Versatility Awarded!

Okay, maybe it's NOT an award for my versatility (Does that sound a little dirty or is it just me?  Yeah, probably just me), but it's an award nonetheless.  And I got it from one of my hands-down all-time favorite bloggers, the awesome writer of 266.  I've followed her blog for quite some time, at least since she started doing things like riding zip-lines(!), and she was a huge influence on to me to start blogging and keep on keepin' on down the road.  Watching her AMAZING transformation is utterly addictive -  I have to stop by for my delicious daily dose.  If you haven't read her blog, go check it out; you'll be so inspired that the next thing you know you may just start dragon-boating!  That lady knows how to have fun!  Hilariously, I just recently realized I should start clicking the "Follow" button instead of keeping all my regular blogs open in tabs (lol), and apparently that's how this happened...she decided to check out her most recent followers and give this to people whose blogs she found there.  So thank you, 266, I truly appreciate your support.

The award comes with the following guidelines:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Nominate fifteen newly discovered blogs.
4. Let your nominees know about the award.

Seven things about myself, hmmmm....lemmesee...

1. I once spent half an hour talking to David Byrne backstage at Seattle's Bumbershoot music festival without realizing it was him.  In fact, my friend Ben, the drummer of the band I was hanging out with had just introduced me to his mother and I had just assumed that Mr. Byrne was this guy's father, as their faces looked similar to me, both with very intense eyes.  We sat on some steps behind the stadium with the singer of the band, chatted about all the bands we liked and saw at the festival, the weather, just this and that.  I have no idea why I didn't recognize him, since I have loved the Talking Heads since I was 13 and KNEW he was playing the festival opposite my friend's band, but somehow I did not.  I swear, hand over heart, that the next thing out of my mouth was going to be "So, you're Ben's Dad?" when a person with a clipboard and headset ran up and said "David!  You're on in ten!"  I have never had more of a lightbulb over my head moment in my life as that moment.  I nonchalantly said "Nice talking to you.  Have a great show", shook his hand and walked away, thanking the universe and all the stars above for intervening in what might well have been the most embarrassing moment of my existence.  Super nice guy, btw. :)

2. My partner A and I spent 2 months in India, from December 1999 to January 2000 partly because we wanted to go somewhere complete different for the millennium new year (among many other reasons).  We celebrated the New Year's Eve with 4000 people from all over the world on a beach in Goa.

3. I once made a comedic short film lampooning Lars Von Trier that played at a small film festival, which got a very positive response!

4. I had a phobia of driving that I didn't overcome until nine years ago.  I got my first driver's license at the age of 33.  I have no problem driving now whatsoever.  BUT:

5. I get lost very very easily.  In fact, I seriously get turned around going around blocks.  My partner bought me a GPS, which has revolutionized my life. :)

6. Snorkeling is hands down my favorite activity of all time.  Sorry, current and former lovers - XOXO.  Snorkeling is better.  It's the closest thing to being able to fly I have ever experienced, and a window into a secret world.

7. If I could have any superpower I wanted, I would choose to be able to enter the sea and swim as long as I wanted, traveling from continent to continent, breathing underwater, living in the ocean as long as I liked.  Wow, I just realized - my super power is basically to be Aquaman, the most ridiculed superhero of all time.  Way to go, me!

Hmm...perhaps I should have received the Verbosity Award instead?

To pick the blogs to pass the award on to, I felt compelled to explore and find brand new ones that I enjoyed and want to encourage.  I chose a blogs from a mix of weight loss methods, but I did include several HCG blogs, because I've been having a hard time tracking them down in the mainstream weight loss community, and think there should be more cross-pollination.  Here's the 15 (whew!) newly discovered blogs that I nominate:

1. A Day in the Life of An HCG Dieter

2. A Tail of Two Kittehs

3. Autumn's Rosier Days

4. Food Will Not Define Me Forever

5. I Miss My Collar Bone

6. The Incredible Shrinking Gal Baby

7. Hey You, Drop the Fork and Step Away from the Plate!

8. Journey to Me Via HCG

9. Just me and my HCG!

10. Miss Mary's This and That

11. My HCG Story

12. My Non-Mainstream Weightloss and Fitness Journal

13. New Me: A Fresh Start

14. Reaching Onederland with HCG

15. Tia Gets Fit

Honestly, I feel pretty shy about this part of the process.  Kind of scared that the people I notify are gonna say "I don't know you from Adam, who are you?"  or "I don't do awards."  Mostly I'm afraid that people might think I'm just doing it to promote myself or something weird.  I'm gonna swallow my weird insecurities and do it anyways, because someone I truly respect did it for me, and it was really sweet.  So there.

Edit - I just left all the notifications, and it felt kind of...spammy.  I really hope people don't take it that way.   I really just want to give what was gotten, and share the love.