While the jester was away…

… the awards piled up!!

Thank you for all the awards!  Thank you for continuing to stop by the matticus kingdom while I’m busy taking care of the prince and the wife.  Thank you for showing all my guest bloggers love!  (And anyone that wants to guest blog can still do so, just send me an email at djmatticus@yahoo.com).

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The Seeker nominated me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award:

The Rules:

1. Display the award logo.

2. Link back to the person who nominated you.

3. State 7 things about yourself.

a. I very recently became a first time father
b. I very recently welcomed a prince into the kingdom
c. I very recently changed my very first diaper ever
d. I’ve changed a whole bunch since then and it’s only been two weeks
e. Some nights I get more sleep than I used to (broken up, of course, but more over all)
f. Other nights I get far less sleep than I used to
g. I don’t think I’ve entirely lost my mind yet… but, that is only a matter of time

4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link to them.

a. Not Quite Alice
b. The Cheeky Diva
c. Princess Rosebud
d. Jen
e. The Foodie Farmer

 

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Not Quite Alice nominated me for the Epically Awesome Award of Epic Awesomeness:

The Rules:

1. Tell 10 epic and/or awesome facts about yourself.  That’s it.

a. – g. See Above
h. Yes, I know I’m cheating
i. I’m okay with that, even though I’m an Eagle Scout
j. I believe that some rules in life are meant to be bent, and others broken

2. Pass it on to 10 bloggers you think are awesome and/or epic–or both.

a. Matrone Bell
b. The Scribbler
c. Mr. Atheist
d. Revis Edgewater
e. A Way With Words
f. Kim

 

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Kim (at Tranquil Dreams) nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award:

The Rules:

11 questions?  A picture? 200 followers?

There weren’t really clear directions on what to do with this one.  I’ve accepted this particular award before following some rules and disregarding others… and this time around I think I’ll just pass it along to some well deserving bloggers and let them decide for themselves want they want to do to go along with the nomination.  You can see what I did before here if you are looking for some more clearly defined instructions.

Nominations:

a. Julie’s Chick Lit
b. TheImaginator
c. UndercoverL
d. DesertRat
e. The Seeker

 

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UndercoverL bestowed upon me the Most Influential Blogger Award:

The Rules:

1) Accept the award.  (Gratitude is always welcome.)

2) List 5 things that have influenced you in some way.

a. JD‘s posts always make me think.  Plus he let’s me call him JD (in homage to Scrubs) and in my head I hear him conveying his messages in the voice of James Earl Jones.
b. Rarasaur is, well, the most influential dinosaur I know.  She’s creative, she’s upbeat, she even start hosting her own “prompts for the promptless series” to provide additional inspiration to those of us needing a little push towards the creative.
c. Gordon of Anyone’s Ghost tells like it is, or like he sees it, and isn’t afraid to let it out all and see where the words take him.  Sometimes they are raw, but they are always the truth, and they are always powerful.
d. Steph makes me laugh and cry and think and ponder and squirt milk out of my nose.  She’s amazing like that.
e. TwinDaddy lets his multiple personalities (and brothers) run wild on his blog.  Reading his blog helped me unleash the jester here in the kingdom.

3) Nominate other bloggers (no specific number) that have influenced you.

 – I’m nominating the 5 listed above.

4) Bling your Blog!

Now it’s getting REAL: Real Epic and Real Awesome

LikeItIz…  ???

Well, it iz like this:  I’ve been nominated for the REALITY AWARD, and I have to say that is REALLY REALLY REAL, er, um, I mean, AWESOME!

Here’s what needs doing  (aka – the rules):

1. Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you
2. Display the award on your blog somewhere
3. Acknowledge the blogger on your blog and link back to them.
4. Answer the 5 simple questions about yourself.
5. Nominate as many as 20 bloggers for this award and notify them.

1.  If you could change one thing, what would you change?  Right now, I’d change the location of my condo.

2.  If you could repeat an age, what would it be?  Any year?  I’m having a pretty good year right now… I don’t think I’d want to go back.

3.  What is one thing that really scares you?   SPIDERS, and sharks, and heights, and big dogs, and public speaking, and… hmm, I think I might have some issues.

4.  What is one dream you have not completed and do you think you will be able to accomplish it?    Get my fantasy novel published!  Yes, one day it will happen.

5.  If you could be someone else for one day, who would it be?   Earlier in my life I might have said a movie star, or a rock star, or something like that, but these days I’m pretty comfortable in my skin.

Nominations and my questions for them:

1.  If your life could be like any book you’ve ever read, which one would you choose? 
2.  Would you want to be a specific character in that book or just be who you are now living in that time/place/setting? 
3.  If you had control of the moon, would you change its color, and what color would you make it? 
4.  Which you prefer to live in the DC Universe or the Marvel Universe? 
5.  Which character on the Big Bang Theory are you the most like? 

