Liebster Award

So, about a million years ago (read: Feb. 11), my friend/cousin-in-law, Sarah (her blog is here) nominated me for a "Liebster Blog Award," which is a get-to-know-you for bloggers with less than 200 followers.

Here are the rules:
1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you, PLUS create 11 questions for the people that you tag.
3. Tag 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers, go to their page and let them know you've tagged them. (I'm pretty sure I don't know 11 bloggers, so we're just gonna tag as many as I can.)
4. No tag backs.

11 random facts about me:

1. I can play flute and piano. I tried to teach myself harmonica once, and I managed to get out "Amazing Grace," but I never got around to picking it up again.

2. I like being crafty, and I tend to go through phases. Right now, I'm on a sewing kick, thanks to my mom getting me a machine for Christmas (seriously: so awesome!). I also love scrapbooking, and I can knit ... a scarf. I once crocheted baby booties for someone (YouTube is my friend). And I love "upcycling."

3. I love to read and once dreamed of being a book editor. Right now, I work as an editor at a newspaper.

4. I do not own a motorcycle, but I do know how/am licensed to ride one. My dad has a 250 cc Honda Rebel that he let's me ride, and I love it.

5. I love Disney. I love the movies, the amusement park, the everything. I feel like I shouldn't love it, because it's big and corporate and blah-blah-blah. But there's too much of my childhood wrapped up in it, and, frankly, it's just fun.

6. I am a dog person, but I am slowly warming up to cats. I have a dog, and he is crazy. He is small, but he is so energetic that I sometimes think my apartment is too small for both of us. 

7. I love playing video games, but I've learned that I don't really like it by myself. Video gaming is a group activity for me. However, I could probably play Super Mario Bros. 3 in my sleep.

8. I love to travel and have been to Mexico, Guatemala, South Africa, Italy and Canada (but who counts Canada?). I try to get a piece of art from each country I visit. 

9. I'm a country girl. As much as I love visiting a great city, my heart cries, "I need space, not just air!" (Name that movie!)

10. I don't drink much pop, and it's not something I have to fight myself on. I just usually prefer water or milk.

11. As a rule (barring random cravings), I like peanut butter more than chocolate.

Sarah's questions for me:

1.  Donut or bagel? Wow ... really depends on the mood I'm in! In general, though, probably bagel. 
2.  Are you a snooze button user, or are you up-and-at-em and the first buzz? Oh, I hit that snooze button, on average, about 3 times every morning. I seriously have to set my alarm at least 30 minutes before I want to get up!
3.  Who or what inspired you to start blogging? I like writing, and this seemed like a good way to keep the skills sharp. Of course, based on how often I blog, you can see how well that's working out!
4.  Do you have siblings? Yes, a sister who's a year younger, and stepbrother, who is seven years younger.
5.  If your favorite band popped in for dinner, what would you serve them, or where would you take them to eat? Uhhh.... probably spaghetti, because everyone likes it and it's one of the few things I know how to make. Boring? Yes. Edible? Very yes. 
6.  What's your dream job? Book editor, but I've come to the conclusion that's probably not gonna happen. Of course, if we're talking TRUE dream jobs, I think Willy Wonka candy tester would be an excellent way to make a living.
7.  First or next tattoo wishes? If I ever got a tattoo, it'd probably be a pretty bird of some kind, maybe with a Bible verse or book quote. However, tattoos require a certain amount of certainty that you will love an image for all time, and I just don't think I have that much commitment in me. At least, I haven't found anything yet!
8.  Are you an outdoorsy person, or tend to stay indoors? I stay indoors more than I should, because I love TV and movies and books. However, I LOVE being outdoors. In my heart, I'm an outdoorsy person.
9.  Say you're going to the beach for the day, what's in your bag? Lots of sunscreen, sunglasses, a towel, a camera, and a book. Maybe two books, in case I finish the first one!
10.  What's one of your pet peeves? Almost all of my pet peeves involve other drivers on the road. My biggest one, I think, is people who don't use their blinkers. It's just so rude!
11.  Favorite meal of the day? Lunch. I often skip breakfast, and sometimes I forget about dinner. My coworkers don't let me forget about lunch!

Okay, my turn to tag:

Conquering Motherhood

Faeriechylde

The Cook Book

Trevor's Unoriginally Titled Blog

The Ferences

Pretend you see six more people on that list.

