A Double-Liebster, Please…

…and yes, I would like fries with that, thank you!

I am honored. Twice-honored.

In a moment of generosity (or perhaps insanity), Lizzi passed a Liebster award my way late last week.

At first, I was confused. Mostly because I had absolutely no idea what it was. Shows you how knowledgeable I am about the whole blogosphere thing. Even after nearly a year and a half, I am still finding my way around.

So now that I have figured out exactly what I have coming, I hereby accept my award with all the grace and style of Sally Field’s oft-misquoted speech when she accepted the award for her performance in Norma Rae…

HOLD EVERYTHING!

So there I was, minding my own business, considering my answers to Lizzi’s eleven questions when…distraction happened. I hopped over to a couple of other blogs to catch up on some posts…when…BAM! There I was on Kari’s list of nominees.

And so now I have a pair of Liebsters. Woot!

Since we all know that rules are made to be broken, I am going to double up my Liebster post into one. I will combine or not just exactly where I see fit to do so…or where I run out of answers.  And as for my list of nominees? Well, I have no idea who has less than 200 hundred followers. (Who made that a rule, anyway?)  So I’m picking the people I want to know more about. Or who I think will really rock the answers to their eleven questions. Or something.

And so, here I now humbly submit my Double-Liebster acceptance.

First, my eleven random (or, to be grammatically correct, arbitrary) facts about myself. Should I do twenty-two? Maybe. Perhaps no one wants to know that many things about me. But if I have to answer twenty-two questions, then I get twenty-two facts. Only if I can think of that many…

• I have an unholy fear of bugs. Ask the BFF. She will tell you a funny story.
• I hold a first-degree black belt in Karate. It would be a second, but I did not complete the test before leaving the studio where I trained for it. Long story. Not that interesting. Moving on.
• I failed gym in high school.
• I hate cats. Yes, yes, I live with three of them. Not my fault. They are pretty much the only ones I tolerate.
• When I was in junior high, I was in love with Donny Osmond. In high school, it was Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran.
• My current crushes are Robert Irvine and Michael Symon. Mostly Robert Irvine. I saw him give a live talk and cooking demonstration. Woot.
• When I was in high school, I planned to go to school to become an accountant. Didn’t happen once I figured out math would be involved.
• I can accurately type over 100 words per minute without errors. When I was in business school, my top speed was consistently over 130 words per minute without errors. I list legit typing skills as one of the most useful things I have learned in life.
• The Fab Hub gets freaked out when I look him in the eye and carry on a conversation while I type something without looking at the keyboard or my hands.
• Most people who know me do not believe that I am actually painfully shy.
• I can wiggle my ears. In fact, I can wiggle them independently of one another. I can also raise my right eyebrow at will.
• The only book I have ever started and not finished was Maguire’s Wicked. Worst book ever. Aside from that, I have never not finished a book, even if I did not necessarily enjoy it.
• When I was working on my undergrad degree, I grabbed a minor in Christian theology.
• I have ADHD.
• I did not know I had ADHD until I was 38 years old. OK, I did suspect it about three years prior to that, but it was unconfirmed until then. It is both a blessing and a curse.
• I sing in the car. Loudly and without shame.
• I am working on writing some children’s books. I have not said (typed) that out loud to anyone except my immediate family until just now. Yikes.
• My favorite thing to wear is yoga pants.
• I do not like ice cream. Yes, I am aware that it is un-American to dislike ice cream.
• I have a shameless and hugely sappy love for all things patriotic.
• If I had the chance to choose my college major again, I would double major in English and History.
• I am still mildly afraid of the dark.

Amazingly, I think that’s 22 – 11 each for Lizzi and Kari. Moving on.

Liebster #1 – Lizzi’s Questions:

1. What did you want to be when you were grown-up? I am fairly certain that I wanted to be a teacher.

2. If you could take any qualification in the world, what would it be, and why? Qualification…that’s a tough one. A qualification can be defined as a quality or accomplishment that makes someone suitable for a particular job or activity. So the question is…what job or activity are we talking about? Doing what I do for a living? Doing what I’d like to do in my dream job? Being a parent? Too hard. So I’m going with super-power instead of qualification and I will always insist on invisibility. Think about it – no matter what job or activity you do, invisibility would make it awesome.

3. What’s the most tired you’ve ever been? Hmm…that would have to be the weeks after Kidzilla was born. It was not a fun ride for either of us. I think I slept most of the first month of her life.

4. What was your last ‘kairos moment’? Kairos – from the Greek meaning the right or opportune moment (or the supreme moment). The Greeks used two words with regard to time – chronos, for sequential time, and kairos, for describing an indeterminate period of time in which something special happens. In the New Testament, kairos is used to mean “the appointed time in the purpose of God,” or the time when God acts. So, my last one? Jump ahead to number 11, item two.

5. What did you eat for breakfast this morning? Actually, I drank my breakfast this morning. It was a smoothie. Breakfast is usually a smoothie. I make all kinds – OK, correction – the Fab Hub makes all kinds for me – but most often it’s some combination of milk or yogurt, fruit or juice, and some kind of greens. Today it was the goji berry and chia seed smoothie on my Pinterest smoothie board.

