Awards Stampede!

I’ve been trampled!  It started off as just a few strays early in the week that suddenly morphed into this a mass of blogger recognition that flattened me like a bug under a shoe!  EIGHT awards from eleven different people in all!  I did my best to keep track of them, but one might have slipped away over the hill and I apologize to anyone who I possibly leave off.  I really, REALLY, like receiving these tributes, but when they come in bunches it can be overwhelming.  If I didn’t know any better I’d think that a secret blogger meeting was held without my knowledge and the grand poo-bah of bloggers decided to pull a cruel prank and proclaimed anyone with awards to hand out would send them my way.  Thankfully, things don’t operate like that around here.  Right?

Anyway, let’s get to it shall we?  Make yourself comfortable, this may take awhile.

First up is the most masculine award I received, which definitely earned the gifters beaucoup bonus points.  It’s the Creative Writing Award and this handsome looking plaque came from Julie @ Silver Lining and Nicole @ One Significant Moment at a Time.  For this award I’m supposed to post ten things that make me happy and unlike some other bloggers that will remain nameless *ahem*, I won’t be copying my responses from a previous award. 

1.   British romantic-comedies.  Four Weddings and a Funeral, Nottinghill, and Love Actually are all in my top ten list.

2.   Mountains.  I love climbing up them, enjoying the view on top of them, and skiing down them.

3.   Electronics.  You name it, I probably own it.  I enjoy playing with my    toys.      

4.   Positive people.  Their energy is contagious, and besides, people who always see the negative are depressing.

5.   Friday afternoon at 4:30 (quitting time).  I love my job, but I love my weekends even more!

6.   Readers & critiquers pointing out parts in my novels they found especially entertaining, surprising, or moving.

7.   Marathon days.  Those solidary times when I’ll spend all day either watching movie after movie, listening to non-stop music, or just reading a book.

8.   Watching my family succeed.  Whether it’s my son scoring a goal at a soccer game, or watching my other son graduate from college, or my daughter getting into a competitive program at her university, or my wife developing a new business interest.  As they go, I go.

9.   This blogging community.  There is always somebody here to pick you up if you sag, or nudge you forward when you hesitate.  I have forged some great friendships here that I treasure.

10. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.  ‘nuff said.

I’m passing on the award to three bloggers whose responses I look forward to reading.  They are Lisa Marie @ Confessions of a Writing Mama, Anissa @ Anissa Off The Record, and Julie @ The Climb.  

Next up, a return to the frilly.  It’s the Stylish Blogger Award given with tongue firmly planted in cheek from Kimberly Franklin at Confessions: The Secret Life of a Writer.  The rules here dictate that I relate five fun things about me.

1.       I have no sense of smell.

2.       At the age of 7 I dove off our front porch headfirst onto a concrete sidewalk…just because.  That resulted in my first of a long line of stitches throughout the years.

3.       I can’t stand to wear clothes with holes in them, especially socks. 

4.       I don’t know how to type, but I can hunt & peck with the best of them.

5.       I’ve been to Mardi Gras…twice.  It really is as crazy and depraved as they say it is!

I’ll be passing this award onto three ladies who strike me as not only stylish, but whose inner-beauty is as equally as stunning.  Nicole @ One Significant Moment at a Time, Holly @ 504 Main, and Julie @ Silver Lining.

Here’s another recognition that’s gender-neutral, and it’s called the Superior Scribbler Award.  It was bestowed upon me by one of my “tingle” blog friends, the talented Kristin at Kristin Creative.  This award doesn’t require a pound of flesh, so all I have to do is pass it along to Tiffany @ Ranting and Raving For Your Viewing Pleasure, Thea @ Do I Really Want To Blog, and Portia Sisco.

The Quillfeather Award is rather unique.  I received this one from Jemi at Just Jemi and its conditions ask that I share the way I prefer my eggs.  If you catch me at Denny’s I’m partial to the Grand Slam with my eggs over-easy, but anywhere else I usually gravitate to a plain ole ham & cheese omelet.  How about you, Amy @ The Invisible Sister?  How do you like your eggs? 

