I did something. I did something that I am little embarrassed by. I did something that I am pretty excited about. And I did something that I wasn't planning on admitting to all of you. I signed up for OkCupid. OkCupid is the free dating website that is truly completely free. I've heard it's the youngest of the dating websites. But I think it's just the cheapest, which in turn, makes it the youngest.
I decided why-the-heck not?
It could be the perfect way to see Madison and meet new people. I'm thinking city tour dates and show- me- fun- places dates. If anything, it will be a way to meet people. Or, a way to not meet people. It doesn't get much worse than an internet creepster. But once again, I'm going to be optimistic. Dates in a new city sound fun and exciting. And the messages and "quiver" matches aren't so bad either! It's a little fun...
Don't worry, Dad. I'm being careful. Promise.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Friends in NYC
Living in New York has been interesting.
For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to live in New York City. And being able to live here for the past few months has been amazing. But, what I have been most grateful for are the friends and family that live nearby.
One of the biggest reasons I moved back to the States was to be closer to my friends and family. Let me tell you, I have not regretted it for a second.
The very first weekend I moved here, Jen and McKenzie invited me to their apartment for a pancake breakfast. It was wonderful to see them, catch up, meet some new people in the city, and eat awesome pancakes!
Since then there have been dinners, birthday parties, movies and general hanging out together. It has been so nice to have them here and to be so welcoming.
Another friend of mine from Saratoga, Todd, moved here two weeks before I did. He and I have enjoyed a few nights out together, and they have always been extremely enjoyable. Todd is a riot, and one heck of a karaoke singer! Just ask Heather, because she and I had an awesome time with Todd.
And then there is the family. Heather has already been to visit me for a weekend, and Ann and I are having lunch today while she is in town for a meeting. I also saw Kiki briefly between the bachelorette party and my trip to Wisconsin. Okay, maybe they aren't technically family, but they are.
Kelly, Dave, Hannah and Adelaide have been amazing! I spent a night out in New Jersey with them back in February when I babysat. It was such a welcome relief to get out of the city, to be in a house and to spend time with family that wasn't my sister.
Then, out of the blue, a few Saturdays ago Kelly called to ask if I had any plans. They were spending the day in the city and asked me to meet them. They proceeded to take me on a culinary tour of the Upper West Side. I think they were trying to have me put on all the weight I had lost after Addie's illness got the best of me. They succeeded. Just so you all know, Shake Shack is delicious. And they have a location at the Saratoga Race Track in the summer!
While Dave stalked the seating area for a table, Kelly, Hannah and I stood in line. Kelly recommended a ShackBurger and a shake. Sounds simple enough, but there were options, and I wanted to make sure I got the best! For the shakes, the menu says, "hand-spun vanilla, chocolate, caramel, black & white, strawberry or peanut butter." After reading the "or" in the description, it seemed that mixing flavors was not allowed, and I ordered a peanut butter shake. Just as Kelly was finishing the order the woman next to us asked her counterperson what his favorite shake is. He loudly proclaimed to what seemed like the entire restaurant, "Oh! You have to have the chocolate peanut butter shake!" I immediately grinned from ear to ear and said, "ooooooh, that sounds good. I'm sorry, can I change my order to a chocolate peanut butter shake, please?" The woman behind our register gave us the death stare. She looked like a bobble head as she bobbed to give me the death rays and then back to the screen. Uh oh. I have angered it.
It was very loud in the restaurant so Kelly leaned in and politely asked, "did you hear her? She would like to change her shake to a chocolate peanut butter." Bobble Head bobbed her visored Shake Shack weave to give Kelly the harshest, most sarcastic look I have ever seen. She pouted her lips, tilted her head, made her eyes really wide and gave one succinct nod of her head. She said nothing, but the look said more than enough. I could just hear her saying OH NO YOU DIH-INT! I also imagined her doing an aggressive hand snap motion in front of our faces, but that didn't happen. She handed us our buzzer, and we disappeared into the crowd.
The food was awesome! And I don't think she spit in anything. "Think" being the operative word. She did, however, mess up my shake. But, Kelly and I didn't want to deal with It anymore, and we mixed our own shakes. Thanks for sharing, Kell!
Just when I thought I couldn't be any more stuffed, the Sachter clan took me to Levain Bakery. Levain Bakery is to die for. With only four cookies to choose from, you can't go wrong. I could go wrong with the oatmeal raisin, but that's because raisins make me ill just to think about them. The average person will have a 100% success rate at this bakery. These warm and gooey cookies, large enough for four, are worth every single calorie of the buttery goodness you consume. Trust me. Or trust Hannah Banana Monkey and her chocolate covered smile!
Last weekend Erin and I also had the pleasure of going out to Patty and Jim's house for the afternoon.
Karen Erin's snacks for the train ride.
Jim picked us up from the train station and brought us home to a house filled with the smell of corned beef. Patty and I then filled the air with our chatter as she passed out her clippings and we caught up. Not too much later Tara arrived with the girls, and they came bearing gifts. Erin and I scored three boxes of Girl Scout cookies!
John and Jane arrived in their convertible with photos and stories from Stephen and Maureen's wedding. I now know why Maureen was behind the bar in her wedding dress!
Tara told us about Kailey's recent antics, including a fall from a tree and a plan to cut a hole in the wall of her bedroom "to practice sneaking out the window" for when she is older. And Laura showed us her awesome project: duct tape purses! I may have to put an order in for a few birthday presents...
We then took a walk down to the beach and enjoyed the incredibly warm weather.
Eventually we meandered back to the house for the highly anticipated meal of corned beef and cabbage
I have spent the last three years yearning for corned beef and cabbage in Thailand. It was everything I could have ever hoped for. Well done, Chef Patty. After dinner we enjoyed a typically Garvey feast of desserts. We had brownie pie, Guinness cake, mint chocolate chip ice cream and pastries. Now that I think about it, it sounds like the whole family is out to make me fat!
And how about the Dooley side of the family?!
Well, for one, Kaitlyn lives here! Erin and I have gotten together with her a handful of times. The evening after the Giants won the Super Bowl we went out to dinner with Uncle Kevin and Kaitlyn. On our way to dinner we saw Eli Manning. No big deal. And a few weeks ago we got to see her perform in a one act play. She was a fetus. And she was awesome.
One night last month we had dinner with Colavito Clan. Brittany was working hard at Scranton, but we enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner with the rest of the family. They were spending the weekend at The Manhattan Club. They had just seen Spider Man when we had dinner with them, and they do not recommend it. Just passing along the information.
And, I can't forget my immediate family. Chip has been down to visit twice. My parents have been down, well, a lot. And I get to see everyone this weekend in Saratoga. Woo hoo!
I have only lived in the city for nine weeks, and I have seen so many people! This is why I moved back here. This is exactly why.
For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to live in New York City. And being able to live here for the past few months has been amazing. But, what I have been most grateful for are the friends and family that live nearby.
One of the biggest reasons I moved back to the States was to be closer to my friends and family. Let me tell you, I have not regretted it for a second.
The very first weekend I moved here, Jen and McKenzie invited me to their apartment for a pancake breakfast. It was wonderful to see them, catch up, meet some new people in the city, and eat awesome pancakes!
Since then there have been dinners, birthday parties, movies and general hanging out together. It has been so nice to have them here and to be so welcoming.
Four Saratoga girls in NYC!
Another friend of mine from Saratoga, Todd, moved here two weeks before I did. He and I have enjoyed a few nights out together, and they have always been extremely enjoyable. Todd is a riot, and one heck of a karaoke singer! Just ask Heather, because she and I had an awesome time with Todd.
And then there is the family. Heather has already been to visit me for a weekend, and Ann and I are having lunch today while she is in town for a meeting. I also saw Kiki briefly between the bachelorette party and my trip to Wisconsin. Okay, maybe they aren't technically family, but they are.
Kelly, Dave, Hannah and Adelaide have been amazing! I spent a night out in New Jersey with them back in February when I babysat. It was such a welcome relief to get out of the city, to be in a house and to spend time with family that wasn't my sister.
Then, out of the blue, a few Saturdays ago Kelly called to ask if I had any plans. They were spending the day in the city and asked me to meet them. They proceeded to take me on a culinary tour of the Upper West Side. I think they were trying to have me put on all the weight I had lost after Addie's illness got the best of me. They succeeded. Just so you all know, Shake Shack is delicious. And they have a location at the Saratoga Race Track in the summer!
While Dave stalked the seating area for a table, Kelly, Hannah and I stood in line. Kelly recommended a ShackBurger and a shake. Sounds simple enough, but there were options, and I wanted to make sure I got the best! For the shakes, the menu says, "hand-spun vanilla, chocolate, caramel, black & white, strawberry or peanut butter." After reading the "or" in the description, it seemed that mixing flavors was not allowed, and I ordered a peanut butter shake. Just as Kelly was finishing the order the woman next to us asked her counterperson what his favorite shake is. He loudly proclaimed to what seemed like the entire restaurant, "Oh! You have to have the chocolate peanut butter shake!" I immediately grinned from ear to ear and said, "ooooooh, that sounds good. I'm sorry, can I change my order to a chocolate peanut butter shake, please?" The woman behind our register gave us the death stare. She looked like a bobble head as she bobbed to give me the death rays and then back to the screen. Uh oh. I have angered it.
It was very loud in the restaurant so Kelly leaned in and politely asked, "did you hear her? She would like to change her shake to a chocolate peanut butter." Bobble Head bobbed her visored Shake Shack weave to give Kelly the harshest, most sarcastic look I have ever seen. She pouted her lips, tilted her head, made her eyes really wide and gave one succinct nod of her head. She said nothing, but the look said more than enough. I could just hear her saying OH NO YOU DIH-INT! I also imagined her doing an aggressive hand snap motion in front of our faces, but that didn't happen. She handed us our buzzer, and we disappeared into the crowd.
The food was awesome! And I don't think she spit in anything. "Think" being the operative word. She did, however, mess up my shake. But, Kelly and I didn't want to deal with It anymore, and we mixed our own shakes. Thanks for sharing, Kell!
Just when I thought I couldn't be any more stuffed, the Sachter clan took me to Levain Bakery. Levain Bakery is to die for. With only four cookies to choose from, you can't go wrong. I could go wrong with the oatmeal raisin, but that's because raisins make me ill just to think about them. The average person will have a 100% success rate at this bakery. These warm and gooey cookies, large enough for four, are worth every single calorie of the buttery goodness you consume. Trust me. Or trust Hannah Banana Monkey and her chocolate covered smile!
Sugar high!
Last weekend Erin and I also had the pleasure of going out to Patty and Jim's house for the afternoon.
Jim picked us up from the train station and brought us home to a house filled with the smell of corned beef. Patty and I then filled the air with our chatter as she passed out her clippings and we caught up. Not too much later Tara arrived with the girls, and they came bearing gifts. Erin and I scored three boxes of Girl Scout cookies!
John and Jane arrived in their convertible with photos and stories from Stephen and Maureen's wedding. I now know why Maureen was behind the bar in her wedding dress!
Tara told us about Kailey's recent antics, including a fall from a tree and a plan to cut a hole in the wall of her bedroom "to practice sneaking out the window" for when she is older. And Laura showed us her awesome project: duct tape purses! I may have to put an order in for a few birthday presents...
We then took a walk down to the beach and enjoyed the incredibly warm weather.
In search of sea glass.
Erin never stops dancing. Ever.
Eventually we meandered back to the house for the highly anticipated meal of corned beef and cabbage
Erin was trying to be artistic here. She took this as the four of us were discussing how ridiculous "walking away" photos are, and how Jenny and Tara were the original hipsters to have that photo.
I have spent the last three years yearning for corned beef and cabbage in Thailand. It was everything I could have ever hoped for. Well done, Chef Patty. After dinner we enjoyed a typically Garvey feast of desserts. We had brownie pie, Guinness cake, mint chocolate chip ice cream and pastries. Now that I think about it, it sounds like the whole family is out to make me fat!
