Hello, again!

Yikes! Three months since my last blog entry. One of my goals this fall was (is) to keep up on my blogs. My copywriting blog has sort of taken a backseat since I am no longer independently employed, but I would like to be better about Megskis. And actually, there is a lot to report since I last wrote in July . . . Luke returned from Japan, we moved back to Boulder, AND I started my new job. But, I’m not going to catch up on all that now, because it’s too far behind. So current stuff instead . . .

The last few weeks have been really busy work-wise. It’s almost ski season (well, not really, but because I work with the industry, the season starts for me in a few days). The PSIA-AASI National Teams just arrived for a week of training, which means the office has been in freakout mode. So far, so good, though. We just wrapped up a weekend training session in Lakewood, and the teams just left for Copper Mountain. I will chill in Boulder tomorrow (one day of weekend is better than none!), and then head up to Copper on Monday for what will probably be three days of schlepping on skis, by foot, or in the car. I’m totally looking forward to it, however, as I like to be crazy busy.

(World Series interruption – Rays vs. Phillies, game three. I can hardly believe that this time last year I was in Japan during the World Series, watching the Rockies in the corner of Luke’s TV screen! Visit www.cooltiques.blogspot.com)

It should be a lot of fun. And I am really psyched to get back to skiing, as my season was cut short in the spring by my shoulder dislocation accident. Speaking of which, I have just been able to start climbing again, and it looks like Luke and I will head for Moab next weekend after I wrap up in Copper and Vail (have to go to Vail for a meeting right after team training!). We plan to climb and bike, which will make for a nice trip before the winter comes.

I can hardly believe that it’s the end of October. It seems like we were just on the Western Slope viewing the colors (see picture above), but I realize now that it’s been a month since we went over that way to hang out in Carbondale, Marble and Glenwood with Matt and Anne! Wow, before we know it, it will be Thanksgiving and then Christmas. And probably another three months until I blog again. Time is flying!

New Job! PSIA/AASI

Now that I’ve updated my website and built up my clientele, I’ve gone and gotten a new job. Really, it’s an opportunity I could not pass up. So, as of the beginning of August I will be the marketing coordinator at the Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors! I am super excited to pursue what I consider to be a dream job. This will, however, necessitate a move back to the Front Range. So, I am Boulder bound!

Website Update

My website is updated and fabulous! I finally wrote new copy and put together my portfolio. Check out www.mmmccarthy.com to explore a day in my life, flip through my Workbook, browse the Menu and learn more about why it’s super important to hire a professional copywriter – like me!

Totally Worked

I don’t think I would feel any worse right now had I been hit by a 16-wheeler in the middle of I-70 last night, than doing what I actually did, which was to run a 10k trail race – the Summer Solstice Twilight Trail Run. Yes, it was only 10k. Yes, I’ve run much further. But, in my defense, it started at an elevation of about 8,500 feet and climbed to probably about 10,000 feet, complete with grueling steeps and fast downhills. That combined with the fact that I just started running again about a month ago, and have yet to go more than 30 minutes or so, is why I am so exhausted.

I actually felt really good during the run, especially when I got my second wind after mile two, but I knew I would pay for my lack of training in recovery. And, I was right. It sucked the life out of me. I am a little bit sore, but mostly, I’m just wiped out, which is how I’ve found time on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to blog. I’m certainly not planning on heading out to enjoy the day – I don’t even think I could stroll through the farmer’s market right now. That said, I plan on racing the next La Sportiva Vail Mountain Trail Running Series race on July 6, which starts in Vail Village and ends at Eagle’s Nest. It’s 7.5 miles and over 2,000 feet of gain – phew! It’s going to be tough.

In between now and then I have a bike race - the Davos Dash - and just a few days after the Vail Hill Climb, I have another bike race. I had no idea I was going to be such the racer this summer! But, now I’m hooked, so my goal is to complete all the races in each series. Not that I’ll rack up enough points to be super competitive, but it’s still fun.

Icky Outdoor Apparel

I bought some new bike shorts and a wicking top yesterday. I really needed some new outdoor apparel and I’d been putting off buying it for so long because it’s all so hideous. Just a moment ago, I was checking the deal at www.steepandcheap.com, and I was totally horrified to find a women’s performance top that looked like it had been cut for . . . actually, I don’t even know who would wear it. That’s not entirely true, there are plenty of people out there who don’t care about these kinds of things, and are probably better off for it. But, as for me, and not that I represent the height of fashion, it’s totally insulting to have to stoop to such an unfashionable level just because I like to play outside. I mean, and this will sound snobby, but am I expected to prance around in a pair of Hudson jeans and James Perse top only to have to shed my complete identity to get what I need to compete in a bike race? Apparently, this is the case. Not that what I bought yesterday, was horribly unfortunate looking, but it hardly compares to my normal style.

So, the question is, with so many companies that exclusively manufacture women’s outdoor apparel, how come nothing cute has come on the market? These so-called women-specific sport clothing companies can’t seem to come up with anything better than what the men had in mind. There are a few exceptions, but they’re few and far between and if the fit is wrong, it’s not like there are tons of other options.

Ah, the high-class problems you can come up with while sunning on your deck. But, really, I think we women deserve something better – not just acceptable outdoor apparel, but something a true fashionista could appreciate. Riding in the mud, running on trails and trekking into the backcountry are no excuse to look like a dirtbag.

Oh, and just to update, I checked back with Steep & Cheap only to find this grotesque tank sold out. To whom, I wonder. It was cut all wrong with some horribly modified boat neck, unflattering trim and in bad colors. Props to Steep and Cheap for the deals, and it’s not like they designed it, but still – ewww.

