HONESTLY!!!

The very humble D.K. has been given this prestigious blog award by the lovely Annette whose blog, "Just My Little Piece of the World", has become a regular reading habit. These blog award things always come with rules about which I am giving immediate notice I will eff-up. I'm so sorry, Annette. I'll try it my way and see how it goes.

For the record, here are the award rules:

1.You must brag about the award.
2.You must include the name of the blogger who bestowed the award on you and link back to the blogger.
3.You must choose a minimum of seven (7) blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.
4.Show their names and links and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with Honest Weblog Award.
5.List at least ten (10) honest things about yourself.
Then pass it on with the instructions!

I'm not complying with Rules #3 and #4 mainly because I waited so long that by now everyone I would bestow the award on has already received it. I realize that's not in the spirit of the award so I will completely understand if Annette decides to take it back and whack me on the head with it. Ouch, that hammer looks like it could do some damage! The way I'd like to do it is to say that anyone who reads this can automatically consider themselves awarded and proceed accordingly.

But, what does "Honest Scrap" mean? "Honest" is easy ... anything revealed must be truthful. "Scrap" is another matter. To me, "scrap" is leftovers, this & that, odds & ends, bits & pieces. It's what's leftover after everything with obvious value has been removed. It still has value, but not much. The key to "scrap" is that it is non-essential but still useful in some form or another. With that in mind, I don't know how useful any of this will be, but here goes my list of 10 non-essential truthful bits & pieces about me (in no particular order):

1. Coming from a large family of FDR-democrats, I still managed to end up with one sibling who is the complete opposite (i.e., a ditto-head repuke), which naturally causes me to wonder WHO is the Black Sheep? See, even when the odds are long, I assume it must be ME.

2. When Bush was handed the Presidency, I honestly thought, well what's the worst he can do? I had NO idea how far he could exceed my expectations in the "worst" department. If I ever visit his $300million non-historical library, I will write that comment in the guest log.

3. Not prone to many phobias, I am amused that driving over long high bridges causes me such distress. I still get butterflies thinking about Coronado Bridge in San Diego. I can walk or bike ride over them just fine. I have the same reaction when driving UP steep mountains with no shoulder or guard-rails. I have to hide my face to fool my brain, which is nonetheless unfooled, thus causing me to yell at the driver the whole way UPHILL to keep their damn eyes on the road and let me know when it's over! If the driver is me, we are all in deep trouble as I feverishly hunt for a safe place to pull out and relinquish the steering wheel to anyone with a driver's license; otherwise we go back down and find another route. Driving DOWNHILL provokes no similar reaction. What's up with that?

4. After an episode of Atypical Meuneire's (you do not know how typical it is that I would get the atypical form) a few years ago, I can no longer endure loud noise. Opening up a soda can sounds like a shotgun blast. As a result, I've had to start listening to more acoustic type music. I just spent the entire weekend listening to Coffee House-Acoustic on Sirius FM which brought back great memories of all the rock concerts I went to back in the 60's, even though I don't think songs like "Smoke on the Water" or "Black Dog" should ever EVER be performed acoustically!

5. I absolutely positively undeniably HATE to be cold. I don't understand people who say it's refreshing or bracing. If it's cold enough to snow, it is far too cold for me. I also hate humidity. That's why I live in a desert where the dry summers regularly reach 115 ... and yet even then I still have to wear socks and sweaters to go shopping or eat in a restaurant because of the damn near freezing air conditioning which is downright ree-effin-diculous! In the summer, I will flip the temp up on every thermostat I can get my hands on, even public ones with signs that say please do not adjust temperature. I tell myself I am helping the environment by reducing air conditioning use!

6. Before he was a rich and famous Las Vegas casino/hotel mogul, control-freak Steve Wynn once fooled me into eating raw steak (what can I say, it was dark and I was hungry). I can still taste the blood 30-yrs later even though I no longer eat cow ever since I found myself parked next to a cattle car in some desolate two-bit Texas hellhole. Gaahhh ... I can still hear their plaintive cries of distress! I also have to say the Palin Turkey-whacking incident permanently turned me off to eating turkey. Recent stories of the horrendous factory hog farming conditions have turned me off to pork. But I do still eat chicken and fish, especially in taco-form. I am not perfect.

7. I'm a baby boomer so my school years were most notable for overcrowded classrooms and frazzled teachers. Integration was forced on my high school through mandatory busing. I found it was a good thing to be exposed to such diversity ... it saved me from absorbing the distorted narrow worldview of too many other middle-class white kids. This was an example of "activist judging" that accomplished much good by forcing society to move forward, kicking and screaming all the way! The empathy-impaired should take note.

8. My mom was a good seamstress who made most of my clothes as a kid so I never had to confront ill-fitting store-bought clothes. In high school, I started sewing my own clothes since nothing on the rack ever fit properly. Mini-skirts, empire dresses and what might be described as pre-goth-style were my metier. We still had a dress code in my high school. I can't tell you how many times I was hauled into the school administration office and given the "ruler test", but it was a lot! The "ruler test" required kneeling on the floor while some faculty member held a ruler up your legs. If your dress or skirt exceeded the height of the ruler (12") off the floor, you were in trouble. I got to be an expert in kneeling forward and stretching fabric so it met the "ruler test". The dress code was abolished the year after I graduated. I no longer sew, but that's alright because my current clothing taste is, shall we say, less rigorously stylish.

9. As a former broomstick, I am totally amazed seeing what menopause has done to my body. Is that really me in the mirror? I look so ... matronly ... so at odds with how I feel. The facial changes are more endurable, but I can clearly see it now ... I am slowly becoming ... my mother! AIEEEEEEEEH !!!!!

10. Last but by no means least, I feel that most family pets I've met are far better than their "owners" ... including my own!

OK, I think that all qualifies as non-essential "SCRAP". Whether it has any residual value remains to be seen. I only hope it wasn't too painful to read. And please, if you want to participate in this meme, consider yourself awarded and have some fun with it!

ps, as I re-read this, I am detecting a distinct lack of respect for rules. Sorry, Annette, it seems to be a theme in my life.