Liebster is German, I think.

Source for image

I may have won this before.  I can't remember.  But I refuse to check and see if I did win, because it was totally a nice surprise from Hope over at Hopefully Smashing.  Thank you, Hope for thinking of me and this here lil' ol' blog o' mine. 

The Liebster Award is given from one blogger to another. They should admire that bloggers work and want to promote their blog to others. It should be given to a relatively small blog (with less than 300 followers). The person receiving the award has to answer 11 random questions about themselves, provide 11 random facts, and then nominate a few other bloggers. 

11 Questions Answered:

1. What's your favorite place to eat?

Home.  When I have time, and the energy, I am a mean cook.  I don't really like eating in restaurants.  It's a quirk I have.

2. Who or what inspired you to get into blogging?

I first started blogging with some friends as a way to keep abreast of all the news in our lives-- we live on 4 separate continents!  The rest of them stopped the blog thing and kept up with the facebook thing, but I continued blogging about my interests.  I used to have a knitting blog, because I was big into knitting.  Makes sense.  But I also wanted to write about other thing too.  So I stopped my knitting blog and started this one.  Why did I start my knitting blog?  I used to write knitting patterns and a blog was a great way to share them. 

3. If you could pick, what would be your dream job?

Teacher.  Or rock star.

4. How would you describe your perfect day?

Wake up after a good night's sleep; coffee; road trip somewhere great like the Aberfoyle Antique Market; frozen yogurt; nap. 

5. Who is your biggest inspiration?

Like, ever?  My dad.  He grew up poor and black in the segregated South U.S. and still followed his dreams to become an "All American"football player and a professional athlete.   He reminds me that "it's not where you come from, butHis life where you are going."

6. If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

Something boring, like pay debts.  Travel.  Donate some of it. 

7. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?

Work in a war-torn country. 

8. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

New Orleans.  Love that place.

9. What was your favorite thing as a kid?

My favorite toy?  Thing to do?  This is a vague question.

10. What's your biggest pet peeve?

Racism.  That shit doesn't make any sense.

11. How has blogging changed your life?

I share more on my blog.  IRL I used to be pretty tight-lipped.  If you can believe that.

11 Random Facts (If you really want to know):

1.  I'm of mixed race.  I'm biracial, Black and White.  It is pretty obvious that I'm not white, but it's not totally easy to tell what background I am.  The biggest annoyance I had growing up was people asking me if I was adopted. 

2. I am super sarcastic.  It is my not-so-secret super-power.

3. I used to be an opera singer.  I was in 2 operas.

4. I like poetry.  My favorite poem is "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes.  That should be a movie.  Second fave:  "Stopping by Woods" by Robert Frost.  Both of these poems I can recite from memory.

5.  I try to keep it clean here, but I swear like I'm part sailor in my personal life.  A bad habit, but hey; it's part of my discourse now. 

6. I love comedies over dramas. 

7. I play the piano, guitar, alto and tenor saxophone, flute, and ukulele.  I also sing.  I love music.  Any kind of music.  Honestly.  Even country music. 

8. I hate going to the movie theater.  When I have to go, I develop a pseudo-psychiatric (or fake disorder) condition called "Theater-rage."  I am prone to loud outbursts when people answer their cell phones during the movie; when people talk during the movie; when people are late and disrupt other around them for seats-- they should go to the front rows.  I call them "the late box."  I'm even getting mad now just thinking about it.  I haven't been to a movie in more than 7 months.

9. I'm am finding it difficult to think of 11 interesting things about me.  This probably says something about me...

10.  I've had many weird jobs.  My weirdest? I was an exterminator for 3 years.

11.  My star sign is a cancer.  Even though I don't believe in it, I am very much like horoscope books describe cancerians.  So, that's interesting.  Right?

Nominated: Meg from Miles from Ordinary; and Becky from United States of Becky.

