The BLOG Days of Summer…

Summer is upon us and it couldn’t be hotter. A mere 97 today in Cleveland. My day got even sunnier and warmer as I was nominated for a blogger award. This is the nice warm fuzzy feeling type of heat however, not the sticky, sweaty, smelly, I need a Nestea Plunge ASAP kinda stuff. Yep, I got a “Sunshine Blogger Award” from Jenn over at My Daily Jenn-ism. A big thanks to her for “brightening my day” with her sweet sunshiny self.

I have learned from my short time as a blogger that there is a whole blogging “community” and they really help each other. I had no idea what I was doing when I started my blog. "The blind leading the blind." I was the vision-impaired individual on both sides of that equation. I was surprised to witness the level of friendship and support there is between “peer” bloggers. Certainly, not an environment of cut-throat competition but one of encouragement. I haven’t had the opportunity to make many “blog friends” yet, but it’s nice to see how supportive fellow bloggers are with each other. Kudos to all those bloggers. I’m so impressed with you all.

While I’m shouting out to them, I’d also like to thank my friends and family that have been supportive. Some unlikely subjects in there even, people I wouldn’t have thought would read one word, have read every word. So very humbled each and every time. Can’t thank you all enough.


On to the rules of the “Sunshine Blogger Award.”

The Rules:
Yes, I know rules suck – I’m not a fan either, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right?
1)      Include award logo in a post or on your blog page
2)     Answer (10) questions about yourself
3)     Nominate 10-12 other fabulous bloggers
4)      Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blog, letting them know about the award
5)      Share the love and link the person who nominated you

Ten Questions and Answers:

1)      What would you most like to change about yourself?

Like as in surgically change or enhance about yourself? Let me roll-out my wish list. Oh, that probably wasn’t the intention of this question, huh? There’s really not one specific thing. I hope that I am changing and evolving, learning from my mistakes and continually making myself a little bit better of a person each and every day. With any luck, I am a better than I was 10 years ago, and that younger version of me was better than the person I was twenty years ago.

2)  What is your theme song? 

I love, love, love to dance and will pretty much dance around anywhere or any time. So my “theme” song is any that will get me up and dancing. We only live once… “Dance like no one is watching.”

3)  One part of your life, a memory, action, etc., that you wish you could remove from your brain? 

Everything that happens to you, good, bad, or indifferent, makes you who you are today. So why change the past. It’s over. Learn from it and move on. My marriage/divorce was definitely not a highlight or anything that I’d choose to relive but I have two great kids because of it and I truly think they and I are closer because of the struggles we had to endure together. It certainly wasn’t pleasant or easy at times, but there have been many benefits in the long run.

4)      What generation do you wish you had been a part of? 

This current generation has the BEST shoes! I pick now! 

YESSS!

NOOOOOOO!

5)  What was your favorite childhood toy?

Many miles were put on our Lemon Twists! We’d spend hours going up and down our somewhat “W” shaped driveway. Kids were easily entertained back then. Plastic fruit on a rope? Really?!? 

6) What is your favorite housecleaning chore? 

Decisions… decisions… decisions… let’s see… how do I pick just one… ummm… my answer is… NONE. Zip. Zilch. Surely you jest!? Actually, I’d like to change my answer on question number one… what would I most like to change about myself? I’d like to have a good/reliable weekly house keeper. Next question please.

7)  Do you Twitter? 

Not yet but hopefully soon. Tweet, retweet, hashtags??  Huh? Pardon me for a sec while I consult the next book I need to read.

8)      Any goals? 

You gotta have goals… goals for the day… goals for the week… long term goals. Sans any goals I would totally be living in dirty house that I avoided cleaning due to my non-stop dancing and shoe shopping.

9)      Do you really drink margaritas all the time? 

“All the time??” Why? What have you heard? They certainly are one of my favs, but “all the time?” Nah… that’s even a stretch for me and my very fun friends. However, you know what they say, “When in ‘Rome’”… I will partake, and “Rome” here being Mexico, a Mexican restaurant, or a friend's party. On the rocks with salt please…

10)  What is the ugliest car you’ve ever driven and were embarrassed to be seen in? 

A friends Nova always overflowing much like a clown car with tons of my high school girlfriends was the ugliest but we weren’t embarrassed. Oh no. We were more than happy to be carted around in the rusted-out death trap, as she was the first to drive in our class.

See those smiles? Happy. Happy.

I'm going to break the rules of this already. These bloggers are busy people and I can't imagine the time they already spend on their "trade." My "nominations" portion of this is just going to highlight and share a few of my favorite individual blogs. Enjoy reading the below:

Y The Underachiever’s Guide to Being a Domestic Goddess was my first blogger "friend." Cracks me up daily either via her blogs or her Facebook page. Plus she's an absolute doll and is originally from O-HI-O! Her “Laundry Baskets and Landspeeders..” is one of favs.

Y If you haven’t read People I Want to Punch in the Throat’s blog on “Over Achieving Elf on the Shelf Mommies” you must be living under a rock? It’s HILARIOUS. Don’t miss out.

Y  "My Mother, My Daughter" is beyond powerful and will definitely have you counting your blessings. Heart wrenching story written by the blogger at Bitches Gotta Eat.

Y The Martini Diva’s blog is just a fun place to be. Browse around… nothing to read… but plenty to drink.

Y  I did a guest blog, “No Fairy Tale for Cleveland… Yet” on this site and he, Jim Moorman, placed it under his “Opinions of an Asshole” section. Really? Thanks Jim. Thanks a lot. But he is a funny dude and I love his Jim 101 – 101 Jim Moorman Factoids. Everything you did (& perhaps didn't) want to know about Jim Moorman!

Y  Go over to Write, Rinse, Repeat and Read, Rinse and Repeat, Repeat, Repeat. Funny stuff. Particularly, “I Like My Kids, Not Yours."

Y  I dare you to find something that doesn’t have you L-O-Ling on this page, The Bearded Iris! Go ahead! I dare ya! Don’t miss “Aw, nuts. Or how puppies and testicles are related."

Y  Insane in the Mom Brain (which I can NOT say without singing it in my head with the Cypress Hill beat), well, she just has limitless amounts of energy… limitless. Check-out “I Have A Mother F-ing Ballerina and I'm Not Afraid To Use Her... AKA: If you're thinking of burgling me, think again.”