For Me? Really?

Mood: Full (seriously, I think the hubs and I ordered all the Chinese food that exists outside of China - but it was quite yummy!)

On Tv: Toddlers and Tiaras (Don't judge me!)

<--- SQUEEE!!! Look what I've gotten!!! Some new blog bling and you all know how much I love some new blog bling!!!

I know, I know, I've been a bad blogger lately. A really bad blogger. I could say that I haven't had the time or that I've been devoting all my extra time to my writing work in progress, but that would be a lie of the biggest and fattest variety. The awful truth is that I've been sucked into the vortex that is Frontierville on Facebook. *hangs head in blogger type shame*.

Still, here I am blog folks and what better reason to be back here than to acknowledge the lovely award given me by none other than the amazingly talented and supremely kind EJ Fechenda over at EJ's Rants and Ramblings (and I swear, I would have said all of that even if she hadn't given me this award of awesomeness!).

  As always, there are rules: 


1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award. (Did I mention how awesome EJ is? Because she is!)

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who think you are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)

4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

Okay, so 7 things about myself. This one's a bit more difficult than you would imagine because I've already shared most things through the course of this blog. Hmmm....

1.) I love to go camping - and I'm talking about the "in the woods, in a tent, no electricty or running water" roughing it type camping.

2.) I hate bugs (I know this would seem in direct odds with #1 but what can I say? Bugs are gross!)

3.) When I was younger I wanted to be a nurse but I can't deal with blood or anything remotely medically gross - so nursing was obviously not the career choice for me.

4.) Autumn is my very favorite season. I love everything about it...the pretty leaves, the cooler days, the way the air smells. It's my absolutely favorite time of year.

5.) I'm an American History buff and completely geek out when it comes to living history events. Seriously. It's sad. I probably need some sort of help.

6.) I have an unnatural addiction to the Frosters you can only get at Circle K. Unfortunately, there are no Circle K stores in our town. It's practically a tragedy of my existence.

7.) I was born with a birth defect called Congenital Muscular Torticollis. Now they can correct most cases with intense physical therapy - back when I was diagnosed I had to have major surgery on the muscles in my neck when I was six months old and then spent the next year sporting a specially made baby sized whiplash collar.

Whew. Okay, now on to 15 bloggery type people who are so amazing that they definitely deserve this award.

1. Carol at Carol's Prints

2. Tawna Fenske over at Don't Pet Me, I'm Writing

3. Jamie at Bookmom Musings

4. Anne Riley at Anne Riley Books

5. Shannon Messenger at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe

6. Lisa and Laura at Lisa and Laura Write

7. Wendy Sparrow at Where Ladybugs Roar

8. Courtney Reese

9. Sarah McClung at Babbling Flow

Whew...okay, so I wasn't good at math but even I know that's not a full 15 but don't think I'm a lazy slacker (okay, so I'm totally a lazy slacker) because I will come back and finish this list with more amazing bloggers that you should be stalking if you're not already!

Hello Universe, What Did I do To Piss You Off Today?

Mood: Excited (my sister is in labor w/ her 6th child...but she tends to labor for a long time and the baby isn't engaging the way he/she should so it's going to be a long process)

What I'm Watching: TMZ (Harvey totally rocks! *I'm a lawyer*)

This morning we slowly began to dig ourselves out after the snowpocalpyse. While things didn't get nearly as bad as the weathermen predicted they would, we got enough snow, ice and wind to make going outdoors miserable at best. Which is why this was the worst possible morning for the hubs to decide to take off to his job with my car keys in his coat pocket. I asked him to be sure that he didn't have my keys...he assured me he didn't. He was wrong. Mental note to me: don't take hubs word for it...check for yourself!

He works in a town 35 minutes away so bringing the keys to me was not an option. So, I ended up walking to work. Normally this would not be a huge deal. Annoying yes (especially since this is not the first time he's done this), but we don't live that far from my office. However. The path to work? Doesn't really have sidewalks and the grass is currently covered with snow drifts up to my knees.

The snow drifts were bad enough but they hid a layer of pure ice and made it impossible to tell where curbs and ankle twisting dips in the turf were until it was too late. By too late, of course, I mean I fell. A couple of times. Full on face first into the snow in front of God and all creation. By the time I got to work, I was exhausted, out of breath, in pain with wet socks and a purse full of snow. It was noon before I regained the feeling in my frozen feet and legs.

