My Week 166: Ich Liebster dich, Du Liebster mich

 

Well, it’s been a crazy week, which is to say much more crazy than normal. I don’t talk about it much here, since I try to keep my blog life and my ‘other’ life separate, mostly so that the people I work with don’t realize that I’m a LOT weirder and way more swear-y than they think I am, but I actually also write Young Adult Fiction, and my first novel was just published. On Tuesday, I was contacted by a local newspaper for an interview, and on Wednesday, I appeared not only on-line but also on the front page of the hard copy paper, like the WHOLE front page, with my picture literally a foot high. Slow news day, I guess, but my publisher was over the moon. But on top of all that, the ‘blog me’ also had a great week, because I was nominated for a Liebster Award by my blogger friend R.S. Noel, Creative Writer Who Thinks and Dreams in Realism, whose blog can be found here: https://rsnoel.com

R.S. Noel is an outstanding young blogger whose writing is carefully crafted and lovely. He writes fiction and non-fiction, focusing often on philosophy (but never in a boring way like Socrates) or music, or simply the aspects of his own life which have taught him important lessons. You need to read him–he’s honest and insightful.

Anyway, I was thrilled when he told me that he’d nominated me for a Liebster Award, and now I have to follow the rules set out whereby I answer the questions he posed. I’ll also be nominating 5 other bloggers that I admire, but you’ll have to read MY sh*t first, because it’s my damn award.

Question 1: Why did you start your own blog?

About 4 years ago, I was going through a hard time. If you’ve read me for a while, you’ll know that I used to work with a group of extremely nasty people. The harassment, especially by two of my male colleagues, was so terrible that I didn’t know what to do. So to save myself and my sanity, I started focusing on the funny things that were happening each week, and started writing them down. I already had a WordPress site that I’d been using professionally, but I completely revamped and reinvented it so that I could share my humour with the world, which also explains why the blog is mydangblog but the domain is educationalmentorship.com–I can’t for the life of me figure out how to change it and I quite often forget that Educationalmentorship is actually me because it sounds way too professional and fancy. But being able to do that, to shove aside the negativity and revel in life’s absurdities, is what drives me to write. Even though I’ve changed jobs and now work with some awesome people, I still write the blog because humour is important to me.

Question 2: If you could travel back in time, what time period would you visit and why?

That’s a tough one. We all romanticize the past to a certain extent, but the truth is that things were pretty smelly before deodorant and sewage treatment plants were invented, and most time periods were extremely violent. I guess if you pushed me, I’d say…I’ll get back to this one. OK, I’ve done all the other questions. I’m still stuck. OK—dinosaurs. I would want to see dinosaurs with my own eyes. Then I could help museums by letting them know whether or not dinosaurs had skin or feathers. I’d be incredibly popular amongst the paleontology set.

Question 3: Favourite food/drink?

Bacon-wrapped filet mignon and white wine. Yeah, I know you’re supposed to drink red wine with red meat, but I’m a rebel. I don’t care what the snooty waiter thinks. I live life MY way, and my way is Chardonnay.

Question 4: Who is the most influential person in your life (famous or not)?

My daughter, K. I’ve become a better person because of her, because I want her to be proud of me.

Question 5: What is your favourite animal?

I have two. I adore dogs, and my favourite dog is Titus, my 100 pound black Labrador. He’s got the sweetest personality on the planet, and he’s a killer with the witty one-liners. I could talk to him all day. My fictional favourite animal is the Zebrasus, which is a cross between a zebra and Pegasus. They smoke cigars and wear Mardi Gras beads because they’re cool and sassy.

Question 6: What is your favourite season and why?

Summer, because I’m always cold, and summer is the only time of the year when I don’t have to put the seat heater on in my car.

Question 7: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

I would want the power to cut off people’s internet permanently when they say stupid things on social media. I can hear someone saying, “But mydangblog, who are you to judge what’s stupid or not?” To which I reply, “That’s stupid. You’re cut off.” I’d be f*cking GREAT at judging that. Think of how much more we would ALL enjoy social media if the racists, sexists, homophobes, and general assholes were relegated back to being the town idiots who sit in local bars, where people are too busy having a good time to pay attention to their drunken musings. Also, I would like invisibility, because that would just be fun.

Question 8: What is your top Bucket-List item? Why?

I would have said “being a published novelist” but that’s just happened, so I’m going to say “moving to a country property with a river or creek, or some type of flowing water”. I want to sit on the bank of a stream in the sunshine, listening to the birds and thinking about how beautiful the world truly is. Ken and I used to have a property like that but we sold it because the house was so close to the road that we couldn’t open our windows without feeling like we were actually on the asphalt. But I miss the water.

Question 9: Who is your favourite musical artist?

Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters. He’s a musical genius and a really good guy. If you want to know more about how I really feel, read My Week 42: Kanye Vs. Dave and Dad. There’s a T-chart, so you know it’s very scientific:

Question 10: What has been your most rewarding moment as a blogger?

