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Ingrate Spotted With Invisible Awards

I feel like that woman who comes out of the bathroom with her skirt tucked into her pantyhose. Except it’s not in my panty hose, it’s in my underwear. Because I don’t wear pantyhose. Oh, and also, there is toilet paper on my feet. Because I forgot to wear shoes into the bathroom.

Seriously, that’s how embarrassed I am today.

I have been fortunate to receive some attention over the last 6 months.

You know, those sparkly invisible awards that you are supposed to put on your cyber-mantle?

Yeah, well, I didn’t.

Because I don’t have a cyber-mantle.

I don’t even have a cyber-fireplace.

So while I appreciated the awards, I didn’t do anything with them.

I sort of shoved them in a cyber-footlocker.

Which was actually very inconsiderate, and I feel like shitake mushrooms about this.

So I would like to thank a few people.

Waaaaay back in June 2011, Save Sprinkes from How Can I Complain gave me the Sweetest Blogger Award. Only I didn’t see this award until January 5, 2012. (How lame is that?) I just wrote Sprinkes a note letting her know how much I appreciated her recognition. Because I do. And I can’t believe I missed that blog post because Sprinkes is awesome. She hasnt posted in a while, but she was one of my very first subscribers, and I miss her.

I think for that award I was supposed to tell you 7 things about myself and suggest 7 other bloggers for you to read.

In September 2011, Jess Witkins from The Happiness Project sent me a Liebster award. What is a Liebster, you ask? I understand “liebster” is German for “dearest” — and so there is sweet Jess, trying to tell me that she considers me a dear friend. And what do I do? I shove her love in my cyber-footlocker. Nice, right? Four months later, I feel it, Jess. I do.

For that award I was supposed to link back to the person who nominated me and suggest 5 bloggers for folks to read.

Two people gave me the Versatile Blogger Award.

The first person to extend this kindness was Lorna Earl from Lorna’s Voice. A sociologist by training, Lorna started writing about her past when her future looked grim due to chronic illness. Her observations are keen, and I enjoy reading her posts.

The second person who found me versatile was Melissa Ridley Elmes from Cerridwen’s Cauldron. If Sarah Jessica Parker is my Celebrity Doppelganger (Ha ha. Yeah right!), then Melissa is my real life evil twin. She’s a teacher; I’m a teacher. She’s a painter; I’m a painter. She likes bad girls, I like bad boys. I’m telling you, it’s spooky!

For that award I think I was supposed to tell you 7 things you did not know about me and suggest 15 blogs for you to read.

Any math teachers out there?

I think I’m -21 facts and -47 recommended bloggers.

Do you see why I am hanging my head in shame?

Miranda Gargasz of Scattering Moments showed up to tell me that she had nominated me for the Awesome Blog Content Award. I hadn’t even heard of that one before, so I had check it out. When I did, I saw that it had no rules.

Thank goodness. (I like Miranda so much for that!)

I thought I was going to have to go through the alphabet and choose a word or phrase to correspond with each letter and use that to describe myself.

I started planning:

A is for Astoundingly Average.

B is for Beyond Belated.

Somebody should throw me in the Blogosphere Slammer for lack of gratitude.

A day later, one of my favorite bloggers, Gigi, from Kludgy Mom wrote a post called 12 Bloggers to Watch in 2012, and I almost died. Because there I was, on her list with many of my most favorite bloggers. I kept wandering back to the computer and looking at Gigi’s post all day, just to see if it was still there. I also checked this post from my iPhone and my iPad, too. Finally, my husband suggested I print out the article and stick it in my Happiness File that always makes me feel better when I am freaking out about a failing student, or sobbing hysterically about being out of Kona coffee or worrying that my writing has turned to lumpy oatmeal.

Not that there is anything wrong with lumpy oatmeal.

In fact, some people prefer their oatmeal lumpy.

I’m just trying to make a point.

Later that same day — the same day, people! — I was reading a faboo blog post, by the faboo Julie C. Gardner — a woman whose writing makes me “Squeeee!” like a little piggy, I see that Julie has written about how good it feels to be home after doing all her cyber-traveling this last year. (She was a busy little beaver blogger in 2011, and she was taking a moment to kick back and enjoy her home page. And her home life.) At the bottom of her page, she expressed more gratitude, thanking all the folks who had hosted her at their pages this year.

And she listed me.

Which felt like I had won an award.

