Honesty Is The Best Policy

The lovely and generous Katie J. commented on my second to last post to let me know that I have been presented with the fabulous Honest Scrap award! Apparently this particular honour is given to recognize blog writing that comes from the heart. Thank you so much, Katie! As with all of the blog awards I have come across, this one comes with it’s own set of guidelines:

1. “The Honest Scrap” award must be shared!

2. The recipient has to tell 10 true things about themselves.

3. The recipient has to pass along this prestigious award to 10 more bloggers.

4. Those 10 bloggers all have to be notified they have been given this award.

5. Those 10 bloggers should link back to the blog that awarded them.

Hmmm… you know this really does get harder the more online journals you read. Alright, I have my blog roll plus a list of sites that I check on a fairly regular basis, and I am not one to keep up with blogs that I don’t think are fabulous. In fact, I should note that most of the blogs I find myself looking forward to reading change from day to day, depending on what I am looking for, what I think is inspiring, or what makes me laugh. But, if I absolutely had to choose my ten favorites – keeping the spirit of the award in mind, of course – I would have to say that this evening they are (in alphabetical order):

282.5

365 Days To A New Me!

Cranky Fitness

Ethereal Endeavor

Fat (Free) Me

Finding Radiance

Fit To The Finish

From Fab To Fat

Halving Hadley

Watch My Butt Shrink!

I’m not sure what types of things people may be interested in knowing about me. My tendency so far has been to avoid putting in a lot of random tidbits about myself into posts because I don’t want to weigh down (pun intended) this blog with unnecessary content. Then again, I like the holistic approach to things so if I must expose myself, let’s make it worth it, shall we?

1. I love philosophical discussions. I think the exchange of idea and opinions in a non-judgemental environment is one of the most important things that we can do for one another. I may not share your point of view, but I am always eager to hear more about it.

2. I really and truly love doing things for other people. I wish I had more time to show my friends and family how special I think they all are. I even enjoy doing stuff for some of the individuals in my life who I am less fond of and sometimes try to come up with ways to make random people on the street happier and more fulfilled.

3. I am an ex-smoker. My fingers are no longer yellow, my clothes do not stink, and I have probably added years onto my life because of this difficult accomplishment, yet every once in a while I’m fairly certain I would kill off most of my closest friends for the chance to enjoy just one more cigarette.

4. I am very open when it comes to discussing sex. I don’t think I have ever been shocked by anything that I have heard on the subject, and I consider a healthy sex life one that must include good communication. I have had many, many friends ask me for advice on topics along these lines they would never bring up to other people.

5. I have a very simple silk-lined box that my husband painted for me years ago. He is not crafty, but he knew it would mean the world to me if he put in effort that went outside of his normal comfort zone in creating the gift. That box is – and most assuredly always will be – one of my most prized possessions.

6. I have a strong aversion to prejudice in any form. I especially have a hard time extending my normal empathy to someone who sees it necessary to drag physical, emotional, spiritual, sexual, mental, or cultural differences into a discussion when their intent is to belittle or generalize.

7. I don’t think a lot of people get my sense of humour. I tend to be really quick with puns and it often seems to leave people thinking about the joke, and by the time they catch up the time to laugh has passed. I find most individuals don’t give a w(h)it for that type of humour… hello?… see! Sometimes that makes me sad.

8. I quit biting my nails after thirty years of chewing them down to the nubs. I think it makes my hands look nicer, but I still put them up to my mouth once in a while and think about how much of a stress reliever it would be to just gnaw them all off again.

9. I never used to cry easily, hug often, nor tell others what they meant to me, but I have completely reversed my behaviors regarding these examples of emotion. I now feel free to show my grief or joy through tears, comfortable to demonstrate my affection for others through touch, and at peace with regularly telling the people who matter that I love them.

10. I would like it to say on my tombstone something to the effect of, “She brought joy into the lives of others.”

FOOD & BEVERAGES:

- 11 glasses of water throughout the day

- 3/4 cup fat free mixed berry yogurt

- 1 apple

- 1 1/2 cups of steamed asparagus with margarine

- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with sliced deli turkey, cheese, cranberries, green leaf lettuce, fat free Miracle Whip, pesto sauce, and pepper

- 1 baked pear sprinkled with nutmeg and cinnamon

- 1 small slice of whole grain bread with light peanut butter

EXERCISE:

- 1 hour and 35 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (40 minutes long, 15 minutes long, and 40 minutes long)

- 45 minute step workout video (without the step)