It has been 3 months...

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.

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.

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

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?

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

How not to intercede from fbctlh on Vimeo.

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

Something about a Rogue Sociologist

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.

Someone buy me a new life.... *

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.

We did not. 

The stranger in my bed.

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

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....

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.

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.

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.