I received the Creative Liar Writer Award from three different bloggers and I’m wondering if I should read something into that.  Many thanks, I think, to Kristi at Random Daily Thoughts, Natalie Bahm, and Matt over at Pensive Sarcasm.  I’ve seen many versions of this award (see, I’m not the only one bending the rules), but I’ll go with the standard six lies and one truth.  Let’s see how good you are at seeing through my BS.

1.     I suffered a compound fracture in my left arm that necessitated 2 metal plates and 17 screws to put me back together.  As a result, I’m always setting off the alarm in airport security and I’m required to carry a note from my doctor explaining the situation.

2.     I was driving a country road at night when a deer dashed in front of my car.  I hit and killed it, causing substantial damage to my itty-bitty Nissan.   Less than a minute after hitting the deer a pair of drag racing teenagers in their souped up cars came around the curve up ahead and nearly crashed into me.  I’m still convinced today that if I hadn’t hit the deer, I would have ended up in a head-on collision with those boys.

3.     Several years ago a friend of mine from work bet me $100 I couldn’t get in shape enough to finish a 5K charity run our company was taking part in.  I took the bet.  On the day of the race I ran the entire distance…except for the last ten feet.  I didn’t finish the race because I was so grateful to her for pushing me to get back in shape that I couldn’t take her money.

4.     In high school, I used to have a problem with sleepwalking.  I also used to babysit for parents in our cul-de-sac.  Late one night when I was sitting for a family, I woke up standing outside on their front lawn.  When I tried to get back into the house, I found I was locked out.  When the parents showed up ten minutes later (lucky for me…cause it was cold out there), I told them I heard a noise and locked myself out when I went looking to see what it was.

5.     When we first moved to Arkansas, I lost my wedding band while we were boating.  I figured it ended up on the bottom of the lake.  Last year the family was boating again and my wife’s wedding ring came up missing.  We frantically tore apart the boat searching for it.  We found it wedged in a seat…right next to my wedding band.  Our rings had found one another.

6.     I have a severe peanut allergy and I almost died one day when I used a product intended to remove earwax that unbeknownst to me contained peanut oil.

7.     I am 55 years old.

For this distinction I’m choosing The Girl With One Eye @ A Squirrel Amongst Lions, Summer @ and this time concentrate, and Kristin @ Kristin Creative.

Bethany @ Shooting Stars awarded me the Silver Lining Award, which I already possess, but she felt I deserved two. :)  That was so sweet.  I’m not going to pass this one along again, but I wanted to mention it here.

And finally (a cheer goes up from the crowd), there’s the Beautiful Blogger Award from Thea @ Do I Really Wanna Blog?  Here are the rules for this one (which of course I’ll be bending).  I have to thank the person who nominated me for this award, copy the award and place it on my blog, link to the person who nominated me for this award, share 7 interesting things about myself, and nominate 7 other beautiful bloggers (which I’m changing to 3).  Phew!  This is getting really hard…because I’m really not that interesting.

1.     I know how to juggle.

2.     I could care less how the furniture is arranged as long as I have a clear line of sight between the couch and TV.

3.     I can’t stand yard work!

4.     I’ve been afraid to write certain chapters in my books… because I didn’t think I’d be able to pull it off.

5.     If it wasn’t for my wife and family, I’d probably be a recluse like Howard Hughes…except without the money…and the peeing in jars thing.

6.     The first thing I ever wrote for anybody other than myself…was to impress a cheerleader.

7.     I have never made a choice just because it was the popular one.  If I see a crowd moving in one direction, I’ll always look the other way to see what they’re moving away from.

My selections for this award are Karen @ Eternal Moonshine of a Daydreaming Mind, Jade @ Chasing Empty Pavements, and Michele @t Southern City Mysteries.

*Breathing heavy*  This was a monster post and I appreciate those of you who made it all the way to this point.  If you haven’t already, please check out the blogs I linked here today.  They are all great reads!

Now go put some Visine in your eyes, I know I will.