– http://theillusionofcontrolledchaos.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/felix-has-arrived-to-fix-my-walls/
– http://soumyav.wordpress.com/about/
– http://gordonflanders.wordpress.com/about/
– http://the-serenity-space.com/bio/
– http://desertskys.wordpress.com/about/

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Shortly after receiving that award, Princess Rosebud (not to be confused with Princess Buttercup) decided that I was worthy of this:

The Rules For The Epically Awesome Award Of Awesomeness:

1. Tell 10 epic and/or awesome facts about yourself.  That’s it.
2. Pass it on to 10 bloggers you think are awesome and/or epic–or both.

Ten Facts about the Matticus Kingdom’s Court Jester:
1.  I wear contacts: my prescription is something like -10.00 in both eyes with another -1.25 for astigmatism.  Basically what someone with 20/20 vision can see at 1,000 feet clear as day, I can only see at 20 feet, or 100 feet / 2 feet, or 10 feet to 2.4 inches.  How’s that for perspective?
2.  I took piano lessons, and the theory I learned there was very helpful when I decided I wanted to be a DJ, because I already understood how music was written.
3.  I am an Eagle Scout.
4.  I used to be able to do very complex math problems in my head.
5.  In junior high I would have been appalled if anyone had called me a jester.
6.  I played dungeons and dragons at lunch almost every day in junior high and high school.  Oh, the horror!  (I wish I still had the imagination I had then.)
7.  I didn’t get my first “smart” phone until summer of 2011.
8.  I once wrote a post completely devoid of “I’s.”
9.  I can’t believe how many awards keep getting throw towards the kingdom.  I was not prepared for that sort of attention.
10. I wonder how my outlook on life will change between this month and the next.

Nominations For The Epically Awesome Award Of Awesomeness:
1.  http://matronbell.wordpress.com/about-2/
2.  http://deliberatedonkey.wordpress.com/behind-the-closed-door/
3.  http://ladylovelyblogger.wordpress.com/about/
4.  http://fearnoweebles.wordpress.com/about/
5.  http://stephrogers.com/about/
6.  http://graysonqueen.wordpress.com/about/
7.  http://www.jonathanhilton.com/inspiration/raining-all-over-the-world/
8.  http://sortaginger.com/about-2/
9.  http://winedrinkingmummy.wordpress.com/about/
10.  http://sarahneeve.wordpress.com/about-2/

Once Versatiled, Twice Shined

I guess you have been entertained…

The Matticus Kingdom has been nominated for a couple more awards.  Once again, as court jester and chief scribe (among other things) the responsibility falls on me to graciously accept these nominations and carry out the instructions that come with them.

First things first:  THANK YOU!!! MischievousEyez, TwinDaddy, and April.

For clarification purposes, that’s MischievousEyez of My thoughts, My life, TwinDaddy of Stuphblog, and April of Ponderingspawned fame and fortune.

(Did you see what I did there – In two sentences I managed two pingbacks for each of my award bestower type people.  They teach you those sorts of tricks in jester school.)

…..

Second piece of business:

Rules of the Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Thank and Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. State 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 bloggers for this award.
5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination by linking to one of their specific posts so that they get notified by ping back.

7 things about me:
1) My name is Inigo Montoya Matticus, you would like my father, prepare to be amazed.
2) I have survived the 3 dangers of the Fire Swamp Southern California living: lightning sand Death Valley, flame spurts Santa Ana Winds, and the ROUS’s California Desert Tortoise (their beaks are really sharp!).
3) I have 6 5 fingers on both my left and right hands.
4) I think masks are terribly comfortable itchy.
5) I don’t think I will ever grow tired of quoting Princess Bride.
6) I’ve spent the past few years building up a tolerance for iocane powder spicy Thai food.
7) I always have fun storming the castle, the Qwikimart, the highlands, the OK Corral, the beach volleyball court.

……

Rules of the Shine On Award:

“This award is for the blogs that shine, make you feel good and are inspiring to the reader.”

1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you.
2. Nominate fifteen bloggers who shine a little light in your day and be sure to notify them.
3. Share some facts about yourself or answer questions given to you.

Questions from twindaddy and my answers:

1. Who is your favorite comedian?  Why?   – Robin Williams because “Nanu-Nanu!”
   
2. You try to silently let out a fart to relieve the pressure building up but, OOPS, it was a shart.  What do you do now? – Nothing, it’s my kingdom and I can shart if I want to.
   
3. Did you watch the Academy Awards? Why or why not? – No, partially because I forgot they were on (unbelievable with all the press they had ahead of time, I know) and partially because I was watching an NCIS marathon instead.
   