And how about the Dooley side of the family?!
Well, for one, Kaitlyn lives here! Erin and I have gotten together with her a handful of times. The evening after the Giants won the Super Bowl we went out to dinner with Uncle Kevin and Kaitlyn. On our way to dinner we saw Eli Manning. No big deal. And a few weeks ago we got to see her perform in a one act play. She was a fetus. And she was awesome.
One night last month we had dinner with Colavito Clan. Brittany was working hard at Scranton, but we enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner with the rest of the family. They were spending the weekend at The Manhattan Club. They had just seen Spider Man when we had dinner with them, and they do not recommend it. Just passing along the information.
And, I can't forget my immediate family. Chip has been down to visit twice. My parents have been down, well, a lot. And I get to see everyone this weekend in Saratoga. Woo hoo!
I have only lived in the city for nine weeks, and I have seen so many people! This is why I moved back here. This is exactly why.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
You can't make this stuff up!
Plenty of crazy things have happened in New York. Come on, it's New York, and people are outrageous. But, Erin just told me something that takes the cake!
Today she will be taking her first exam for her independent study program. She has been doing online courses through the BYU independent study program, and today she will go to take her math exam. For those of you that don't know, BYU is Brigham Young University and is located in Provo, Utah.
"It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.
Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students are members of the LDS Church, and one-third of its American students come from within the state of Utah. BYU students are required to follow an honor code, which mandates behavior in line with LDS teachings (e.g., academic honesty, adherence to dress and grooming standards, and abstinence from extramarital sex and from the consumption of drugs and alcohol). Many students (78% of men, 10% of women) take a two-year hiatus from their studies at some point to serve as Mormon missionaries. ... A BYU education is also less expensive than at similar private universities since approximately 70% of tuition is funded by LDS Church tithing funds." {source}
Luckily, my friend Bri is a high school guidance counselor and very familiar with online schooling. When I initially asked her about the options for Erin, she said, "don't laugh, but she has to do the BYU program. It's absolutely the best." Being two people who went to school in the midwest we understood BYU. We knew people who went there, transferred from there, were kicked out, etc. So, the idea of my sister going to the school was a little humorous.
But it just got funnier.
Did you read that part of the description saying "students are required to follow an honor code, which mandates behavior in line with LDS teachings?" That's right, Erin is a student. And guess who has to follow a dress code to take her exam tomorrow? Ding ding ding! You are correct! Erin!
She received an email with exam instructions, including specific instructions to follow the honor code required of all BYU students. As she will be representing BYU tomorrow at her exam, she must dress the part. This entails:
Conservative Hair Styles- hairstyles should be clean and neat with no extreme styles or unnatural colors
Looks like she can't play the messy pseudo- curly game.
Clothing- skirts, dresses, or shorts must extend at least to the knee and shirts and tops must cover the stomach and back; clothing should cover the shoulders; clothing that is low-cut in the front or back, tight, or revealing in any other manner is unacceptable. "Leggings" are not considered appropriate for "Sunday or Best Dress" at EFY. Please also be aware that the wearing of "leggings" does not allow for any exceptions to the Especially for Youth Dress and Appearance policy. Footwear should be appropriate for the activity (i.e. Sunday attire should not appear as though we are on our way to the beach or an athletic activity). Faddish clothing (i.e. Gothic, Emo, etc.) is not appropriate. Only one pair of earrings in your ears; no other body piercing. Hats are not to be worn indoors. {source}
Faddish clothing? That probably includes hipster, and Erin will be out of luck. Not surprising in the least however, is that all of my clothes fit this dress code! Okay, that's a little bit of an exaggeration, my shorts come above my knees, and I show my shoulders on occasion, but I wouldn't have a tough time fitting in.
It looks like Erin will be shopping in my closet today! Haha!
Today she will be taking her first exam for her independent study program. She has been doing online courses through the BYU independent study program, and today she will go to take her math exam. For those of you that don't know, BYU is Brigham Young University and is located in Provo, Utah.
"It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.
Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students are members of the LDS Church, and one-third of its American students come from within the state of Utah. BYU students are required to follow an honor code, which mandates behavior in line with LDS teachings (e.g., academic honesty, adherence to dress and grooming standards, and abstinence from extramarital sex and from the consumption of drugs and alcohol). Many students (78% of men, 10% of women) take a two-year hiatus from their studies at some point to serve as Mormon missionaries. ... A BYU education is also less expensive than at similar private universities since approximately 70% of tuition is funded by LDS Church tithing funds." {source}
Luckily, my friend Bri is a high school guidance counselor and very familiar with online schooling. When I initially asked her about the options for Erin, she said, "don't laugh, but she has to do the BYU program. It's absolutely the best." Being two people who went to school in the midwest we understood BYU. We knew people who went there, transferred from there, were kicked out, etc. So, the idea of my sister going to the school was a little humorous.
But it just got funnier.
Did you read that part of the description saying "students are required to follow an honor code, which mandates behavior in line with LDS teachings?" That's right, Erin is a student. And guess who has to follow a dress code to take her exam tomorrow? Ding ding ding! You are correct! Erin!
She received an email with exam instructions, including specific instructions to follow the honor code required of all BYU students. As she will be representing BYU tomorrow at her exam, she must dress the part. This entails:
Conservative Hair Styles- hairstyles should be clean and neat with no extreme styles or unnatural colors
Looks like she can't play the messy pseudo- curly game.
Clothing- skirts, dresses, or shorts must extend at least to the knee and shirts and tops must cover the stomach and back; clothing should cover the shoulders; clothing that is low-cut in the front or back, tight, or revealing in any other manner is unacceptable. "Leggings" are not considered appropriate for "Sunday or Best Dress" at EFY. Please also be aware that the wearing of "leggings" does not allow for any exceptions to the Especially for Youth Dress and Appearance policy. Footwear should be appropriate for the activity (i.e. Sunday attire should not appear as though we are on our way to the beach or an athletic activity). Faddish clothing (i.e. Gothic, Emo, etc.) is not appropriate. Only one pair of earrings in your ears; no other body piercing. Hats are not to be worn indoors. {source}
Faddish clothing? That probably includes hipster, and Erin will be out of luck. Not surprising in the least however, is that all of my clothes fit this dress code! Okay, that's a little bit of an exaggeration, my shorts come above my knees, and I show my shoulders on occasion, but I wouldn't have a tough time fitting in.
It looks like Erin will be shopping in my closet today! Haha!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Moving to a new city is hard
I knew that moving to Madison wouldn't be easy, but I have only had the offers for three days and I'm already stressed.
Shopping for an apartment online is a pain. Shopping for an apartment that allows dogs is a big pain. And shopping for an apartment that will be available this summer in a city that is mostly made up of college students is a really, really big pain. Oh, and I'm not even thinking about the location of the apartment! Let's just say I have spent an ungodly number of hours clicking away on apartment sites only to find out it won't work. I'm a little frustrated.
I'm feeling stressed. I don't think I am necessarily stressed, but instead, my nerves have disguised themselves as stress. And the "stress" is not doing any favors to my face. Can we say stress blemishes and furrow lines? I'm just very nervous about the whole thing. Another new city? Starting all over again? A job? I'm nervous.
Tomorrow I will send my recruiter an email with my decision to take the position that doesn't require travel. I'm excited for this. I have already written my references thank you notes, because we all know that they can work wonders, and in this case, they did! And then I will stay busy with lots of exciting activities in the near future, hoping to keep the stress blemishes at bay.
Just to keep you informed of the exciting things I am looking forward to:
1. My new running shoes should arrive in the mail this week! I don't care if they aren't the coolest, they are going to feel wonderful on my feet.
2. I am having lunch with Ann on Wednesday!
3. I am going home on Saturday!
4. Being at home means I get to see Wilbur! (And my family, of course.)
5. I am getting an awesome haircut on Saturday! I'm crossing my fingers for the awesome part.
6. Liz's 25th birthday party is on Saturday night! Wow, I'm starting to feel old. Well, at least I can say I'm employed as I get so old.
7. I bought new shoes for Liz's party. Okay, I bought lots of new shoes. I went to DSW with Erin to purchase a pair of black heels for work and a pair of shoes for the party. I got a little carried away and walked out with five pairs of heels. A word to the wise: never go to DSW with Erin. Or Nicole, for that matter.
8. I'm going car shopping this weekend! I'm not going to tell you about the awesome one I found yet, because I don't want to jinx it.
9. Next Monday starts the NY Auto Show. Well, not technically, but I start working the event next Monday.
10. Next Thursday I'm headed to Virginia for Allie and Joe's big day!
11. Laura Beth is coming back to New York with me after the wedding for a few days!
Okay, I'm stopping at eleven. But trust me, I could go on. All of these exciting things in the future should definitely be able to keep my stress levels down for a while. Or, all of these exciting things will keep me busy enough to stress me out more about not making progress on the move. The stress level will just continue to grow and fester under the excitement. Shoot, that sounds rough. I'm putting my money on scenario A. I'm going to be an optimist for this one.
Shopping for an apartment online is a pain. Shopping for an apartment that allows dogs is a big pain. And shopping for an apartment that will be available this summer in a city that is mostly made up of college students is a really, really big pain. Oh, and I'm not even thinking about the location of the apartment! Let's just say I have spent an ungodly number of hours clicking away on apartment sites only to find out it won't work. I'm a little frustrated.
I'm feeling stressed. I don't think I am necessarily stressed, but instead, my nerves have disguised themselves as stress. And the "stress" is not doing any favors to my face. Can we say stress blemishes and furrow lines? I'm just very nervous about the whole thing. Another new city? Starting all over again? A job? I'm nervous.
Tomorrow I will send my recruiter an email with my decision to take the position that doesn't require travel. I'm excited for this. I have already written my references thank you notes, because we all know that they can work wonders, and in this case, they did! And then I will stay busy with lots of exciting activities in the near future, hoping to keep the stress blemishes at bay.
Just to keep you informed of the exciting things I am looking forward to:
1. My new running shoes should arrive in the mail this week! I don't care if they aren't the coolest, they are going to feel wonderful on my feet.
2. I am having lunch with Ann on Wednesday!
3. I am going home on Saturday!
4. Being at home means I get to see Wilbur! (And my family, of course.)
5. I am getting an awesome haircut on Saturday! I'm crossing my fingers for the awesome part.
6. Liz's 25th birthday party is on Saturday night! Wow, I'm starting to feel old. Well, at least I can say I'm employed as I get so old.
7. I bought new shoes for Liz's party. Okay, I bought lots of new shoes. I went to DSW with Erin to purchase a pair of black heels for work and a pair of shoes for the party. I got a little carried away and walked out with five pairs of heels. A word to the wise: never go to DSW with Erin. Or Nicole, for that matter.
8. I'm going car shopping this weekend! I'm not going to tell you about the awesome one I found yet, because I don't want to jinx it.
9. Next Monday starts the NY Auto Show. Well, not technically, but I start working the event next Monday.
10. Next Thursday I'm headed to Virginia for Allie and Joe's big day!
11. Laura Beth is coming back to New York with me after the wedding for a few days!
Okay, I'm stopping at eleven. But trust me, I could go on. All of these exciting things in the future should definitely be able to keep my stress levels down for a while. Or, all of these exciting things will keep me busy enough to stress me out more about not making progress on the move. The stress level will just continue to grow and fester under the excitement. Shoot, that sounds rough. I'm putting my money on scenario A. I'm going to be an optimist for this one.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Two Cents
This morning I received a telephone call from my dad's BFF. I usually refer to him as my dad's boyfriend, but for those of you that don't know my dad, or know that he isn't gay, I'll call him his BFF.