Every time I get a new follower, I feel incredibly blessed. If I can make one person laugh a day, then I have fulfilled my purpose and kept good faith with myself.

And now, in no particular order, are the fellow bloggers that I’m nominating for the 2017 Liebster award:

Freethinkers Anonymous

The Problem with Ciara is…

Greater Than Gravity

Spooky Action At A Distance

The Rise and Fall of Harry Hamid

And here are the ten questions that I have for you, my dear nominees:

1) Why do you write?
2) Which of your own blog posts should people read if they want to really know you?
3) Best hybrid animal and why?
4) Flowers or chocolate?
5) What was your favourite childhood toy?
6) What is one thing about your life that you would change?
7) Who is your favourite writer?
8) Are you crafty? (Either ‘cunning’ or ‘able to make crafts’)
9) What movie do you like to watch over and over? Why?
10) What makes you laugh?

Thanks again to R.S. Noel for the nomination, and to all the other bloggers and readers out there who make up this amazing and supportive community!

27 thoughts on “My Week 166: Ich Liebster dich, Du Liebster mich”

  1. This is the best acceptance of a Liebster Award I’ve yet read! It’s tough to make these answers both informative and funny, yet you did just that and brilliantly. And I am, of course, humbled that you chose me to carry it on. I don’t always play along but in this case, I will do so gladly. However, I’ve already pontificated enough for today, so I will save your questions so that I can answer properly and enthusiastically some time this week.

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  2. Congratulations on publication week! Are you tingly? Just me?? If I really lived in Canada, and wasn’t just pretend moving to the Toronto area, I’d buy up all your billboard-sized front pages (and well, yeah, I’d probably have to purchase all the pages) to help celebrate your accomplishment! How wonderful for you. What a sweet surprise for me too! I am so touched that you think enough of my little corner of the cyber universe to nominate me for the Liebster. Thank you. Thank you so much.

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  3. Holy mackerel, I wasn’t expecting to be nominated, but I’m so thankful. I’d like to thank you, the Academy…
    And more importantly, congratulations on publishing your book. In my “other life” I work in a library and one of my favorite things is to make sure books by people I know get purchased. This means not only do I get to read the books but they’re also in a library to be discovered and enjoyed by people who might not find them otherwise. They may even be taught in classes. Think about that. Your book would be used for education and mentoring.

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    • Yes, I think the two worlds are going to have to briefly collide–I’ve been getting a few requests to identify the book so I’ll throw a little blurb into the next post. Also, I can’t wait for your answers to the Liebster questions, and neither can the Academy!

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  4. I always like finding out little tidbits, and the thing out your url is something I’ve often wondered, so glad to lay that one to rest.

    Congratulations. If you think me worthy, I’d love a link to where I can buy your book. You can drop it by email or whatever you think is appropriate.

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  7. You know, I’ve seen you over there at that Spooky site and have been meaning to pop on by and see what your Dang Blog had to say, and I’m glad I did!

    Let’s take this in order (with brevity and the soul of wit in mind):

    Congratulations on your published works, your domination of front page news, ditching the nasty folk, finding awesome folk, not being eaten by dinosaurs, red meat and white wine living, having a butt heater (I recently got my first one), gaining a new follower (me!), making someone laugh out loud (me!), and, of course… on your Liebster Award nomination!

    You’ve earned it all, with clear grace and aplomb. 😊

    Now, I think I’ll pour a fresh glass of amber-hued wine (okay, a beer) and enjoy some more of your contributions.

    Congrats again, you educationally-mentoring dang blogger, you!

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  9. Hi. I’m visiting from Sick Christine’s blog. I was feeling so weird, like somehow you are me and I am you, but then I realized that you are much younger than me . Who the fuck are the Foo-fighters? I’m kidding. Someone sang one of their songs on American Idol. Or was that Black-Eyed-Peas. And what kind of name is that for a band, by the way. My favorite singer is Bruce Springsteen. Really, I’m just saying that so I don’t have to admit it’s Neil Diamond. That’s a lie. Neil is not my favorite, but I do really, really like that Sweet Caroline song. (Oh oh ohhhh) I’m old, that’s what I’m saying. But we (you and I) both love chardonnay and wouldn’t mind seeing a dinosaur as long as that sighting takes place in a very warm climate where space heaters are available for the perpetually frozen, and not in that Disney let’s sing songs and build ice castles frozen way, but in the just as non-factual, “Guys. I’m literally freezing!” way. Congratulations on your book and your award. I’m going to make you all sparkly and warm with my follow. Also, I thought your blog was called “MyDanBlog” and came over to find out who Dan is.

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  11. Congrats and thank you! I’m not sure how I missed this before.

    I don’t usually do these things (mostly because I rarely have much control over what I end up writing), but I’m going to give it a go in the nest few days and try and write my answers.

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  12. I’m here, i’m all about this and i’m ready lols. I sometimes hit the snooze on my writing but delighted you picked me too. Your answers smashed – always so carefully curated I feel (in a good way like). I better get answering.

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