School started back for us today.  I say “us” because as of Day 1, parents are faced with a stack of papers to acknowledge, sign, initial, and complete.  Homework exists for all of us, and a new school year means it’s time to start fresh with a clean slate.

So now it’s time for me to regroup as well.  And what better way than to catch up on some procrastinated blogger duties than by reciprocating some awards?  These were graciously presented to me, and I should receive a “F” for failing to complete my tasks in a timely fashion.

But better late than never, I say.  Hang on…this may take a while.

The Illuminating Blogger Award

This award was presented to me by no other than Brigitte at Brigitte’s Banter.  This is truly an honor, because I love her blog.  She’s a great writer, very motivating and an overall nice person.  Go check out her site!

And now for the rules:

• Visit the award site, leave a comment, tell everyone who nominated you, and thank the blogger, including a link back to their site.
• Share a random thing about yourself.  I tend to procrastinate.  Oh, wait, you already knew that, didn’t you? 
• Select 5 or more nominees and notify them that they’ve won the award.
• Put the award on your blog somewhere.

And the winners are:

JLee’s Blog

Quirky Grandma

Amanda Zahn.com

Fiercely Yours

Daysift

The Sparkly Award

Thanks again to Brigitte from above for this award.  And since she awarded me twice, I ask that you not just visit her page, but hang around and read a few posts and give her a follow.

The rules:

• Answer the questions below.
• Thank the person who gave it to you  Thanks, Brigitte!
• Link back to that person and pass it along to as many peeps as you want.

1. Describe yourself in 7 words:  Hmmm.  I’m assuming this is my perception and not anyone else’s.   Sparky, of course.  Illuminating, Kreativ, Versatile, Sisterly, and Liebsterish.  One more…humble.
2. What keeps you up at  night?  Caffeine.  And all my crazy thoughts.
3. Whom would you like to be?  No one else.  My motto is “be careful what you wish for”. 
4. What are you wearing right now?  A shirt I wore to work and some casual capri’s.  Barefoot.  Hair up.  About as casual as I can be.
5. What scares you?  The damned lizards and the haunting tidal wave from “The Perfect Storm”.  Oh yes, and the image of those two little girls from “The Shining”.  Yikes.
6. What are the best and worst things about blogging?  The best thing is that you meet lots of great bloggers and get your own interrupted forum.  The worst thing is that you feel like you’re shirking your duties when you don’t feel like coming near your blog. 
7. If I could change one thing about myself, what would it be?  I would change my body shape.  I’d be thinner, small-waisted, with bigger boobs and a little more booty.  Can that all count as one thing?
8. Slankets, yes or no?  Huh?  OK, I looked this up.  It’s a blanket with sleeves.  A knock-off of the snuggy, if you will.  No, not a fan.  The commercials are just too hokey and my family will not be sitting on the soccer sidelines this wear wrapped in slankets.  I’d divorce my husband if he did. 
9. Tell us something about the person who nominated you.  She’s awesome.  She has a great blog, and she’s a great blogger.  Very personable.  And my first impression was awe that she was Freshly Pressed and responded to every single comment. 

And the winners are:

Author Ashley

Drivelology

Gracefully50

Stuff I Can’t Put on Facebook’s Blog

Can’t Keep It In No More

Ms Beauty Buzz

The Kreativ Blogger Award

This award was given to me by Menopausal Mother.  She’s another very funny blogger, and I’m honored to be acknowledged by her.  This is definitely another site you’ll want to check out and follow.  Especially if you’ve ever experienced a hot flash.

The rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to the awarding
blog.  Thanks, Menopausal Mother!
2. Answer 7 questions about yourself.
3. Provide 10 random factoids
about yourself.
4. Hand the award to 7 deserving others.

The questions:

1.  What is your favorite song?  This is a tough one, but my go-to music may include any of the following on a given day:  Dream On by Aerosmith, Heart of the Matter by Don Henley, My Story by Brandi Carlisle, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by AC/DC, and anything by Bob Seger.  Yeah, I like the old stuff best.

2.  What is your favorite dessert?  Homemade Red Velvet Cake.  And now I’m craving it.

3.  What do you do when you’re upset?  Depends on who I’m upset with.  With kids, I turn on the military mom voice that I know is truly irritating.  With my husband, I probably slam a door or 2 much to his dismay.  If I can’t show my “upsetness”, I listen to something like Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and rock out.

4.  What is your favorite pet?  I have to say my cat, and that’s only because we’re on the same wavelength.  I can rub his ears for a couple of minutes and he’s done with me.  I kind of like that low maintenance thing.

5.  Which do you prefer, white or whole wheat?  Hello, white and only white for me.

6.  What is your biggest fear?  Well, there are those lizards that I loathe.  On a grander scale, I think the scariest thing to me is a tidal wave.  I dream about that 90-feet wave from The Perfect Storm way too much.

7.  What is your attitude mostly?  Not sure how to answer this one.  I can go from one extreme to another.  Let’s not go there.

Factoids are combined down below with the next award.

And the winners are:

Brigitte’s Banter

Casey Kay

Rita’s Reflections

Fear No Weebles

Jean DayFriday

Angry Middle Age Woman

mccrabass

Main Street Musings

The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

This award was given to me by Author Ashley, another great writer whose blog I enjoy.  Unlike some of the other bloggers I follow, she’s a teenager.  I predict great things for her and her blog.  Anyone who thinks teenagers can’t write well should check out her blog.

