#PayItForward: It's a Major Award!

Most Fridays, I will share with you a post from another blog that I find particularly moving, interesting, or funny. They will be posts that fit the DKL mold... ones I think people who read this blog would enjoy. Another blogger I follow started something similar. I also wanted to do this because someone paid it forward to me, giving me tons of new followers. So this is the least I can do...

Today, something completely different. A first-ever here on DKL. We're accepting, and in turn giving, an award... to 11 great bloggers. I've never done one of these award things before. But when  Welcome to Grand Central bestowed the Liebster Award upon me, I decided to make it part of my #PayItForward series. Thanks to WtoGC, a relatively new but thoughtful blogger and loyal and active DKLer, for inspiring me and giving me this award. It's a major award! Like this:

Actually, it goes more like this...

The Rules:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the 11 questions the person giving the award has set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you will be giving the award to.
4. Choose 11 people to award and send them a link to your post. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs.

11 Things About Me:

1. I love chocolate. I don't think how much I love it can be overstated. It's more of an infatuation, actually. My Director is aware.
2. Swearing is my thing. You wouldn't know it by reading this blog, but the "eff word" is one of my closest friends. Just not around Peanut. And this blog is mostly all Peanut. Thus, I keep it PG-13 around here at worst. 
3. My favorite meal is chicken cutlets and ravioli with my mom's gravy. (Some call it "sauce." I do not.)
4. The New York Yankees are my love. But the New York Jets are my passion. I will admit, I am a horrible fan who will give up on his team in the second quarter or third inning and then act like he knew they'd win all along when they rally at the end. Yep. That guy.
5. I live in fear of the day Luna dies. She's only seven, but I can't even imagine that stinky little furry puppy face not being here to make us smile every day. The ironic thing is I'm not even a dog person. 
6. On our first date, I yelled at My Director for not reaching over and unlocking my door after I held the passenger door for her. It's common courtesy. (Or was, before automatic remote key thingies.) I knew she was the one when she didn't run for the hills after that.
7. I went to Catholic school from 3rd grade through high school. My mom taught CCD. My parents were devoted Italian Catholics. I am now Episcopalian.
8. Here's what I did get out of Catholic school: I am still friends with the same group of guys I met in third grade. Two of them I met on the playground right off the bus on my first day. They are one of my favorite things about me. 
9. The last thing I ever said to my dad was "thank you." 
10. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 20.
11. I started running seven years ago. I love it and hate it. But mostly, love it. Nothing clears my mind like a good run.

Questions for Me to Answer:

1. If you were a criminal master mind, what would be your criminal racket? Sarcasm. Quit wit. A sharp tongue. No one can out-dbag me. 
2. What musical instruments do you wish you could play? Piano. I love Billy Joel. I wish I could play "Piano Man" at a party. Guitar too. And saxaphone. Clarence Clemons was the man.
3. Who is someone from your past that you are sorry you lost track of? I had a friend in college that I was really close with. Then, as the cliche goes, I joined a fraternity and we lost touch. In truth, I was a jerk. We recently met up when he was in town with his family. It was great to catch up. 
4. What is your favorite thing about fall? Uh.. ONE thing? The weather. No... the sports. Wait... Halloween. Oh... the colors. Is there a better season than one that starts with summer and ends with Christmas? It's by far my favorite for all of those reasons. But mostly, the weather. I'm always hot. And I'm a runner. Fall is the best time to run outside. 
5. What is the best food on a hot summer day? Sam Adams Summer Ale. If you don't consider that "food," then an Edy's Lemonade Pop.
6. What subject do you wish you had paid more attention to in school? I was a good student, actually. I paid  attention in all of my classes and got good grades. (Nerd.) But I thought Driver's Ed was beneath me. Thought I'd be fine when the written and road tests came around. So I blew it off. In the end, I failed the written test twice and the road test once. (See #10 above.)
7. If your life had a sound track what song would you pick for it? Well, by definition, a soundtrack has more than one song, no? Scenes from an Italian Restuarant by Billy Joel. Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen. You Shook Me All Night by AC/DC. But if I had to pick one? Young at Heart by Frank Sinatra.
8. What is the most dramatic view you have seen? I am going use the literal definition of "dramatic:" Driving into the city trying to get to work on 9/11/01 and seeing Lower Manhattan covered in that giant cloud of smoke. Every turn, I saw it. Either out my windshield or in one of my mirrors. I will never forget catching a glance at the look of horror on my face in my rearview mirror as I sat at a light and took in the sad skyline.
9. What is the prettiest place you have been? Venice. There's no other place like it in the world. My Director and I plan on going back there to celebrate our 10th anniversary this year. 
10. What sports team do you love to see lose? May I please list more than one? My hatred mostly spreads north: Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, UConn Huskies basketball. But there is a special place in the pit of my stomach for the New York football Giants. 
11. Would you ever live in New York City? Why? No. never. I love NYC. Born and raised in New Jersey, I always wanted to "make it there." And I have. My Director and I lived right across the Hudson in Hoboken for ten years. That was fine. The city is loud, smelly, and expensive. Now we're grown-ups and we live in the suburbs. 

Questions for Awardees:

1. The best gift you ever received?
2. The best gift you ever gave?
3. What do you think are your chances of surviving the zombie apocalypse?
4. What's on your DVR right now?
5. The five most-played songs on your iPod are?
6. One movie you absolutely HAVE to watch when it's on? Just one.
7. In 10 words or less, why do you write/blog? 
8. What's your catchphrase? 
9. The most clever Halloween costume you've ever had?
10. One thing you're really bad at?
11. Your favorite board game?

Bloggers I am Awarding:

1. The Musings of Munch
2. I Hope I Win a Toaster
3. Sooperdad Blog of Awesomeness
4. Founding a Father
5. Twinfamy
6. Gina Valley
7. The Mommy in Law
8. YKIHAYHT
9. It's a Dome Life
10. Pinwheels and Poppies
11. Surviving Boys

Thank you for spending some time to learn more about DKL. I tried to share some things I don't often blog about, and link to some things I did blog about if I mentioned them. Please check out as many of the great bloggers I listed above as you can and tell them DKL sent you.