13.1 Miles (well, a few more...)

This is continuation of the Race Weekend post.

40,000 people racing is outrageous. I realized this when I was at the starting line with all of them. Throughout the 19 miles of my half marathon I never stopped being amazed by the number of participants.

For those of you that are thinking, "wait a minute... since when are half marathons 19 miles?" Well, let me tell you.

Dressed and ready for the race!

Starting around 2 pm the Team Challenge participants began lining up for the shuttle to the start line. The strip was closed and traffic was a little crazy, so the three-mile trip to the starting area took nearly 45 minutes. While I was on the bus with Team Wisconsin Heather (of Team DC) sent me a photo of her with Sean.

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Look familiar?

Let me also add a little fun fact. Sean came to the event as the token celebrity for the CCFA Team Challenge half marathon. He forgot his running shoes and had to buy a pair Sunday morning. The Bachelor doesn't pick its contestants based on intelligence? Weird.

When I arrived at the start line I was nervous, jittery, excited and looking for Heather. And a bathroom. In my search for Heather I found the tent of wedding runners. There were at least a hundred couples that were running the half marathon to renew their vows or get married. They had ridiculous outfits and ran through officiants stationed along the course. Oh, Las Vegas, you are not my favorite place in the world for anything other than people watching.

I found myself an "in honor of" bib, filled it out, pinned it on, and headed for my corral. While I was waiting I received a text message from my mom saying that she and Ann had found a perfect viewing spot.

With 40,000 racers and a staggered start I didn't cross the start line until 45 minutes after the gun.

We ran about less than a mile before turning around and heading back up the strip, passing the start line. I frantically looked for Heather, but I couldn't find her. As I scanned the crowd and saw all of the runners in the orange tank tops I was completely overcome with emotion.

I couldn't believe that all of my training had led up to this moment. I couldn't believe that I had raised as much money as I had. I couldn't believe that six months had already passed from the time I first agreed to the race. I couldn't believe I wasn't running with Heather.

I kept on racing.

I was right on pace and proud of myself. The wind was brutal, but I felt great.

At around mile seven I started thinking about Heather and how badly I wanted to cross the finish line with her.

At around mile eight I started to think about how annoying the wind was and how much my knees were starting to bother me.

At mile nine I awkwardly retrieved my telephone from my SpiBelt and tried to call Heather. Her telephone was off. How would I find her?

At mile ten I saw Team Wisconsin people cheering us on. I told Becky, one of the WI coordinators, that I was going to turn around to find Heather in a little while, and if she saw Heather, to please tell her.

At this point in the race, the course was taking us back down the strip. There were thousands of people running in the opposite direction on the other side of the street. I ran down the course looking for Heather. I decided that if I didn't see her by the time I hit the 12-mile mark, I would just turn around, start walking back, and wait for her to catch up to me.

But at about 11.7 miles I saw her! I yelled her name and jumped across the median to hug her. I was ecstatic. I started walking with her and her friend.

"What are you doing?"
"I'm walking with you."
"What?"
"I want to finish the race with you, so I'm going to walk with you."
"Meaghan, how far were you? We have over seven miles left."
"That's fine. I don't care about my time, I just want to finish with you."

So the three of us walked.

I had a few moments when I thought I was going to die, or at the very least pass out, but we made it.

My coach found us at the 12- mile mark and was thrilled to see me.

"What happened to you? My wife was at home tracking you, she told me you were doing well, and then your chip wasn't registering any more times. I couldn't find you!"
"Yeah, I decided to find Heather."
"I thought that might happen."

As Heather and I crossed the finish line I wanted to cry, fall down, throw up, and go to sleep. I didn't want to have my photo taken, but at the same time all I wanted was a photo of us.

We met our moms in the finishers' tent and had plenty of photos taken.

I announced my half-marathon retirement and we discussed our plans for the evening.

Heather and I went out, danced, gambled and drank a few well-deserved beers.

Heather won.

All in all, we had a fantastic weekend and went home with very sore bodies.

Two weeks later I heard from the group I volunteer with, the Jaycees. The president received the donation we were waiting for from working at BeerFest, and she had the check made out to CCFA. She told me the amount and I started shaking.

I called Heather.
I called my parents.
I called Matt.

I was speechless and amazed. I picked up the check the next day to submit to CCFA. I opened the envelope and was in complete shock all over again.