The hubs? Is currently in the doghouse.

In other, happier, news:

Anne over at Anne Riley and Kelly over at Rants, Observations and Other Remarks have both seen fit to award me the Honest Scrap Award! Now, I know I already have that award but there's a tiny little part of me that still goes "Squeeeeeeee!!!" when I get an award. After all, I've not gotten this award from those super bloggers before! Seriously you should totally check out their blogs. Really. Go.

According to the rules of this award, I'm to list 10 honest facts about myself. I've already done this when I accepted the award the first time but, since two more people have seen fit to give me this award, I've decided to give 10 more honest facts about me.

More things you never wanted to know about me:

1.) I suffer from road rage. Seriously. It's horrible. I get behind the wheel of a car and suddenly no one on the road knows how to drive except me. Luckily my rage is confined to yelling w/ the windows rolled up.

2.) I think that faith is far more important than religion.

3.) I'm terrified to fly. Well, it's not so much the flying as the flying and then suddenly not flying anymore that scares me.

4.) I pride myself on being a strong person and being able to take care of myself. This sometimes causes me to appear stubborn and makes it difficult for me to accept help.

5.) My dad beat feet when I was just an infant. I wouldn't know him if he walked up to me right now.

6.) Most of the rest of my family of origin recently converted to Mormonism. I'm okay with their choice but I don't think that they're okay with my choice to remain non-Mormon.

7.) I suffer from OCD. Not in the 'constantly wash your hands' or 'sparkly clean house' sense but in the "obsessive thoughts" sense. Which basically means that I have obsessive, worrisome thoughts without the bonus of having a perfectly clean house.

8.) I can crochet but not knit.

9.) I have an absolutely horrible sense of time. It drives the hubs nuts because I always say "the other day" and it could have been two days, two weeks, two months or two years ago.

10.) I prefer dark chocolate. Really, the darker the better.

Me? Over the Top?

Mood: Blah (yep, that's it alright. Have a headache and the hubs? Drilling holes for his project...blah is about as good as it gets right now)

What I'm Watching: A blank screen (My cable company? Is officially on my list!)

Look what I got!!! *insert happy dance here* Just what I needed to cheer me up on this miserable Monday...a shiny piece of blog bling from Laurel over at Laurel's Leaves!

As always, there are rules but these are easy and probably somewhat fun!!

Rules: Answer the following questions with single word answers then pass this along to 5 other bloggers. Sounds easy enough, right. That one word answer thing might be a bit tricky though.

Your Cell Phone? Essential
Your Hair? Brown
Your Mother? Loving
Your Father? Deadbeat
Your Favorite Food? Steak
Your Dream Last Night? House
Your Favorite Drink? Tea
Your Dream/Goal? Novelist
What Room Are You In? Livingroom
Your Hobby? Reading
Your Fear? Failure
Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years? Published
Where Were You Last Night? Home
Something That You Aren't? Patient
Muffins? Blueberry
Wish List Item? House
Where Did You Grow Up? Projects
Last Thing You Did? Talked
What Are You Wearing? Sweats
Your TV? Old
Your Pets? Gone
Friends? Loyal
Your Life? Happy
Your Mood? Blah
Missing Someone? Grandma
Vehicle? Fusion
Something You Aren't Wearing? Shoes
Your Favorite Store? B&N
Your Favorite Color? Green
When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Now
Last Time You Cried? Sunday
Your Best Friend? Hubby
One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Interwebs
Facebook? Addicted
Favorite Place To Eat? Home
 
And now my very own fab five who are "Over the Top" in the best bloggy way possible!!!
 
1. Frankie at Frankie Writes
 
2. Carol at Carol's Prints
 
3. Mary at Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me
 
4. Jamie at Totally the Bomb
 
5. Shannon at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe

A Few of My Favorite Things (with pictures and shiny new blog bling!)

Mood: Lazy (It's 2:00 pm on a Saturday afternoon. The shopping is done, the house is clean and now? I'm lazy.) (Please note: it was 2:00 pm when I started this blog post...I'm so lazy that it's taken me nearly 5 hours to get around to finishing it up!)

What I'm Watching: Kind of Queens (The hubs and I? We're totally the Heffernens without the annoyingly creepy father living in the basement.)

