Hello everyone, I have procrastinated over this post for a very, very long time and for that I am sorry. When I told those of you that nominated me for awards that I truly appreciated the award I meant it, I really did. Some of the awards listed in this post date back to last year and I apologize for that, but I thought it was time to catch up and gives those that honored me the recognition that they deserve.

Yes, I know I didn’t follow all the rules, but I thought I would share at least a few things about myself, I know what I shared might not be very interesting, but…well, what can I say they are me.

My biggest departure from the rules of most of these awards is that I didn’t nominate new individuals for each one. You are all deserving, and I mean each and every one of you. As it appears that many, but not all of the individuals that I would nominate, no longer are accepting awards I am choosing not to individualize them, I don’t mean to offend anyone by doing this, as I said you all have earned these rewards.

 In closing this little diatribe, I am also going to join the ranks of those who would very much appreciate their awards by receiving your likes and comments as opposed to actual awards. I really do look forward to your visits, likes and comments on a daily basis.  Again, I hope this does not offend or put off anyone, I would just prefer to spend my time writing and conversing with all of you in our little community. I hope that you all understand.

Now, without further adieu, here is the recognition piece of the post.

I would like to say thank you to the following friends for giving me this award:

Kimberly at http://words4jp.wordpress.com a really talented and entertaining poet.  I thank her for her support and her digital friendship.

Charles at http://legendsofwindemere.com an excellent blogger and fantasy novelist who I admire very much.

Suanved Mutalik at http://saunved.wordpress.com a truly talented young blogger and poet who deserves our attention.

Patty at http://petitemagique.wordpress.com a wonderful poet who has been exceptionally supportive.  Thank you.

The Sunshine Blog award is an award given to bloggers by other bloggers. It is given to bloggers who are positive and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.

The rules for this award are:

•  Include the award’s logo in a post or on your Blog.
• Answer 10 questions about yourself.
• Nominate 10 Bloggers
• Link your nominees to the post and comment on their Blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.
• Link the person who nominated you.

My questions and answers: 

1) Where were you born? New Jersey, USA lived there until 12 years ago when I moved with my family to Arizona.

2) What are some of your hobbies (name 3)? Boating, fishing and bicycling in no particular order.

3) What is your favorite movie? The Outlaw Josey Wales and virtually any other Clint Eastwood movie.

4) What is your favorite book? Hmmm, I have so many, but I would say its a toss-up between The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell and The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane both are excellent.

5) What is your favorite sport? I am a huge NASCAR fan. I enjoy other types of auto racing as well. I also like the occasional football game, but I don’t plan my life around them.

6) What do you do for a living? I am an I.T. Manager for an x-ray service company. I specialize in digital x-ray and PACS (digital medical imaging) implementations, training and support.

7) Do you have any pets? Do I have any pets…well that is a loaded question. We have 5 dogs, all small fortunately or I wouldn’t have any room at all on the bed at night. They really are my wife’s dogs as they couldn’t care less whether I was there or not, but if she moves they are right behind her following. I have a dozen fish which seem to like me, at least as much as fish can like anyone.

8) Do you have a favorite food, and if so what is it? Meatloaf is my favorite. I loved it as a kid and continue to love it to this day, at least as much as anyone can love a meatloaf. (Sounds like the way the fish feel about me).

9) What do you do for fun? I guess it would have to be writing. I use to write a great deal in my youth through my mid teens, but then lost it somewhere along the line. I finally picked it up again about a year ago and have been writing nearly every day since then. It has become such a routine part of my day that a day is not complete without it.

10) What would you say is your greatest achievement? I would say that it would be my 3 children. Each one of them is very different, but they all have turned out great thank God. I have a son who is 22 and is an infantryman in the Army, a daughter 20 who is in college and my youngest is a girl of 15 who just finished her freshman year of high school. All three of them are terrific kids and have made their mother and I very proud.

In appreciate for receipt of the Liebster awards I would like to thank the following individuals.  Please check out their blogs if you do not already follow them, they are just terrific:

Jan Ellen Ferrigan at http://janellenferrigan.com/

Yoshiko at http://daylighttune.wordpress.com

Brianna Vedsted at http://whenibecameanauthor.wordpress.com

First is to accept the award, post the picture of the Liebster Award on the top of post and say who nominated you for the award and list their blog site.