$4200 for CCFA

Thanks to everyone for the support. This was an absolutely amazing experience.

A fun fact about the donation: My parents met Heather's parents when they were in the Jaycees together in Annapolis. They became best friends and Heather and I were friends before we had any choice in the matter. Life is funny like that.

The quilt is on the move

The quilt is en route to Augusta, GA!

Ellie made it, I sewed on the label, many kindly donated to enter the raffle, and the USPS man stuffed it into a box most would consider too small. It was a labor of love. Well, there was definitely love on Ellie's and my part, but the USPS man was more helpful and rough than loving.

 

 

Thank you again to everyone that donated to CCFA over the past few months, I can't even begin to explain how much it means to me. Soon, I will be posting a full race recap and an exciting donation announcement!

 

Y'all come back now, ya hear?

 

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The Big Race Weekend

After months of training and fundraising, race week finally arrived.

Friday morning I took Wilbur for a long walk and then dropped him off at Waggin' Tails, his happy place. The name is quite fitting because every time we drive there Wilbur gets so excited he almost falls over from wagging his tail so hard. He has to sit down while the rest of his body wiggles uncontrollably until we arrive at daycare.

I immediately drove to Milwaukee to catch my flight to Las Vegas. Naturally, the new iPhone map application got me lost while I was trying to find the long term economy parking, but I figured it out without any help from Siri.

I spent Friday afternoon going to the marathon expo, getting as many freebies as possible, and exploring the strip. Heather, Ann and my mom wouldn't be flying in until Saturday, so I had plenty of time to myself. A few people from my team went out for burgers on Friday night, so I tagged along. My burger was delicious, but when I paid the bill, I was pretty sure that my burger wasn't $37 delicious...

The inside of The Venetian

Saturday morning I slept in and took a long shower while watching the C-USA championship football game. Yes, you read that correctly, I watched the football game from the shower. The large suite that I shared with my mom had two very fluffy and comfy queen beds, a humongous sectional couch in the living area, three televisions and a fax machine. I was tempted to send a fax, but couldn't think of what I would send or who I would send it to.

During halftime I wandered down the strip until I found three dollar beers and the Tulsa football game. I watched Tulsa win the conference championship in overtime while receiving texts from my friends at the game and staring at the characters on the strip during the commercial breaks. Gosh, there are some crazies in Las Vegas.

One of the characters wandering the strip... notice the Lightening McQueen tattoo? I told my dad he should get one...

My mom arrived to the Venetian around 3 and we went out for drinks to wait for Heather and Ann. Our first stop was less than impressive and quite smelly, so we took our seemingly virgin drinks and walked toward the Bellagio. She and I made it just in time to watch the water show. When I received the text from Heather letting me know that they were jumping in a cab to the hotel, my mom and I headed back to meet them in the lobby. Their flight was delayed, so we only had a matter of minutes to change for the pasta party.

At the pasta party we learned that the 1,104 runners raised nearly $4 million for Crohn's and Colitis Foundation! $4 million! That's amazing. We also saw Sean Lowe, next season's bachelor. He was the celebrity for the event, and I was pretty darn excited about it. Heather even snapped a photo with him at the start!

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Sean speaking at the pasta party 

After the party everyone was pretty tired from traveling, so we called it an early night.

Sunday morning my mom and I grabbed breakfast before heading to the pool. It was a delight. We were on the fourth floor between the towers of the hotel, and it felt like we were nowhere near Las Vegas, which was fantastic. We were away from the filth of the street, the crazies of the town and the crazy traffic. Unfortunately, it was also incredibly windy. Heather and Ann met us poolside, but the four of us only lasted about thirty minutes before we were too chilly.

We went back to our room to get ready for the race. With our sparkly skirts and socks, we were ready to run.

The wind advisory as we were getting ready for the race... gusts of 45mph? Yes, we ran through that.

Race recap to come....

Less than a week!

My race is on Sunday! My race is on Sunday! My race is on Sunday!

Only six days from now I will be running a half marathon down the Las Vegas strip surrounded by tens of thousands of people including one of my very best friends, Heather.

We are still in the process of planning our matching outfits for the race, so maybe this photo will give us some inspiration.

Through the end of the year I will continue to raise money for CCFA.

Huge news on the fundraising front: Ellie was kind enough to donate a quilt for me to raffle off for CCFA!

