Two bloggers posted today about having been nominated for blog awards. Sadje, at Keep It Alive, got the Mystery Blogger Award, and Mel, at Crushed Caramel, got the Sunshine Blogger Award. So a hearty congratulations to both of them.

For some inexplicable reason, they each nominated my blog for these awards, even though I’ve declared my blog to be an award-free blog. But I still do appreciate the recognition and the generosity behind the nominations.

And between the two of them, they asked 16 questions. And as the answer-man, it’s my duty to answer their questions.

First, Sadje’s five questions:

1. What is the more important thing for you, your day job or blogging?

I’m retired, so this is an easy one. With no day job, by process of elimination, the answer is blogging! Shocking, I know.

2. What are your plans for the coming year?

To stay alive.

3. Have any of your blog posts received a surprise response?

I was surprised that my post titled “Better Than Sex” is my most viewed post this year. The post is about blogging and has nothing to do with sex. But given that post’s popularity, I am thinking about including the word “sex” in the title of all future posts.

4. A cat or dog, which one you have as a pet or would like to?

We have both. Our cat is a stray that we took in and our dog is a rescue dog that we, um, rescued from a kill shelter.

5. What is one habit you want to give up?

Donald Trump.

And now for Mel’s eleven questions:

1. Where are you from?

My mother’s womb.

2. Do you think of yourself more as an early bird or night owl?

Early bird. I am over at out by 11 pm at the latest and usually up between 6-7 am.

3. What is your birthstone?

Marijuana. Oh wait, you said birthstone not best stone. In that case, the diamond.

4. What’s your favorite season of the year and why?

Autumn because of the clean, cool, crisp air (except when there are nearby wildfires) and because of the beauty in the clots of the leaves before they fall from the trees.

5. What’s a favorite quote that’s really inspired you?

6. If you could choose one fantasy world to visit for a day, which one would it be?

America before Trump was elected president. And I would hope it would last more than a day.

7. How do you like to wind down after a busy day?

I’m retired. I never have busy days anymore.

8. What would your dream job be?

Best selling author.

9.Why did you start blogging?

I started this blog in May 2017 to distract me from the insanity that is Donald Trump. I have failed miserably.

10. What have you enjoyed most about blogging so far?

All of the other bloggers I have “met” as a result of my starting this blog.

11. Which of your own blog posts would you recommend to new readers first?

I’d suggest my Who Am I? page. That way they can then decide whether or not my blog is the kind of blog they want to invest their time reading.