I'd like to THANK the academy

*added at least 2 hours after publishing* - DUH...just edited the freaking title of this post. How many people screw up the title??? I had written "I'd like to THE THE academy". OI-VAY.

Happy Saturday fellow bloggers. I'm a wee bit irritated with myself because I left my camera cable at work yesterday and so can't load some pictures I wanted to post today. They will have to wait until Monday.

Today is the one year anniversary of my blog, and I had a plan of posting pictures of some stuff to do a giveaway to celebrate my wittle blog's birthday. I was going to be all expansive and excited, but realizing the cable is attached to the hard drive in my office took some of the shine off the whole thing. It's no big deal. I'll do an official anniversary post Monday, unless I get a Pulitzer or something tomorrow, in which case the blogiversary will be bumped again so I can post my acceptance speech on Monday instead. Bottom line - go with the flow, Leslie. I didn't used to do that too easily. I took great pride in going against the flow...swimming stubbornly upstream against strong currents in my hyperdriven self reliance. This is the easier softer way. (Big shock...that's an AA phrase:))

But speaking of awards, I have been given 2 in the last week, and while neither may be quite as prestigious (or lucrative) as a Pulitzer, I am thrilled, delighted and honored to have been given both. The first is this:
and was given to me Karen at Mom, Me and Alzheimers. Karen is awesome - the full time caregiver to her mom who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. Karen writes about her mom and what it's like to be spending her days in this kind of service. She's a remarkable woman to be caring for her mom, and I'm inspired by her generosity of spirit every time I read her blog. Thank you, Karen - for bestowing this award to me. The rules are:

1. Get really excited that you got the coolest award ever! Done - I'm delighted!

2. Choose one of the following options of accepting the Oh My Blog! award:
(a) Get really drunk and blog for 15 minutes straight,or for as long as you can focus.
(b) Write about your most embarrassing moment.
(c) Write a “soundtrack of your childhood” post.
(d) Make your next blog a ‘vlog’/video blog whereyou’re basically talking to the camera about whatever. It's all I can do to publish a post. Vlog a no go...
(e) Take a picture of yourself first thing in the morning,before you do anything else (hair, make up, etc) and post it.

3. Pass the award onto at least three, but preferably more, awesome bloggers and let them know.

# 1 was easy and is done. I've laughed everytime I read these #2 options on other folks' blogs because of option (a), the getting drunk one. Do you know there was a time I seriously would have chosen that, even though it's a joke? (i think) What I'll do is a "soundtrack of my childhood" post in the next week sometime. I'll have a blast with that, being a total music person. I've already sort of written soundtracks for what I want played at my funeral (you know I have a death thing) and other key events, so this assignment is right up my alley. Lots of songs, and the reasons they're on the list!

Finally, as far as passing it on - it seems like I might be one of the last bloggers in my village to get this and don't want to give it twice to anyone who's received it. No lie - every blog I'm checking out already has it, except I didn't see it on Karen at Waisting Time, who actually gave me the 2nd award I'll post about today. I love every blog I've posted on, so if you haven't gotten this, please grab it for your blog and do the requisite "assignment". And thanks again, Karen. This award is for you (unless you've already done it!)

The second is from the aforementioned Karen, whose blog I'm really loving. She's very honest and open about her feelings and struggles with weight loss and self image and all that jazz. I like reading her mental musings!
I'm supposed to tell you 7 things you don't already know about me. What with my diarrhea mouth when it comes to self disclosure, this could be a challenge...
1. I love HGTV and watch way too much of it.
2. I watch more tv than I want to, so am trying to wean myself off most of it.
3. I got kicked out of the Brownies in 2nd grade for pulling someone's hair, displaying an early rebellious spirit. (The girl was a bee-atch.) (This story goes over great at AA meetings!) I got reinstated the following year but then quit because my troop was lame.
4. In all of my formal education, including through college, I never read a single piece of Shakespeare. I think that renders me almost culturally illiterate, but when I've tried to read said Bard on my own, I glaze over. Love the movie versions!
5. Favorite celebrity chef - Ina Garten. I want her house in the Hamptons. And I love that she's zaftig (yiddish word, I think, for pleasingly plumpish),in a good way.
6. #1 dream destination - Australia/New Zealand
7. I used to play low level competitive tennis for about 6 years - double only. Utterly loved tennis - got totally addicted to it. (I think I've told that before)

Again - every blogger I read has already gotten that award, I think, but for any who haven't, please take it and have fun with it. Thanks again to Karen for sending it my way. I love awards! Here that, Pulitzer committee?

Finally - I want to redo my blog for a new original look. No idea other than the boring blogger templates. You all always can teach me some tech stuff - suggestions? I got lots of help and now know how to delete comments! Thanks for that. Who knows, maybe I'll figure something out before the anniversary post. Have a great weekend!