 

You can purchase one ticket for $5 or five tickets for $20! Simply go to my fundraising website, make a donation for the tickets and write "Amazing Quilt Raffle" in the comment section.

I will draw the winner on Sunday, December 2, the day of the race, and ship the quilt to you next week!

 

As of this minute I have sold a total of six raffle tickets, so the odds are looking pretty good.



**I will post the exact measurements of the quilt later this evening.**

Training: Week Seven

I have invested in a foam roller. After speaking with my running coach and my yoga teacher, we narrowed down the nagging knee pain to a potential IT band issue. Sure enough, the foam roller has done wonders.

On Sunday I ran 9 miles in 90 minutes! Consistent ten-minute miles? I'll take it!

Sunday morning was freezing cold and windy, but I dragged myself out of bed and laced up my runners. After working 14-hour days all last week and another 6 hours on Saturday, the last thing in the world I wanted to do was wake up early on Sunday. But I did it. And gosh, I felt pretty great when I finished.

Heather is one week post-surgery, and according to her facebook posts and tweets she is slowly but surely recovering. She has yet to stay up past 8 pm and chat with me on the telephone, but I'm hoping she will call me soon.

Donate to CCFA! I am $2,415 short of my goal.

Anyone have any fundraising ideas? I need some help!

I don't even know where to begin...

Training: Week Six

Yesterday I ran 8.5 miles and then complained about the nagging pain in my knee.

Today Heather underwent surgery for a disease she has been dealing with for 9 years.

That puts things in perspective, no?

Donate to CCFA!

I have 14 days to raise $1,715.

Please send your thoughts and prayers Heather's way for a quick and easy recovery!

Training: Week Five

9 miles on Sunday

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(I didn't have as much fun as Phoebe)

Irritating pain in my left knee around mile 7

A very well-deserved shower

And another throwback photo

Flashlights up the nose? Classic.

I'm still training for my half-marathon, and still raising money for Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. I'm hoping to raise $2,700 by October 15 and $3,700 by December 2. Help a sister out?

Click here.

Training: Week Three

I have nearly finished with three weeks of half marathon training! 

Last Sunday I went on a 6 1/2 mile run followed by a trip to Movin' Shoes for new Mizunos. 

The woman at the store asked me about running, my experience with Mizunos, and watched me walk. She brought out Adidas, Aasics, New Balances and Mizunos. I tried on all four pairs, jogged around the store and left with Mizunos. They are just too wonderful to get away from!

Not too shabby, right? {source}

Thursday evening I went out for three miles in my new sneaks, and it turned my entire day around. The shoes are amazing, and they make running better.

So far I have only converted my mother to the world of Mizuno, but the more the merrier!

Here is this week's half marathon throwback photo:

Me, Heather, Garvey and Katie from back in the day

 

Don't forget to check out my half marathon website and donate to CCFA! Thanks for everyone that has supported so far. I have raised over $700 already! I have to recommit on October 15, and my goal is to have $2500 by that date. Any little bit helps! $2 per mile? Only $26.20!

Later this weekend I will be giving you updates about more OKCupid dates. There have been three so far, and each has its own quirks and shenanigans. Stay tuned... 

How do adults make friends?

I'm trying really, really hard, but at the end of the day, I'm all alone.

Moving to a new city is very challenging.  I don't have any friends.  I have been through more emotional highs and lows than one would experience on a roller coaster.

Last week was great!  I was very busy.  I had rowing in the mornings, an ice cream date with coworkers, trivia night, and an online dating date. 

I was thrilled for the long weekend and the prospect of sleeping in and relaxing.  Saturday morning I rowed, took Wilbur for a long walk and then treated myself to a Groupon pedicure.  Immediately after my pedicure I went to buy myself speakers for my apartment.  Unfortunately, I walked into Old Navy first.  There were tons of sales going on (and a very attractive employee encouraging me to try on more items) and I got a little carried away.  Needless to say, I am still using my computer speakers to listen to music, but I am rockin' a great new top right now.

After my little shopping spree I headed to Capitol Square to work at Taste of Madison.  I was volunteering with the Jaycees at one of the beer tents.  I had researched the group at my mother's recommendation and signed up for the first activity I could.  I showed up to the beer tent in an awesome new pair of pants ready to serve some beer, enjoy the vocal stylings of Mr. Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn, and meet some new friends. 