I was extremely embarrassed when he called me at 9:30 this morning and I was still asleep. In my defense, I went to the midnight showing of The Hunger Games and didn't arrive home until 4 am, but I was embarrassed nonetheless. The BFF called to congratulate me on my job offers and offer me his two cents, as I had asked for.
He told me that if it were him, he would choose the job requiring travel. He went on to explain that I am young and without commitments (read: single) and the Madison winters can be brutal. He said I would probably enjoy and appreciate getting out of the city during the winters and exploring other parts of the country. He also said that the traveling job would be a great resume builder. He had a similar position when he was younger and gained a lot from it. The money would also be a factor in his decision, but as he gave his reasoning, it seemed more like an afterthought than anything else.
I thanked the BFF for his input, and apologized again for being lazy and asleep so late. He said if he weren't working, he would still be asleep as well. I'm not sure if that made me feel better or worse, but I thanked him for his help and said goodbye.
When I pressed "end" on the call I was thrown back to square one. As I digested what the BFF had told me, I realized that I wasn't, in fact, back at square one at all! Everything he said were things I had considered, but things I had decided against on my own. His two cents was worth a heck of a lot more than a couple pennies. His two cents helped me to realize what I really want in my life now.
As exciting as the travel seemed, I have been doing that for years now. It sounds far more exciting for me to move to a city and really start my life there. After I graduated from Tulsa in 2008, I lived in Saratoga for five months before traveling with Garvey. After an August and September back in Saratoga I moved to Thailand. I traveled throughout southeast Asia during my time there, and moved back to Saratoga in December, and then New York City in January. Right now, the last thing I want is to travel. The idea of living in an apartment half the time and out of a suitcase half of the time doesn't sound so great. Coming home and always having an empty refrigerator does not sound ideal. Instead, I want to know Madison. I want to join a kickball team. I want to have a favorite bar. I want to make friends. I want to join a book club. I want to date. I want to have a full fridge. I want to have a social life. I want to bake. A lot.
I'm choosing grocery store frequent shopper points over frequent flyer miles. Thanks, Mike!
I was extremely embarrassed when he called me at 9:30 this morning and I was still asleep. In my defense, I went to the midnight showing of The Hunger Games and didn't arrive home until 4 am, but I was embarrassed nonetheless. The BFF called to congratulate me on my job offers and offer me his two cents, as I had asked for.
He told me that if it were him, he would choose the job requiring travel. He went on to explain that I am young and without commitments (read: single) and the Madison winters can be brutal. He said I would probably enjoy and appreciate getting out of the city during the winters and exploring other parts of the country. He also said that the traveling job would be a great resume builder. He had a similar position when he was younger and gained a lot from it. The money would also be a factor in his decision, but as he gave his reasoning, it seemed more like an afterthought than anything else.
I thanked the BFF for his input, and apologized again for being lazy and asleep so late. He said if he weren't working, he would still be asleep as well. I'm not sure if that made me feel better or worse, but I thanked him for his help and said goodbye.
When I pressed "end" on the call I was thrown back to square one. As I digested what the BFF had told me, I realized that I wasn't, in fact, back at square one at all! Everything he said were things I had considered, but things I had decided against on my own. His two cents was worth a heck of a lot more than a couple pennies. His two cents helped me to realize what I really want in my life now.
As exciting as the travel seemed, I have been doing that for years now. It sounds far more exciting for me to move to a city and really start my life there. After I graduated from Tulsa in 2008, I lived in Saratoga for five months before traveling with Garvey. After an August and September back in Saratoga I moved to Thailand. I traveled throughout southeast Asia during my time there, and moved back to Saratoga in December, and then New York City in January. Right now, the last thing I want is to travel. The idea of living in an apartment half the time and out of a suitcase half of the time doesn't sound so great. Coming home and always having an empty refrigerator does not sound ideal. Instead, I want to know Madison. I want to join a kickball team. I want to have a favorite bar. I want to make friends. I want to join a book club. I want to date. I want to have a full fridge. I want to have a social life. I want to bake. A lot.
I'm choosing grocery store frequent shopper points over frequent flyer miles. Thanks, Mike!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
A job? Who me?
I was offered a job! Well, if we are going to get all technical about this, I was offered two jobs! Ahh!
So now what?!
Well, for one, it means I'm moving to Madison, Wisconsin. It means apartment hunting and furniture shopping. It means another new city. And oh my goodness, it means car shopping!! Yay! I don't even know where to begin. That was a blatant lie. I will start with car shopping. And I even know which dealership to start at.
But really, first things first. I have to decide what job to take! One pays more and would require me to travel about 50% of the time. The other job pays less and has little to no travel. At my interview I was more interested in the job without travel. I liked the position better, and I liked the idea of less travel. While traveling had originally sounded charming and exciting, when I took a closer look at the schedule, 50% of the time is A LOT of time! If I move to Madison I will want to live there and get to know the area. Can I do that if I'm gone half the time?
As I'm talking this out, I think I know what job to take, but those of you readers with far more life experience than myself, what do you recommend?
Okay, pause. I have a job! Woohoo!
Gosh, I'm on the train as I'm writing this, and I haven't told anyone yet! No one knows. People will know before this is posted, but right now it's my little secret. My little secret that I am very, very proud of. Something I'm less proud of: I started crying on the platform while I was waiting for the train. I nipped that in the bud, and only had to catch one tear on my cheek, but it happened.
So now what?!
Well, for one, it means I'm moving to Madison, Wisconsin. It means apartment hunting and furniture shopping. It means another new city. And oh my goodness, it means car shopping!! Yay! I don't even know where to begin. That was a blatant lie. I will start with car shopping. And I even know which dealership to start at.
But really, first things first. I have to decide what job to take! One pays more and would require me to travel about 50% of the time. The other job pays less and has little to no travel. At my interview I was more interested in the job without travel. I liked the position better, and I liked the idea of less travel. While traveling had originally sounded charming and exciting, when I took a closer look at the schedule, 50% of the time is A LOT of time! If I move to Madison I will want to live there and get to know the area. Can I do that if I'm gone half the time?
As I'm talking this out, I think I know what job to take, but those of you readers with far more life experience than myself, what do you recommend?
Okay, pause. I have a job! Woohoo!
Gosh, I'm on the train as I'm writing this, and I haven't told anyone yet! No one knows. People will know before this is posted, but right now it's my little secret. My little secret that I am very, very proud of. Something I'm less proud of: I started crying on the platform while I was waiting for the train. I nipped that in the bud, and only had to catch one tear on my cheek, but it happened.
Newest Obsession
I admitted it to the twitter world, but now I am here to come clean. I love Chris Brown.
This is a very recent obsession, and I just can't get enough of him.
Check out this music video! Look at those dance moves! Holy moly he is talented!
Okay, I promise I am working on more posts with more substance. My mind has been a bit clouded lately. I am still waiting to hear.... It's killing me!
This is a very recent obsession, and I just can't get enough of him.
Check out this music video! Look at those dance moves! Holy moly he is talented!
Okay, I promise I am working on more posts with more substance. My mind has been a bit clouded lately. I am still waiting to hear.... It's killing me!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The Great Wedding Date Debate
Back in January Nicole and I drove to Albany to pick up our friend's boyfriend from the airport. On our way down we chatted about our upcoming trips to Virginia for the bachelorette party and the wedding. In our discussion we began talking about our ongoing debate of whether or not we would bring dates to the wedding. She and I had been talking about it for months, and we still couldn't decide. Laura Beth would most likely be bringing her husband, so would we want dates as well?
As we continued to talk about it, we both began leaning towards riding solo. Our friend Allie was kind enough to offer us her house for the wedding weekend, but there was definitely not room for dates. That would mean that our dates would be required to stay in the nearby hotel, which is not exactly nearby. Then what about the car situation? If we all drove down together, we would only have one car. The men would need the car if they were staying at the hotel, but we would need the car for nail, hair, and makeup appointments and various transfers between the house, the brunch, the ceremony and the reception.
But beyond logistics, Nicole and I both agreed that dates would just be silly. For one, neither of us is in a relationship. But, even more importantly, the only people we were considering inviting would know no one at the wedding. They would have no friends or even acquaintances at the wedding. And, there might be a chance that they wouldn't even know each other. When we thought about all of the time they would be forced to be without us, two of the bridesmaids in the wedding, it seemed more and more ridiculous. We would be away for all of our primping appointments and the bridal brunch. We would be required to get ready together, stand at the altar for the ceremony, and then spend far too much time taking pictures, all without our dates.
Just as we were coming to this final decision, we arrived at the Albany airport, and Jeffrey jumped into the back seat. We were still finishing up our conversation, so Jeffrey asked what we were talking about. Nicole and I glanced at each other, just long enough to realize we were on the same page. I asked the question we were both thinking.
"Okay, Jeffrey, we have a question for you. You just came from a wedding, right? Well, Nicole and I are going to be bridesmaids in our college friend's wedding in April. We were both debating bringing dates. Our dates wouldn't know anyone at the wedding. We obviously have to do bridesmaid "things" which would be time away from our dates. Do we bring dates?"
Jeffrey shocked us both when he said, "of course you do! I'll be one of your dates! Weddings are the best. I don't care who you know or don't know, weddings are awesome, and anyone would be crazy not to want to go. And, there are so many people there to meet. I didn't know anyone but the groom and one of the groomsmen at the wedding I went to last weekend, and it was great! I talked to tons of different people. I loved it!"
Jeffrey's enthusiastic opinion of weddings continued until about Exit 10 on the Northway. It was almost painful to listen. I cannot even tell you how many times he offered to be our date to Allie's wedding, because I lost count after 17.
We dropped Jeffrey off at his house, and when he was safely inside, we both let out a sigh of relief. He is an exceptionally nice guy, but the wedding chat was a little overwhelming. His enthusiasm was suffocating. We barely got a word in throughout the entire 40- minute drive.
Nicole backed out of the driveway. Before she put it into drive she turned to me, with both hands on the steering wheel, looked me directly in the eye and said, "he is weird. Our dates would hate it. We're going alone."
Monday, March 19, 2012
Two Weeks
My stomach hurts. And it isn't from tonight's corned beef an cabbage at Aunt Patty's house- that was delicious.
My head hurts. The Advil didn't help. This is a pain from deep within my brain. I think it hurts from racing in circles for the past two weeks. What if I get the job? What if I don't get the job? Do I think I will get the job? Do I think I won't get the job? My mind is spinning.
My eyes hurt. It hurts to hold them open, but it hurts to close them. The sockets of my eyes are throbbing.
My throat hurts. Not the hurt that makes it painful to swallow, but the pain that accompanies a lump in your throat. This is the kind of pain you experience when something goes down the wrong pipe, but doesn't go completely down.
My back hurts. It's partially from running. It's partially from running with old sneakers. I promised to buy myself new ones when I get a job. Part of the pain is the stress of sitting at my awkward desk, obsessively checking my email inboxes. The rest of the pain is from stress. Down and back, Meaghan. Put your shoulders down and back.
My heart hurts. It has been racing since Friday morning, the day when I expected to receive a phone call. Even though I knew I wouldn't receive the call over the weekend, my heart didn't get the memo. Now it is tired of pounding out of my chest. It has been a long weekend.
Tomorrow I should get the call. Should. But I thought I would receive the call on Friday, and I was wrong. Tomorrow will be two weeks. At the interview he said two weeks. Tomorrow is the day. The seconds feel like minutes. The hours feel like days. These have been the longest two weeks of my life.
My head hurts. The Advil didn't help. This is a pain from deep within my brain. I think it hurts from racing in circles for the past two weeks. What if I get the job? What if I don't get the job? Do I think I will get the job? Do I think I won't get the job? My mind is spinning.
My eyes hurt. It hurts to hold them open, but it hurts to close them. The sockets of my eyes are throbbing.
My throat hurts. Not the hurt that makes it painful to swallow, but the pain that accompanies a lump in your throat. This is the kind of pain you experience when something goes down the wrong pipe, but doesn't go completely down.