6. What is the most perfect number? I have always liked two. Five is a close second. But one is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do…

7. The last time you got given a present, what was the occasion? No occasion. Someone just happened to give me something they thought I would like. I’m looking for the ulterior motive behind it with one eyebrow raised.

8. Which book do you keep coming back to? A collection of selected essays by Emerson. A close second is Thoreau’s Walden. Both physical copies are no-frills paperback Penguin Classics purchased during my undergrad days. Both have been read, re-read, and read again. They are love-worn and full of notes.

9. What advice would you like to give the ‘you’ of ten years ago? Don’t scratch. Elope. Take better care of your teeth.

10. What part of ‘now’ would you like to remind the ‘you’ in ten years’ time about? Do not miss a single moment. Take more naps. Take better care of your teeth.

11. What was the last thing which made you catch your breath in awe? A few days ago it was a particularly beautiful spot of sunlight caught behind a cloud that made it look like the cloud was rimmed in gold. I did attempt a photo…it did not translate to film and so I will have to keep it in my mind’s eye. As of this morning, it was the sleepy and spontaneous “I love you so very much, Mamma” Kidzilla whispered as she curled up next to me about ten minutes before the alarm went off.

And on to Liebster #2 – Kari’s questions:

1. What is your favorite cartoon character? Why? The comedy duo of Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. Because they are funny.

2. If your house were burning down, what three objects would you try to save? Kidzilla, the Rotten Cats (package deal), and the Fab Hub. However. I am fully aware that none of those are objects and thus really don’t quality here. So if we’re going with actual items, the truth is that I probably wouldn’t grab anything. I suppose I’d be tempted to grab family photos, cards/letters saved for particular reasons, and Kidzilla’s most favorite stuffy friend (although making a choice could prove impossible).

3. Name a gift you will never forget. Tie – I can’t decide between two. Both are from the Fab Hub. The first was a birthday present he made for me after the first road trip we took together. It was a disaster in many ways. But it was a “first” and so it was noteworthy. For my birthday shortly after that trip, he took the actual map we used and mounted it on a poster board. He highlighted the route, marked the stops we made along the way, and added some captions. I still have it. The other is a song written for me by the Fab Hub. For Valentine’s Day the year we got married, he framed a copy of the printed lead sheet and gave it to me. I actually heard it for the first time when he played it at our wedding reception.

4. Name one thing you really like about yourself.  My comedic timing is pretty good. And I have good hair. I know that’s two. It’s my award.

5. Does your name have a special meaning and/or were you named after someone special? Just about every baby name site you check will tell you that Lisa means “consecrated to God” or “devoted to God.” Depending on your source, it is a German, Greek, Hebrew, American, and/or English name. Something I read somewhere said people with the name Lisa desire to use their abilities in leadership, and to have personal independence and that they would rather focus on large, important issues and delegate the details. It also said we are able to make constructive use of freedom, fight being restricted by rules and conventions, and may be changeable, restless, untidy, and rebellious. Yup, all pretty true. As for the named after part? I believe it was St. Elizabeth of Hungary – going to need Mom to confirm that. My middle name is also my Mom’s middle name. And now it is also Kidzilla’s. I love that we all share that.

6. What is your favorite season (winter, spring, summer, fall) and why? Autumn, hands down. I love the colors, the temperature, the smells…everything. There is beauty to be found in all seasons, but fall is my absolute favorite. It feels like promise to me, like snuggling in for a long nap and knowing you’ll feel great on the other side when you wake up refreshed.

7. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? Live clam. There was Japanese beer involved. That’s all I remember.

8. Do you have siblings?  If so, how many? (brothers? sisters?) Two sisters.

9. If you had this week to do over, what would you do differently? Remember to wash my face and/or brush my teeth before passing out at night.

10. What was the best vacation you ever had? Stay at home with no plans vacation. Turn off the phone, lock the door, and just…be.

11. Have you ever been told you look like someone famous? If so, who? No, not ever.

And, finally, my nominees for this illustrious award and the questions they must answer.

Andrea of About 100%

Dyanne of I Want Backsies

Essie of Essie’s Blessings

Mary of Brown, Party of Chaos

May of Achieving Clarity

Miriam of Miriam Gomberg

Mo of The Baby is Fine

Sarah of Amycake and the Dude

Tammy of Grown Up, Now What?

Tina of Tinalicious

Tinne of Tantrums and Tomatoes

I hope these ladies will jump in on the fun. And even if they don’t? Well, their blogs are pretty great so check them out anyway! There are a few other people I would like to have on this list, but it looks like Liebster love has already found them. Looking forward to those posts, though, Christine and Diane…OH and Stephanie!

• If you had to choose, would you rather give up your sense of sight or your sense of hearing?
• What is your favorite time of day? Why?
• What is your favorite article of clothing?
• What household chore would you rather not do ever again?
• Who is your hero? Why?
• How do you like your steak cooked?
• Describe the worst/weirdest haircut you’ve ever had.
• What would you like to be known for?
• Dog person or cat person?
• Which is better – the book or the movie?

And if you aren’t on the list here…you probably should be. Want to answer the questions anyway? Do it in the comments.