Meg MacFarland McGuigan, BA, BSN, RN

Cheers!!

Yesterday, I found out that I passed my boards and am now a Registered Nurse!

Sorry, it's another cell phone picture...I know, I know, I need to charge Cannon.

Scenes from a day off.

I took the NCLEX yesterday (!!), so I woke up today with neither a thing to study nor a licensure exam to worry about. I can check the results tomorrow morning, so hang on tight for the conclusion of that chapter of my career-change journey.

We're having absolutely GORGEOUS weather here in Raleigh this week (believe me, you should be jealous), so I spent much of my day out-of-doors at one of our favorite places, Umstead State Park. Being just a few minutes down the road, it's become our go-to spot for playing/hiking/running/camping/picnicking when we want to get into the woods. You just can't beat it when you want to maximize your outdoor time and minimize your car time.

I only had my cell phone with me for pictures, as my actual camera is sitting on the kitchen table, completely dead and begging me to recharge its battery. One day, Cannon. One day.

This was the first one I took. And I promptly sent it to Matt.
Who was at work. Inside of a cubicle.
I am not proud of my behavior.

Teeny, tiny toadstools.

Ferns are one of my FAV flora.
But what is that spiky-looking stuff in the bottom left corner?


Gotta be a fungus. Gotta be.


Blazes hold a special place in my heart.


Beautiful stone dam. Probably not built by beavers.


A gorgeously plush blanket of moss.


Another blaze. The sight brings comfort, even though I know this trail by heart.

Babbling brook. Chatting creek. Whispering waterway. Whatever floats your boat.

Bubbles!!

I know. Another one. I can't help myself.

Blazes remind me of all my past hikes - most all of them have been marked by blazes. On new trails, they greet you every so often to reassure you that you're on the right track, or to nudge you back onto it. Couple them with a map of the area, and I'm one happy clam. You know I have a thing for maps, right?

I hardly saw anyone out on the trail, it being a weekday, which I think is why I got to spy on so many different creatures: gazillion different types of fungi, squirrels, birds, and fish; 4 five-lined skinks; 1 toad; 1 frog; and 1 baby white-tailed deer. Needless to say, my cell phone camera skills were no match for most of these creatures.

Little Brian!

Last week, Matt's sister Katie, her husband Joe, and our nephew Brian swooped into town for a quick visit. Joe had a work meeting in Research Triangle Park, and Katie and Brian tagged along for the trip so we got a quick fix of Reuben family goodness!

The night they flew in, we met near their hotel at City Beverage to enjoy delicious food and cold drinks out on their patio. We had not seen them since January, so WOW was it amazing to see Brian running around! Our last memories were of him poised on the brink of figuring out crawling. Now he's an energetic explorer, who glances back at you with his huge, cheeky smile to make sure you're chasing him.


I know, it's horribly blurry. But a blurry cell phone picture is better than no picture, so we'll take it! Plus, you know if he's this handsome while blurry, he's crazy cute in person!

Since my younger brother's name is also Brian, we have come to affectionately refer to him as "Big Brian" and our nephew as "Little Brian." Coincidentally, we also both have sisters who are named Katie - but I call mine "Dee dee", so we don't really have a problem there.

Graduation Par-tay!

The weekend of my graduation, we were so very lucky to have my parents, Matt's parents, my sister and her boyfriend, and my brother all in town for the celebration!

While there was a lot of catching up and visiting with each other, by far the most delicious part of the whole weekend was our cookout that Saturday. Matt got up early to start the main course - pulled pork. Just acquiring the pork butt (aka - Boston Butt or pork shoulder, but I like my name better) was a bit of a fiasco, as he wanted to get it from a particular store (for animal welfare reasons, which you might think is ironic since we then ate said animal, but that discussion's for another time/post) and in the end it took a few trips out there. But he get it, he did, and he started it smoking out on the grill early that morning. After bringing it in to finish it in the oven, having our power go out (yup, for 3 hours on a 102F day), then having to move it back out on the grill to finish it, the pork was done as stomachs started rumbling.

Coupled with sides brought by our lovely families, and some of Matt's homebrew beer, we had quite a feast!

Matt made homemade BBQ sauce, but provided store bought too, just in case people had different preferences. That bottle was never opened.


As if it needed a label...and sitting next to it is farmstand corn from the NJ coast - courtesy of Tom and Julie (Matt's Mom and Dad)


I know, this pic is horrible quality, but everyone was hungry and I thought fists might fly if I didn't let people start to dig in!

Completing the meal is a tomato, feta, and caper salad (thanks Julie!), fiesta black bean salad (thanks Momma!), MD watermelon (thanks again Momma!), and homemade buttermilk coleslaw (thanks Matt!).

