I want to accept every award because I’m so touched that you’re reading and enjoying my blog enough to recognize me with these honors. Now, if only they all came with a giant monetary prize! That would be fabulous!

Thank you mescalime / Psychochromatic Inception and Michelle / Two Are Better Than One! I appreciate your nominations and recognition! I love that you’re enjoying what I’m writing. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Alas, here I am again, breaking the rules. I feel like I nominate the same blogs all the time. What can I say? I have my favorites. But since I feel like I keep nominating the same ones, I’m betting others feel the same. The circles are making me a little dizzy.

But I never want to decline answering your questions, so here goes…

11 questions from Psychochromatic Inception:

1. Would you rather be the last person on the planet or the first one? Why?
Definitely the first — because I’d have to have a hand in populating the planet… everyone would be a descendant of me. How scary is that??

2. Name 3 things that make you happy.
(1) when my kids laugh, like, hysterical laughter, (2) a very satisfying book or movie ending, (3) when all the words just come to me and I can write and write for hours nonstop…

3. Name a book that change your perception about life?
I’m not sure about this one… I usually read for happy-fun-lighthearted enjoyment, so not usually anything too deep. I guess maybe reading books that suck has made me think I may actually be a good writer — if they are published and I’m not and their work sucks, there may be hope for me! Hahaha! 

4. Your thoughts on poverty.
Um… it sucks? It makes me sad? 

5. First song that comes to your mind right now.
Cherry Wine by Hozier

6. If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
Love, romance, finding that perfect connection. [Please don’t throw anything at me. I’m a sap. I admit it.]

7. Describe a perfect day.
Wake up at a decent hour, yet still feel completely rested and refreshed… find that coffee has already been brewed for me… sit outside in the warm sunshine and read or write… and then my love comes to me and we do naughty things… and maybe have a nice dinner… followed by more naughty things. Hm… I feel guilty I didn’t mention my children. I love them! I swear I do… but I need some rest, relaxation and love.

8. Given the opportunity to travel in space and time, where would you go and when?
I would go back to about 12-14 years of age and make better decisions, make several key changes. And I’d like to stay there so I can have a full do-over.

9. Sunset or sunrise? Why?
Sunset. I’m not usually a morning person. 

10. Wealth or immortality? Why?
Honestly, wealth. Money is a huge source of stress and I would love to know what it feels like to not have that any longer. Also, I wouldn’t want to live forever and see every single person I love die. I think it would get incredibly lonely.

11. You’ve been given the chance to have a short conversation with a person (dead, alive or not born yet). Who is your lucky pick and what is the first question you ask?
Hm… Chris Hemsworth: “Wanna get naked?” [Please tell me I get the power to determine his answer, too?!]

11 questions from Two Are Better Than One:

1. What are your blogging goals for 2016?
I hope to grow my readership and meet more people. And I hope my current followers continue to read and enjoy my blog. And other as-yet-to-be-determined goals...

2. What do you want readers to takeaway from your website or blog?
I want to make people laugh or cry (in a good way!) or commiserate. I want readers to be entertained but also want to make them think…

3. When you think of your fondest memory, where were you, and what were you doing?
First one that comes to mind is me in my parents’ family room sitting on grandpa’s lap watching cartoons and eating a chocolate frosted donut he brought me. [This grandpa died when I was 9.]

4. Where do you get inspiration for your blog?
From my own life, current and past experiences… and from my imagination where all the fiction lives [kind of crowded in there].

5. Why do you like to write?
I have a lot of stories in my head. They play like movies for me… beautiful pictures… and I want to paint those pictures for everyone else. And sometimes, with the more personal or auto-biographical stuff, I just need to get it out of my head. I often use humor to deal with things, so sometimes that comes across… and that’s good.

 6. If you could only use one word to describe your future, what would it be?
How I want my future to be? Or how I think it will be? For the former, content. For the latter, bleak.

7. How do you make the time to write with all of life’s interruptions?
I ignore them! Hahaha. Kidding. Sort of. I am unemployed right now and I need a job badly, but my motivation to find something is severely lacking… I just want to write. I also have children, but they are pretty independent for their ages. And I make lots of time for them anyway. Also, I write a lot at night… often late… 11pm – 3am-ish. [Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers often accompany my writing…]

8. Have you ever written a post, but decided to delete it or not post it?
Yes. It was very personal and a bit depressing, and although I’m not shy about sharing my emotional struggles, I don’t want the world to think that’s all I’m about. In fact, lately I’m a bit paranoid about posting my lower, darker feelings at all for that same reason — I don’t want to be known for that… even though it is part of me. I want it to remain part of me, not become all of me.

9. Can you share one of your favorite quotes?
“And if the people stare, then the people stare.
I really don’t know, and I really don’t care.” ~Morrissey

10. Do you have any advice for someone who is considering to start a website or blog?
There’s far more give and take than you ever thought. Remember that!

11. How do you connect with other bloggers in your niche?
I don’t know that I have a niche… at least not an easily identifiable one! I try to find other blogs that I relate to and I read them and try to get to know the bloggers. I suck at making friends, but I try!