Late, Late for a Very Important Date

I finally got an interview for the perfect position for me, and with THE company I want to work for.  Agh...this is so hard for me to even write, as I literally lose sleep over this.  My interview was at 10:30AM on Monday, less than 5 minutes from my house.  Somehow, over the course of the weekend I "told" myself I must LEAVE at 10:30, when in fact,  the interview was at 10:30.  I am guessing what happened is that since I didn't "require" a 30 minute drive time that I must usually account for (I kept saying "oh, it's right around the corner...less than 5 minutes..), my "appointment" time became my "leave by" time.  As I walked out my door (at 10:35, giving me 5 minutes to get there, and  putting me there 5 minutes EARLY!), I decided to double check the name of the lady I was to meet with, when, there it was, in my handwriting...Interview 10:30AM.  That moment was like a heart attack, I stood there for a second just numb, trying to figure out what made me think it was at 10:45??  I get nauseous in my stomach re-living that moment.  I called her on the cell as I was jumping in the car, telling her I am on my way, I apologize for for getting my time mixed up...

I was frantic, mad, almost in tears for my stupidity the whole way there, and while waiting to see her.  Here's the sad part...I am known by family/friends for having little tolerance for tardiness, I find it rude, selfish and most inconsiderate. Two weeks have past, they are still advertising for the position, and I feel I am right for the job and want to send a letter keeping me fresh in her mind as a candidate, and mostly, to (again) express my sincere apology for perhaps inconveniencing her, and letting her know this is NOT characteristic of me.  I feel I need to do this for my own satisfaction at this point, otherwise, how will I know if she is not hiring due to my tardiness, or that she feels I am not right for this position?

What should I do?  I of course apologized at the interview, yet didn't want to "dwell" on it.  I can't get this job off my mind, nor the fact that I was late, how could I let this happen?  I am so disappointed in myself, I continue to beat myself up over this.  Should I write her a "thank you" letter for her time, and mention my tardiness (let her know this is out of character for me), or not even mention it?

First of all, you should take a deep breath and BREATHE. 

An interview is once chance you have to be prepared, to be your best. You were not at your best, you were late. Is this the end of the world? It definitely is not something I encourage or condone but for me, it is not an automatic no. Life happens and how we deal with it speaks volumes.

So, how were you in the interview? Were you secretly kicking yourself under the table? Were you flustered? Or were you able still to put your best face forward? They are continuing to advertise for this position; you were not selected. Was something missing in your skill set or experiences? Was tardiness a "do not pass go" for this interviewer? I don't know and neither will you unless you contact them.

Send a thank you note to the person who interviewed you. A thank you is an absolute must. In it, I would not dwell on the tardiness. You say that this is the perfect position for you but how are you the perfect applicant for them? Tell them. And say something like, "I'm really excited about this job and would welcome another opportunity to show you that I am serious about the position."  Plan a follow-up call and in it ask for feedback. If the interviewer is willing to oblige, consider yourself one of the lucky ones and listen.

Regardless of the outcome, you are beating yourself up and you should stop that, really.