I love awards and I love cupcakes so what's not to love about my newest piece of blog bling?!? Diana over at 'Writing Roller Coasters' was cool enough to present me with The Happy Blog Award!! Diana is a relatively new discovery for me but if you haven't checked out her blog, what the heck are you waiting for? Seriously, where else can you get references to both sculpted, hard bodied males and the genius idea of deep fried cheese dipped in cheese sauce in the same blog post?

As an aside...just how cute is this award? I mean really. Cupcakes, sprinkles, sunsets...it almost makes you smile just looking at it! Or maybe it's just me? Anyway, as always, awards have certain requirements that must be fulfilled.

Luckily the terms of acceptance for the Happy Blog award are simple. I don't have to share any deep dark childhood fears (ty-d-bol, I'm totally looking at you here), no embarrassing high school moments (all of them) or otherwise subject myself to public humilation. I simply have to list 10 things that make me happy and pass this on to 10 blogs that make me happy. The first should be relatively easy. The second? That might be a bit tricky because all the blogs I follow make me happy...or I wouldn't follow them.

Ten Things That Make Me Happy!

1.) My husband. He annoys me, loves me, makes me crazy and spoils me. He's my best friend and the only person who is always guaranteed to make me smile.

2.) My nephews and my neice. Honestly, how could you look at these little pudge faces and not have it instantly brighten your day? There's nothing better than going into my sister's house and having the whole crew attack me with hugs and kisses.

3.) Camping with the hubs. Getting out into nature, enjoying the cool evenings by the campfire, and the sunny mornings listening to the birds chirping.

4.) Ice Cream. Yes, that's right. Ice cream. Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, it all makes me very, very happy!

 

5.) Christmas. I admit it. I love all things Christmas. The cooking, the smells, the songs, even the shopping.

6.) The Fourth of July. Family gatherings, cookouts, parades and fireworks coupled with a great day in American History. What's not to love?

7.) PG-13 cartoons, like King of the Hill, South Park and Family Guy. Yes, they're generally tacky and sometimes (most of the time) push the boundaries of good taste but I absolutely think they're hilarious.

8.)Vacation baby!!  I absolutely love to travel and just get away from it all. Whether it's a cruise, a trip to the beach or a fun time on a road trip. I don't care. I just love being out and away from home!

9.) My followers! Am I the only blogger who gets a little squeee when I see a new comment on a blog post or that I have a new follower on my list? I love my readers, their ideas, their feedback and the fact that they're willing to wade through my thoughts! :)

10.) Books. Really. All kinds of books. They've always been my teachers, my friends and my escape. I suspect that if reading could be an addiction, I'd have to check myself into Betty Ford for detox!

Now, for my list of 10 blogs that make me happy. Well, actually, as Diana discovered, we tend to follow the blogs that make us happy in some way so randomly choosing 10 seems to be the best way to go (I know, I'm a total copycat, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery right?) *Ahem* Anyway, here they are:

1.) Carol at Carol's Prints

2.) Frankie at Frankie Writes.

3.) Jamie at Bookmom Musings

4.) Lisa and Laura at Lisa and Laura Write

5.) Lyla at Instant Human Just Add Coffee

6.) Rhonda Stapleton at Just Your Average Crazy Writer

7.) Harley May at HarleyMay.com

8.) Laurel at Laurel's Leaves

9.) Mary Campbell at Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me!

10.) Courtney Reese at Work in Progress

Seriously, if you're not reading these people, you totally should be. From vlog tips to diet tips to writing tips and just general all around being the shiznit, these blogs are among some of the most entertaining that I've come across!!! :)

What's That Behind the Blog Tree...

Mood: Harried and hassled (back at work after a long Christmas weekend and have a LOT of stuff to do. It's lunch time so I'm blogging and eating...look at me all multitasking and stuff)

What I'm listening to: Life in a Northern Town by Dream Academy (Viva La 80's!)

Current Word Count: Uh...I've thought about writing, does that count?

We've just come through the Christmas season in my household and, depsite our general anti-social personalities, the hubs and I are actually with it enough to reailze that the season is more about giving than receiving. This awareness keeps us from being forced to sit through those uncomfortable visits from the ghosts of Christmas. Trust me, this is an experience you want to avoid. Christmas past is an absolute downer, Christmas present is okay but a bit unsettling and Christmas future? I don't want to see anything on his radar unless it involves me, a great big pile of money and a pair of size five jeans into which I can actually squeeze more than one of my calves.

