Judging from the [complete lack of] comments on most of the posts in my recent “Questions from Clients” series, it’s time to step back and do something fresh. Just in the nick of time, my friend and fellow blogger Amanda Cleary Eastep introduced me to “Tag, You’re It!”—a little blog game that lets you provide clever answers to silly questions, while throwing a little link-love at fellow bloggers. (For another sample of this kind of good, clean fun, see my participation in The ProBlogger 7-Link Challenge.)
The questions are provided by the game. The answers are provided by each individual blogger:
What do you think of when you the hear the word tag?
Those itchy things in the collars of my shirts which are finally, gradually, being replaced with dyed-on information, so I don’t have to hunt down a seam ripper in order to be able to wear a shirt without flailing my arms down my back at random points throughout the day.
Do you think you’re hot?
The more important question is, do you think I’m hot?
Upload a picture or wallpaper that you’re using at the moment.
From my summer series of desktop images, I present this piece from a collection by Vladstudio:
I have downloaded different Vlad collections from Apple.com, none of which do I find on Vlad’s own website at the moment, but his style is always interesting. (Actually, I can’t find them on Apple.com anymore either! What is the world coming to?)
When was the last time you ate chicken?
Honestly, I’ve been eating chicken a lot lately. Almost every day. I’ve gone all Atkins and am trying to eat more protein, so chicken has become a big part of my life. And you know what? It tastes like chicken.
Song(s) you listened to recently?
“Life is Hard (God is Good),” written by Joel Lindsay and Pam Thum. I sang it as a solo in church one recent Sunday, and I listened to it over and over and over and over in preparation for that.
What were you thinking as you were doing this?
“Why can’t I hit that low note? Why can’t I hit that high note? Why can’t I remember the beginning of the second verse? Am I catching a cold? Why did I say I would sing this song?”
Do you have nicknames? What are they?
Absolutely. In gradeschool—
- Chipmunk Cheeks
In high school—
- Fråulein Jongsma (I took German for three years)
In college—
- Melvin
- Melvin Belvin Blake
- Belvin
- Belv
- Blake
(All of the above are outtakes from a conversational German class I took in which the teacher, a native German, would assign us parts to read, as in “MellahNEE, YOU be Mistah Blake.” Naturally, after telling this to my roommates, it became a part of our lexicon, German accent and all.)
These days—
- Mello (as in “Hello, Mello”)
Tag 8 blogger friends:
Half of these are actual, real-life friends, and all are bloggers/writers I admire for one reason or another:
- Amanda Cleary Eastep, of namasteawhile (I didn’t know how to pronounce it at first either)
- Ann Schenkel, of Vitaminute
- Peter Bowerman, the Well-Fed Writer
- Allie, of Hyperbole and a Half (hilarious!)
- Ta-Nehisi Coates, who blogs for The Atlantic
- Ronni Bennett, of Time Goes By
- Steve Blom, of Imag(in)e (disclosure: he’s also my brother-in-law)
- Jason Perry, who writes Musings
Who’s listed as No. 1?
Amanda tagged me in her game post, thus making me aware that the game even exists, while simultaneously inspiring me to participate, at the exact time I needed a fun post for my own faithful readers! That’s why Amanda gets top billing. Besides that, she’s an awesome writer.
Say something about No. 5.
Ta-Nehisi Coates is my blogging hero. He writes about politics, entertainment, history, music, football, writing, and culture with equal depth. And he has created a tribe of subscribers who engage in respectful, humorous, insightful conversations about everything he posts. It’s amazing.
How did you get to know No. 3?
I don’t remember who first recommended Peter Bowerman’s books to me, but as soon as I read The Well-Fed Writer, I knew I wanted to read everything else he had written too. Peter is so gracious and helpful, that even though we’ve never met, I feel like we’re friends. I have quoted him on this blog, and he has allowed me to guest post on his.
How about No. 4?
Jon Reid recommended this grammar post from Hyperbole and a Half to me, and I was totally hooked. “Allie” (if that is her real name) doesn’t seem to post very often, but there is a ton of hilarity already archived on her blog. Even though very few of them have to do with grammar, they all have made me laugh out loud. Literally. And when I say literally, I mean it literally.
Leave a message for No. 6.
“Ronni Bennet, I have never left a comment on Time Goes By: What it’s Really Like to Get Older, because I believe you prefer participation by people who are older than I. Still, I read all your posts, and I don’t always agree with what I read, but I always learn something. Thank you.”
Leave a lovey dovey message for No. 2.
“Ann Schenkel, honey, dear, I love you with all my heart—and that’s saying a lot, because my heart is stronger and healthier now that I’ve read your blog, ‘Want a Stronger, Healthier Heart?‘ Thank you for sharing life-changing information every week (almost)!”
Do No. 7 and No. 8 have any similarities?
Why yes they do—just look at them! Besides similar hairstyles, head tilts, and facial hair patterns, Steve and Jason also share similar ministry philosophies, work ethics, and educational backgrounds. They both understand the power of community. They both love the Church in spite of its flaws. They both are deep thinkers and broad readers. In fact, I believe both have read When Helping Hurts. (Steve is the one who first shared it with me, and I think Jason received it soon after that.) They both are strong writers. Steve uses his blog as sort of a public journal of his ministry; Jason uses his blog to connect with people, test ideas, and get feedback. Good stuff.
Your turn
That was fun, wasn’t it? And doesn’t it kind of make you wish you had your own blog, so you could play the game too? If you do want to give blogging a try, let me know! (It’s a great way to share your story, and everyone has a story to share….)
If you already have a blog, and you were tagged in this one, I hope you’ll play the game and tag eight of your blogging buddies. If you don’t have a blog (and don’t want to start one), you can still participate: Visit any of the blogs tagged above and subscribe to the ones you think you’ll enjoy. Or leave a comment below about your own favorite blogs and bloggers. Share the love!
Can we just answer one or more of these questions right here in your blog? This is a fun game, but I have very little time to read other blogs and I’d still like to join in. So here’s my stuff: I ate some delicious parmesan breaded chicken in red sauce this week. Yum!!!!!!!!! I listened to a cassette tape on Sunday titled Nothing to Dread by Reggae Praise. Cool moosic, mon.
Absolutely, Pat, that’s a great way to play along! (Parmesan breaded chicken in red sauce sounds delicious—thanks for sharing!)
Melanie,thanks for introducing me to a few new,to me,bloggers.I have subscribed to two of them.I`ve been subscribed to Jason`s blog for some time now which I assume I found through you also.
David, you’ve always been good about “playing along” with this blogging thing! Even though you’re not completely comfortable with it, you jumped right in and started participating and interacting. I think that’s wonderful!
What a fun blog post, Melanie! The reason I haven’t commented sooner (laptop at home)–I was attending the Shaklee Global Conference in Washington DC–taking in some great new info and hearing some life changing stories. The whole theme of the conference was “sharing your story.” Thought you would appreciate that! We heard some amazing stories of better health with some simple life changes, along with some amazing stories of others who were able to get out of credit card debt, eat more than just beans and rice, get out of jobs they were trapped in, and provide more than enough for their families. Okay, enough already–I’ll be tagging YOU in my next blog! Thanks for the encouragement.
Thanks, Ann, it’s good to hear from you! Sounds like your Shaklee conference was powerful and inspiring. And I appreciate that you are familiar enough with my “brand” to think of me when you hear the words “sharing your story”! Thanks for sharing that. And have fun with your next blog—I hope you enjoy playing tag!