My back hurts. It's partially from running. It's partially from running with old sneakers. I promised to buy myself new ones when I get a job. Part of the pain is the stress of sitting at my awkward desk, obsessively checking my email inboxes. The rest of the pain is from stress. Down and back, Meaghan. Put your shoulders down and back.
My heart hurts. It has been racing since Friday morning, the day when I expected to receive a phone call. Even though I knew I wouldn't receive the call over the weekend, my heart didn't get the memo. Now it is tired of pounding out of my chest. It has been a long weekend.
Tomorrow I should get the call. Should. But I thought I would receive the call on Friday, and I was wrong. Tomorrow will be two weeks. At the interview he said two weeks. Tomorrow is the day. The seconds feel like minutes. The hours feel like days. These have been the longest two weeks of my life.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
The Little Things
The evening after the Walmart greeting and crazy driving day I received a text message. It was from my boss. But, it wasn't from Phillipe. This text was from Evan. Evan is the quieter of the two. He often stays in the office and simply gets work done. Phillipe calls him "the nuts and bolts of the operation." I see Evan every time I am at the office, but he is never the one calling me, emailing me, texting me or carpooling with me.
So, when I received a message from Evan, I was a bit surprised.
It read: "Hey, thanks for your help yesterday. I hear you did a great job!"
I smiled for the rest of the evening.
So, when I received a message from Evan, I was a bit surprised.
It read: "Hey, thanks for your help yesterday. I hear you did a great job!"
I smiled for the rest of the evening.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Am I too nice?
Am I too nice?
After my crazy day of Wal Mart greeting, hotel drop offs and car loading, my boss, Phillipe, was kind enough to drive me home. He lives near Wall Street and said that the least he could do was drive me to my apartment after my 14+ hour day. As it turned out, he didn't drive. I drove myself home, while he rode in the passenger seat.
As I drove through the city at 10:30 pm the roads were still littered with idiots. I was being cut off here, there and everywhere. Bicyclists were riding the wrong way down one-way streets. Cabs were cutting across three lanes and jamming on their brakes to pick up or drop off passengers. Every time it happened I slammed on my brakes, put on my blinker, checked my mirrors and went around them.
I could tell Phillipe was becoming frustrated as he muttered inappropriate language under his breath.
When we were on Houston, and about halfway home, Phillipe turned to me and said, "if I were driving I would be on the horn, careening around these people and giving them the finger!" With that, he flipped off the person who had just cut me off while I passed him. Then he said, "I think you are too nice. How do you stay so calm?" I was taken back by his comment but simply replied, "I'm nice because I haven't been driving here long enough" Phillipe chuckled and said, "don't worry, I'll teach you how to drive here."
We drove for the last part of the trip discussing the NY Auto Show and the dates he would need me to work. We discussed baking, which I recently discovered is a passion that we share, until I parked in front of my apartment building. We said goodnight, he jumped into the driver's seat- anger and all- and I went inside.
Was he right? Am I too nice? Is there even such a thing?
Even while we discussed baking, I had been distracted by his comment. Being nice is good, but when does too much of a good thing become bad thing?
Phillipe seemed to think I was too nice because of my attitude while driving through the city and the way I had carried myself all day. I was required to drive a few guests around the block, which is ridiculous, but I did it with a smile on my face. It's my job for goodness sakes! I wasn't going to put up a fuss about it. When I had to drive two cases of wine around the block and make a grocery store run I did those things with a smile on my face as well. Like I said, it was my job. I like my job. I like my bosses. I like the people I work with. Why should I not be nice? But, all day long Phillipe thought I was being too nice.
Am I just nicer than him, and therefore he notices it? Or am I really too nice? Am I leaving the door open to be taken advantage of? I honestly don't know. But, I do know that I'm not going to start swearing at other drivers in NYC.
Not yet, at least.
After my crazy day of Wal Mart greeting, hotel drop offs and car loading, my boss, Phillipe, was kind enough to drive me home. He lives near Wall Street and said that the least he could do was drive me to my apartment after my 14+ hour day. As it turned out, he didn't drive. I drove myself home, while he rode in the passenger seat.
As I drove through the city at 10:30 pm the roads were still littered with idiots. I was being cut off here, there and everywhere. Bicyclists were riding the wrong way down one-way streets. Cabs were cutting across three lanes and jamming on their brakes to pick up or drop off passengers. Every time it happened I slammed on my brakes, put on my blinker, checked my mirrors and went around them.
I could tell Phillipe was becoming frustrated as he muttered inappropriate language under his breath.
When we were on Houston, and about halfway home, Phillipe turned to me and said, "if I were driving I would be on the horn, careening around these people and giving them the finger!" With that, he flipped off the person who had just cut me off while I passed him. Then he said, "I think you are too nice. How do you stay so calm?" I was taken back by his comment but simply replied, "I'm nice because I haven't been driving here long enough" Phillipe chuckled and said, "don't worry, I'll teach you how to drive here."
We drove for the last part of the trip discussing the NY Auto Show and the dates he would need me to work. We discussed baking, which I recently discovered is a passion that we share, until I parked in front of my apartment building. We said goodnight, he jumped into the driver's seat- anger and all- and I went inside.
Was he right? Am I too nice? Is there even such a thing?
Even while we discussed baking, I had been distracted by his comment. Being nice is good, but when does too much of a good thing become bad thing?
Phillipe seemed to think I was too nice because of my attitude while driving through the city and the way I had carried myself all day. I was required to drive a few guests around the block, which is ridiculous, but I did it with a smile on my face. It's my job for goodness sakes! I wasn't going to put up a fuss about it. When I had to drive two cases of wine around the block and make a grocery store run I did those things with a smile on my face as well. Like I said, it was my job. I like my job. I like my bosses. I like the people I work with. Why should I not be nice? But, all day long Phillipe thought I was being too nice.
Am I just nicer than him, and therefore he notices it? Or am I really too nice? Am I leaving the door open to be taken advantage of? I honestly don't know. But, I do know that I'm not going to start swearing at other drivers in NYC.
Not yet, at least.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Walmart Continued...
This is a continuation from my post "Hello, and welcome to Walmart!"
The air conditioning brought my body temperature down a bit and the tissues in my purse helped to absorb the sweat that was dripping from my hairline. The thermometer read 75 degrees. I turned up the XM radio and continued to refresh the Delta application on my telephone for the most up to date flight information. Luckily, the flight was pushed back to 3:03 pm. That gave me an extra two whole minutes! But, the traffic was not as forgiving.
We inched along as the minutes ticked away.
I knew I was headed for terminal 3. As the road swerved into the airport I carefully read the signs, while driving as quickly and safely as possibly. I followed the signs for parking. The parking lot was for terminals 1, 2 and 3. This wasn't going to work for me. I need my car to be close. I need my car to be perfectly situated so that these passengers don't have to walk far. I wove up and down every aisle of the parking garage. I saw a woman with a suitcase walking towards her car. I sat in the ready position and put on my blinker. She unlocked the doors and put her jacket in the back seat. She then popped the trunk and took her sweet time loading a suitcase in. After she finally closed the trunk she look at me and shook her head. She wasn't leaving.
What?! Who is parked at an airport, puts a suitcase into the car and isn't leaving? I don't understand.
I didn't have time to question this woman or her sheer confusion on what happens at an airport, so I went upstairs. I skipped the second and third floor and went straight, well, in circles, up to the top level. I parked in an impressively close terminal 3 parking spot. I had my telephone, iPad and keys in hand, and I took off in a sprint. I know that in the last post I talked about sprinting, but I don't think I knew what sprinting in heels felt like until it was 3:01 pm and I was running down the stairs to greet the guests. (Oh, and do I need to remind you that I was wearing a pencil skirt and adorable- and high- peep toe heels?)
I ran across the three lanes of traffic, dodging between the cabs, and running against the instructions of the red hand. While I was stuck on the median, waiting for more cabs to whiz by a foreign couple asked me, "is dis dee way to zee terminal sree? Go down, no?" First of all, why do I look so approachable? Listen, people I'm super new to this place too! And secondly, I have no idea! I'm looking for "terminal sree" as well! So, I said, "Yup! This way!" The white walking man was on the screen, and I was running. There was a hill, there were more lanes of traffic to cross, but I was inside. I checked the screens, looking for the status of the flight. It said "At Gate." And next to that it said baggage claim E2. I looked to my right and saw baggage claim D2. I looked to my left and saw baggage claim D1. I looked behind me and saw a sign for baggage claim E with an arrow to the left that said (Terminal 2).
Expletive. Expletive. Expletive.
I didn't actually vocalize those words, but oh boy, I sure as heck thought them!
I took off running. Back out the doors, across the lanes of traffic and up the hill. I followed the sidewalk to the left, ignoring the blister that had formed on my third toe. When I got to the next 6 lanes of traffic to cross there were cabs and cars littering the crosswalk. The red hand said "no," but the traffic jam told me "yes." I wove between the yellow bumpers, honking horns, and swearing men, only having one near- fatal encounter before making it to the other side. I went up a hill and down a set of stairs. I crossed two more lanes of traffic before making it inside. I could almost hear the music playing as I saw the sign for baggage claim E2. I opened the iPad, and I assumed the position. The time was 3:08 pm, and I couldn't stop sweating.
I got my four passengers, and we headed outside. My perfect parking space was no longer perfect. So, we rode the elevator up, and I told my passengers to wait for me to pull the car around, and I took off running.
Everyone piled in and started grilling me about the big secret. They decided to say things and I could just say yes or no. The woman in the third row made an announcement. "Women preview new GMC Terrain Denali. It's the headline that a friend sent to me." The man in the passenger seat turned and looked at me accusingly, "is that why we are here? For a Terrain Denali?!"
I kept my cool. "Like I said earlier, I am not authorized to give you any information regarding this evening. I'm sorry."
Well, that was why they were there. I'm just glad I wasn't the one to ruin the surprise!
And there it is, the brand new GMC Terrain Denali.
I helped with breaking down the event, bringing guests back to the hotel, bringing wine back to the hotel, loading the cars into the truck, and making late night runs to the grocery store, but those are just minor details.
My day ended at 10:30 pm.
The air conditioning brought my body temperature down a bit and the tissues in my purse helped to absorb the sweat that was dripping from my hairline. The thermometer read 75 degrees. I turned up the XM radio and continued to refresh the Delta application on my telephone for the most up to date flight information. Luckily, the flight was pushed back to 3:03 pm. That gave me an extra two whole minutes! But, the traffic was not as forgiving.
We inched along as the minutes ticked away.
I knew I was headed for terminal 3. As the road swerved into the airport I carefully read the signs, while driving as quickly and safely as possibly. I followed the signs for parking. The parking lot was for terminals 1, 2 and 3. This wasn't going to work for me. I need my car to be close. I need my car to be perfectly situated so that these passengers don't have to walk far. I wove up and down every aisle of the parking garage. I saw a woman with a suitcase walking towards her car. I sat in the ready position and put on my blinker. She unlocked the doors and put her jacket in the back seat. She then popped the trunk and took her sweet time loading a suitcase in. After she finally closed the trunk she look at me and shook her head. She wasn't leaving.
What?! Who is parked at an airport, puts a suitcase into the car and isn't leaving? I don't understand.
I didn't have time to question this woman or her sheer confusion on what happens at an airport, so I went upstairs. I skipped the second and third floor and went straight, well, in circles, up to the top level. I parked in an impressively close terminal 3 parking spot. I had my telephone, iPad and keys in hand, and I took off in a sprint. I know that in the last post I talked about sprinting, but I don't think I knew what sprinting in heels felt like until it was 3:01 pm and I was running down the stairs to greet the guests. (Oh, and do I need to remind you that I was wearing a pencil skirt and adorable- and high- peep toe heels?)
