It’s Like The Oscars… But Not.

On Sunday, January 13th, someone went temporarily insane and nominated me for a blogger’s award!  The Liebster award is recognition for bloggers who are “up and coming” – meaning they have less than 200 followers, or have recently published their blog.

Not to be confused with the WordPress.com sponsored blog awards, the Liebster is a blogger generated award that provides links to new bloggers, a chance for your readers to know you better, and increase publicity for your blog.

Susan Mae Detera, author of  Gasm Travels – a wonderful and witty photography & travel blog, included Not Pretending (to be sane) as one of her nominees – Thank you so much, Susan. It is an honor that you deemed my blog worthy!  🙂

Upon receiving the nomination, you are required to do the following:

a. Tell 11 things about yourself

b. Answer 11 questions asked by the nominating blogger

c. Nominate 11 new bloggers

d. Ask 11 questions to the bloggers you nominated

e. Inform the bloggers you choose

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Sounds easy doesn’t it?  Well… I may be taking this thing way too seriously, because it has taken days for me to respond. This is my very first award nomination and I don’t want to screw it up 😉

11 Things About Me You May Not Know:

1. I was a “candy striper” when I was a teen. Not to be confused with “stripper”, BTW.
2. I began my career as a call girl (switchboard operator)
3. I not only have a fear of heights, but I can’t stand to see anyone else high up either.
4. In my 20’s I was in the Army, my rank was military wife. I was not happy, nor was I all that I could be.
5. I have an AS degree in computer science. I graduated with honors – automatically raising my status to GEEK.
6. I fell in love with my husband’s sexy voice a year before I met him.
7. I am a smart-ass. (This you may already know)
8. I LOVE watching the Academy Awards. Even all the red carpet hullabaloo. Last year, me, my daughter, and granddaughters dressed up all glamorous and walked down our own red carpet on Oscar Night. There are photos.
9. I am desperately searching for a Bernese Mountain Dog to adopt.  You know you need a dog when you go to your friends (who has a dog) house to get a “fix”.
10. When I was a little girl I was terrified of butterflies. There was no mercy. Only people telling me “you’re being ridiculous!”  Guess what, people? That sucked!
11. I have a life-time membership in Ladies of Harley.

11 Questions Asked by Susan, From Gasm Travels:

1. What is the most rewarding experience you have had and what made it so? I’ve been blessed with so many, so it’s tough to choose.  The most recent one is being a grandma, which is deja vu of being a mom, but much more fun!

2. If you had the chance to go back in time for 24 hours, where and when would you go? Kaiser Hospital, Walnut Creek, CA. on August 12th, 2002. To kick some serious ass and change the course of history.

3. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? I play solitaire with real cards.

4. If you could have sex with any superhero, who would you choose and why?  Thor. Why? Because he’s the God of Thunder-Period.  He doesn’t change back into a wimpy mortal like  other super heroes do.  Not to mention, the dude is incredibly HOT.

5. If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be and why? My current age because I like being retired and a grandma. My body however, should go a couple of decades back in time or more.

6. If you had to work on only one project for this year, what would it be?  I’d love to be able to complete the research my mother was doing on our family history, and write a book based on the skeletons I dig up. I’m pretty sure there are some doozies.

7. If you had 1 million dollars, what would you do with it?  I would spend the winters in the Caribbean, and start trust funds for our grand-kids to use for college. That will probably use it all up, the way costs are going up for 4-year colleges.

8. Looking back on your life, what do you regret?  Being too timid and afraid to try new things and believe in myself. I am improving the older I get. I should be a force to reckon with when I’m 90.

9. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?  Missouri – I have a lot of family there that I like and who are already used to me.

10. What is the nastiest trick you played on a friend? On April Fools Day I called a friend and told him I was at the airport and needed a ride to come visit him. I was not even close to California, but in my college dorm at Southeast Missouri State. He was so excited, he was practically out the door before I said “April Fools”.  Boy, was he mad.  Just think how mad he would have been if I let him go to the airport. I felt so awful, that I never pulled anything like that again.

11. If your life were a motion picture, what would the title be?  The Unbalanced

My 11 Nominees Are:

1. The Amazing MJ
2. The Daily Informant
3. It’s Ames
4. Life is Funny
5. The Matticus Kingdom
6. NYC Round2
7. PissyKittysLitterBox
8. Raising 5 kids with Disabilities
9. Random Reasoning
10. We’re Jumpin’
11. Writing and Recovering

11 Questions for my Nominees:

1. As a kid (or older) when you pretended to be someone else, who were you and why did you want to be them?
2. Have you had your “15-minutes of fame” yet? How did it happen? (If it hasn’t happened, how would you like it to happen?)
3. If you could change one thing about your personality – what would it be and why?
4. What was the last novel you read? Would you recommend it?
5. Who was/is your favorite teacher, and why?
6. Besides writing, tell us about one of your other talents.
7. Where were you when President Kennedy was shot?
8. You wrote a novel about your life growing up, and now Hollywood is making a movie based on that novel. Which actor/actress would you want to play you, and why?
9. What was your favorite TV show when you were in grade school?  What about now?
10. What are your top 3 pet peeves?
11. Do you like your first name? If not, what would you change it to?