It was a delicious and festive meal for a fabulous family weekend. Thanks everyone!

disclaimer: i drooled a bit on my keyboard during the writing of this post.

Thank you, Grandma!

Thanks, Grandma Ruth!

Note: Apparently I am now blogging quite retrospectively.

Thanks to some Christmas money from my Grandma Ruth last December, Matt and I were able to purchase our long-awaited, home-away-from-home, TENT!

It arrived in early 2011 - smack in the middle of the chilly season that only sometimes earns its name down here in NC. Winter. So we waited, til we could try it out during warmer temps, a no-rain forecast, and a free weekend. And June was our reward.

Our first trip in early June was to Carolina Beach State Park, which is a mere 5 minute drive from beachfront glory at said Carolina Beach. Since we had no other gear aside from our tent, sleeping bags, 2 chairs, a lantern, matches, and marshmallow roasting sticks - it was the ultimate experience in minimalist camping. But really, sometimes, isn't it enough to just have a campfire, s'mores fixin's, beer, and a place to sleep? We spent all day out at the beach, tried a few local spots, and headed back for dessert at our campsite. But of course, I forgot my camera. So all you get is text. Stay tuned, pictures will accompany the story to follow...

So that brings us to trip #2 a couple weeks later in June. Venturing all the way out to Umstead State Park (yup, 8 minutes down the road from our house), and this time we brought along some of the gear we'd manage to acquire from careful research (thank you Matt!), price comparisons, and sales. So now we can add camp cooking to our list of survival skills. To avoid turning this post into a novela, let's just say balsamic vinegar and goat cheese were involved. And french press coffee. But not all at once.

This trip, we spent our time out on long hikes, sitting by the campfire, and practicing our cooking skills. And we've gotten pretty quick at the set-up and tear-down of our sweet tent (thanks again GMa).

Unfortunately, Summer down here earns its name 10 times over. So we patiently watched for a decent forecast (hoping for some overnight lows at least down in the low 70s) and a weekend I didn't have clinical shifts at the hospital, and in mid-July, we got lucky.

Out at Jordan Lake State Park, we tried out the Crosswinds Campground and some of the hiking that this large state park has to offer. We visited the New Hope Overlook area, partly to check out the primitive, hike in-and-out sites (so far, we've only done car-camping), as well as to try the trails on that side of the lake. While most of path is within the woods, there are a few spurs that get you out to the water. Which was nice for a picture break (i.e. - water and snack break):

Little fish in a big pond.


What a Happy Camper. (hardy, har, har)

Lately, it's been waaaay too hot and humid for camping, for us at least. But we'll keep an eye on the forecast and hopefully have another trip before too long.

Megan MacFarland McGuigan, BA, BSN

Somehow we ended up with only 1 decent picture from that day.

Perhaps the 100+ temps had something to do with that...

Graduating was a (huge) step towards my career change.

And these few post-graduation days have been gloriously filled with:
reading for pleasure
running (and sweating - goodness has it been HOT)
being blissfully unaware of the time of day
catching up with friends and loved ones

And for these last few days, I've been merrily living without:
setting an early morning alarm
constantly updating my To-Do list
cracking open a textbook
writing a paper
or studying...

But, my friends, it's now time to get back on the wagon and buckle down.

This morning, I scheduled my appointment to take the NCLEX.
The national licensure exam to become a registered nurse (RN).
The next step in my journey.
More letters behind my name,
and more importantly,
the credentials needed to put my education to good use and GET A JOB.

So it's back to the books, back to studying, and back to a To-Do list and schedule.

But I'm strangely looking forward to this process.
Because this means I'm getting closer.
Closer to my goal. My ambitions. My new role.

Stay tuned. This journey's still very much in process...

And I'm expecting great things ahead.

Pomp and all that jazz.

Is it Sunday, July 24th, yet?

I am just 2 final exams away from GRADUATING.

Days away from my BSN.

Then it's on to studying for the NCLEX so I can actually work as an RN.

Too many acronyms.

Let the countdown begin!

Two days ago, I received an email from UNC School of Nursing - our graduation date is finally official!

What? you ask. You mean you didn't know your actual graduation date?

Okay, maybe you didn't ask that. But I always thought it a bit strange that I didn't know what day I would be awarded my degree. So you should think it strange too.

Ladies and Gents, I will graduate with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing on:

July 24, 2011

That will be a mere 14.5 months after starting this crazy, exciting, and rewarding career change. Wow. The Accelerated BSN is no exaggeration.

I haven't shared much (if any) about school here, and I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, I actually can't share all that much about what I do and see because of all the papers I've autographed saying I won't. And with good reason - patient privacy and confidentiality being a huge piece of that.

