s or 4s.

Oh and if you are a baseball player at that above non-mentioned university, you might use this:

True story. I just took these photos in the Baseball clubhouse. The staff there promises that it has been there, as pictured, since '94. Are you buying the story?

Feel Good Friday

2009-07-31T16:52:00.000-04:00

That is all.

Bought it but not "buying" it....

2009-07-29T18:59:00.000-04:00

So, my sisters and I were at the mall this weekend when we stumbled across a line of ladies' undergarments that are sold in ONE SIZE. Really, Victoria? Have you seen other women? 'Cause I have and they most certainly are NOT one size. What are you trying to do to us? This could be worse than your pearl thong of '02....

(And no, I did not post a picture of my underwear on my blog. Those are my sister's. It has been a pleasure blogging. I am sure that I am now dead.)

The last post of this series... I promise.

2009-07-27T16:43:00.000-04:00

Because I can never get enough of the City of Atlanta, I decided to spend another weekend there before racking up some more frequent driver miles and heading back to Tallahassee.

And when I say that I can never get enough of Atlanta, I really just mean that I can never get enough of Reagan. And not just because our names rhyme and she inspires me to live a little more green. And really how much more 'green' can I be

Reagan's goal for 2009 was to run a 5K every month. Lucky me- her July 5K just happened to be when I was in town. (so very sneaky of her.) So on Saturday morning, this travel weary gal woke up EARLY to run a little race honoring the Battle of Atlanta. And did I win? No. I decided that I would leave that honor to someone else. (See how generous I am!)

After running our race and supporting the Kirkwood neighborhood (home of Austin and Buckley), we hit up Sun in my Belly for brunch. Delish. And super cute. They had fabric flowers hanging everywhere. SO with that inspiration, Reagan and I proceeded to have a little afternoon of crafting fun.

Now running a 5K is good. But that is NO way to fully celebrate the Battle of Atlanta. So,after crafting, Reagan and I headed up to the East Atlanta Library for a dramatic presentation called, "Gone with the Wind in 20 Minutes" and then followed it up with a cupcake from a local coffee shop. (Things are always better when followed with a cupcake.) Oh, and don't be fooled into thinking that our educational cultural adventure stopped there. It most certainly did not, as we decided to check out a Civil War tour of Oakland Cementary. Super cool, btw.

There you have it. My vacation in 5 parts. Whether you enjoyed it or not. I did.

Leave them alone on the farm and...

2009-07-26T23:45:00.000-04:00

Just when you thought that you were done reading about 3 urban gals (well, suburban gals) gallivanting in the country. I bring you this. The lost footage has been found.*

Without further ado, Sarah's "Kenny Chesney" photo shoot:

*Thank you Emily for secretly uploading these photos to my computer.

Back to our roots...

2009-07-25T18:53:00.001-04:00

And I don't mean the ones that I get touched up every few months. I know that everyone thinks that I am from Florida. But SURPRISE- I'm not! I was actually born in Illinois and lived in the country for 6 whole years before relocating to Tampa. In the summer, we like to go visit family and take the country by storm... (they really can only handle us in small doses)

So, as we drove two hours south of Chicago back to the homeland we were in need of some car entertainment. As crafty individuals, my sisters snagged some scotch tape and made artsy faux 'staches. They stored them on the back of the car seats, as seen here:

They even let me try one on for size. This is my "serious" face. (One that people don't see too often.) Somehow the photo of Emily with a uni brow has disappeared. Hmmm....

Once we arrived at the farmhouse, the Greene girls ditched the rental Avalon and got a new ride:

Emily appointed herself our designated driver. Here was our reaction:

Please ignore my forehead creases. Extended time with family increases the appearance of aging.

If the thought of Emily driving that massive truck didn't scare you, this most definitely will:

Sarah and Emily practiced for hitting Bambi. I prepared for burglars.

Yes. You should think twice before breaking into our house. (This would be even more effective if I owned a gun.)We do however own a drill gun and you should have seen how fast those guys moved when they saw Sarah do this:

That corn didn't stand a chance with us.

No trip to Illinois is complete without hanging with these two rock stars. Don't worry Grandpa, we haven't told anyone that you bumped the curb with your fender. (whoops.)

If that didn't give you warm fuzzies. This will. There is a whole field of them at our farmhouse. Jealous? I thought so.