Despite doing the whole giving/charity thing, I still can't help getting a thrill everytime someone gives me a gift. I love them...all sparkly, wrapped up and full of possibilities. Sure, it might be a pair of socks but it just might be a new i-pod...who knows?

When I logged into my blog earlier and saw that Laurel over at Laurel's Leaves (seriously, how cool is her name alone?) had left me a gift for my blog I was super excited. Laurel is a YA author and an amazing blogger who manages to seamlessly combine writing tips and tricks, editing issues, general life and her need for a Gilmore Girls book (she really had me at the Gilmore Girls) into one neat and tidy blog. If you haven't checked in at her blog yet you totally should. Really. I mean it.

So, here's my shiny, sparkly new blog bling!

It's the Picasso award and accepting this award requires me to send it along to seven other bloggers and share seven things about myself.

First, the bloggers:

1.) Carol at Carol's Prints (for her unwavering support, her innovative ideas and her amazing sense of humor!)
2.) Sara Fraser at Misadventures of a Modern Mommy (because she's not only surviving motherhood with grace and humor, she's doing it as a writer...also? Because I totally get her desire to punch someone in the supermarket produce section!)
3.) Harley over at her livejournal (for her ability to blog about sarcasm, tackling PTA uber moms, lessons learned at a U2 concert and beer soaked diapers...all on the same page!! The fact that she's a writer is a total bonus here!)
4.) Anne over at Anne Riley (she spells her name with an 'e' which totally appeals to the little girl in me who was, at one time, obsessed with Anne of Green Gables. She's also into giving really good book reviews, writing tips and she's developed a highly scientific means of selecting the winners of her giveaways!)
5.) Jamie over at Bookmom Musings (for her hilarious 'word of the week' entries...which are actual words but seem totally made up; for her random pictures and cartoons that always make me giggle and because she rocked nanowrimo this year!)
6.) Shannon at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe (Blog wars, triple dog dares and the weblog debut of "Earth Had a Snack"...what's not to love here. Seriously. You need to go check her out!)
7.) Courtney at Work in Progress (For her amazing writing tips...her spreadsheet alone makes my head spin and  her amazing dedication to joining a book club that led her to trying out four or five of them to find a good fit! Also? Her blog is just super cute!)


And now for the 7 random things about me:

1.) I used to be addicted to Days of our Lives. I blame my grandmother and my aunt, but still, the addiction was mine. I haven't watched it in over a decade but I can still tell you what was going on in Salem through most of the 80's and early 90's.

2.) I've never been in an airplane. The mere thought of flying is enough to send me into a panic attack. I blame the disaster made for tv airplane crash movies of the early 80's. Also? I remember watching the news when I was little and it seemed like there was always a plane being hijacked to Cuba or something...I'm sure that didn't help matters any.

3.) I don't like bacon. There, I said it. Most people I know love the stuff and I think it tastes metallic, like blood. Gross!

4.) I work as an administrative assistant in a church. Some people think this would be an easy, stress free job. Those people would be wrong.

5.) I can't stand being around people who make obnoxious noises when they eat. Slurping, smacking your lips, guzzling down a soda like you've been in the desert for the last 40 years? Just no. If the hubs ever turns up with a fork jabbed between his eyes, you'll know why.

6.) As easily irritated as I am, I have amazing patience with people who work retail, fast food and with the public in general. I also have very little patience for customers who are rude to those people. It takes 2 seconds to say "hello" and "thank you" and don't get me started on people in the drive-thru who say "give me..."! They're not your slaves, you can say something more polite like "May I have.." or "I'd like...".

7.) Instead of the 5:30 pm news, I watch TMZ. It's shameful I know but what can I say? I like to think I'm researching the lives of the rich and famous for possible future writing reference but let's face it...I just loves me some celebrity scandal!

Look What I Found Under My Blogging Tree!

Mood: Exhausted but content. (Long holiday week/weekend has left me worn out but happy!)

What I'm Watching: Keeping Up Appearances (I've said it before and I'll say it again...British comedies rock!)

Current Word Count: UGH! (Which is a nice way of saying that the holiday season has interferred w/ my writing efforts to the point where I might have actually started leaking words from my manuscript.)

