Some sunshine on an autumn day

Thanks to Sara in Le Petit Village who nominated me for the Sunshine Award! Perfect timing, as it gives me an opportunity to take a break from reporting on the minutiae of the last week (and the stuff that needs to be done around the house), and instead spend a few minutes sharing some things about myself and then passing the sunshine on to a few other bloggers.*

 

First – eleven random facts about me.

1. I didn’t know Pittsburgh was an actual city until I was in high school. My parents always joked about “sending me to Pittsburgh” or lost items being “in Pittsburgh” and I thought it was a made-up place, like Never Never Land, Atlantis or Montreal.

2. I once scared a small child while dressed in a Smoky the Bear costume. Unintentionally.

3. Instead of buying the more expensive color-coordinated bag of M&Ms, I would rather sort out all the yellow/orange/browns to make Halloween cookies (and bisous to my husband for helping).

4. I’ve never been to Disneyland/Disneyworld/Disneyland Paris, but I really, really want to go!

5. My idea of fun in college was playing broomball with the Baltic Club, hanging out at a bonfire or selling Christmas trees with the Illini Foresters.

6. Speaking of college, did you know I played rugby? I was a line-out jumper for all of two months.

7. The longest inseam I’ve ever worn is 46, I prefer a 43 but most often make do with a 41.

8. Eight, eight, I forgot what eight was for

9. I'm a sucker for natural resource mysteries, like Nevada Barr, C.J. Box, Steve Hamilton & William Kent Krueger.

10. I'm a product of the Chicago Public School system.

11. I spent a month living out of an Audi in upstate Michigan while working with the Forest Service; ten years later my sister married my then-bosses cousin.

 

 

Next, I answer Sara’s questions

1. How would you describe your version of a perfect home?

Home is where the heart is! But wood floors, high ceilings and lots of natural light don’t hurt…

2. Tell me about your first date... what did you do, where did you go, and who was it with?

I’m not even sure, but I think junior prom was my first official date. Bart showed up in a tux (the average kid was wearing jeans and sneakers) with a wrist corsage for me, and we spent an awkward evening hanging out with friends on the playground, because the blaring rap that was being passed off as music in the school gym wasn’t our thing.

3. What was your favorite vacation ever?

Isle Royale, northern Italy, Greece, coastal Oregon… I can’t pick one, but I’m lucky to have someone to travel with and know there will be plenty of favorites to come.

4. Do you believe in ghosts?

                I’m not sure.

5. What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I’m very proud of paying off all of my debt 4 years out of university, and giving birth naturally to my second after a Cesarean with the first.

6. Twilight or The Hunger Games?

                Ha, I haven’t read either!

7. If you could try out any job for the day, what would you like to try?

                Coral reef scuba diver. Is that a real job?

8. If you had a €1000 gift card to any store in the world, what store would you pick?

                Amazon.com

9. Describe your perfect weekend.

Travel (near or far), good food, good company and a little exploring plus a little pampering. The way last week went the kids might stay home with grandmother.

10. What would you choose as your last meal?

An apéritif, clam chowder to start, smoked salmon, then scallops, steak, sweet potato fries as a main, a cheese course, a dessert of truffles and coffee-flavored macarons, coffee and finally le digestif.

11. You inherit 5 million dollars the same day aliens land on the earth and say they're going to blow it up in 2 days. What do you do? (Gold star to anyone that can tell me what movie this is from.)

(Sara, it’s from Heather’s – I had to google it but I want my gold star)

I splurge and pay someone to get rid of those pesky aliens. However, I think it would only take a million or so, the rest would go to travel and investments.

 

Next, I nominate:

I’m an Outlaw, not a Hero

Have Goslings, Must Travel

Inese Bokiša, Are you Happy?

Small Town Jules

The Misfortune of Knowing

Latitude Adjustment

Life in Dutch

Fit Anniversary

Hillside Lane

Queen of the Armchair, aka Dzintra Stitcheries

The Reedy Review

 

Your eleven questions guys–
1. If you could choose only one blog post to represent you, which one would you choose?
2. Name your favorite author, and favorite childhood author.
3. What is one thing you are most looking forward to in the coming year?
4. Your favorite accent? (for example, an Aussie speaking English)
5. (Repeating this one from Sara) What would you choose as your last meal?
6. Do you have a favorite spectator sport?
7. If you could spend one year living anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? (Pretend language and distance from family isn’t a barrier)
8. Name five things your refrigerator is never without.
9. What is your biggest pet peeve?
10. You win an all-expenses paid, week-long vacation to anywhere in the world – where are you headed?
11 Describe the favorite place in your home.

 

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* The rules: 1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger, 2. Share eleven random facts about yourself, 3. Answer the eleven questions set by your nominating blogger, 4. Nominate eleven bloggers yourself, 5. Post eleven questions for your nominees to answer then let them know they're up.