It’s also fragile.  That’s Italian for fragile.

Go watch the movie Christmas Story, it’ll make sense.  Or whatch this clip from the movie.  A Major award.

So what’s the major award you ask, the Sunshine Blogger Award that’s what.  And my guidance counselor said I’d never amount to anything.  He certainly never thought I would amount to anything with the word Sunshine in the title.  Take that, guidance counselor dude.

This is awesome in a lot of ways.  Two specifically come to mind.  First, I don’t know the person who nominated me for this.  Andrew who blogs at papasense was unknown to me until tonight when I received the notification.  Andrew put me up for this and for that I am greatly appreciative.

Second and maybe more important, it’s always a good feeling to have someone other than family members and friends read and approve of the stuff you write.  So again Andrew, thanks man.

Ok now to the formal stuff.  It’s not just the wild west out here in blogger land, we have a thing called the rule of law.  Read now the rules of the Sunshine Award.

1. Include the award logo in the post.
2. Link back and thank those that nominated me.
3. Answer 10 random questions about myself and/or tell seven random facts.
4. Nominate 5 other bloggers and link them to the award in their comments section

I believe I have accomplished items 1 and 2.  See logo above left, and the link to Andrew’s blog.  Now for the ten questions, which I am stealing from Andrew that he stole from someone else.

1. What’s one of your favorite books from childhood? Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson.  I’ll never forget it.  My dad handed that to me when I was in the third grade, read it straight through.  It started me on the path of loving books.
2. What are you reading right now? Just finished The Big Miss by Hank Haney and just started Timothy Egan’s The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived The Great American Dust Bowl
   
3. What’s a go-to meal you make on busy weeknights? Ravioli and mixed vegetables
   
4. Favorite thing to do in your free time? Golf, read, golf – in that order
   
5. Favorite season? Golf Season.  In Knoxville Tennessee that’s almost 9 months out of the year.  
   
6. Favorite magazine? Newsweek
   
7. Favorite author? George Orwell.  Homage to Catalonia is on my top three best books ever written list.  
   
8. Favorite teacher (and why)? Dr. Robert Norell – History, University of Tennessee.  One of the few PhD’s I’ve met with teaching skills; he can take a verbal punch and throw one right back.    
   
9. AP Style, Chicago Style, neither, or a mix of both? Chicago Style.  Got turned on to it at the University of Maryland, loved it ever since.  
   
10. Do you prefer reading short stories or novels?  If I had to pick between the two I would say novels.  But I prefer history books, text book or commercial.

Now for the hard part, the nominations.

1. The Adventures of Yum and Mimi

2. Emerald Pie

3. Roar Sweetly

4. Atlantic Mama

5. whatshupp – This only because his response, if he accepts, will be epic.