"Bloggers Challenge" by a Pseudo Blogger

Julie Stephenson, I haven't blogged since 2012, so you should feel like a rockstar in comparison.  From the Compound is amazon.com or the New York Times, for goodness sake, compared to this silly little thing called my blog.  Consider this your official acknowledgment, Julie!

I don't read many other blogs, so I'll have to skip the parts about sending this on to other bloggers.  So, you'll just get my thoughts and answers, and be OK with that.  I'll try to make it super exciting.

11 random facts about me:

1.  I recently learned that pistachios are delicious!  Who knew?  

2.  Somehow, I have a geeky teenage boy trapped inside of me, who loves superheroes, JRR Tolkien, and watching shows like "Fringe."

3.  I knew I was in love with Kris before I met her, based on emails and phone conversations.  

4.  I want to write a novel someday.  Not a cheesy, chick-lit, fluffy novel, but a legit, well-written, cliche-free novel.

5.  Having three step-kids has been an unexpected and amazing gift, especially since I never really wanted kids at all.  (It was a bonus that they were all past diapers when I came into their lives!)

6.  I'm a sugar addict.  And a chocolate addict.  And I kind of can't stop drinking pop.

7.  My dog keeps me sane, even when he's driving me crazy.

8.  I believe that I can make a difference in public education for students with the greatest need for better opportunities.  I may not be able to repair broken systems, but I will be able to help some students.  That has to count for something.

9.  Stand-up paddle boarding is my new favorite summer activity.  So far, I haven't hurt myself doing it (knock on wood).

10.  I've been swimming laps for exercise for nearly a year, and I'm almost to the point where I don't hate it.  

11.  Someday I want to do a TED Talk.

11 questions posed by none other than the amazing Julie Stephenson:

1. Ice water or just cold water?  Room temperature is best.  Cold water is OK.  No ice!
2. What is one thing you know for sure?  That I don't really know anything, really.  There's always more to learn!
3. What is your favorite outdoor activity?  Riding my bike, especially if hills are involved.  I love hills.  No joke.
4. What is the last concert you've been to?  Well, I cannot really remember, which is sad because I love live music.  I guess we could count the old grungy man playing a banjo in Key West, while his boxer-wearing Golden Retriever named "Cleo" grabbed dollars from the crowd in his mouth.  The only other concert sticking out in my head is the hippy-ish Gandalf Murphy and the Grand Slambovians, who played in Woodstock when we were there about a year ago.  I really want to see Pink, Mumford & Sons, and Jason Mraz, though.
5. Your shopping preference - online or in person?  Online, of course!  People, lines, conversation...so annoying!
6. Name two females you consider great leaders?  Bersheril Bailey, a principal of mine when I first came to Lansing and worked in the alternative middle and high schools.  Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is just a badass.
7. If you could have 500 pounds of anything what would it be?  Chocolate.  Duh.
8. When you hear the word "home" what city, town, place, etc. comes to mind?   Wherever Kris is.
9. Name three places in the US you've not been to yet, but are dying to go to.  New Orleans, Taos, Austin.
10. Name your favorite book of all time.  Not a fair question!  There are many, for different reasons and for different periods of my life.  "Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone" by James Baldwin.  "Franny & Zooey" by JD Salinger.  "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova.  I could go on and on and on.....
11. What is the biggest motivator or barrier when it comes to blogging?   Remembering that I have a blog!

This is it.  No more words left in this brain on this cold winter's night.