• Rule number 1 is to list 11 random facts about me.
• Rule number 2 is to nominate 11 other bloggers for the      Liebster Award and list their blogsites.
• Rule number 3 is to notify the bloggers of their award.
• Rule number 4 is to ask the award winners 11 questions to      answer when they accept their Liebster Award.
• Rule number 5 is I answer the questions left for me by the      blogger who gave me the award.

Okay, here are 11 random facts about me:

I’m a big fan of horror movies.

Christmas is my favorite holiday, I’m a kid at heart

I once got run over by my own truck .  I broke down on an icy road and while working on my truck someone hit it from behind and the vehicle lurched forward, knocked me down and rolled over me. No I wasn’t seriously hurt just some cuts.  Random…I know.

I’m a huge coffee drinker, the stronger the better.

I use to collect antique pottery

I’ve been dieting since the end of January and I happily have lost 30 pounds so far.

My favorite TV show of all time is MASH

My favorite singers are Bruce Springsteen, enough said about him and we are from the same place and Jackson Browne, I just love his early music.

I got to drive an Indy Car at Phoenix International Raceway.

I quite smoking 6 years ago after trying and failing about 15 times before

I love to study and read about history and religions, these are probably my two favorite subjects.  I enjoy politics as well, but I get too emotional and lose my temper too easily when I discuss it.

 

I would like to express my appreciation for being nominated for the REALITY Award, I appreciate this a great deal.  I would like to thank the following bloggers for the nomination:

Tiny at http://tinylessonsblog.com/ a wonderful poet well worth reading and following, please make an effort to stop by and visit this blog.

Mary Ann Blinkhorn at http://mypenandme.wordpress.com who has a fabulous blog featuring a combination of photography and poety.

I would like to thank Saunved at http://saunved.wordpress.com for this wonderful award.  If you don’t currently follow Saunved, please stop by and visit, I think you will like what you see.

The Rules:

• Thank the Super Sweet Blogger that nominated you.
• Answer five Super Sweet questions.
• Include the Super Sweet Blogging award image in your blog post.
• Nominate a baker’s dozen (13) other bloggers.
• Notify your nominees on their blog.

The 5 Super Sweet Questions:

1. Cookies or Cake? 
   Cake would always be my first choice, but if there are chocolate chip cookies they would be my favorite cookie.
2. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate over vanilla every time
   
3. Favorite Sweet Treat? Brownies would be the go to dessert.
4. When do you crave sweet things the most? At night about 8 PM
5. Sweet Nick Name? I don’t really have one, I go by Dom and always have.  Any other names I have been called have not been very complimentary. :)

I would like to thank the following bloggers for my nomination for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.  I would like you to know that you all inspire me to keep writing and for that I offer my heartfelt thanks.

Patty at http://petitemagique.wordpress.com

Anna Belfrage at http://annabelfrage.wordpress.com/

Britt at http://fairytaleepidemic.wordpress.com

Tracy at http://fecthis.wordpress.com/

Terms of the award:

1. Display the award logo on your blog (top).

2. Link back to the person who nominated you (below logo)

3. State 7 things about yourself (below terms).

4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link to them (below 7 things).

5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements.

Facts About Me:

One of my cousins several times removed was Governor of New Jersey.  We never met.

I sleepwalk when I drink too much so I don’t drink too much anymore and for that matter don’t drink very often at all just to be sure.

I used to deer hunt, but gave it up when I decided I’d rather watch the deer than shoot them.

I’m terrified of heights.

I hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and spent the night down there and then hiked back up the next day.  This was probably the most difficult physical thing I have ever done.  Of course I wasn’t in the greatest shape at the time to do it.

I collect pens, weird I know, but we all have our quirks. :)

I hate to have a dirty car inside or out, it bothers me greatly.  If I get in a car with trash in it I feel compelled to clean it.  Free detailing anyone?

I would like offer my gratitude to the following blogger for her ongoing support of my writing and thanks for the Very Inspiring Blogger 2013 Award.