The rules:

1)    All recipients need to thank the giver  Thanks, Ashley!
2)   Post 7 things about yourself 
3)   Pass the award on to 7 other bloggers of their choice and let them know that they have been nominated.
4)   Include the logo of the award in a post or on your blog

So I’m going to start getting lazy here and provide 10 random facts that will apply to both this award and the one above.

• My oldest daughter left for college last week
• My younger daughter registered for high school.
• Add in a birthday in the same week, and I’m feeling quite old at the moment.
• I got 3 new pairs of reading glasses for my birthday.  Most people might take that as an insult.  I’m thrilled.  Especially since I was down to 1 pair again.
• The other day, I ate chocolate birthday cake for lunch.  Not dessert, lunch.  It was awesome.
• I joined a gym 2 months ago, yet I haven’t been in a month.  In spite of the lack of gym time and lunchtime cake, I continue to complain about not being able to lose weight.
• My oldest daughter is playing soccer in college.  My youngest daughter plays as well.  Be prepared for some upcoming soccer mom rants, as I’m sure there will be.  It’s inevitable.
• I’m a reality TV junkie, but then you may have already figured that out.  Bring on the toddlers with tiaras, Honey Boo Boo, housewives of wherever, dance moms, hoarders, bad girls, house hunters, dirty jobs, storage bidders, dumb crooks, cheaters, people who didn’t know they were pregnant, whatever.  I can’t look away.
• I watched VH-1 videos on my birthday and was taken aback when video after video featured someone who is now dead.  And then Aerosmith saved the day.

And the winners are:

Menopausal Mother

WhatIMeant2Say

The Bitchy Truth

Arms of a Sister

Beyond Words

The Liebster Award

Thanks to JLee at JLee’s Blog for this one.  JLee is yet another great blogger I follow loyally.  Hers was one of the first blogs I found when I started about a year ago.  If you follow me regularly, I’ve linked her blog before, so if you haven’t done so, go check her out now.  And if you have, revisit it.  She’s cool, she’s honest, and she’s funny.  Another great writer too.

The Rules:

1. Answer JLee’s 11 probing questions
2. Think of 11 questions on your own
3. Choose 11 worthy bloggers (who have fewer than 200 followers) to interrogate and pay it forward!

JLee’s Probling Questions:

1. Tell me 3 things you carry with you.  Cell phone, of course.  I am completely addicted and go into a panic when I don’t know where it is.  #2 Reading Glasses. #3  My debit card.  I can never keep cash and I think my bank statement would be 30 pages long if I printed it.
2. What was your first job?  McDonald’s.  I was a McCashier and a McFry Girl.  And I got kind of McFat.
3. What are your thoughts on jean skirts – are they “in style”? (I’ve been told they’re out of style, is that even possible?)  I always loved them, but I no longer can pull off the look.  At least that’s what my 14-year old told me.  But I love them on others.
4. What planet would you travel to if you could?  None.  I’m happy on Earth, thank you.  Space travel is not on my bucket list.
5. What is your favorite piece of modern technology and why.  Cell phone, definitely.  It’s everything wrapped into one.
6. What super power would you possess if you could pick one?  The ability to predict the future, but only about 2 hours at a time.  I don’t want to know if I’m about to kick the bucket.  And in 2 hours, I could go pick up a lottery ticket.
7. Tell me the last dream you remember having.  I dreamed, while taking a week off, that I forgot that I was on vacation and went in to work that Thursday.  When I got there, I realized that I was supposed to be on vacation, but then had to stay.  I was pissed.
8. What TV show can you watch reruns of over and over and over?  So many…”Andy Griffith Show”, “King of Queens”, “Everybody Loves Raymond”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Seinfeld”.  Those never get old.
9. Do you agree with how others see you or do you think there is more than meets the eye?   For the most part, but if I’m not in a sociable mood, I may get a bad rap from time to time.
10. What is your astrology sign and do the characteristics fit you?  Leo. I’m not sure I’m always the life of the party.  I don’t crave being the center of attention at all.  And I don’t consider my mane too glorious.
11. Are you left-handed or right-handed?  Right.

And the winners are:

ByThe (Cook)Book

cravesadventure

Life of a Recessionista

Classic Confusion

One Awkward Year

Good2BeGone

Ms. Mouse Cleans House

And now for my 11 questions that I hope you’ll answer:

1. Blogger awards:  Chore or Pleasure?
2. If you could go back in time and do it all again, including school, would you do it?
3. Use 5 words to describe yourself.
4. Why do you blog?
5. Have you ever received negative or mean comments on your blog?
6. Provide a link to a post that you thought was one of your best, but the feedback was lukewarm.
7. Describe your go-to outfit.
8. What’s your favorite holiday?
9. Name one of your guilty pleasures.
10. What is something that you procrastinate doing?
11. What is your favorite dessert?

The Versatile Blogger Award

Thanks for this one goes to Susan at Quirky Grandmother.

I graciously accept this award, but I’m getting a little drained here.  I imagine you are too, if you’ve made it this far.  So let’s just say I’ve covered my duties up above.

And the winners are:

The Frump Factor

From the Chicken Coop

PurpleNoiZe

Mrs. D’s Maunderings

Dawn of April

I may have come up a little short, but please forgive me.  You’ve got plenty of great blogs to check out anyway.  And I have some more homework to do.

Thanks to you all and congratulations!