4. If you could have any person, alive or dead, guest post on your blog who would it be? – Stephen King
   
5. You’re just standing there, minding your own business, when suddenly you feel your pants fall down to your ankles.  You’ve been pantsed.  What do you do?  How do you get back at the asshole that did it? – Nothing, because it’s my Kingdom and I’ll just play it off as I’m starting a new fashion trend – the pants around your ankles look is going to be all the rage in the spring.  (Secretly, though, the perpetrator will be dealt with – I have people for that.)
   

…..

Third times a charm:

Versatile Blogger Award Nominations:
1)  Kim
2)  DesertRat
3)  TwinDaddy
4)  Tony
5)  Cheri
6)  Mary-Ann
7)  Beefy
8)  Lesley

Shine On Award Nominations:
1)  Shannon
2)  Princess Rosebud
3)  Jo
4)  Sarah
5)  Jon
6)  JC
7)  Steph
8)  Hayley
9)  Jenn

(I never was very good at math, or following directions): 8 + 9 = 15, right?)

Questions for the Shine On nominees:
1)  Have you ever sent a message by fox?
2)  Have you ever worn tights and sung a song about it?
3)  Unlike some Robin Hoods, can you speak in a real English accent?
4)  Do you have a band of merry men?  If yes, have you ever sent for them?  If no, why not?
5)  Have you ever blessed everything around you just so you could drink?
6)  Bonus question:  Have you ever dated someone who wore a chastity belt?

my fondest wish

I was nominated by Blog it or Lose it for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award:

“Thank you, https://thematticuskingdom.wordpress.com/, for your encouragement and your brilliant writing, fellow NaNo!”

Until recently I had decided that I wasn’t going to accept awards anymore (due to the funny math behind them and the eventuality that they would take over the world – 15 x 15 x 15 x 15 x 15 x 15 = well, you get the idea.  Unchecked, award nominations and responses would takeover the blogosphere.)  However, then I met a dinosaur named Rarasaur and her thoughts on the subject helped to change my mind.  So, I humbly accept this nomination (with a few modifications).  My fondest wish is that I inspire people with my words as much as they inspire me with theirs.

There are 5 rules and the number of the rules is 5.  Not 3, nor 4, nor 6…  And they are as follows:

1.) Display the award logo on your blog.
 – Done.  See above… or below where my awards and other such nonsense are stored.
2.) Link back to the person who nominated you.
 – Done.  See Blog it or Lose it link above and check out their page: lots of wonderful stuff going on.
3.) State 7 things about yourself.
 – I have blue eyes.
 – I like blue shirts.
 – I like blue ties.
 – What do you mean those are all things someone can see from my Gravatar?
 – I like that song about the blue house and the blue windows and the blue corvette, where everything is blue.
 – I especially like the part about the blue corvette!
 – I also like that Blue Monday song.  That’s funny today is Monday!
4.) Nominate 15 bloggers for this award.
 – http://kodiakmylittlegrizzly.com/2013/01/16/pachyderm/ was the first post I read about Kodi, and then I went on to read almost everything else.  Such an amazing, troubling, touching story.  To find out more you can go here.
 – http://thefoodiefarmer.wordpress.com/about/ and I started out disagreeing on a subject, and that was okay.  Now I gobble up everything on offer and you should too.
 – http://purnimodo.wordpress.com/about/ inspires me to write better and to see the world through all sorts of sets of eyes.  Ever felt like a dinosaur or just wondered about your place in the universe?  Yeah, she covers those and everything in between.
 – http://fortyoneteen.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/starting-over-an-intolerance-to-resolutions/ has a way with words and comedy.  Careful, you might get hooked.
 – http://winedrinkingmummy.wordpress.com/2013/01/26/26365-one-photo-per-day-challenge-lessons-plus-others-photo-challenge-love/ for words and pictures working in harmony.  I’ve nominated Jo before and I’m sure I will again.
 – http://hippiecahier.com/about/ isn’t really a hippie, and she’ll tell you so herself.  She definitely does  have a way about her though.
 – http://qtheadult.wordpress.com/about/ has some wonderful things to say.  You know what follows “P?”  That’s right: Q
5.) Notify those bloggers of the nomination by linking to one of their specific posts so that they get notified by pingback.
 – Done. 

What do you mean I didn’t nominate 15 bloggers?  I may not be too good at this whole math thing but there are definitely 15 links up there under rule #4.  I think that should suffice.

To the 7 (15) wonderful bloggers I’ve nominated.  You have all inspired me through your words and pictures, through your interpretation of the world around us and through the way you present that in your little sections of our blogosphere.  Don’t feel under any obligation to accept these awards if you don’t want to, but know that I think you are definitely deserving of it.  You are Very Inspiring.