LIEBSTER TIME

CJ, the lovely lady who blogs over at "Above the River", nominated me for the Liebster award.  It's my understanding that this is a way for bloggers with fewer than 200 followers to be recognized and spread the word about themselves.  I did find the below definition:

The real "gist" of the Liebster Award is that there is no real award. There are no judges, no special rules. No website with an official team to congratulate you and hold your hand. It's mostly what you want it to be. If you receive the award, you can 1) accept it and 2) pass it along. It's that easy.

I love this idea of getting to know fellow bloggers better and "tagging" the next people.  I feel bad, because the awesome Jenny over at "Diary of a Dreamer" nominated me a few weeks ago, but I did not understand what was going on.  So I just said a big thank you and moved on.  Well, I finally figured it out and am excited to play along.

I'll follow the format CJ had with listing out eleven random facts about myself, then answering eleven questions she came up with, and lastly nominating a few other bloggers to answer the questions I made up.

Random Facts About Me:

1. I never took the bus to classes in college, even though I had to walk about 30 minutes each way.  It wasn't because I necessarily wanted the exercise.  I just thought that taking the bus or riding my bike was too "uncertain".  What if the bus was late or I caught the wrong one or I couldn't find a place to lock my bike?  I preferred to play it safe and trudge with my heavy backpack to class everyday, which was up hill, both ways.

2. One of my pet peeves is when people say "supposably" instead of "supposedly".  Listen carefully, you'll start noticing a lot of people saying it with a "b".

3.  I was a little kid's baseball coach for 4 summers.  Having only played softball until sixth grade, I wouldn't say I was exactly qualified.  I always showed up, though, and was the pitcher since I could throw the ball without hitting the kids (most of the time).  

4.  When my husband and I were leaving for our honeymoon to Jamaica two days after our wedding, I ran into my high school ex-boyfriend who had broken up with me years before and his whole family at the airport!  It was so awkward.  He kept asking how I was doing.  I just got married dude and am going to Jamaica!  And you still live with your parents.  How do you think I'm doing?  I would say this was the best closure I could have ever hoped for.

5.  I love Diet Dr. Pepper, but only out of a can.  I won't drink it if it's from a fountain or in a 20oz. bottle.

6.  I miss Gilmore Girls. And Lost.  And The Office.  Is it weird to miss TV friends?

7.  When I was a kid, I wanted to be a paleontologist.  I wore the "uniform" to prove it.  

8.  I sang "Don't Stop Believin" in front of strangers in a bar and seriously thought that I had hit the high note.   (I didn't.)

9.  I like to collect old books.  

10. I played the flute in my high school marching band and marched in the Millennium Parade in London.

11. I was a (not very good) Resident Assistant for two years in college and would make up inspirational quotes to put on our required posters and just sign them anonymous.  "Life is a funny thing.."~Anonymous

Whew!  That was tough!  Now, I'm going to answer the questions CJ asked.

1.   Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

Milk chocolate all the way.  I don't care if I don't get antioxidants while I gorge myself on chocolate. 

2.   What was your first job?
I babysat and mowed my grandpa’s lawn, but my first real job was working at the city pool in the summer when I was 14.  I wasn’t old enough to be a lifeguard, so I settled on working at the front desk and the concession stand.  No one burned more popcorn that summer than me.  

3.   Is there a book you return to again and again?
I just re-read “The Razor’s Edge” by Somerset Maugham for the third time.   I first read this book when I was  20, then again when I was 25, and now I’m 30.  Each time it speaks to me differently.  It’s a story of a young man throwing off the shackles of what society expects of him and going off to find out what the purpose of life is.  I’m always drawn to books with this theme—in search of the meaning of it all. 

4.   If you had an afternoon to yourself, what would you choose to do with it?

Put on a record and craft for a while.  Then lie on the couch and read. 

5.   Is there something you would like to learn to do?
Play the ukulele, write in calligraphy, sew.  The list goes on and on. 

6.   Do you have a favorite saying or quote?

This is a quote from the book “Romance: A Novel” by Joseph Conrad and Ford Maddox Ford that has stuck with me since the first time I read it.  It seemed to capture life so perfectly.  The yearning for tomorrow, the soft romantic glow we place on days past, and the knowledge that today is that moment we will look back on wistfully as “the good old days”.

If we could have remembrance now

     And see, as in the days to come

     We shall, what's venturous in these hours:

     The swift, intangible romance of fields at home,

     The gleams of sun, the showers,

     Our workaday contentments, or our powers

     To fare still forward through the uncharted haze

     Of present days. . . .

     For, looking back when years shall flow

     Upon this olden day that's now,

     We'll see, romantic in dimm'd hours,

     These memories of ours.

7.   Is there a naughty treat you love to eat?

Some might say that I am a bit obsessed with Cadbury Eggs.  Since they’re only offered during Easter time in the U.S., I’ve been buying up stock the day after Easter when they’re half price.  I'm embarrassed to say how much I spent last year on boxes of Cadbury Eggs to make sure I had enough for the whole year.  I keep my stash in the refrigerator and have found that they taste just as good 6 months later as they did when they were in the stores.  You'll know if I really like you if I offer you a Cadbury Egg when you come to my house.  

8.   Is there a great pub or restaurant near you that you would recommend?

Planet Sub for a delicious toasted sandwich and The Sandbar for a delicious drink to get you toasted.

9.   What country would you visit if you could go anywhere?

Greece

10.  Jeans or a skirt?

Skirts in the summer and jeans in the winter.  There’s nothing I hate more than sweating in my jeans in the summer. Skirts are much breezier.

11.  What is your favorite hobby?

Crafting, reading, running (well, it used to be until I hurt my knee)

Now here's my questions to the next players:

1. What is your biggest pet peeve?

2.  If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring?

3.  Who's your favorite band?

4.  If you had six months left to live, what would you do with the time you had left?

5.  What is the biggest lesson you've learned in the past year?

6.  If you could go back and redo anything, what would it be?

7.  What is your favorite book?

8.  Did you have a childhood nickname?  What was it?

9.  Ice cream or custard?

10. Beach or mountains?

11. Tell about a time you laughed so hard you almost peed your pants.

I'm going to nominate five blogs, because they're all so awesome and I want to hear their answers for the questions.

My Serendipitous Life

Refining Juhls

Handmade in the Heartland

Latitude Adjustment

PlatedPearls

Seriously, check out the blogs above.  They are all so wonderful in their own unique ways, and I enjoy reading what these ladies have to say.  Thanks so much for nominating me, CJ, and for the interesting questions.  You came up with great ones.