I'm a Bona Fide Versatile Blogger

Hey everybody, it's official! What you're reading right now isn't just some wimpy guy's blog. It's my award winning blog. (I'm still kind of wimpy though.)

A few days ago, I was nominated for a Versatile Blogger Award by a very cool cat from New York who calls himself El Guapo. He enjoys surfing, used to cook for a living but now just does it for fun, and works in computer networking, which means he can get away with writing for his blog on company time. (If you are Guap's boss, don't read that last sentence!) Most importantly, he comes up with lots of cool stuff for us to read and/or listen to. His blog is called "Guapola: Being Pointless on the Internet. And Music!" and that description is about as accurate as you can get. He is very funny, very intelligent, and never boring. We've been conversing for a while, Guapo and I. In fact, he's co-editor of The Bozo List and contributes at least 50% of the content on that page.


Although we come from very different backgrounds, Guapo and I see eye-to-eye on most things, and I was very flattered to receive this award from him. (Versatile Blogger is one of those awards that you automatically win when somebody nominates you.)


Here's how it works. When you get the Versatile Blogger, you're supposed to do the following:


1) Nominate 15 other bloggers (See below; I'll come close.)


2) Inform them of the nomination (Notifications are on their way.)


3)  Share 7 random things about yourself (also below)


4) Thank the blogger who nominated you (I think I did this already, but here it is again: Muchos gracias, El Guapo!)


   and 


5) Add the Versatile Blogger logo to your post (Done.)


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It was not easy to come up with enough nominations, because I only read a few dozen blogs on a regular basis, and several of those already got the award. (Guapo took some of my favorites, arrgh!) Others that I follow are hugely popular and probably above the minor league recognition of a beginner like me.


In no particular order:


Five Legs Between Us
   A tripod dog blog. Seriously. It deals a lot with the blogger's three-legged dog, but also with other stuff in her life. She is always concise, clever, and intelligent. She's also very funny. One of my favorite blogs.


Cajun Asian Chronicles
   This lady is half Cajun, half Philippine, and all funny. (Does that not say versatile to you?)


Slightly Serious

   Picture a cool, smart, and somewhat sarcastic single lady looking for good guys to date in San Diego. Got it? Well, you don't have to imagine any more, because she's real!

Telling Dad
   A very prolific writer, this guy updates his blog almost every day, and he's very good. Everything about the blog is polished, professional looking. He writes mostly about his family, with some other topics thrown in from time to time. The best part: Telling Dad Blog is an F-bomb free zone. You won't encounter any vulgar language there. I might also mention that he has his own fire truck! How cool is that?


La Petite Pancake

   This Minnesotan transplanted to California writes mainly about cooking, but also about her wedding preparations, her pug, and a variety of other fun topics.

What's up, Doc?
   Unlike most of the bloggers I follow, this guy is a real acquaintance of mine, outside the blogosphere. He is incredibly smart and hilarious, and he works in the ER of a big-city hospital. If that doesn't offer plenty of fun material, nothing will.


Susan Says
   I've just recently begun following this one, but it looks very intelligent, well-written, and interesting. Looking forward to seeing what Susan is all about.


So Far From Heaven
   El Guapo turned me onto this one. A fascinating blog by Old Jules, a 69-year-old man from the Texas boonies who writes on topics such as astronomy, independent living, and Native Americans. He's very well read, often makes me laugh, and always makes me think.


Finding the Humor
   This blogger is a mother, but she's more versatile than the typical "mommy blogger." She's really good at laughing at herself, and she finds lots of reasons to do so.


Belly Billboard
   A big hairy guy who calls himself Gutmeister writes this hysterical, sometimes crude blog. For five bucks, he'll also write whatever you want on his belly with lipstick and post pictures of it online. What would you expect from a blog called Belly Billboard?


Awesomesauciness
   The cool factor in the title translates to everything else in this blog. This lady is consistently great and almost always makes me giggle.


Redwheelbarrow1957
   This guy writes about his own experiences and memories, sometimes in poetry. I'm not sure what else to say, except that you should probably see it for yourself. So much depends on... 


Okay, so the assignment called for 15, and I got 12. That's a B- grade... not so good. But in baseball, I'd be batting .800, which is beyond phenomenal. In future posts, I'll keep pointing out good blogs as I discover them, and keep my focus on the smaller, yet-undiscovered ones, since I feel that's kind of the intent of awards like Versatile Blogger. 


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Now, seven random things about me:


1) I have two thumbs on my left hand.


2) I am fond of making up pointless lies about myself, especially regarding things like extra digits.


3) I hate the word random, mostly because I feel it is way overused by kids today. Most of its original meaning is lost, and it's now used in many contexts to which its real definition does not apply at all. It's perhaps my least favorite word.


4) I was nearly kidnapped from a K-Mart store when I was 4 or 5 years old. No kidding, a lady was carrying me out of the store, fully intent (I believe) on taking me away from my family. Just before she reached the door, my grandma saw her and said, "Put him down! He's ours." The lady set me down and left quickly, and I'm 98% sure that is a good thing. Although, I can't help wondering if that day I came within 20 seconds of starting a life as a highly trained, top-secret international assassin.


5) I spent two years as a missionary for my church, in North Carolina, in the late 1980s.


6) This might count as several things, but I think I can get away with it if I list them all together. I've worked in hotel housekeeping, at a mall toy store right before Christmas, as a soil technician (yes, that's a real job, and no, it's not a fancy term for ditch digger), as a writing tutor, and as a super high-tech jet fighter mechanic, among other professions.


7) I've spent time on every continent except Antarctica. And Africa. Oh, and South America. And only a few hours here and there in Europe, where my travels were limited to the confines of several airport terminals. Come to think of it, I really haven't been too many places, but I love to travel when I get the chance.


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El Guapo, thanks once again for roping me into this thing Weenie Girl termed a "mutual adoration society." And thanks to all the bloggers who continually tickle, entertain, stimulate, and/or inspire me.