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.