I'm a Lucky Girl

I could sit for hours and list all of the things I am thankful for, because there are a lot. But while I spent Thanksgiving in Iowa City with one of my best friends and her family, I realized what I am most thankful for (after my Christmas Pandora station). I am thankful for my loving family and amazing friends I have around the country and the world.

This answer feels like a "duh" answer, but there is so much more to it.

Three years ago I spent Thanksgiving in Thailand, probably eating pad Thai, with one of my best friends. Two years ago I spent Thanksgiving with absolutely wonderful people eating tacos in Khon Kaen. Both years I was surrounded by great friends, most of which I am in contact with on a regular basis.

Last year I spent my Thanksgiving in New Zealand. Oh what I would give to be in Paekakariki again... For Thanksgiving I was spending time with new friends and catching up with family members that I hadn't seen in years, all while eating delicious food.

This year I was in Iowa City with another wonderful group of people. When I moved to Madison in June, Cait invited me to spend Thanksgiving with her family. Actually, now that I think about it, I may have invited myself, but either way, I knew I would be in Iowa City.

Cait's family welcomed me into their home, fed me a delicious home cooked meal on Wednesday and reminded me of the wonderful times that are to be had around the dinner table. While I watched her brothers pick on each other, and then Cait, and then all three children laugh at Grammy for a ridiculous nickname she recently created, I couldn't help but laugh. I got a side cramp from laughing so hard. At the same time, I was jealous. I wanted to laugh with my family.

The next morning we all ran the Turkey Trot (minus Grammy) and came home to coffee cake and the parade. Cait and I spoke to her parents and Grammy over coffee before taking our time getting ready for dinner. In the early afternoon we walked to the house next door and joined Cait's family and friends for a Thanksgiving feast for 40.

After dinner and a tryptophan daze I asked Cait what she was thankful for this year. She said, "I'm thankful that my grandma is here." My heart hurt just a little when she said it. She then asked me the same question. I told her, "I am thankful for the wonderful friends and family I have. This is the fourth year I haven't been with my family for Thanksgiving, but I am always with amazing people. And I know that no matter where I am in the country or the world, I will have someone to spend my Thanksgiving with, and that makes me really happy. I'm lucky."

What I didn't tell Cait is that since I have lived in Madison I have been invited to five different Thanksgivings. Five different and new people in my life have been kind enough to invite me to Thanksgiving, and that is a wonderful feeling. I am thankful for that.

Yesterday I drove to Milwaukee for the afternoon to see another friend from Thailand. I was once again reminded of the great people I have in my life and the friendships I have been able to maintain throughout the years.

Next year I want to be with my parents, my siblings, and my Ellie for Thanksgiving. I want to sit around the table and laugh at jokes and memories that I know. I want to write on the Thanksgiving tablecloth. But, I also want all of my friends to be there. So without my parents' approval, I am going to put out an open invitation for everyone to come to my house for Thanksgiving next year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Musical Memory Lane

I was running along the lake last week listening to my iPod shuffle.  There aren’t many songs on my shuffle, and I basically know the playlist by heart, but I hadn’t listened to it in a while, so one song caught me off guard.  It was one of Beyonce’s songs from her latest album, 4.  While the song is an upbeat and fun song, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with a déjà vu-like feeling.  Of course for the rest of my run I was stuck thinking about this post, and how much I associate music with different situations.

 

I have a bad habit of becoming obsessed with songs and albums.  You know how when you turn on a top 40s radio station you can count on one of three songs being played at any moment?  That top 40 radio station is my life.  I don’t only listen to top 40s hits, but I do obsess over songs and albums.  At any time in my life, I can pinpoint the three songs I was listening to. 

I had a coach in college who told me about life soundtracks she made.  For certain semesters, seasons or years she would make a soundtrack.  As soon as I heard this, I wanted to steal the idea.  But as soon as I went to put it into action, I realized my problem.  I couldn’t create a soundtrack, I could create a single, and an EP if I was lucky.  I quickly gave up that plan, and went on with my music obsessing ways. 

When Beyonce’s beat started filling my ears, I was in Garden City.  I was running.  I was running as many laps as I could before I absolutely had to go into John and Jane’s house to shower.  I didn’t want to get ready for another funeral.  I didn’t want to wear another black dress.  I didn’t want to be in St. Joseph’s again.  And I really didn’t want to cry anymore. 