What I Wore: Basic Black

“I wore black because I liked it. I still do, and wearing it still means something to me. It's still my symbol of rebellion -- against a stagnant status quo, [...], against people whose minds are closed to others' ideas.”  - Johnny Cash

It's been a really long time since I've done a style post.  See, the problem is, that I having really been dressing for anything more than comfort lately.  Its a crazy trap I fall into when I'm working so hard:  I wake up and put on the first thing in the closet and go to work.  Since I leave my house when its dark, and return when its dark, there's not much time for photos.  I could take them at work but its super busy there with the students and all.

So, today when we went to the mall, I took this picture to show you how I've been dressing lately.  Funny enough, I haven't be wearing much black.  So today I thought it would be fun to wear some.  That and I wanted to show off my boots.  Aren't those boots great?

I usually have problems finding boots that fit my calves.  I have huge, muscular calves on the account that I run.  I was so happy when one of my fave plus size clothing stores started carrying boots.  They fit me like a glove.  And they are leather.  I love them.

Head to toe: Scarf: I bought it at a train station!/ Coat: The Bay / Pants: Lululemon (but I got them at one of those discount shows.  There's no way I would pay 100 bucks for leggings!) / Boots: Addition-Elle / Purse: Danier Leather

There's still some time to join the first question of the "No Stress Bookclub!"  New question comes out tomorrow!

Will answer for friendship

So, Sierra doesn't think she had any friends to tag with this questionnaire thing. That just isn't true, so I tagged myself.  Here are my answers:

 

1. What was your first job? – My very first job was babysitting.  I watched this kid who was like 6 years younger than me while his mom went to her club meetings or something.  He was the greatest kid.  Not hard to watch or anything.  I would let him stay up, and then 5 minutes before his mom would get back we would rush him to bed.  after a while, he would decide to go to bed at his bedtime.  He said that he would be too tired in the morning otherwise.  See?  You don't have to be a hard ass to get kids to do what you want!

My first "real job" was as a youth leader and lifeguard at the YMCA.  I taught swimming lessons, and a youth leadership program.  It was one day a week, and it paid pretty well.    

2. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you hate Nickelback?  40+.  But, Fox You (Very Much) loves them; and I can't figure that out.

3. Dumbledore gives you a cloak of invisibility. Where do you go with it? – Lately, I've been thinking about celebrity couples.  Not the lame ones, but the really fabulous ones.  I wonder if Laurence Fishburne and his wife Gina Torres walk around professing their fabulousness.  So I guess I would use it to spy on celebrities.  And the ones I don't like, you bet I'd sell those stories.

4. Who are your celebrity crushes? – Um, none really.  I love Brandon Flowers, but a lot of people don't know who he is, so more for me.  He's a little unkempt, but that's how I like my boys.  I like them to look a little homeless. Besides, he's a musician.  They are far superior to actors.  Movie stars give me the creeps.  I mean, you don't know who they will be when you are talking to them.  They make their living lying to people.  How can you know that they are ever sincere?  Trust?  I doubt it. 

5. Would you rather be the top scientist in your field or get mad cow disease? – Top scientist.  Have you seen the movies?  They always get into cool adventures, and have awesome romances.  Mad cow disease just gives you... I dunno... cramps?

6. Zero ramifications: who do you wish you could punch in the face? – Just one?  Or one a day?  I need more details here.  Can I throw one punch and line a bunch of people up on the other end of it then run down the line?  If so, then Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Ann Coulter.

7. How do you prefer your coffee? – One spoon of sugar, and enough soy milk until it is the same color as my skin.  That's what I tell people when they pick up coffee for me.

8. Have any books inspired your spirituality recently? –The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood talks about an elaborate religion ("called the gardeners") based on environmentalism; and that was pretty intriguing.  After I read it, I changed my Facebook profile to note that my religion was ecology.  I think that's the closest I have ever been "spiritually inspired."  What do you want?  I'm an atheist. 

9. What color light saber would you chose in a battle with Jar Jar Binks? – Pink.  I've never seen a pink one and its about time.

10. Are you original? Are you the only one? Are you sexual? – No.  The costumes in that video did rock though.  And if we're being honest, I did learn that dance routine for a recital.

11. YOU BETTER ROCK YO BODY NOW (EVERYBODY, YEEEAH)- Ok.

I answered the questions in hope that you will consider me a blog friend.  So, what d' you say, Sierra?