Liebster Blog Award 2016

On Wednesday I promised I would “See you tomorrow!” I am well aware that today isn’t tomorrow (or, in this case, Thursday) – this week has been….full. I really, really wanted to use another f-word to describe this week, but this is a family friendly blog (most of the time).

I would like to thank the amazing Chelseeenel for nominating Twisting Suburbia for a Liebster Blog Award. The award is a chance for bloggers to connect and discover new blogs. I’m supposed to answer a few questions and then nominate 11 bloggers, and (hopefully) they will do the same. For those of you who are old enough to remember, it’s a chain letter, without having to send anyone a dollar or having horrible repercussions. For those of you not old enough to remember, ask your mother (or your grandmother).

Why did you start blogging?

Because if I didn’t get the voices out of my head and down on paper, my brain was going to explode (Just kidding. Maybe. Actually, putting them on paper doesn’t seem to shut them up). I can’t remember why, but I think it was because I missed doing stand-up, and, as a new(ish) mother I was unconscious long before the open mic event started. The best part of blogging vs stand-up is that I can blog in my pajamas (when I go to bars in my pajamas, the other comedians make fun of me). The second best part of blogging vs stand-up is that I don’t have to pay $10 for a glass of wine.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I didn’t want to grow up. Even back then, I knew it was a trap (“What is a dult, and why would I want to be one?”) At one point, I wanted to be an astronaut. I wish I could find the picture of me flying my “space capsule” using my mother’s emptied and upturned planter as a steering wheel and an album sleeve for a helmet (hey, it was white, and had an opening for my face). For those of you who don’t know what an album is, ask your mother (or your grandmother).

If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

I have wanted to go to Tuscany ever since I saw “Under the Tuscan Sun”, but, since watching “P.S. I Love You” I have been pulled towards Ireland. Evidently movies have a big influence on my travel plans.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Ice cream for breakfast. Of course, now that there’s nobody around to tell me I CAN’T have it, it’s not nearly as much fun. My non-fattening guilty please is reading what I refer to as “summer books”. These are books that don’t require much concentration, and seem to be designed be read poolside, with a frosty beverage.

What do you do for fun?

I love long walks on the beach at sunset while holding a fluffy bu….oh wait. That was from my other survey. I love spending time with friends and family, going to movies, plays and concerts, and (on rainy days) curling up with a pillow and my supersoft blanket and reading. I have also re-discovered the joy of napping.

What are your goals for 2016?

1. To become better organized and more goal oriented (better a disorganized procrastinator hasn’t served myself, or my daughter. very well).
2. To write on a more consistent basis (blog 2-3x/week)
3. To finish my WIP (14 years in the making)
4. To be more physically active (I still can’t bring myself to use the “E-word”, but I DID join a gym yesterday)
5. To spend more time with friends and family, including finally taking the road trip I’ve been planning for years
6. To learn to say the “N-word” (not THAT one. The one that stars with n and ends in a round vowel)
7. To push my comfort zone. I started by attending the VCAS painting event last month. Painting with a brush instead of a pen was challenging.

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What’s your favorite food?

Beer. Yes, beer is food. My second favorite food is my mother’s chicken pot pie. I really wish she’d written down the recipe.

What do you do with your weekends?

As little as possible (I can hear my friends laughing). TBH, my activities depend on the time of the year. I am involved with First Lego League, ref for AYSO, play with people at the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire, and work with amazing ghouls and boys at Deadzone805 every October.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s your favorite show/movie?

Holy macaroni- that’s a hard one. My favorite play (non-musical) is Noises Off. My favorite musical? Chorus Line. I love The Princess Bride, but Singing in the Rain has a special place in my heart (so glad my daughter feels the same). I never miss an episode of Dr. Who or The Walking Dead, but if I had to pick just one – it would be Firefly/Serenity.  I am still waiting for them to bring the show back to TV. #Browncoats4ever!

What achievement are you most proud of?

I don’t know if it counts as an “achievement”, but I’m pretty proud of the way my daughter is turning out. By all accounts I (we) are doing a pretty good job with her. She’s polite, sweet, funny and has a huge heart. Not too shabby for someone who was never having kids

What advice would you give to new bloggers?

Write. Write some more. Write when you want to, write to when you don’t. Read other blogs, to see what style (both blog template and content) speaks to you, but don’t compare yourself to others- you are unique, and we need to hear YOUR voice. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice (be specific in your request, and ask POLITELY – starting with a compliment doesn’t hurt), and don’t take criticism personally. Take what resonates, and leave the rest. The more you right, the easier it gets (most days)

Eleven random facts about me

1. My eyes are blue, but they change colors depending on my mood. If they ever turn red, that means I’m a vampire, and you should RUN

2. I have freckle in my eye

3. I have prosopagnosia, a form of facial blindness (I only recognize people in the environment in which I met them)

4. I am 97% sure that my daughter is a reincarnation of my mother

5. I am 100% certain that I am becoming my mother.

6. I sneeze so loudly I scare people. Sometimes I scare myself

7. I was in the UCLA theater arts program with Shane Black (Lethal Weapon 1 & 2, Iron Man 3)

8. I wanted to name my son Justin Case, or Justin Thyme. Everyone was relieved when I had a girl.

9. I am a certified massage therapist (I am also certifiable, but that’s another post)

10. I was in the MGM (now GATE) program in elementary school. MGM=Mentally Gifted Minors, but everyone called us Mentally Gifted Monkeys

11. I worked at a kissing booth

I nominate  the following bloggers

The amazing Ashley at Along Came a Dog

Nancy Lee Ma from Crystal Clear Profits

The funny and fabulous Whereshappy

Linda at Spritualdragonfly

Little Miss Menopause of Once Upon Your Prime

The really funny Dawn of Tdawneightyone

The really funny Katherine  from I am begging my mother not to read this blog

the amazingly talented artist Tessa Love from Wander Home

The strong, smart, wonderful Stephanie Land of stepville.com

The always grateful Jennifer Tucker

And there’s nothing better than The Magic Happines of…..

My questions for my brave nominees…

1. Why did you start blogging?
2. As a kid, who/what had the biggest influence on you?
3. If you could spend an entire day with anyone (living or dead), who would it be and what would you do?
4. How long have you known your best friend and how did you meet?
5. What do you do for fun?
6. What are your goals for 2016?
7. What’s your favorite sound?
8. What do you do with your weekends?
9. What’s your favorite show/movie?
10. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
11. What advice would you give to new bloggers?

Have fun with it! 😉