Jen Rosenberry at http://jrosenberry1.wordpress.com Jen is a terrific poet, has a keen eye for art and shares her incredible knowledge of the subjects she writes about.  I enjoy reading her work each and every time she posts.

**Rules**

– Display the award logo on your blog;

– Link back to the person who nominated you;

– State 7 things about yourself;

– Nominate other bloggers for this award and link to them.  (Officially the rules say “15” but like another blogger who shall remain nameless, I’m going to nominate “7”.)

– Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements.

7 Things About Myself:

I’m fairly tall 6’4″

I’m not athletic other than being a fairly good bicycle rider.  My stamina for distance isn’t too bad.

I’m a huge Poe fan, I love his macabre stuff the most.

I love boats and have owned one since I was 9 years old although I am boatless at the moment as we just sold the one we had.

I play guitar and have done so since I was 8 although I’m not very good, I love to play just to relax.

I’ve been married for 24 years, wow that went fast.

I love saltwater fishing, but live in a fresh water area now and just can’t seem to figure it out.  Oh well, I guess I’ll keep trying.

I would like to thank my friend Kimberly at http://words4jp.wordpress.com for this award.  Please stop by her blog and say hi.

The criterion is essentially the same as that of all awards –

1. Display the Award Certificate on your website.
2. Announce your win with a post and link to whoever presented you with the award.
3. Present 15 awards to deserving bloggers.
4. Drop them a comment to tip them off after you have linked them in the post.
5. Post 7 interesting things about yourself.

7 Interesting Things About Myself:

(Please read in previous awards, I am running out of “interesting” things to say.  I’m actually a pretty boring person. :)

I would like to thank Charles at http://legendsofwindemere.com for this wonderful award.  Please stop by his blog.  Charles is a terrific blogger and a very talented novelist who is more than willing to share his thoughts both good and bad, on self-publishing and a host of other things.

The Shine On Award Rules:

1. Link back to and thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Post the badge on your blog.
3. Answer the questions posed to you.
4. Nominate five bloggers who shine a little light in your day and notify them.
5. Ask five questions for your nominees.

Questions from Charles:

1. Who or what inspires you to write and/or blog?  No one in particular although my wife did give me a nudge to write a novel.  Since I’ve always loved to write one thing led to another, I am writing a novel, but always loved writing poetry so here I am.
2. At this present moment, what would be your life’s theme song? Probably “Crazy” by Patsy Cline.
3. What was your most precious toy as a child?  Do you still have it?  Probably my stuffed monkey Alex, unfortunately no, I don’t have him anymore.  He eventually disintegrated and went back to the earth from which he came. :)
4. What is the worst movie you ever saw?  Did you walk out?  It actually was one I saw on NetFlix, “Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies.  Sadly, I started the movie once and couldn’t bear to watch it, but was then compelled a couple weeks later to try it again.  I watched it in it’s entirety, but unfortunately it didn’t get any better.  I give it a negative 5 stars.
5. What is the first thing you see if you turn around?  A wall with x-ray view boxes (the light boxes that doctors use to read x-ray film).

I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to Charles at http://legendsofwindemere.com for this prestigious award.  I am truly honored.

RULES:

Winners re-post this starting with their acceptance speech. This could be written or video recorded.

Winners have the privilege of awarding the next 15 people with this award! The re-post should include a NEW set of 15 people/blogs worthy of the award; and winners notify them the great news.

My Speech:

First off, I am not much of a speech maker, I get very nervous in front of  large groups of people.  Suffice it to say that I am truly grateful to all of you for your support, through your likes, comments and friendship.  This really does make writing worth while.  With this I yield the floor.

Thank you and goodnight.

Dom

Thank you Alysia at http://literarylandofalysia.wordpress.com for this most honored award, I truly appreciate it an your support.  Please visit Alysia’s blog.  It is a wonderful combination of poetry and short stories with some terrific quotes sprinkled in.  You will thoroughly enjoy it.

Rules

• Display the Award Certificate on your website.
• Announce your win with a post and link to whoever presented your award.
• Present 15 awards to deserving bloggers.
• Drop them a comment to tip them off after you’ve linked them in the post.
• Post 7 interesting things about yourself.

7 Interesting Things About Me:

I’ve gone dry, please read the “About Me” sections earlier in this post.