I ran across the three lanes of traffic, dodging between the cabs, and running against the instructions of the red hand. While I was stuck on the median, waiting for more cabs to whiz by a foreign couple asked me, "is dis dee way to zee terminal sree? Go down, no?" First of all, why do I look so approachable? Listen, people I'm super new to this place too! And secondly, I have no idea! I'm looking for "terminal sree" as well! So, I said, "Yup! This way!" The white walking man was on the screen, and I was running. There was a hill, there were more lanes of traffic to cross, but I was inside. I checked the screens, looking for the status of the flight. It said "At Gate." And next to that it said baggage claim E2. I looked to my right and saw baggage claim D2. I looked to my left and saw baggage claim D1. I looked behind me and saw a sign for baggage claim E with an arrow to the left that said (Terminal 2).
Expletive. Expletive. Expletive.
I didn't actually vocalize those words, but oh boy, I sure as heck thought them!
I took off running. Back out the doors, across the lanes of traffic and up the hill. I followed the sidewalk to the left, ignoring the blister that had formed on my third toe. When I got to the next 6 lanes of traffic to cross there were cabs and cars littering the crosswalk. The red hand said "no," but the traffic jam told me "yes." I wove between the yellow bumpers, honking horns, and swearing men, only having one near- fatal encounter before making it to the other side. I went up a hill and down a set of stairs. I crossed two more lanes of traffic before making it inside. I could almost hear the music playing as I saw the sign for baggage claim E2. I opened the iPad, and I assumed the position. The time was 3:08 pm, and I couldn't stop sweating.
I got my four passengers, and we headed outside. My perfect parking space was no longer perfect. So, we rode the elevator up, and I told my passengers to wait for me to pull the car around, and I took off running.
Everyone piled in and started grilling me about the big secret. They decided to say things and I could just say yes or no. The woman in the third row made an announcement. "Women preview new GMC Terrain Denali. It's the headline that a friend sent to me." The man in the passenger seat turned and looked at me accusingly, "is that why we are here? For a Terrain Denali?!"
I kept my cool. "Like I said earlier, I am not authorized to give you any information regarding this evening. I'm sorry."
Well, that was why they were there. I'm just glad I wasn't the one to ruin the surprise!
And there it is, the brand new GMC Terrain Denali.
I helped with breaking down the event, bringing guests back to the hotel, bringing wine back to the hotel, loading the cars into the truck, and making late night runs to the grocery store, but those are just minor details.
The cars. Inside of the truck. Headed back to Detroit.
My day ended at 10:30 pm.
Hello, and welcome to Walmart!
I spent Wednesday as a Walmart greeter. If you follow me on twitter, you probably saw my tweet about it. And if you don't follow me, well, you really should.
A few weeks ago Phillipe had asked me to work a GMC event taking place on the 14th and 15th. I knew I would be working at the bakery on the 15th, but I agreed to Wednesday. Phillipe asked if I felt comfortable driving between Manhattan, LaGuardia and JFK, and any and all combination of those three places. Like always, I said yes, then quickly googlemaps-ed it to find the best routes.
Tuesday evening I received a color coded chart of airport arrivals. I took note of the times, the airport, the airline, and the company each person worked for. As I arrived at the bottom of the chart I saw the key to the color coding- each driver had a different color. Matt was yellow. John was blue. Jeff was red. Roy was green. Where was my name? Oh, found it! In a white box it said: "Meaghan- Airport Greeter." Uhmmm, excuse me? I would be spending my day as a Wal Mart greeter, standing at the airport.
That evening I received a flurry of text messages and emails from Phillipe regarding the details. I was told to dress nicely. I was asked if I owned an iPad. I was told to meet at 14th Street at 8:30 am. And then I was told to meet at the garage at 8:15 am. I was informed of "super VIPs" and "REALLY SUPER VIPs." I went to sleep that night thinking of what I would wear the next day that would look nice with a blue apron draped over it.
I woke up bright and early the next morning, and headed for the garage, donning a black pencil skirt and peep toe heels. I was looking pretty good.
I was given an iPad, loaded with a GMC slideshow, and headed out to LaGuardia. I parked the car, and then myself, at the Delta terminal. I was over an hour early for the first flight, so naturally, I was harassed by the other drivers. I ignored the comments and continued reading my book and checking the flight status.
When the first flight landed I took position among the scummy drivers with folded and crumpled paper signs and the more advanced whiteboard-around-the-neck signs. I whipped out the iPad, turned on the slideshow, and waited. Another driver joined the crowd a few minutes later, late enough for word of the iPad to have spread through the fraternity of drivers. He came up to me, looked at the screen and said, "oh! I'm GMC." Good one.
The first passenger came off the escalator and locked his eyes on my iPad heading right for me. As he passed me he said smuggly, "well, that's a pretty elaborate sign, don't ya think?"
iPad Comment Count: 2
Eventually my passenger saw the iPad and came towards me. But he wasn't alone. I double checked my color coded chart, and noticed that yes, Roger was supposed to be my only passenger. Roger introduced himself, I did the same, and we shook hands. Then the second man introduced himself. Pat. Oh. No.
Pat told me he had arrived at the airport early and jumped on the flight with Roger. Ahhh! Pat is one of my "REALLY SUPER VIPs!" He wasn't supposed to come in until later. He wasn't supposed to come in until I had at least one practice round of greeting! I texted his driver, the red driver, and sent the two of them off to the hotel. I immediately called Janice, the GM coordinator at the hotel, warning her of their upcoming arrival, and went back to wait with the fraternity.
The next arrival was only one man. He was not a GM employee. He was not a VIP. He was, however, an issue.
I held my iPad, chuckling at the comments people made. One man even took out his iPhone, wrote his girlfriend's name on it, and held that while standing next to me. Ha. Ha.
As the reporter came down the escalator he saw the GMC logo, nodded his acknowledgement at me and headed my way. I shot a quick text to the yellow driver. We introduced ourselves, shook hands, and I asked him to follow me outside. As soon as we began walking the man asked me, "do you know why I am here?"
"Excuse me, I don't think I understand what you are asking."
"Well, the invitation said the event is a secret, so I don't know why I am here. Do you?"
Yes, I know. I know. I know! I probably shouldn't know... Oh my gooodness! This is a secret?! Why did Phillipe forget to mention that detail?! He mentioned every other detail, but this he decides to leave out?!
"Yes, I do know why you are here. But, I'm sorry, sir, I am definitely not at liberty to tell you."
"Oh, come on! I flew all the way here! I'm here already. I'm going to be seeing the surprise in only a few hours, you can tell me."
"I'm sorry, but I would like to keep my job, and therefore, I am going to keep this secret!"
The car pulled up, he got in, I called Janice, and then I took a breath. I was sweating bullets. I walked back into the terminal with my elbows raised, doing my best to keep any pit stains at bay. Gosh, that threw me for a loop.
The next few arrivals went off without a hitch. Yes the iPad commentary continued as well as the questions about the big secret, but I was prepared for all of them.
As my two last LaGuardia flights flashed "Landed" on the arrivals board I gave my drivers a warning text, and assumed the position. Both flights stated "At Gate" when my phone began ringing. It was Phillipe. I hastily answered the phone. Phillipe asked, "has Jeff's passenger arrived?" I told him yes. Phillipe very loudly said an expletive in my ear. But, I'll censor it for you.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Okay. Listen. Roy isn't going to make it to JFK. We are stuck here doing prep. You have to do the pick up from JFK, but it's four people. Your car isn't big enough. You need to switch cars with Jeff. He only has one passenger, correct?"
"Yes."
I started sweating again.
"This is what you need to do. Call Jeff. Have him park his car. Have him meet you inside. Then...."
"Okay, Phillipe, I got it. Goodbye."
I dialed Jeff's number. It seemed to ring for an eternity. Finally he answered and told me he was in the ready position, directly outside the terminal door. I quickly barked the orders at him, telling him to park his car and meet me inside.
Sweating....
The passengers for Matt's car arrived one by one. When Jeff arrived, I asked him to hold the iPad as I ushered the four passengers outside. I ran back inside, calling Janice mid- sprint. I took the iPad and told Jeff to get my car and pull it around.
His passenger arrived, Jeff pulled the car around, and they were off. I called Janice while I ran for parking lot 5.
By the time I got into the car it was 2:26 pm. The flight at JFK was to land at 3:01.
I left the airport, hoping that my googlemaps study session had worked, and headed for JFK with the iPad on the passenger seat. About ten minutes later, I hit traffic. I blasted the air conditioning, raised my elbows, and hoped that I would make it...
To be continued...
A few weeks ago Phillipe had asked me to work a GMC event taking place on the 14th and 15th. I knew I would be working at the bakery on the 15th, but I agreed to Wednesday. Phillipe asked if I felt comfortable driving between Manhattan, LaGuardia and JFK, and any and all combination of those three places. Like always, I said yes, then quickly googlemaps-ed it to find the best routes.
Tuesday evening I received a color coded chart of airport arrivals. I took note of the times, the airport, the airline, and the company each person worked for. As I arrived at the bottom of the chart I saw the key to the color coding- each driver had a different color. Matt was yellow. John was blue. Jeff was red. Roy was green. Where was my name? Oh, found it! In a white box it said: "Meaghan- Airport Greeter." Uhmmm, excuse me? I would be spending my day as a Wal Mart greeter, standing at the airport.
That evening I received a flurry of text messages and emails from Phillipe regarding the details. I was told to dress nicely. I was asked if I owned an iPad. I was told to meet at 14th Street at 8:30 am. And then I was told to meet at the garage at 8:15 am. I was informed of "super VIPs" and "REALLY SUPER VIPs." I went to sleep that night thinking of what I would wear the next day that would look nice with a blue apron draped over it.
I woke up bright and early the next morning, and headed for the garage, donning a black pencil skirt and peep toe heels. I was looking pretty good.
I was given an iPad, loaded with a GMC slideshow, and headed out to LaGuardia. I parked the car, and then myself, at the Delta terminal. I was over an hour early for the first flight, so naturally, I was harassed by the other drivers. I ignored the comments and continued reading my book and checking the flight status.
When the first flight landed I took position among the scummy drivers with folded and crumpled paper signs and the more advanced whiteboard-around-the-neck signs. I whipped out the iPad, turned on the slideshow, and waited. Another driver joined the crowd a few minutes later, late enough for word of the iPad to have spread through the fraternity of drivers. He came up to me, looked at the screen and said, "oh! I'm GMC." Good one.
The first passenger came off the escalator and locked his eyes on my iPad heading right for me. As he passed me he said smuggly, "well, that's a pretty elaborate sign, don't ya think?"
iPad Comment Count: 2
Eventually my passenger saw the iPad and came towards me. But he wasn't alone. I double checked my color coded chart, and noticed that yes, Roger was supposed to be my only passenger. Roger introduced himself, I did the same, and we shook hands. Then the second man introduced himself. Pat. Oh. No.
Pat told me he had arrived at the airport early and jumped on the flight with Roger. Ahhh! Pat is one of my "REALLY SUPER VIPs!" He wasn't supposed to come in until later. He wasn't supposed to come in until I had at least one practice round of greeting! I texted his driver, the red driver, and sent the two of them off to the hotel. I immediately called Janice, the GM coordinator at the hotel, warning her of their upcoming arrival, and went back to wait with the fraternity.
The next arrival was only one man. He was not a GM employee. He was not a VIP. He was, however, an issue.
I held my iPad, chuckling at the comments people made. One man even took out his iPhone, wrote his girlfriend's name on it, and held that while standing next to me. Ha. Ha.
As the reporter came down the escalator he saw the GMC logo, nodded his acknowledgement at me and headed my way. I shot a quick text to the yellow driver. We introduced ourselves, shook hands, and I asked him to follow me outside. As soon as we began walking the man asked me, "do you know why I am here?"
"Excuse me, I don't think I understand what you are asking."