Carol over at Carol's Prints (seriously, have you checked out her blog yet? She's amazing!) has presented me with another sparkly piece of blog bling!! WoooHoooo!!! It's totally like Christmas gifts for my blog and I completely love it!

Here it is! And what's not to love? It's an award that looks like a bookshelf and acknowledges my tenuous status as a "blogging writer" (even if it does take me forever to pound out the words).

Like all awards, there are requirements...near as I can tell the requirement for this one is to pass it on! And I will, I promise, but it's been a while since I've blogged so I'm going to set aside the passing along portion of the award ceremonies for a future post. :)

In the meantime, a snapshot of what's been happening in my world:

1.) Christmas bay-beee!!!! I love all things Christmas. The shopping, the carols, the 24 hour marathon showing of A Christmas Story, the food, the gifts and even the eggnog (okay, maybe not the eggnog so much). And this year? We all got a very special gift in the form of my little younger brother who is active USAF. He hasn't been home for Christmas in years and he surprised us all by coming home this year. We're so happy to be able to share the holidays with him!

Here are a few pictures of my Christmas season:

First, the hubs and I dressed and ready for his office Christmas party.

My sister Sarah helping our nephews Max and Maddux with their Christmas gifts. Lots of fun!!!
                                                                                                                                                   

That's me. No make up, hardly any sleep, and a horrible camera angle for this picture....but I'm still posting it. Why? Because if you look closely you'll be able to see the tape overwrapping my gift. My little brother helped mom wrap it. He used one and a half rolls of tape to "secure" it. The irritated older sister side of me? Wants to bop him upside the head. The smartass side of me? Is incredibly proud that he thought to waste all that tape just to annoy me. Sigh. They grow up so fast! 
    

My niece Miley sleeping through her first Christmas with the family. She's surrounded by boxes and wrapping paper and snoozing away!

Finally, the results of Christmas dinner carb overload! He's completely crashed, half on and half off of the corner chair, complete chaos going on all around him. It's a testament to both my restraint and the fact that we've missed him so much all these years he's been off serving our country that we left him sleep and didn't succumb to any jackassery like decorating him w/ tinsel and lights or at least pulling the old shaving cream in the hand trick. He might not be so lucky next time around!!!

Okay, so I've bored you all enough with Christmas pictures. Santa hubs was  nice to me this year and I've got gift cards for clothes and, even better, for books (yay!!!) so I'm looking forward to doing some serious book shopping to feed my book addiction soon!

2.) An attempted terrorist attack on a Detroit bound airliner. What.the.hell?!? Seriously. Luckily the explosives didn't go off as the terrorist has planned and the other passengers jumped in and took the crazy ass bastard down. Gone are the days where we sit silently and wait for someone to save us. We are rising up against those who would harm us and declaring that we will not go quietly into that good night. You want to take my ass down? You're going to have to fight for it! This is also where I have to admit that I'm a bit shocked by my sadistic side because I expect that if I managed to take this guy down I probably would have thrown in a couple of extra punches just to "be sure" that he was really down...and I might have decided that his burns needed to be hosed down with copious amounts of alcohol to ensure that he really felt some serious pain his wounds didn't become infected.

3.) Crazy woman attacks the pope for the second time? On Christmas Eve? Really? I admit, I'm not Catholic. I'm Lutheran by baptism, Baptist by employment and generally a fan of sleep which means that my hiney doesn't often warm a pew on Sunday morning. But still. The Pope? On Christmas Eve? No. Just...No. He may not be my head Holy Guy but he's A head holy guy and I've got to think that attacking a head holy guy on Christmas Eve has got to be something that is going to get you on the permanent naughty list...and I'm not just talking about Santa's list. I'm talking about THE list. The big list. The one that St. Peter reads out when you're standing at the Pearly Gates. Also? This woman did the same thing last year on Christmas Eve. Maybe we need to do something about the amount of crazy being allowed near the Pope? Just saying.

WoooHooo! Another Award and Public Humiliation!!

Mood: Festive (spent the day decking the halls of the Cowsert household. Tree goes up tomorrow but everything else is up and Christmassy!)

What I'm Watching: White Christmas (honestly? Is there anything better than Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye singing about snow???)

Current Word Count: 9,615 (No time for writing yet today but planning to get at it after the blogging is done!)