It’s a bummer, because I loved that album.  I loved that album until I ruined it.  At the time, it was the best thing that could have happened to me.  I must have listened to Schoolin' Life on repeat over 15 times while I ran one morning.  It kept me from crying, but now it makes my heart hurt. 

I have songs that remind me of everything.  And it’s what makes putting my iPod on shuffle so much fun.  So, let’s take a little trip down Meaghan’s Music Memory Lane.

The Ben Folds Live album:

This album will always remind me of the summer after my junior year in high school.  I am sitting in Jen’s black VW Cabrio.  The top is down, and I don’t know where we are going, but does it matter?  We are in high school in a convertible, and there aren’t parents around.

Milkman:

Milkman is what is known as a mash-up artist.  Take completely unrelated songs and mash them together and you ended up with some of the most awesome and fun music to party to.  Josh introduced me to Milkman while I was in Thailand, and of course I went through my obsession.  Now I cannot listening to a song without being transported to my 625/55 house in Piman Chon 1, listening to the music especially loudly on my impressive sound system and drinking Leo beer with Cait and Paul. 

James Taylor's New Moon Shine Album:

This is the song that Garvey and I had a dance to.

This album throws me back to Annapolis, dancing in the family room.  I can feel the afternoon sun beaming through the windows as Garvey and I performed our choreographed dance that he refused to remember the steps to, in hopes of making my parents laugh, and infuriating me.  Then there was the JT concert the family attended at Tanglewood, and one of my favorite weekends in my entire twenty-five years. 

Brett Dennan:

Somehow I came across Brett Dennen immediately before I began traveling alone last fall.  I had four albums downloaded and loaded on my iPod before I took off for Koh Lanta.  As I lounged on the beach, studying for my scuba exams Brett Dennen filled my ears.  And now I cannot listen to that red headed artist without seeing the Thai coastline, tasting the plastic of a regulator in my mouth, feeling the sun on my face, and glancing down at my arm hoping to see freckles that have long gone since my return to a non tropical locale.

Like a G6:

There was a brief period of time in Thailand when I had a cool phone.  Cool is a relative term as my students with iPhones quickly began to outnumber those without.  I thought my telephone was cool because it held music and had a small speaker.  So, when Paul and I both became obsessed with the song Like a G6 it only seemed logical to illegally download it and put it on my phone.  When Paul and I got into his Suzuki Caribbean on our way to pick up Cait for a coworker’s party with our matching telephones and playlists, the stereo wasn’t working.  What else was I to do than play Like A G6 on repeat from my phone?  And when the car broke down, I continued to repeat the same song.  Looking back, I’m surprised that Cait continued to be my friend after being forced to listen to that noise in a AC-less car for over two hours...

Call Me Maybe:

This is our HBB version, check it out.

I was first introduced to this song through facebook stalking.  Heather had posted the video on Cici’s wall, and, well, the rest is history.  I was quickly obsessed with the song along with the rest of the world.  And in similar fashion, I preferred the Justin Bieber lip syncing version to the actual music video.  When my boss at Hot Blondies Bakery began talking about her love of Justin Bieber, I immediately shared the video.  Who doesn’t love the Justin-Selena romance?  Sure enough, Laura was hooked.  And when Lorin returned from vacation she was thrilled to jump on the bandwagon.  When the cinco de mayo party rolled around, it only made sense to create our own music video, German videographer/ commentator and all.  For the rest of my short-lived career as a baker, the song was a constant presence in my brown sugar- filled life, and will always be associated with my days at HBB.