"Well, the invitation said the event is a secret, so I don't know why I am here. Do you?"
Yes, I know. I know. I know! I probably shouldn't know... Oh my gooodness! This is a secret?! Why did Phillipe forget to mention that detail?! He mentioned every other detail, but this he decides to leave out?!
"Yes, I do know why you are here. But, I'm sorry, sir, I am definitely not at liberty to tell you."
"Oh, come on! I flew all the way here! I'm here already. I'm going to be seeing the surprise in only a few hours, you can tell me."
"I'm sorry, but I would like to keep my job, and therefore, I am going to keep this secret!"
The car pulled up, he got in, I called Janice, and then I took a breath. I was sweating bullets. I walked back into the terminal with my elbows raised, doing my best to keep any pit stains at bay. Gosh, that threw me for a loop.
The next few arrivals went off without a hitch. Yes the iPad commentary continued as well as the questions about the big secret, but I was prepared for all of them.
As my two last LaGuardia flights flashed "Landed" on the arrivals board I gave my drivers a warning text, and assumed the position. Both flights stated "At Gate" when my phone began ringing. It was Phillipe. I hastily answered the phone. Phillipe asked, "has Jeff's passenger arrived?" I told him yes. Phillipe very loudly said an expletive in my ear. But, I'll censor it for you.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Okay. Listen. Roy isn't going to make it to JFK. We are stuck here doing prep. You have to do the pick up from JFK, but it's four people. Your car isn't big enough. You need to switch cars with Jeff. He only has one passenger, correct?"
"Yes."
I started sweating again.
"This is what you need to do. Call Jeff. Have him park his car. Have him meet you inside. Then...."
"Okay, Phillipe, I got it. Goodbye."
I dialed Jeff's number. It seemed to ring for an eternity. Finally he answered and told me he was in the ready position, directly outside the terminal door. I quickly barked the orders at him, telling him to park his car and meet me inside.
Sweating....
The passengers for Matt's car arrived one by one. When Jeff arrived, I asked him to hold the iPad as I ushered the four passengers outside. I ran back inside, calling Janice mid- sprint. I took the iPad and told Jeff to get my car and pull it around.
His passenger arrived, Jeff pulled the car around, and they were off. I called Janice while I ran for parking lot 5.
By the time I got into the car it was 2:26 pm. The flight at JFK was to land at 3:01.
I left the airport, hoping that my googlemaps study session had worked, and headed for JFK with the iPad on the passenger seat. About ten minutes later, I hit traffic. I blasted the air conditioning, raised my elbows, and hoped that I would make it...
To be continued...
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Rejection Stings
I don't care how you slice it, what spin you put on it, or how much you sugar coat it, rejection stings.
For as long as I can remember I have had an unhealthy fear of rejection. I say unhealthy because it has limited me. My fear has kept me from doing things, saying things, and trying things. I have only recently accepted this fear as just that. In the past I wouldn't have known how to classify or describe it, but now, I can confidently say that rejection scares the bejesus out of me.
At the risk of sounding as though I am bragging, I think a big part of the reason I am petrified of rejection is because I haven't had much experience with it. When I think back through the years, I see a consistent pattern of not being rejected. I was accepted to honors classes. I was a top rower during high school and recruited by multiple universities. I was accepted to the two universities I applied to. I was hired by all the jobs I applied to after I graduated. I was accepted by CIEE to teach in Thailand. It felt easy.
Fast forward to the real world in the USA.
I am applying to jobs left and right. And, while I know that unemployment is currently at 8.3%, I really thought I wouldn't be in that percentage. Yes, I have a part time job driving, but it is not paying the bills. I need a full- time, dependable job with a consistent paycheck. Heck, I sent in an application to Whole Foods in hopes of being hired! And, no, I haven't heard back from them yet.
In January I wrote a blog post about not receiving an interview for a position I was very interested in. It stung. I was new to the job search, and hoped things would get better. With more practice and more time, I thought I would eventually find the right job. Well, it doesn't work that way. Yesterday I received another email that went something like, "after careful consideration we have decided not to move forward with your candidacy." And another one bites the dust.
Shoot.
Even after multiple rejections and failed attempts at being hired, it still stings.
Gosh, and I didn't even get into being rejected by men! That's for another post.
For as long as I can remember I have had an unhealthy fear of rejection. I say unhealthy because it has limited me. My fear has kept me from doing things, saying things, and trying things. I have only recently accepted this fear as just that. In the past I wouldn't have known how to classify or describe it, but now, I can confidently say that rejection scares the bejesus out of me.
At the risk of sounding as though I am bragging, I think a big part of the reason I am petrified of rejection is because I haven't had much experience with it. When I think back through the years, I see a consistent pattern of not being rejected. I was accepted to honors classes. I was a top rower during high school and recruited by multiple universities. I was accepted to the two universities I applied to. I was hired by all the jobs I applied to after I graduated. I was accepted by CIEE to teach in Thailand. It felt easy.
Fast forward to the real world in the USA.
I am applying to jobs left and right. And, while I know that unemployment is currently at 8.3%, I really thought I wouldn't be in that percentage. Yes, I have a part time job driving, but it is not paying the bills. I need a full- time, dependable job with a consistent paycheck. Heck, I sent in an application to Whole Foods in hopes of being hired! And, no, I haven't heard back from them yet.
In January I wrote a blog post about not receiving an interview for a position I was very interested in. It stung. I was new to the job search, and hoped things would get better. With more practice and more time, I thought I would eventually find the right job. Well, it doesn't work that way. Yesterday I received another email that went something like, "after careful consideration we have decided not to move forward with your candidacy." And another one bites the dust.
Shoot.
Even after multiple rejections and failed attempts at being hired, it still stings.
Gosh, and I didn't even get into being rejected by men! That's for another post.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
An Interview
I applied on a whim. My parents were at a party, talking to another couple and discussing their children. When my parents spoke of me and my ongoing search for a job the man chimed in. He mentioned his daughter, a medical software company, an interview, and the rest was history.
As I did my online research I discovered that despite my mother's assumptions, there are not offices located throughout the country. Instead, there is one office. That office happens to be located pretty much smack dab in the middle of the country, and not in NYC. I continued with the application process, unconcerned with the location. Any interview, or application for that matter, is a learning experience, so I forged on. Updating the resume, writing a new cover letter, saving in non-Mac formats and submitting online took me hours. I answered the questions with slight disbelief. They asked for my SAT scores and final GPA from university. How was I to remember my SAT score? I took that test 8 years ago... Wow, I feel old. I answered to the best of my memory, made a little wish, and pushed submit.
Immediately I received an email. I hesitantly clicked on the link to find a form message, thanking me for the submission. I should have known. I let out a sigh and stepped away from the screen.
Three days later I received another email. It asked me to take an online test to continue with the application process. I followed the prompts and began my exam which was slated to take between 20 and 40 minutes. I started with the questions, which seemed surprisingly similar to what I could remember as SAT questions. The questions, however, were interspersed with statements regarding my personality. I was forced to choose between four statements, which would be the most true about me. Even if all of the statements sounded nothing like me, I had to choose. The next screen showed me the remaining three options, forcing me to choose between them, and so on. When the test was completed I was relieved. But I was also intrigued.
Two days later, another email. This time it was a request for a phone interview. I scheduled the interview for the following week and set a reminder on my calendar.
The telephone conversation felt like just that: a conversation. The woman I spoke to was engaging, kind and wonderful to talk to. She verified scores, GPAs, and dates, but mostly, we spoke. She asked about Thailand. I asked about living in the middle of the country. She asked about my strengths, weaknesses and dreams. I asked about the available jobs.
Two days later I received another phone call. It was a new woman. She said, "your resume came across my desk, and since you will be coming out for a live interview I was wondering if you would be interested in also considering a second position. While you are here you will be able to hear and learn more about it and also interview for it." Stay calm, Meaghan. You didn't know you got the live interview, but this is great. Accept. I kindly thanked the woman, told her I would be more than happy to interview for a second position, and walked back into the restaurant to finish my glass of wine with Heather.
Monday I received another phone call. Another woman. Another resume-came-across-my-desk-would-you-consider-another-position conversation. I stayed calm, cool and collected, and gladly accepted. I had yet to receive a phone call or email asking me to go out for a live interview, but after the second phone call, it seemed to be more of a technicality.
Within a few days, my flights were booked. The only problem, was my flights were booked for the Sunday after the bachelorette party. I was forced to take the midnight bus to Chinatown.
In a way, it was a blessing in disguise. I arrived to NYC just after 6 am on Sunday morning. I was able to enjoy a few hours and a delicious breakfast with Kiki, my mom, and Erin before I jumped on the shuttle to the airport.
I had a direct flight and arrived before 5 pm on Sunday evening. I went out to dinner with a friend from college and a friend from Thailand, Cait, who was kind enough to drive 3 1/2 hours for dinner! It was a great night, but an early one, because I had an interview to rest up for.
I left the hotel at 7:45 Monday and spent the day interviewing, until I was in a cab at 4 pm for my flight back to New York. It was an excruciatingly long day, but it was great! I had three different position overviews, three different interviews, made one presentation, and took multiple assessments, but I made it through. And, I think I did an okay job, if I do say so myself.
I am currently waiting to hear back from the company, but I should hear by the end of the week. Fingers crossed!
As I did my online research I discovered that despite my mother's assumptions, there are not offices located throughout the country. Instead, there is one office. That office happens to be located pretty much smack dab in the middle of the country, and not in NYC. I continued with the application process, unconcerned with the location. Any interview, or application for that matter, is a learning experience, so I forged on. Updating the resume, writing a new cover letter, saving in non-Mac formats and submitting online took me hours. I answered the questions with slight disbelief. They asked for my SAT scores and final GPA from university. How was I to remember my SAT score? I took that test 8 years ago... Wow, I feel old. I answered to the best of my memory, made a little wish, and pushed submit.
Immediately I received an email. I hesitantly clicked on the link to find a form message, thanking me for the submission. I should have known. I let out a sigh and stepped away from the screen.
Three days later I received another email. It asked me to take an online test to continue with the application process. I followed the prompts and began my exam which was slated to take between 20 and 40 minutes. I started with the questions, which seemed surprisingly similar to what I could remember as SAT questions. The questions, however, were interspersed with statements regarding my personality. I was forced to choose between four statements, which would be the most true about me. Even if all of the statements sounded nothing like me, I had to choose. The next screen showed me the remaining three options, forcing me to choose between them, and so on. When the test was completed I was relieved. But I was also intrigued.
Two days later, another email. This time it was a request for a phone interview. I scheduled the interview for the following week and set a reminder on my calendar.
The telephone conversation felt like just that: a conversation. The woman I spoke to was engaging, kind and wonderful to talk to. She verified scores, GPAs, and dates, but mostly, we spoke. She asked about Thailand. I asked about living in the middle of the country. She asked about my strengths, weaknesses and dreams. I asked about the available jobs.
Two days later I received another phone call. It was a new woman. She said, "your resume came across my desk, and since you will be coming out for a live interview I was wondering if you would be interested in also considering a second position. While you are here you will be able to hear and learn more about it and also interview for it." Stay calm, Meaghan. You didn't know you got the live interview, but this is great. Accept. I kindly thanked the woman, told her I would be more than happy to interview for a second position, and walked back into the restaurant to finish my glass of wine with Heather.
Monday I received another phone call. Another woman. Another resume-came-across-my-desk-would-you-consider-another-position conversation. I stayed calm, cool and collected, and gladly accepted. I had yet to receive a phone call or email asking me to go out for a live interview, but after the second phone call, it seemed to be more of a technicality.
Within a few days, my flights were booked. The only problem, was my flights were booked for the Sunday after the bachelorette party. I was forced to take the midnight bus to Chinatown.
