A Blog Award & Ten Things

Just back from two weeks of travel, and I find I've been tagged and given a blog award. Becky from Beckah-Rah has kindly bestowed upon my blog the Blog on Fire Award (Thank you, Becky!). I haven't really felt so "on fire" lately, so perhaps this award will rekindle my motivation and light a fire under my arse (sorry, I couldn't resist the cliches).

Then, JeffO over at The Doubting Writer tagged me in a Ten Things tag after sharing some very interesting facts about himself. Thanks for the mention, Jeff.

I'm hoping that Jeff and Becky will forgive me if I sort of combine the requirements of the award with the tag (both require that I share a list of facts about myself). I'll be hard pressed to match either of their lists, in interest or in entertainment value - go check out their lists if you haven't already.

So, here goes, a list of unknown facts about yours truly:

1. This one was inspired by Jeff's pumpkin paddling: I once made a boat out of nothing but cardboard and Elmer's glue and raced it against others in my High School swimming pool.
2. I've loved steak tartare (raw minced beef) since I first tried it in Paris. When I ordered it in my terrible French, the waitress asked me three times if I really understood what it was (twice in French, and once in English - she really didn't believe I knew what I was ordering).
3. I completed one semester of a professional baking course at a culinary school. 
4. I was once so broke that I lived out of my car for two months.
5. I've worked as a flight attendant.
6. I've had purple hair. 
7. I'm a poor swimmer - never properly learned to swim - and I'm afraid of the water. I prefer to do my "swimming" in the shallow end of the pool. 
8. I used to play the cello.
9. My swearing would make a sailor blush. Perhaps not my best quality.
10. I enjoy studying different languages. I'd love to live in different countries in order to soak up their languages.

Now, I must list some of my favorite blogs:

1. Carolyn Arnold
2. Marian Perera
3. Tavia, Char and Anninyn at In Case of Survival
4. Rachel McClellan

In other blog news, I am finally done with travel for a while. Well, for at least a month. Here's hoping that some uninterrupted home time will allow me to get back to blogging on a regular basis.

Posted by Jennifer B. at The Writing Cocoon.