Okay, here are my 11 questions:

1. What's your favorite book?

2. What is the one thing in your house that you feel has to be clean no matter what?

3. If you lived in a place with only one season year-round, which season would you pick and why?

4. What's the last thing you made with your own two hands?

5. What's your favorite piece of furniture in your house?

6. If you put your ipod (pretend you have one if you don't) on shuffle, what are the first five songs that play?

7. Do you have any pets?

8. What fictional character most influenced you as a child?

9. What does your average Friday night look like?

10. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

11. What is the largest piece of art hanging on your wall (photo? painting? poster? Of what?)?

Being a responsible adult means filling up your gas tank

Tip for the day: If, hypothetically, you notice your gas tank is on empty and you think, "I need to get gas on my way to work," don't forget. If you forget, you might find yourself in the following 15-step program:

1. You realize, upon getting to work, you never got gas. Since you live 45 minutes away, you hope this doesn't bite you in the butt later, and you decide you better get gas on the way home.
2. At 1 a.m., you get out of work and, as you pull out of the parking lot, your cars dings at you. You remember you had better get gas.
3. About 30 seconds later, as you are going up a hill, you pull into a turn lane just as your car starts to slow down. You hit the brake. Your car dies.
4. You try to revive it. You fail.
5. At this point, you have no choice but to call work, where a coworker answers and promises to come rescue you.
6. You say a prayer of thanks that you were not the last one to leave work today.
7. You wait in your car for a half-hour as your poor coworker searches for a gas station that actually has a gas can (seriously?!). Note: It is 16 degrees outside. You are cold.
8. Your coworker reappears with the stuff, and the two of you try to figure out how to make the gas come out of the stupid, child-proofed, piece-of-crap, why-would-you-make-this-complicated gas can.

"I exist to make your life suck even more than it already did." 

9. Success! Gas is in the car! Time to start 'er up! Here we -- oh, never mind. The car starts and dies three times. You realize the problem is that you are on a hill. You think, not for the first or last time tonight, Why didn't I just put gas in this car?!

OK, gas, all you need to do is defy gravity. I'm gonna need for you to just crawl up to the engine. You can do it!

10. Okay, so there's only one option at this point. Your coworker gets out of the way, and you say another prayer of thanks that hardly anyone is on the road at 1:30 a.m. as you put her in neutral and coast backward, stomping on the brake only twice as people pass by.
11. Stopping near the work parking lot, you try starting the stupid car again. Since you are still at a slight angle, it doesn't work. At this point, you are probably feeling pretty annoyed. And cold. Also, you are probably once again wishing you had just remembered to fill up your car with gas like a big girl.
12. Your coworker suggests he try to push the car into the level parking lot. You think he's crazy, because, as previously stated, you are still on a slight hill. He tries anyway and fails. You're feeling pretty bad because he is probably a frozen icekabob with no gloves who just wants to go home.

"Why do you hate me?"

13. A passerby sees the commotion and stops. He offers to push your vehicle with his. At this point, you are willing to do anything.
14. The operation begins: You are essentially turning left into a parking lot, but you are not in control. Your coworker stands outside as the communication link. Helpful Guy pulls up behind you and uses his van to push your vehicle as you turn the wheel. The wheel fights you, because why not? You crank it into submission. Via your linked communication, you stop in the middle of the road three times because of oncoming traffic. But Operation: Get Sarah You Into The Parking Lot works after a few possible bumps that might have made dents on your back bumper. You aren't sure, and you don't care. At this point, you are freezing, your coworker is freezing, and did I mention that you should both be home by now?

"If you had just filled up your gas tank, you could be me right now."

15. Once on level ground, you turn the ignition over and tap the gas to hear that magnificent growl of an engine not dying.

If you are like me, your night probably will end with you stopping at McDonald's after you fill up the tank so that you have a treat for the 45-minute drive home. Your coworker, being wonderful, will have followed you to make sure you got to the gas station and then gone to the other gas station to bring back the stupid, child-proofed, piece-of-crap, why-would-you-make-this-complicated gas can.

And if you are like me, you probably will vow to never again let your gas tank get that low, but since this is the third time you have run out of gas in the middle of the road, you probably are full of crap.

Of course, this is all hypothetical. Grown-ups don't run out of gas. Nobody is that irresponsible!

(Photo sources: http://michaelmowsblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/; http://community-sitcom.wikia.com/wiki/File:Icicle_Human_Being.jpg; http://grainofwheat.blogspot.com/)