Once again, Carol over at Carol's Prints has seen fit to honor me with another blogging award. This time, it's the The Honest Scrap award! (I tried to tell her that my ego was going to end up as big as my oversized ass but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to be totally excited and add the award to my virtual mantle place here on my blog!!!)

As usual, there are requirements to the acceptance of this award. So, I have to:

1. Mention the award giver and link to his/her blog. (done...seriously, check out Carol's blog. She's amazing!)

2. Compile a list of 10 blogs I think deserve the award and let their bloggers know (so, here we go...)

• Jamie over at Totally The Bomb. She's an amazingly funny, interesting blogger/writer type person who occasionally gets dragged into drama with b list celebs! You should totally check her out! But remember to watch out for the big yellow chicken! :)
• Natalie over at The Sound of Rain. She's a student and a writer and her blog is filled with all kinds of useful writerly type musings, the occasional history lesson and recently some fun speculation on Team Edward vs. Team Jacob. Seriously, you should totally check her out!!!
• Harley May at her Live Journal blog. She's amazing, funny and seriously? How can you not be completely addicted to someone who talks about beer soaked diapers and tackling uber PTA moms on the same page in her blog!?! If you haven't checked her out, you totally need to. Now. Do it!
• Shannon Messenger at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe. It's not just her epic Twilight contest or the fact that she often includes fun pictures with  her posts (the ninja armadillos alone are worth the trip over to her corner of the interwebs!), but she's a genuinely funny blogger who has promised to share a humiliating game show moment with the word when she's a published author!! I love it! :)
• Courtney Reese over at Work In Progress. I recently discovered her blog and I'm hooked! She explores the craft of her writing with honesty and great insight! She also shares my tendency to get sucked into all things internet and procrastinate on her writing...it's nice to know I'm not the only one! So totally go check her out...if for nothing else than her blog layout and background is totally wicked cool.

(Okay, I know that's only 5 bloggers but my brain is fried right now so will have to add others later.)

3. Make a list of ten random facts about myself  (Since this is the 'Honest Scrap Award', I'm guessing they don't mean things like my favorite color so I'll have to think of some interesting stuff here...)

• I have an overly developed sense of intuition. I can often sense other people's feelings and the feelings contained in buildings, rooms and other places. My husband thinks this ability is cool. I think it's freakishly weird.

• I can tell whether a pregnant woman is going to have a boy or a girl. There's actually a bit of a glow about the eyes that's different between boy/girl pregnancies. My grandfather had the same ability. Again, I think it's freakishly weird

• Lots of kids are afraid of monsters in the closet or under the bed...I was afraid of the Tidy Bowl Man. I was terrified to flush the toilet because I thought the TBM would come up when I did and drag me back down the toilet with him. So, I would stand as far outside the bathroom as I could, reach around the corner, flush and then run down the hallway away from the bathroom as fast as I could.

• I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. They totally suck!

• I'm totally weirded out by dry textures. Flour, dirt, even that cotton batting stuff they use for stuffing in a quilt. *shudder* I just can't deal with touching it. It's like fingernails across a chalkboard!

• My husband calls me the grammar nazi. I've been known to actually correct the grammar on posted signs in places of business. It's a sickness but I cannot stand to see a sign proclaiming that the merchant "cannot except checks" or that "you're computer problems can be solved". Really people? Did no one make it through first grade English class?

• I do not suffer fools gladly and have no tolerance for stupid (people who could/should know better but don't bother to exercise common sense) or lazy people.

• I'm fascinated by people and what makes them tick. I'm especially fascinated with the criminal mind.

• 
  
  People, even total strangers, feel compelled to tell me things about themselves that are extremely personal. I don't know what I do to encourage this type of confessional but I've come to accept it.
  

• I have a lot of fears. Heights, flying, public speaking, bugs, spiders, etc.

There you have it folks. Ten things about me that I can only share because no one who actually reads this is likely to run into me in person. I hope.

I'd Like to Thank...

Mood: Awesome, seriously awesome

What I'm Watching: Ace of Cakes (I totally heart Duff and it's the Christmas episode so happiness abounds!)

Current Word Count: 9,615 (yep, totally done some writing!!!)