But not sharing about this journey (here or otherwise), has come to feel like a bit of a barrier in trying to explain to family and friends what my life has been like for the last 8 months. I struggle with how to explain succinctly and accurately what an amazing and challenging experience this has been. So, when one of you thoughtfully asks:

What have you been up to?
How's life?
Why haven't I seen you in months?

I apologize for the unsatisfying answer I know most of you have heard on more than a few occasions:

School.

So, that said, I look forward to graduating on July 24, 2011 - and also getting back to strengthening connections and friendships.

And taking a vacation.

Identity Theft is Not a Joke, Jim!

I was shredding a bunch of paper today and this shred fell out. Just when you thought your identity was safe!!!

Run, Forrest!

Holy crap it's a blog post! I thought I'd make my first "real" blog entry in a long time about my unexpected new hobby: running. I never planned on it happening, but over the last year I've been running quite a bit and I think it just might stick.


I've been a casual runner for several years, dating back to my cross country days in high school, but I never really approached it with the dedication I probably could have. I've always been told I have a "runner's build," which I think is a nice way of telling me I have long legs and am freakishly skinny. I didn't run much at all in college, but when I moved to North Carolina my roommates, Mike and John, were pretty into it and I found myself begrudgingly talked into signing up to run the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach against my will and better judgement. At the time, 13.1 miles was a completely unfathomable distance to me. Cross country races were 3.1 miles. That's not even a quarter of the distance I would be running. This sport is obviously for crazy people. The guys kept me going though, and we trained through the summer and up to the race. I think I finished the race in 1:54, and it was an absolutely amazing feeling to cross that finish line (side note: it's also the reason Mr. Brightside by The Killers is my self-imposed theme song. That song started playing right as I crossed the finish line. One of those "perfect song at the perfect moment" kinda deals...in case you care). I guess the seed was planted that day, although I didn't realize it at the time. I've run a few more half marathons, 10K's, 8K's, etc. since then. I never did any better than my first race, but I always had fun running. Meg ran many of the races with me, which was a fun thing for us to do together. We had a blast running the Flying Pig Half Marathon together in Cincinnati on our 1-year anniversary. Here's us in the funny outfits we ran the race in.

For a while I was going through phases where I'd run a lot, followed by longer phases where I wouldn't run at all. Then 2010 got here. Meg and I signed up for the Flying Pirate Half Marathon at the Outer Banks with our friend Jess, who told us about it. If nothing else it was an excuse to go the beach, but it also became my reason to get back in shape after spending the last several months doing basically nothing for exercise. My training started very slowly and painfully, and included several mornings of Meg and I getting up crazy early to run around our neighborhood in hats and gloves in the dark in the dead of winter. I don't exactly know when it happened, but at some point I got motivated and started taking the race and my training very seriously. I found myself pushing harder in every training run, challenging myself each time to keep up a faster pace over a longer distance.

In the months leading up to the half marathon we signed up for a few different races in the area. One of note was the Black Mountain Greenway Challenge 10K, which is a small and very cool race in Black Mountain, NC, which is a neat little town in Western NC, just a little East of Asheville. Meg and I had run it in 2009 as well and had a blast and were excited to do it again. It's a tough course in the mountains, but I managed to finish in 14th place and won a tote bag and a sweet pint glass for finishing 2nd in my age group. I had never come even remotely close to winning a prize for running before, and it may very well never happen again, so that was pretty exciting for me. In April, I ended up finishing the half marathon in 33rd place in 1:35:09, at a pace of 7:16/mile, which completely obliterated my previous times and my wildest expectations.


Not sure how long this link will continue to work, but here is a particularly flattering picture of me coming down the home stretch at the end of the race.

I was so excited by my finish in the half marathon that shortly thereafter I did what I had sworn for years I would never do: I signed up for a full marathon. I had always joked that I never got to the end of a half marathon wanting to run another one, but I was riding the wave of motivation and decided to go for it. To keep an already long story from getting out of control, I'll just say that I continued to train pretty diligently through the summer, which was tough at times because of the heat. In the midst of training I ran on a 12-person team in the Blue Ridge Relay, which was an amazing experience but will have to be for another post because this one is getting out of hand. Mike and I ran the City of Oaks Marathon in Raleigh and finished in 3:46. You can read Mike's account here.

Photo shamelessly stolen from the Fultons' blog

My goal was just to cross the finish line, so I really wasn't concerned with the time, but I was thrilled with it. Now I have something to build on. I haven't signed up for any more races yet, but I plan on running another marathon sometime this year and scattering other races throughout the year. I think this might kinda be my thing.