We are the Champions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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*

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

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

Tik Tok

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

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

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

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.

or

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*

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

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?*

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?*

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.