An Explorer and a Lady

So I received this Versatile Blog Award yesterday evening, and although I don't take these types of things too seriously, I admire the woman (the ever-lovely Valerie Haight over at The Write One) who nominated me and feel somewhat obligated to participate. Don't misunderstand, awards ARE NOT a bad thing, because the rewards entailed are actually pretty cool. I can easily think 15 blogs (websites, whatever) that I love to read, and this gives me an opportunity to thank those folks and introduce you to awesome material.

Woo hoo!

Onto the rules!

1. Thank the blogger who awarded you and link back to them- Thank you, Valerie! And for those I'm nominating, I'm not even worried about a link back. You're all great without need of a kickback.(this is not a snub to the giver, mind you).
2. Share 7 interesting facts about yourself-This should be interesting. Ready?
3. Pass the award on to 15 newly discovered blogs--Some of these blogs are very much established but fairly new to me, so I'm bending this rule according to my whims. My blog, my rules. Haha!

A little about me (an enhancement on About Me):

1. I'm an explorer and a lady, too. By this, I mean that I despise being dirty, muddy, and sweaty, and I won't forfeit deodorant for any reason (hunters, I'm looking right at you here). Most of my travels result in these rather unappealing conditions, and I'm always relieved to find my way to a nice, hot shower. I also DO own a little black dress, and I regard the mani/pedi/eyebrow wax trio-treatment as a necessity rather than an option. I could list more examples of ladylike behavior, but you get the point.

Jekyll Island Bikes for rent--they are way cool!

2. I'm not nearly as bold or daring as some of the amazing people over at Discovery Channel, and my motto is "extreme caution at all times."  Steve Irwin is my hero, and he had more courage and knowledge of wildlife than I could ever hope to acquire.

In a couple of posts, I've made references to alligators living in the waters I kayaked in, and just last week, my little family rode the "Flinstone Bike" (featured above) right past a small pond on Jekyll Island --in it lives a 12-foot alligator, and he was only a few short feet away at the time.

Did I feel fear? Yes I did--even knowing that the resident gators have plenty of fish and other scrumptious snacks at their disposal. He'd probably never offer to bite me, but I didn't worry about lingering for pictures of him.

I take other precautions as well--I don't turn over rocks in the forests, walk blindly into caves, or poke around hollow logs. I also don't wrap rubberbands around my ankles and jump from high places (a.k.a bungee jumping, and spelunking is an activity that I won't experience. See above trailer for the movie Sanctum. This movie unnerved me so badly that I could only watch it in bits and pieces, and it is based on a true story. Yikes! Safety first always.

3.I don't craft, create art or invent anything other than stories and the occasional word. I draw a mean stick figure, I made a clay pot in middle school, and I painted one halfway decent flower painting years ago (with substantial assistance). I was so proud of that one that it hung on the wall in my office at the bank for years.

4. Ironing and anything pertaining to laundry makes me cringe. I don't care for the handling, washing, or folding aspects of it, either. Why isn't there a machine for all of that by now? We have almost everything else...

5. I'm a hopeless bookworm, and there is no cure. Books contain travels and unexplored places that require no airfare or hotel stays. During the summer, as a child, I'd stay up until 7:00am wrapped up in a book and feeding my reading obsession. Anyone remember The Sweet Valley Twin series? Those were some of the first full-length novels I remember reading.

My husband. KP, on Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island

6. I'm a fortunate woman. See the guy above? Yes, I got to marry that amazing human being. Best thing about him? He's down to to do whatever activity I propose, no matter how absurd or strenuous, and he's my very best friend in the world. My BFF, if you will (aside from Angie, who is included other posts). No cliches, only admiration here.

7. I'm more comfortable with animals than I've ever been with people. Yep, there's one of my big secrets. Shhhh...I worked in sales for years and I've made have tons of contacts, but I've always been more at ease with my animal buddies. Am I antisocial? NO, but I find that animals are generally far more loveable and likeable than many people.

Okay, that's quite enough about me. Here are my 15 nominees for Versatile Blogger, and keep in mind, most of them have long ago proven that versatility, coolness and awesome is possible in one smallish space. Nor do they need awards to confirm it. I read them, and I love the folks behind them, and that's enough for me.

1. Geeky Stuffs


2. Erica Lucke Dean

3. Habitation of Justice

4. Blazing Minds

5. Life is a beach

6. Amloki

7. It's Ok to be Weird

8. 1 Peachy Mama

9. A Mom Knows Best

10. BitRebels

11. DIYBlogger

12. Sirra

13. Busy Working Mama

14. Mallory on Travel

15. Ann Tran

I don't expect a thing in return--I'm just glad to have reason to dole out a bit of "thanks." See you tomorrow with another Jekyll Island travel adventure!

**Update: I previously received the Liebster Award and the Blog on Fire award, but I did not do posts thanking them. I did appreciate those, too.***