Carol, over at Carol's Prints totally rocks. Really, she does. She's a funny, genuinely encouraging and supportive tweeting, blogging, writer type person who has recently been hosting the 'Totally Sane Interviews Series" featuring interviews between writers and the characters that they're currently torturing writing about. And I swear, I would have said all of that even if she hadn't given me a sparkly new blog award today!! Really. I would have. Honest.

She's decided that I'm worthy of the Best Blog Award!!! Yay!! Of course, I'm totally not worthy of the award but I'm still going to shine it up and display it proudly on the mantle of my blog!

Of course, there are always terms to the acceptance of any award. So, here's what I have to do to accept this one:

1. To accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his/her blog link.

2. Pass the award to other bloggers that you recently discovered and think are great! Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Hmmm...I read so many wonderful blogs that it's horribly difficult to choose. Of course, I would immediately choose Carol's blog but she's already been informed of just how completely awesome her blog is so I'll have to choose other completely awesome blogs and share the Best Blog love!!

1.) Shannon Messenger: I've only very recently discovered her blog (like within the last 24 hours) and already I'm hooked. She's got a great sense of humor, some good writing advice, peppers her blog posts with great pictures and she remembers the "dance of joy"! She's totally one of the best bloggers ever!

2.) Courtney Reese: She's an even more recent discovery but, really, her blog posts pulled me right in. Also? She's writing about vampires, loves sarcasm and has an argyle background on her blog page...what's not to love?!?

3.) Anne Riley: Another new find! (seriously, I'm going to have to carve out more time in my day to keep up with my new blog obsessions!) Anne's blog is filled with valuable writerly type musings, book reviews and the chronicals of her journey to becoming published...after yet another round of edits. :)

I know there are many more bloggers I follow who totally deserve this honor but right now I'm so sleepy I can barely remember my own name so I'd like to reserve the right to come back in a day or two and add a few more to my list!!! :)

In the meantime, thanks to everyone who stops by my little corner of the web to read the rambling thoughts that come wandering through my head and out onto the keyboard! :)

And The Award Goes To...

Mood: Worn-Out (been a busy, busy weekend!)

What I'm Watching: Storm Chasers (The hubs is drooling at the idea of being so close to a deadly tornado. Suspect he's completely insane).

Current Word Count: 9,602 (hanging head in slacking writerly shame)

Aside from a certficate I received from the American Heart Association for winning a slogan contest, I've never won anything in my life. Until Now. Natalie, over at The Sound of Rain, has graciously given me the Kreativ Blogger Award. YAY!!! Natalie is a totally awesome blogger who combines a great wealth of writerly type musings with the occasional history lesson and it's a combination I find absolutely irresistable. Really. You should go check her out. I'll wait until you get back. You are coming back, right?

Okay, so on to the rules (there are always rules):

Alright, the rules for this award are....

1. Copy the Kreativ Blogger picture and post it on your page.

2. Thank the person that gave the award to you and link back to their blog.

3. Write 7 things about you that we don't know.

4. Choose 7 other bloggers that you would like to give the award to.

5. Link to the bloggers that you chose.

6. Let your winners know that they have the lovely award!.

The seven things you don't know about me:

1. I've been happily married to the hubs for 7 years now.
2. My eyes change color according to my mood, what I'm wearing and the seasons. Right now? They're green. Yesterday? They were a deep blue. When I'm angry? They turn a stormy grey. It's weird.

3. My driver's license still has my weight from high school listed on it. I figure if the guy at the DMV can look at me w/ a straight face and ask "Is the weight still the same?" I can say "absolutely!"
4. Obviously, pursuant to #3, I'm an absolutely shameless liar or living in a state of complete denial.
5. I don't know my father. He beat feet when I was a year old and I haven't seen him since.

6. I've almost died twice in my life. Once when I was born and once when I was in my late teens.

7. I'm the oldest of 5 children. I have three younger sisters and one younger brother.

So, now that you know those things about me that no one ever wanted to know, here are my fantastic 7!

1. Moriah Jovan

2. Kristy Colley

3. Sally Royer-Derr
4. Julie over at Fire Drill
5. Johanna at Johanna’s Blog
6. Gwen Hayes
7. Jamie at Totally the Bomb

So, there you have it! I'm off to finish the requirements of my reign as a Kreativ Blogger. Should I be unable to fulfill my reign due to any reason, please be aware you'll have to tear the tiara out of my cold dead hands! What do you mean there's no tiara?