Second-Class Applicant

I am in a state of gloomy self-pity. Unable to work for the last six weeks, thanks to being brace-bound following my shoulder dislocation, and having just returned from two weeks vacation, I feel useless and on the verge of an existential crisis. The phrase, “what am I doing?” reverberates throughout my mind about every 20 or 30 seconds and wakes me up a dozen times in a night. I know that as soon as I get my ass in gear and start making a contribution beyond what has lately consisted of lazing on a beach followed by cocktail hour, I will feel much better, but right now, I am in a tizzy, totally agitated by what feels like limbo. For more of what prompted this foray into purgatory, read below about why I feel like a second-class b-school applicant . . .

Unfortunately, because I applied to business school in the last “on a space available basis” round, I face mounting rejections. Boo! I can’t say that I am surprised, because I knew going into this that I would probably not get in due to procrastination (really, beyond my control), but I can’t say that I’m not disappointed. I desperately want to begin my graduate education, and a year delay feels agonizing right now. And frankly, I feel a little slighted over the whole thing, as do most rejects, I am sure. But, here’re my reasons. Soapbox, please.

I believe that I am disadvantaged as an applicant because I only spent about $1,000 applying to business school. That’s two $250 GMATs, three applications at $100-$150 a pop, and maybe about $100 on study books. I did not spend over $1,000 on an expensive prep course, nor did I pay an admissions consulting firm upwards of $5,000 to create my resume, write my essays or interview my recommenders. I also wasn’t able to visit all my schools, but rather had to virtually explore my options. See, I am a freelance writer with two start-up companies. Between my meager investment and the sweat equity that I put into this effort, there wasn’t really anything left. And, I simply can’t justify going thousands of dollars into debt for this. Is that bad? Does that make me a less worthy applicant than the person who was willing to make such a sacrifice, or the suit who socked enough away in the years spent climbing the corporate ladder since college? I don’t think so. I believe that my enterprising spirit rivals all of that, but I’m afraid that business school adcoms may not see it the same way. And, I could be totally wrong. But, in months of researching the process, reading forums and talking to other applicants, it seems that in some respects, you really have to buy your way in. And thus, I am relegated to the second-class applicant pool. And, I probably sound kind of foolish. Really, if the playing field was level, there wouldn’t be any reason to get an MBA in the first place.

Crash

This post will have to be short because I dislocated my shoulder and can’t be out of my brace long enough to really catch up on my blog (can’t type with the brace on). Thankfully, my GMAT was over and my grad school applications more or less complete before I blew out my shoulder. But, it was really just a day or two later, riding high on the completion of so much work, that I went skiing and crashed super hard at the bottom of the headwall on Northstar. Sucks. So, now my ski season is over, and I’m pretty much useless. Can’t really work, definitely can’t ski, so here I am blogging for five minutes, but mostly becoming addicted to The Hills, trying to finish my tax return and cancel all my Japan/Thailand trip plans. But, what can you do? It could always be worse, right?

Busy girl . . .

Happy New Year! Belated, I suppose. My commitment to blogging is lagging recently. But I think I have some good excuses. Let’s see . . . since my last post I have divided my waking hours between work, skiing, skiing work, GMAT study, GMAT exam, holidays and a vacation. I even managed to squeeze in a manicure or two, but even then, I was multitasking, catching up on all the celebrity gossip I could glean from the salon’s selection of girly mags and tabloids in between coats of polish.

Brief respite on the beaches of sunny Santa Barbara.

That said, the next few months will probably prove to be equally as busy. My GMAT score was less than perfect (to say the least), so I plan on studying for a retake, working still and hopefully skiing a little (though a back injury has me sidelined for the moment – the perfect opportunity to catch up on life). I’ve also signed up for a belly dancing class once a week to keep stress down and I don’t plan on being quite as overloaded as I was in November and December. In fact, I’m going to be submitting posts for a new blog called CU Grad Gab, featuring a female graduates of the University of Colorado, all sharing their different perspectives on various topics, based on location, career, etc. It will be a good writing exercise for me. My blog posts will focus on life in the mountains and ski culture. I am trying to think of a name. So far, I have come up with Chair 10, Chairlift Chatter (but, I think this is stupid), Chairlift Confessionals (also, not so great) and a few other corny options. I think I like Chair 10, because that is the number of the Highline chair in Vail that was recently replaced by a high-speed quad. The old chair was the thinking chair. It was slow and wonderful – plenty of time to rest your legs and ponder the intricacies of the always scintillating Vail existence.

I’d also like to work on my children’s stories, read more, watch less TV and plan our trip to Thailand. Yes, Luke and I have decided that our spring destination will be Thailand. As soon as ski season ends and mud season settles in, I hope to be exploring the balmy tropics of SE Asia. It is going to be hot! Very hot – April is actually their hottest month. But, I can’t wait! We are going to relax on the beach, explore Thai temples, play with elephants and gorge ourselves on Pad Thai and mangos with sticky rice.

The next few months are going to be action packed, that’s for sure. Grad school applications, skiing, vacations, work, etc. I must confess that I’ve been fantasizing about blowing off my business obligations for a few months and getting a job waiting tables at night or something. I probably won’t do it, but it would be nice to decompress for a little while, make some quick cash, and devote my spare time to skiing and study. Might be a nice break before grad school. But, I have to remind myself that I work alone for a reason. Of course, it might make good fodder for a blog . . .