Four hours later I had a minor crush on a repeat beer buyer with a perfect smile, and plans for an evening out with the Jaycees.  We traveled in a pack to a nearby brew pub for cheese curds and beer before going to the one and only nightclub in town, if you could even call it that.  I walked home a little after midnight to find Wilbur sleeping on my bed.  His plan for me to come home too late and too inebriated to notice was a failure, and he was immediately scolded and sent to his own bed.

The next morning I pried the pup out of his bed and for a walk so I could report to half marathon training before 9 am.  I ran my prescribed 4 miles and hung around for a while after the run in hopes of sparking an amazing friendship with one of my fellow trainees.  I was home before 11 am without any new BFFs. 

Wilbur and I took another walk, sans headphones and sunglasses, with the intention of locking eyes with anyone awesome and starting a great conversation, and naturally, a lifelong friendship.

We were home within an hour.

I vacuumed my apartment, cleaned my bathroom and kitchen, listened to music from my telephone horn and eventually got ready for the Day Before Labor Day Barbecue I was invited to.

An iPhone horn.  It only costs about $5 and it is really awesome.  If you can't control your spending at Old Navy and therefore don't buy yourself real speakers, I highly recommend this.  It's also really great for using in the bathroom when you take a shower. 

With the top down and my passenger seat empty I sang my heart out all the way to the middle of nowhere for the barbecue.  I brought my standard brownies and impressed the crowd with my Wisconsin beer.  Beer chicken, buffalo dip, tomato mozzarella salad, and many conversations later, I drove home.

Monday morning I was ecstatic to wake up, see the clock read 6:04 am and turn over.  After 10 am I jumped out of bed with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning.  With nothing on the agenda and an amazing night of sleep under my belt, the day was destined for greatness.  Wilbur and I walked the long way to the dog park.  No amazing connections were made on the way there, but the small pack of humans at the park looked promising. 

While awkwardly standing and watching our dogs sniff each other's butts, we humans laughed and made small talk.  My phone buzzed in my pocket.  A text message.

Heather sent a mass text that her surgery was scheduled. 

I hadn't finished reading when the only person that regularly calls me started flashing across my screen.

"Hi, Mom."

I clipped the leash to Wilbur and we left the park. 

After my mom accompanied me on my walk home and asked me more questions about Heather's surgery than I could answer, I was back in my air conditioned apartment and all alone again. 

I spoke to Heather just last week and she told me surgery was the next step, but having a date scheduled made it real.  My heart hurt.  My heart hurt for Heather.  I wanted a distraction from my racing head and hurting heart, but I didn't have one.  My day was open, and I was all alone in Madison.  I am always alone in Madison.

So this is where I ask for audience participation!  How is an adult to make friends in a new city?  I have been trying all sorts of things and I still haven't found that person or those people, so any advice will be welcomed with open arms.  How am I to make friends?

Half Marathon

One thing on my list of 25 things to accomplish before I turned 25 was running a half marathon.  Well, I did it.  I didn't do it well, and I did it a month after I turned 25, but I did it.  Before I turned 25, however, I committed to running a second half marathon.  This December I will be running a half marathon in Las Vegas.

One of my very best friends, Heather Palmer, asked me to run the race with her.  The half marathon is part of the Rock n Roll series and will raise money to support Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, a cause very near and dear to Heather's heart, and now mine.

Heather and I were best friends before we even had a choice!

In 2003 Heather was diagnosed with Crohn's disease.  At the time I knew nothing about the disease.  Over the years I have seen Heather endure flare up after flare up and her medications become stronger and stronger.  Just this afternoon she told me that it is official, she will be undergoing surgery for the disease next month.

Last month her younger sister Cici was also diagnosed with Crohn's disease.

When I agreed to run this race and raise money I was doing it to help a good cause.  I know how much the organization means to Heather and I wanted to be there to support her.  In just three months since I agreed to run, the race means so much more to me now.

Last week I started training for the race with the Madison team.  I wish I was able to train with Heather and her team, but texting her after my runs will have to suffice.  Together we will run in Las Vegas rocking matching outfits, as we have done for as long as we can remember.

Denim dresses: one of our matching outfits over the years.  We'll be bringing back the trend for the race.

If you feel so inclined, visit my fundraising page and donate to CCFA.  All donations will be greatly appreciated.

Last November in Thailand.

An orchid garden in Thailand

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.