In a way, it was a blessing in disguise. I arrived to NYC just after 6 am on Sunday morning. I was able to enjoy a few hours and a delicious breakfast with Kiki, my mom, and Erin before I jumped on the shuttle to the airport.
I had a direct flight and arrived before 5 pm on Sunday evening. I went out to dinner with a friend from college and a friend from Thailand, Cait, who was kind enough to drive 3 1/2 hours for dinner! It was a great night, but an early one, because I had an interview to rest up for.
We had to take the typical Thai photo!
I am currently waiting to hear back from the company, but I should hear by the end of the week. Fingers crossed!
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Favorite Compliment... EVER!
Throughout my life I have received enough compliments to accurately say that yesterday's was my favorite.
While driving to the office, after my boss picked me up on the FDR (remember Phillipe?), we got to talking. I told him about my weekend in Virginia, including the bachelorette party and the upcoming wedding. We ended up talking about my time in Tulsa. After a story about the wedding I was in last year, Phillipe turned to me and said, "you should write all of this. Seriously, I am going to see what I can do. You should be paid to write."
I should be paid to write? Favorite compliment.... EVER! Granted, Phillipe has never read what I have written, so he may end up retracting that comment, but I'm going to take it for what it is: my favorite compliment ever.
While driving to the office, after my boss picked me up on the FDR (remember Phillipe?), we got to talking. I told him about my weekend in Virginia, including the bachelorette party and the upcoming wedding. We ended up talking about my time in Tulsa. After a story about the wedding I was in last year, Phillipe turned to me and said, "you should write all of this. Seriously, I am going to see what I can do. You should be paid to write."
I should be paid to write? Favorite compliment.... EVER! Granted, Phillipe has never read what I have written, so he may end up retracting that comment, but I'm going to take it for what it is: my favorite compliment ever.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Oh, the telephone!
When posting my photos from my weekends with Heather and bachelorette-ing, I completely neglected my telephone! Oh, how quickly I forget about my amazing camera phone. Yes, Meaghan, it is 2012. You have a camera on your telephone, and you use it.
Without further ado, here are the forgotten photos.
Fast forward to Virginia...
Without further ado, here are the forgotten photos.
A typical photo in Times Square.
A man on the subway doing something I would never do... Leaning on the door! Breaking the rules and completely disregarding the signs saying "Do not lean against doors."
My mother strongly dislikes the phrase "love means never having to say, 'I'm sorry.'" So, I found this billboard to be especially funny.
Both of us on The High Line.
A forbidden photo inside the theater. We were sitting next to Exit 15 and Exit 16... oh, Saratoga.
Heather couldn't leave without a NYC hot dog!
During the weekend Heather and I bonded over our pet peeve of people not taking the stitch out of pleats and slits. This woman had a jacket filled with pleats... and the stitches!
Fast forward to Virginia...
Humongous Saturday morning mimosas!
The prizes that Nicole had for the bachelorette party.
My First Rodeo
"This is not my first rodeo" has been one of my favorite phrases as of late. It has been applicable to a variety of different situations including finding my way to a specific unknown location in the city, taking an overnight bus, packing lightly, and many others.
When it comes to bachelorette parties, however, this past weekend, was my first rodeo. Never had I ever been to a bachelorette party. Well, that's not entirely true. For Laura Beth's wedding last year we had a bachelorette party, but it was the night before the wedding, and was basically just a night of drinking wine and gossiping. This bachelorette party involved games, outfit changes and a city I had never been out in! This was my first rodeo.
On Friday morning I waited for Nicole's call before heading out to meet her in New Jersey. I had done some googlemaps research to find a NJ Transit station as close to the Garden State Parkway as possible. I found the stop in Clifton, and planned to meet her there just after noon. I made the transfers, texting Nicole, and realizing we would be arriving at almost exactly the same time. But, it was too good to be true.
The station didn't have an exact address, only an intersection. And while googlemaps had no problem navigating to the spot, Nicole's Garmin was less accommodating. By the time I arrived, Nicole was nearby, but completely lost. I played with my map on my telephone, kept Nicole on speakerphone, directing her, and we eventually managed to find each other. We were back on the road again, but about an hour behind schedule.
We arrived in Mathews County, VA close to 8 pm. With traffic and torrential rain along the way, we were knocked way off of schedule. Fortunately Allie and Joe, her fiancée, were more than forgiving, and had us meet them at the restaurant.
When we arrived, Allie and Joe were each enjoying a beer and chatting with a couple and their two children. We were introduced and learned that the family had recently moved to Mathews. Nicole and I each ordered a beer and the four of us passed a menu between us to order food. All the while, the new couple was chatting with us. When our food was delivered we decided to move to a table. The couple acknowledged our location change and also moved... To the table directly next to ours. They had hinted that their children were tired and should head home soon, but they showed no sign of packing up.
The couple sat next to us the entire time. And they talked to us the entire time. Their children began acting up and running around, but they just kept on chatting. The husband would occasionally get up to chase a curly red head around the restaurant, but mostly they talked. Nonstop.
Joe eventually got up to pay the bill, and the three of us started putting our jackets on. The family started getting their jackets on as well, and walked out of the restaurant with us. Nicole and I drove back to Allie and Joe's and were ecstatic to finally be able to talk to each other! When the four of us were in the house we all let out a huge sigh of relief. As kind as the couple was, we just wanted to talk to each other! It had been months since we had seen each other, and the talk of Alabama Mardi Gras parties was not what we were in the mood for. The poor couple was starved for conversation. They just wanted friends. We did our good deed for the day by listening, but we were very excited to just have each other.
The next morning we woke up to drink mimosas and enjoy a delicious home cooked breakfast. I whipped up a batch of brownies, but that will be explained in my next post. At around 10 Joe called Allie to have us come down to the dock. The three of us went across the street to the family's dock to see Warren unloading the morning's catch. The three men, clad in waders and boots, threw around the fish, moving them, counting them, and loading them on the truck for delivery. Two hundred fish, three coolers and five trash barrels of ice later, the truck was loaded. Unfortunately, I left my camera at the house, because boy, it was a sight. Hopefully I'll get photos when I'm back for the wedding.
The three of us ladies headed back to the house and leisurely got ready for the day. When we finally left the house around two we were dressed and ready for the shower. We drove to Richmond for the shower, held at Allie's cousin and Matron of Honor's house. We played a quick game, naming each famous person's significant other, and then moved on to opening gifts. After eating far too many Easter candies from the candy dish, we headed to our hotel downtown to change for the bachelorette party. In our adjoining rooms our group of twenty laughed as Nicole and I showed our excitement for our first wedding shower and bachelorette party. All of the people in our group had engagement rings and wedding bands fixed on their fingers. Many of the women had children at home. Nicole and I, the only people from outside of Virginia, were the odd men out. They women were shocked that Nicole and I had never been to a bachelorette party. The two of us tried to explain, as kindly as possible, that where we come from, people wait a little longer to get hitched. So, we donned our "going out" makeup and outfits, ready to rock the night as the only single ones in the crowd.
We went to dinner at The Tobacco Factory and the games began. Allie was forced to wear a candy necklace all night, having men eat the necklace piece by piece. I can't say that I wasn't embarrassed.
The night continued downstairs in the nightclub. We were armed with a list of tasks to complete, each worth a different point value. Allie's sister-in-law-to-be was out of control. Before I even had a beer in hand, she had managed to rack up a whopping 80 points. I chose to stand back, and take it all in.
Unfortunately, I was taking more than the sights in as the night went on; I was taking in copious amounts of secondhand smoke. Ew, Virginia. Get with it. Within 10 minutes of being in the club I felt like an ash tray. I had to leave at around 11 pm to catch a bus back to NYC, so I said my goodbyes and grabbed a cab. On the way to the hotel I immediately googled smoking regulations in Wisconsin. After less than two hours in the club, I knew I could never live in a place without smoking bans!
Here is the chart I found on wikipedia depicting smoking bans in the US. Before you become concerned, make sure you look at the key. (White is a good thing!)
I got back to the hotel, changed my shoes, my dress and my undergarments... I was done smelling like a stale cigarette. I soon realized that my hair was less forgiving than I had hoped, and the stench wasn't going anywhere. I didn't have time to fret or shower. I grabbed my bag, jumped in another cab and spent a whopping $33 to go to the bus station. The cab cost $13 more than my ticket back to NYC... oh, well.
At 12:30 I boarded the Chinatown bus and was reminded of the little things from Thailand that I don't miss. I don't miss the pushing, the lack of personal space, the ridiculous amounts of awkward pieces of luggage and taped up boxes. I miss Thailand, but I don't miss traveling in Asia.
I arrived back in NYC just after 6 am on Sunday morning. I had received lots of text messages throughout the night. The girls had a wonderful time. At 5:45 am I received a message from Nicole. I was shocked, thinking they were still up partying. As it turns out, the fire alarm was pulled, and everyone had to go down to the lobby. Nicole sent me this photo with the caption, "no, these are not strippers."
All in all it was a great, but brief, weekend. And the whirlwind didn't stop when I arrived back in NYC. I was on a flight at 2 pm Sunday afternoon for Wisconsin. Stay tuned for why....!
When it comes to bachelorette parties, however, this past weekend, was my first rodeo. Never had I ever been to a bachelorette party. Well, that's not entirely true. For Laura Beth's wedding last year we had a bachelorette party, but it was the night before the wedding, and was basically just a night of drinking wine and gossiping. This bachelorette party involved games, outfit changes and a city I had never been out in! This was my first rodeo.
On Friday morning I waited for Nicole's call before heading out to meet her in New Jersey. I had done some googlemaps research to find a NJ Transit station as close to the Garden State Parkway as possible. I found the stop in Clifton, and planned to meet her there just after noon. I made the transfers, texting Nicole, and realizing we would be arriving at almost exactly the same time. But, it was too good to be true.
The station didn't have an exact address, only an intersection. And while googlemaps had no problem navigating to the spot, Nicole's Garmin was less accommodating. By the time I arrived, Nicole was nearby, but completely lost. I played with my map on my telephone, kept Nicole on speakerphone, directing her, and we eventually managed to find each other. We were back on the road again, but about an hour behind schedule.
We arrived in Mathews County, VA close to 8 pm. With traffic and torrential rain along the way, we were knocked way off of schedule. Fortunately Allie and Joe, her fiancée, were more than forgiving, and had us meet them at the restaurant.
When we arrived, Allie and Joe were each enjoying a beer and chatting with a couple and their two children. We were introduced and learned that the family had recently moved to Mathews. Nicole and I each ordered a beer and the four of us passed a menu between us to order food. All the while, the new couple was chatting with us. When our food was delivered we decided to move to a table. The couple acknowledged our location change and also moved... To the table directly next to ours. They had hinted that their children were tired and should head home soon, but they showed no sign of packing up.
The couple sat next to us the entire time. And they talked to us the entire time. Their children began acting up and running around, but they just kept on chatting. The husband would occasionally get up to chase a curly red head around the restaurant, but mostly they talked. Nonstop.
Joe eventually got up to pay the bill, and the three of us started putting our jackets on. The family started getting their jackets on as well, and walked out of the restaurant with us. Nicole and I drove back to Allie and Joe's and were ecstatic to finally be able to talk to each other! When the four of us were in the house we all let out a huge sigh of relief. As kind as the couple was, we just wanted to talk to each other! It had been months since we had seen each other, and the talk of Alabama Mardi Gras parties was not what we were in the mood for. The poor couple was starved for conversation. They just wanted friends. We did our good deed for the day by listening, but we were very excited to just have each other.
The next morning we woke up to drink mimosas and enjoy a delicious home cooked breakfast. I whipped up a batch of brownies, but that will be explained in my next post. At around 10 Joe called Allie to have us come down to the dock. The three of us went across the street to the family's dock to see Warren unloading the morning's catch. The three men, clad in waders and boots, threw around the fish, moving them, counting them, and loading them on the truck for delivery. Two hundred fish, three coolers and five trash barrels of ice later, the truck was loaded. Unfortunately, I left my camera at the house, because boy, it was a sight. Hopefully I'll get photos when I'm back for the wedding.
