Day 61 - Beautiful Blogger Award

Whoohooo - I received an award; how cool is that!!!

LISA honored me with an awarded yesterday - Thanks again Lisa!

This is my second blog award and I am very happy to have received it. Certainly credit goes back to all whom I blog back and forth with as together we make this experience called blogging worth our time and truly find it enjoyable.

This award has some rules to follow, so let me get down to business.

Rule #1…When you receive/accept this award you must then pass the award on to 7 other bloggers you consider to be beautiful bloggers. Just 7 huh, well here are 7 bloggers that are certainly deserving. Certainly I could have named many others. In no particular order here are the 7 whom I am honoring...

Amy
Kimmi
Carla
Debbie
Mertle
Vinny
Ron

<< After awarding this to Jody & FiTCETERA they informed me that they have received it already (not surprised) so I saw it only fitting to honor other beautifl bloggers with it >>

I don't think any of them have received this award, I didn't see it posted on their blogs. But if I was wrong and you have it already let me know and I will award to another.

Rule #2… You have to list 7 things about yourself that others did not know. That should be easy, I think. Here are my 7....

1... I collect hot sauce, my collection is just under 300 bottles and growing. I spent ALLOT of $$$$ on custom shelving for them in our kitchen (I'll share some photos soon)

2... I picked at earning my bachelors degree for 19 years (graduated in 2007 w/ a B.S. in Technical Management)

3… I was in line awaiting my omelet at my employer's cafeteria when 9-11-2001 went down. The cafeteria server (who I despised) told me that a plane flew into the WTC and I said, "Yeah, right. Are my eggs done yet?" Imagine my horror when I got back to my desk and everyone around me is dialed into CNN, FOX, etc. websites streaming news and photos of the WTC on fire. I never did eat that omelet.

4... I met the Beast, battled the Beast, and Kicked it's A$$, I am a cancer survivor (colon - 2001)

5… I made a promise to my Grandmother just before she died (1996) that I shall be alive when the Chicago Cubs win their next World Series title. Today I joke about this and tell people that I made a pact with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to be alive when the Cubs win their next World Series title (Harry Potter fans will appreciate that)

6... I ate a 36 ounce steak to celebrate the news that we were pregnant with my son (1993)

7... I am a US Marine (active duty 1983-87 honorably discharged)

Have a Beautiful Day!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 53 - Shrimp vs. Moo

Good Morning, how goes it this fine day Bloggy People?

Who likes SHRIMP?

I like shrimp. We took the kids out to one of our favorite steak houses last night; Backyard Steak Pit. It was the final act in celebrating our youngest's graduating 8th grade. We had the huge gathering of the clans to celebrate a couple weekends ago. Last night's dinner was just my wife, our kids & I in a more intimate celebration over food. We've done this for each 8th grade graduation and the assumption is we will do so for each high school graduation starting next year as well.

Anyhow, back to shrimp. That picture is one of the gorgeous grilled shrimp on my plate. It, and all of the shrimp & scallops on it, were works of perfection. I tried to do it justice by immortalizing one of the shrimp in pictures with my cell phone but feel I failed to capture it's awesomeness. I don't know, looking at it makes me wish it were dinner time again.

Now you may be wondering, "Didn't he say they went to a steak houses - their favorite favorite steak house"?

Why yes we did, and, no I didn't order any steak. Pause... letting that sink in for a minute... I can't believe it myself. During the drive there I was struggling with what to order; we've been there so many times I have the menu memorized, literally. I was thinking of going with the smallest fillet on the menu, it is an 8 ounce hunk of heaven. But by the time we sat down I had convinced myself that I could do better, that I really didn't want to take any chances of voiding out the past few days of hard work (3 mile walk Monday & did the full dumbbell routine Tuesday before dinner).

You should have seen it. This healthy-alien currently inside of me who is firmly in control, I haven't come up with a name for him yet; have any ideas? Well he, or maybe he is a her, was going at it hard with the hungry-demon who has been in control of me for a couple of decades. The creature is not too happy about the new kid, alien, on the block let me tell you. The expletives were flying, bleep bleep bleep was heard throughout my head, the creature even tried the "don't you love me anymore" routine.

Too my surprise the alien won yet again, yes it does still surprise me; and the creature crept away with his head down to go moap behind a kidney for the rest of the meal. Grilled Seafood Kebab with wild rice and a garden salad is what I had. The old me would have had the 20 ounce hickory crusted ribeye with fully locked & loaded backed potato and that same garden salad with the croutons, bacon bits and super-duper fattening dressing which I omitted last night.

This morning, so glad the alien won!

Hockey Update: GAME SIX is tonight of the Stanley Cup, puck drop is at 7 p.m. Chicago (central) time on NBC. No this not a paid promotion. My butt will be glued to my recliner promptly at 6:59 p.m. - where will you be?
GO BLACKHAWKS!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!