Liebster Award

Liebster Award Whaaaaat?

My good friend Aaron (  ) over at Dad Blunders nominated me for an award a couple days ago. I don’t even deserve it a little bit, because I went AWOL and haven’t visited anyone’s blog in over a month, till this past weekend. The giving of the award speaks more about the gift-giver than about the recipient, I assure you. Aaron is an excellent blogger and I’m proud to be listed among his online buddies. Thanks, pal. You rock the webby-webs!

So about that award…

Aaron was kind enough to nominate me for the Liebster Award . I had no idea what that meant, so I had to go look it up to make sure Aaron wasn’t pulling a fast one by nominating me for some hotdog eating contest. But no, it’s all good. Turns out, The Liebster Award is legit.

 

But WTF is a Liebster Award?

From what I understand (which may be questionable as I didn’t do a shit-ton of research on this), liebster is a German word meaning sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. That is a lot of positive adjectives. Methinks Aaron is on crack. I am seldom considered sweet or beloved!

 

Unless… I don’t know… That Aaron guy doesn’t seem like the crack-smoking sort. Could it be that he actually DOES think I’m a pleasant person? Shit! That means I have to be nice from now on, to live up to his high expectations!

 

Apparently the Liebster Award is granted to up and coming bloggers with fewer than 200 followers who deserve some recognition and support to keep on blogging. Ah, that’s more like it, Aaron! You had me scare there, for a minute. I thought I was going to have to drop the snarcasm.

 

Liebster Award Rules, Regulations, Policies, and Fine Lines

 According to the rules of the Liebster Award, I am to answer 11 questions posed at his website, choose 11 people to whom I will pass on this honor, and then make up 11 more questions which the new recipients must then in turn answer. The hard part will be to avoid double-tapping bloggers Aaron has already rewarded, since he and I run in similar circles.

 

Awards shouldn’t come with work, Aaron. Just kidding! It will be fun to seek out my small bloggy pals and send this their way.

Liebster Award Questions

 

1. What is your favorite color?

Pink. Without hesitation, pink. It’s the only concession I will grant to being the slightest bit girly. My wallet is pink, my bag is pink, my favorite to-go cup is pink, my finance binder is pink… yeah, I love me some PINK!

 

2. Your life is going to become a script for a movie. Who would you want to play you?

Well, I’ve heard I resemble Merryl Streep, so as long as we’re dabbling in fantasy, let’s pretend I’m older and wiser at the time the movie is being created. I could definitely handle being represented by the likes of that high class actress!

 

3. Coffee or tea?

Coffee, duh! The stronger the better. Gimme that double-shot of espresso, too.

 

And then? Two scoops of some fall-flavored powder creamer and two scoops of Splenda.

 

And make it snappy!

 

4. Not counting family…what do you feel your greatest accomplishment is so far in life?

I think putting myself through college, one class at a time, spread out over time, and finally obtaining a degree fits that bill. It took me TEN years to get my rinky-dink TWO-year degree. And now? I don’t even work outside the home. But that doesn’t matter. I wanted something bad enough that, regardless of where I lived or what was happening in my life, I pursued it. That is something in which I take immense pride.

 

Also? I learned how to drive a stick-shift by packing all my belongings into a pickup I didn’t know how to operate, and left Florida to join my family in Pennsylvania, thereby saying “goodbye” to a rotten relationship and “hello” to a new life in which I was finally ready to take care of myself. That was the scariest interstate road trip I’ve ever endured, and proved to me once again that I can do whatever I put my mind to, if I want it badly enough.

 

5. Book or movie?

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE movies (and movie quotes!), but if I have to pick just one, it’s going to be books, hands down. More often than not, a movie made from a book destroys it (I’m looking at YOU, Eragon!).

 

I’m a writer, so did you really expect a different answer?

 

6. What was your favorite childhood toy?

My Happy Akkle. Okay, it was really a Happy Apple, but I was a kid. I still have it to this day, and it sits atop my daughter’s shelf where she can’t reach it, because it’s all cracked and I don’t want her to hurt herself with it.

 

7. Did you have an imaginary friend as a child? If you did, what was its name? If you didn’t, what would you have named it?

I don’t recall having an imaginary friend, but my sister did. Actually, she had an entire imaginary neighborhood which lived underneath her bed. It was called “My Language Land” and had a mayor and everything. Also – chocolate dogs. So when we got into a fight, I’d crawl under her bed and pretend to eat them yummy puppies. OMG – she used to get so upset! Last I heard, I’d been evicted from their august lands, never to return. I think I ate the mayor, too.

 

My sister has an awesome imagination, so she spoke to and for her toys, as well. One time she was bugging me so bad (I always had my nose in a book and just wanted perpetual silence), I told her to stop talking to me.

 

Her response: “I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to Buster.”

 

Buster was a stuffed dog. Now how the hell do you make a snappy come-back to THAT?