While simultaneously making me feel like a dooj.

I mean, duh!

I should have totally done that.

And because I am a copy-cat great believer in the adage “Better Late Than Never,” I would like to thank the following writers for making my blog a richer place this year. My fryber Clay Morgan of EduClaytion continues to be a source of support and inspiration as does Leanne “Shirtsleeves” Shirtliffe of Ironic Mom.

The folks who posted for TWITS (Teachers Who I Think Scored/Teachers Who I Think Sucked) provided something special to unify my blog. Some people opted to glorify teachers while others remembered lousy teachers and opted to kick them in the pants. Either way, the variety of voices worked. So special thanks to the following writers. If you have never heard of these people, please consider giving them a look-see.

Jessica Buttram

Save Sprinkles

Steven Hess *

Piper Bayard

Zach Sparer

Larry Hehn

Dances With Chaos

Tyler Tarver

Tamara Out Loud

As A Linguist

Mark Kaplowitz’s

The Decorative Paintbrush

Blackwatertown

Penny Thoyts *

Some Species Eat Their Young

Life & Times of a Self-Proclaimed Saucy Bitch

The Mom Crusades

Six Ring Circus

*non-bloggers

I hope you will accept my belated gratitude.

I will try to be less sucky in 2012.

Or, in the very least, keep my skirt out of my underpants. 🙂

So what should my penance be?

37 thoughts on “Ingrate Spotted With Invisible Awards

  1. Awww, Renee, I won’t make you do any penance. I’m just happy that I got to tag along on your journey and get to know you. So excited to be WWBC partners. Now to just figure out my new logline…oy!

    1. Ack! I am cutting down a bit because I am really committted to working on my book. That is the neta project, but when I am done, I’m guessing i will have a whole heckuva lot of material on the chopping block.

      All my “little darlins” that don’t make it to the book will make for lovely short blog posts. 😉

  2. First – Happy New Year! And in terms of your being a sucky ingrate, well, no worries in this corner of the Interweb – I can easily forgive you, since a. it’s not in my nature to hold grudges b. I can never remember who I’m holding a grudge against anyhow and c.you’ve listed all these shiny new (well, to me!) blogs to check out! :o)

    And also, the toilet paper-on-the-foot thing? SO there. With toothpaste as the sticking agent, no less. And not even the kids’ toothpaste. Nope, looks like the Crest to me. I’m going to have to blame my husband for that, in order to save a little face.

    I think I got you beat…! ;op

  3. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post!

    I had the same thing happen to me, although unlike you I forgot who gave me the awards. I, like an idiot did not keep track. Then I thought, what do I have to do here, give out 45 awards? I was experiencing cyber shame. And really, did I deserve this much attention and honor? Well absolutely not.

    So how to save myself? Well I got together some buddies from Kristen Lamb’s WANA1011 class and we put on a Blogfest to give out these awards to those in the class that had not received recognition. And that was the best experience. Everyone got involved and it became a celebration for the whole class. Like a graduation party only better.

    But then what happened? I received another award. LOL

    Here we go again! 🙂

    1. Karen:

      So funny that the moment you did your big #MyWana Blogfest you got another award.

      I still haven’t made peace with what to do with them.

      I prefer to do mash-ups and recognize great writing that way.

      Thanks for visiting! And commenting.

  4. Ha ha! “I feel like shitake mushrooms” – that REALLY made me laugh out loud. And if it makes you feel better, I’m not a very ‘fun guy’ (er, gal), either, because I’ve also not acknowledged any cyber awards! Better late than never!

    I think your penance should be to make another dance vid for your super-followers. 🙂

    1. Julie, I keep planning to make Saturday night dance videos a regular thing.

      And then somehow it is Sunday morning.

      I don’t know how that happens.

      Maybe I should take requests from people as to what song I should dance to on Saturday nights. That might keep me more focused.

  5. Your penance should be sitting down for breakfast with those who love lumpy oatmeal–especially me because it makes me feel sooooooo less guilty about my belated behavior(s). I waaaaaaaay overdue on reading your blog and/or responding to what I read. Not sure where I’ve been, but if this is retirement, I’ll take working any old day!!!

  6. Sorry for commenting late; I read this on my phone and my fat fingers have trouble replying on the small keys.

    If you’re sucky, I’m pathetic.

    Thank you, my good friend. You are one of the best “things” about 2011. Although it feels like I’ve known you way longer!

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