The three of us ladies headed back to the house and leisurely got ready for the day. When we finally left the house around two we were dressed and ready for the shower. We drove to Richmond for the shower, held at Allie's cousin and Matron of Honor's house. We played a quick game, naming each famous person's significant other, and then moved on to opening gifts. After eating far too many Easter candies from the candy dish, we headed to our hotel downtown to change for the bachelorette party. In our adjoining rooms our group of twenty laughed as Nicole and I showed our excitement for our first wedding shower and bachelorette party. All of the people in our group had engagement rings and wedding bands fixed on their fingers. Many of the women had children at home. Nicole and I, the only people from outside of Virginia, were the odd men out. They women were shocked that Nicole and I had never been to a bachelorette party. The two of us tried to explain, as kindly as possible, that where we come from, people wait a little longer to get hitched. So, we donned our "going out" makeup and outfits, ready to rock the night as the only single ones in the crowd.
We went to dinner at The Tobacco Factory and the games began. Allie was forced to wear a candy necklace all night, having men eat the necklace piece by piece. I can't say that I wasn't embarrassed.
The night continued downstairs in the nightclub. We were armed with a list of tasks to complete, each worth a different point value. Allie's sister-in-law-to-be was out of control. Before I even had a beer in hand, she had managed to rack up a whopping 80 points. I chose to stand back, and take it all in.
Unfortunately, I was taking more than the sights in as the night went on; I was taking in copious amounts of secondhand smoke. Ew, Virginia. Get with it. Within 10 minutes of being in the club I felt like an ash tray. I had to leave at around 11 pm to catch a bus back to NYC, so I said my goodbyes and grabbed a cab. On the way to the hotel I immediately googled smoking regulations in Wisconsin. After less than two hours in the club, I knew I could never live in a place without smoking bans!
Here is the chart I found on wikipedia depicting smoking bans in the US. Before you become concerned, make sure you look at the key. (White is a good thing!)
At 12:30 I boarded the Chinatown bus and was reminded of the little things from Thailand that I don't miss. I don't miss the pushing, the lack of personal space, the ridiculous amounts of awkward pieces of luggage and taped up boxes. I miss Thailand, but I don't miss traveling in Asia.
I arrived back in NYC just after 6 am on Sunday morning. I had received lots of text messages throughout the night. The girls had a wonderful time. At 5:45 am I received a message from Nicole. I was shocked, thinking they were still up partying. As it turns out, the fire alarm was pulled, and everyone had to go down to the lobby. Nicole sent me this photo with the caption, "no, these are not strippers."
All in all it was a great, but brief, weekend. And the whirlwind didn't stop when I arrived back in NYC. I was on a flight at 2 pm Sunday afternoon for Wisconsin. Stay tuned for why....!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Heather Hits NYC
Now that I am done blaming my tiny little cousin for my absence, I have so many fun things to tell you about!
Let's start with last weekend. And by "last weekend" I really mean the weekend before last weekend. President's Day weekend, to be exact.
Heather came to visit!
Heather currently lives in DC and took the bus up for the weekend. I met her at the bus stop on an exceptionally warm and sunny Friday afternoon. Heather was able to "work from home" for the day and jump on a mid- morning bus. But, let's be honest, we all know she wasn't really working. Instead, she was enjoying the city with me!
Heather says I looked very hip when I picked her up, and she pointed me out to her seat neighbor. When she told me, I was pretty proud of myself. I guess my sister's leather bomber jacket was a good choice.
The two of us headed back to the apartment to drop her bags off. After very little debate the we headed out for happy hour. We planned to have a few drinks, watch people and catch up while waiting for Erin to finish with ballet. Just as we were off the subway and heading to the bar Erin texted me to tell me she would be finished with ballet early. Two hours early.
Well, that changed our plans. Heather and I barely had time for one beer before meeting Erin at Alvin Ailey.
Erin was a little cranky when we picked her up, as per usual, and complained of being hungry. As the three of us wandered down 9th Ave we collectively decided that we weren't in the mood for Italian food. Before we knew it, cranky pants was looking at a menu on the street. Cranky pants picked an Italian place. Well, okay then.
The three of us enjoyed a delicious meal before heading back to the apartment for Bride-day. Now, for those of you that aren't a TV addict, like I have become, Bride-day is Friday on TLC. The evening is filled with Say Yes To The Dress and Four Weddings. Heather and I were in heaven. She was exhausted from a long week at work and I was, well, I was just enjoying the shows.
Early the next morning Erin headed back to Saratoga and Heather and I had the place to ourselves. We went to tkts at South Street Seaport and faced the intimidating line for tickets to How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The line went much more quickly than we anticipated and within an hour and a half we had tickets!
After, we went back to the apartment so Heather could prepare for her brunch date. A few weeks before she had met a guy in DC who was from the city. When she mentioned that she was planning to visit me he made her pencil him in. So, the two of them headed out for their 3 pm brunch reservations while I tidied up post- Erin.
That evening, after passing the initial test, Heather and I met the man and his friends out for drinks. We went to a great beer place where we drank every type of beer I had never heard of while trying to downplay the slightly awkward situation. Before we knew it, it was 3 am and we were just heading home. I guess the night was less awkward than it had seemed!
Heather and I slept in a bit on Sunday, but I made sure we were up in time to enjoy some of the city. We ate a delicious brunch, at an appropriate brunch time of 11 am, and then walked The High Line. Now, for those of you that have not yet experienced The High Line, I cannot recommend it enough. It is very crowded, but it is amazing! It is so quiet as you walk above the city. You feel as though you are in a completely different place. It's wonderful.
From there, we walked to the show just in time to watch the teenage girls gathering outside in hoards. We had some time to kill, so we wandered away from the annoyingly hormonal teens to grab a coffee and a Junior's black and white cookie. (Note to self: learn to make black and whites when I have access to an oven again!)
Heather and I had a wonderful time at the show. Nick Jonas is amazingly talented, but everyone on Broadway is. Every time I see a show I am simply blown away by the talent. Every single person on that stage could sing, dance and act!
The show was great, but I think I am a bit of a Broadway snob. Every show I see, I walk in with super high expectations, even when I don't want to. Because of this, I expect to be wowed the second the curtain goes up. I have learned, however, that this isn't always possible. Plenty of shows start out a little more slowly. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is the perfect example of this. There were smaller numbers at the start and more of the story to learn. But, by the end, and especially the football number, I was totally and completely hooked! This show, was wonderful. Not my favorite show, but still great. I would recommend it.
That evening Heather and I wandered to Bryant Park to watch the ice skaters. I received a text from a friend of mine, inviting me to a karaoke competition. Heather and I agreed without thinking twice. We headed to 45th and 2nd to a small Irish bar for the competition. Todd nailed his first song to be moved onto the second round, and then the third. Of the 44 competitors, Todd came in 4th place! It was a great night and my worlds continued to collide. Somehow, Heather has managed to meet key players in a lot of the places I have lived, including West Hartford, Saratoga, Thailand, and now NYC.
After 44 karaoke-ers and multiple rounds of competition, Heather and I didn't make it home until about 3 am... again! Yikes. Luckily, we had plenty of time to sleep in the next morning and slowly make our way to her bus the next afternoon.
It was a great weekend in NYC. Now, I need to plan my trip to DC!
Let's start with last weekend. And by "last weekend" I really mean the weekend before last weekend. President's Day weekend, to be exact.
Heather came to visit!
Heather currently lives in DC and took the bus up for the weekend. I met her at the bus stop on an exceptionally warm and sunny Friday afternoon. Heather was able to "work from home" for the day and jump on a mid- morning bus. But, let's be honest, we all know she wasn't really working. Instead, she was enjoying the city with me!
Heather says I looked very hip when I picked her up, and she pointed me out to her seat neighbor. When she told me, I was pretty proud of myself. I guess my sister's leather bomber jacket was a good choice.
The two of us headed back to the apartment to drop her bags off. After very little debate the we headed out for happy hour. We planned to have a few drinks, watch people and catch up while waiting for Erin to finish with ballet. Just as we were off the subway and heading to the bar Erin texted me to tell me she would be finished with ballet early. Two hours early.
Well, that changed our plans. Heather and I barely had time for one beer before meeting Erin at Alvin Ailey.
Erin was a little cranky when we picked her up, as per usual, and complained of being hungry. As the three of us wandered down 9th Ave we collectively decided that we weren't in the mood for Italian food. Before we knew it, cranky pants was looking at a menu on the street. Cranky pants picked an Italian place. Well, okay then.
The three of us enjoyed a delicious meal before heading back to the apartment for Bride-day. Now, for those of you that aren't a TV addict, like I have become, Bride-day is Friday on TLC. The evening is filled with Say Yes To The Dress and Four Weddings. Heather and I were in heaven. She was exhausted from a long week at work and I was, well, I was just enjoying the shows.
Early the next morning Erin headed back to Saratoga and Heather and I had the place to ourselves. We went to tkts at South Street Seaport and faced the intimidating line for tickets to How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The line went much more quickly than we anticipated and within an hour and a half we had tickets!
After, we went back to the apartment so Heather could prepare for her brunch date. A few weeks before she had met a guy in DC who was from the city. When she mentioned that she was planning to visit me he made her pencil him in. So, the two of them headed out for their 3 pm brunch reservations while I tidied up post- Erin.
That evening, after passing the initial test, Heather and I met the man and his friends out for drinks. We went to a great beer place where we drank every type of beer I had never heard of while trying to downplay the slightly awkward situation. Before we knew it, it was 3 am and we were just heading home. I guess the night was less awkward than it had seemed!
Heather and I slept in a bit on Sunday, but I made sure we were up in time to enjoy some of the city. We ate a delicious brunch, at an appropriate brunch time of 11 am, and then walked The High Line. Now, for those of you that have not yet experienced The High Line, I cannot recommend it enough. It is very crowded, but it is amazing! It is so quiet as you walk above the city. You feel as though you are in a completely different place. It's wonderful.
From there, we walked to the show just in time to watch the teenage girls gathering outside in hoards. We had some time to kill, so we wandered away from the annoyingly hormonal teens to grab a coffee and a Junior's black and white cookie. (Note to self: learn to make black and whites when I have access to an oven again!)
Heather and I had a wonderful time at the show. Nick Jonas is amazingly talented, but everyone on Broadway is. Every time I see a show I am simply blown away by the talent. Every single person on that stage could sing, dance and act!
The show was great, but I think I am a bit of a Broadway snob. Every show I see, I walk in with super high expectations, even when I don't want to. Because of this, I expect to be wowed the second the curtain goes up. I have learned, however, that this isn't always possible. Plenty of shows start out a little more slowly. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is the perfect example of this. There were smaller numbers at the start and more of the story to learn. But, by the end, and especially the football number, I was totally and completely hooked! This show, was wonderful. Not my favorite show, but still great. I would recommend it.
That evening Heather and I wandered to Bryant Park to watch the ice skaters. I received a text from a friend of mine, inviting me to a karaoke competition. Heather and I agreed without thinking twice. We headed to 45th and 2nd to a small Irish bar for the competition. Todd nailed his first song to be moved onto the second round, and then the third. Of the 44 competitors, Todd came in 4th place! It was a great night and my worlds continued to collide. Somehow, Heather has managed to meet key players in a lot of the places I have lived, including West Hartford, Saratoga, Thailand, and now NYC.
After 44 karaoke-ers and multiple rounds of competition, Heather and I didn't make it home until about 3 am... again! Yikes. Luckily, we had plenty of time to sleep in the next morning and slowly make our way to her bus the next afternoon.
It was a great weekend in NYC. Now, I need to plan my trip to DC!
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