 

8. Favorite season?

Autumn, for all the oft-cited reasons. Changing colors, cooler weather, pumpkin-flavored-everything, football, return to regular schedules, onset of impending holiday seasons… I’m sure I’m missing something, so if you can think of another reason to love the fall months, please just assume I agree, and add it to my list.

 

9. Did you play sports in school? What were they? If not, do you regret not playing sports?

I was a sprinter for our track team, and not too shabby, either. I’ll see if I can rummage up a picture some time.

 

I was also forced to try out for cheerleading, and was made the alternate for the Varsity squad. Then one girl broke her arm and I had to fill in. It was so much fun, but honestly I have no idea what I was doing there. The one thing I had going for me was that I could do the splits with ease. But memorization ain’t my bag, and I had to do routines over-n-over-n-over-n-over again to even kind-of remember the moves.

 

Here’s what I regret not trying out for: Volleyball. It looked so fun, but I was just too chicken to try anything I wasn’t already good at back then. Now, of course, I know that looking stupid in front of people is going to happen whether you put yourself out there or not, and that everyone sharts so there’s never a reason for anyone to feel all superior. I’m not afraid to take on new challenges anymore, but the joke’s on me because now I’m overweight and lacking energy.

 

Not a sport, but also wish I’d pursued: Singing. I love to sing, and every once in a while I can even hold a note that doesn’t make people want to cry. I’m sure I’d have been no American Idol, but it would be nice to have that validation in my past that, Yes, I do have a decent voice.

 

10. Dvd or Blu-ray?

We watch discs via our X-box, which doesn’t allow for Blu-ray, unfortunately. For a while we watched discs through our PS3, which was BAD-ASS because it DOES allow for Blu-ray. Alas, that system has seen better days, so for now, DVD is where it’s at in this house. Thank Zeus for Netflix!

 

11. You get to become a villain for a day from a Disney movie. Which villain are you?

What’s super scary is that I didn’t even have to think about this one. I would be Ursula from The Little Mermaid, because I know her part so well. When she elbowed her way across the ship in the final dramatic scene — that was the scariest shit ever. Totally creepy! I love that she can instill that much terror.

 

Plus, then I would have the added bonus of the singing voice, with dibs on all other voices, too.

 

But I wonder if Ursula drinks coffee? I might have to re-think this…

 

Who else wins the esteemed Liebster Award?

 

Okay, here’s my problem with the Liebster Award. I have no idea how to figure out if a blog has fewer than 200 followers. So this is what we’re gonna do. I’m listing some adorable blogs that I love and adore, and if they do have more than 200 followers, I’m just sorry. Does that work?

 

1. Tracy & Kel (  ) of Women Making Changes

 

2. Keith Michelle (  ) of My Life in 24 Hours

 

3. Jenny & Tracey (  ) of Intend to Live

 

4. Noch Noch (  ) of Noch Noch

 

5. Francesca ( ) of Tasmanian Minimalist

6. Queen of the Couch ( ) of Views from the Couch

 

7. JB ( ) of Just Being A Happy Being

 

8. Pamela (  ) of The Death Writer

 

9. Molly (  ) of Crazed in the Kitchen

 

10. Holly & Hannah (  > ) of Moonkissed

 

11. Mae (  ) of Two Hoots & a Holler

 

NEW Liebster Award Questions

 

1. You can have a half-hour conversation with anyone no longer living. Who do you choose? Why?

 

2. You can have a half-hour conversation with any fictional character. Who do you choose? Why?

 

3. Of these four characters, which do you most resemble in your own life?

— The Protagonist (Shit just happens when you’re around.): Dorothy / Harry Potter

— The Brains (You think of ways to avoid / escape the shit.): Scarecrow / Hermione Granger

— The Heart (Everyone loves you when the shit hits the fan.): Tin Woodman / Ron Weasley

— The Hero (“Who’s a coward now that shit just got REAL, bitches?”): Cowardly Lion / Neville Longbottom

 

4. What made you choose your current Twitter avi?

 

5. What’s your blood type? Just kidding. Trick question. Now go pee in a cup. I’M JOKING. Gosh, why so freaking serious? For realz this time: Are you down with True Blood?

 

6. How many pairs of shoes do you have? Don’t lie. It’s good to feel the shame. Let it burn.

 

7. Pushpins? Or dry erase markers?

 

8. You’re throwing darts at your favorite local pub. Your choice: Are you tossing at a corkboard or one of those plastic mechanical pieces of crap?

 

9. How often do you utilize your local library? What materials do you check out? Books, CDs, books on CD, DVDs… some even carry video games…

 

10. Be honest: Did you, or did you not, read and adore “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume? Best book EV.ER, #AmIRight ? Is there a male equivalent, anyone? #AskingForAFriend

 

11. Chinese or Mexican? I know, it’s a toss-up. CHOOSE. My dinner might just depend upon your answer.