Fergie's The Dutchess:

I went through a ridiculous time during my sophomore year in college.  As though taking 18 credits and rowing for more than 20 hours a week wasn’t enough to keep me busy, I began working at the Starbucks on campus.  I absolutely loved my job.  And when I developed a minor crush on the fitness center’s evening supervisor, I would do anything to pick up hours.  And when my minor crush became a serious flirt fest, I would do anything I could to stick around the fitness center after I had closed the coffee shop.  Naturally, I took to working out even more.  After I would finish closing up I would bat my unimpressive eyelashes and head to the locker room to change into possibly my third workout outfit of the day.  I would then jump on the elliptical and listen to Fergie’s album, The Dutchess.  I would sweat a little, jam out to Fergie a lot and hope that Matt would come to “check on the floor."  The album played a pretty big role in the rest of my life that year, from dance parties to driving to practice, but from the moment I hear one of those songs begin I am transported to the same elliptical, crushing hard on a completely unavailable boy.  I think I’m still crushing…

I have many more songs to add to this post, but I think that is enough for now.  Maybe a second installment?

It's a hard knock life

Wilbur has a tough life.  Every morning when I wake him up for his walk, he lets me know just how tough it is.  Sometimes he whines, other times he stretches for a good ten minutes, but his favorite move is to refuse to open his eyes.

Pretending to be asleep.

The night before we left for Madison.

I will give him a little credit, because the past two weeks have been really tough.  I took him away from his family and his best friend and immediately made him sit in a very hot car for 19 hours.  I made him stay in a bizarre hotel and ride an elevator.  Side note: watching a dog ride an elevator for the frist time, or the first few times, is absolutely hilarious.

His throne in the car

After the car ride I put him in a strange house with more strange people.  (The people weren't actually strange, just strangers to him)

The next day I made him stay in another new place with weird smells, bizarre sounds outside the door, and no furniture.  Only two days later I woke him up at 5 am.  This may have been the worst for him.  If Wilbur had control of his life he would go to bed at 8 pm every night and not wake up until 11 am.  Unfortunately, my new job likes me to arrive before noon, so he and I were up at 5. 

We took a nice long walk along a path that is becoming familiar.  And then I locked him up for the day.  But not before giving him his anti- anxiety treat!

There is a wonderful pet store down the street where Wilbur and I are quickly becoming regulars.  When we went there the first time the cute owner asked to be introduced to Wilbur.  When Wilbur backed away and put his tail down when he tried to give him a treat the man asked if he was always so skittish.  I explained that it had been a stressful week, and Wilbur had become a nervous nelly with the move.  The adorable man recommended special anti- anxiety treats to help.  And with a flash of his pearly whites, I was sold.  Yes, cute pet store owner, I will now medicate my dog.

But before you think I'm terrible for leaving Wilbur in his kennel all day, let me explain that he loves it!  He sleeps in his kennel by choice at night, and finds it comforting.  When everything around him has changed so significantly, his kennel and bed are the same, and he likes that.  I also put his kennel in my closet, so he can't hear people coming and going in the hall, which I think keeps his stress level to a minimum.

Luckily, last week was short, so Wilbur was only home alone for two days before I spent the day at home with him.  On the fourth Cait and I took Wilbur out to dinner with us at Roman Candle, a pizza place down the street from my apartment.

On the way home he stopped at our new favorite pet store.  I think we have different reasons for it becoming our favorite, but it works well for both of us!  The pet store was closed, but Wilbur didn't understand that.  He sat down in front of the door and didn't want to move.  The cat of MadCat came to the front door, and Wilbur was in love.  As she slinked back and forth, rubbing her back against the door, Wilbur followed her every move.  And now, he and I have similar motives for frequenting the store.

This past weekend I brought Wilbur into Waggin' Tails Doggy Dude Ranch to begin his life as a daycare-goer.  He had his temperament test and was immediately thrown to the wolves, or the pack of 30+ dogs in the small dog area.  When I was allowed to see him I was informed that he was doing quite well.  From a doggy daycare newbie, he looked like a brown noser to me, standing right next to the dogsitter waiting to be pet, but I guess that was good?  The woman said that the fact he wasn't hiding from the other dogs or getting aggressive were good signs.  Whatever you say, dog lady!  And so Wilbur will be going on Tuesday to play with the other pups and not be medicated while I work.  His cubby will remain empty, but if I decide to, he is allowed to bring special treats, toys or even an afternoon snack with him. 

Go ahead, make fun all you want.  Trust me, I know how silly it is.  I wonder if we will have quarterly parent-teacher conferences...  Progress reports?  Graduations?

Just after all of my stuff was delivered... see the over dramatic puppy?

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.

We had to take the typical Thai photo!

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!