Of all the superpowers I could have, I think the one I wouldn’t want is superhuman strength.
Sure, it would be great for twisting the tops off of cans and lifting cars off small children, but my wife Suzi tells me all the time now that I don’t know my own strength, and I’m not all that strong.
So I’m afraid that if you combined superhuman strength, my occasional lack of self-awareness and general klutziness, it could be destructive.
So why in the world am I talking about superhuman strength and why I wouldn’t want to have it? Because my blog buddy Becky (five times fast, go for it) of Strikeouts + Sprinkles nominated me for the Mystery Blogger Award and that’s one of her questions.
Becky’s really cool and fun — to have a baseball- and ice cream-inspired blog you almost have to be — so definitely go check out her blog.
MANDATORY REFERENCE TO INSPIRATION FOR MYSTERY BLOGGER AWARD
“Mystery Blogger Award” is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion.
ALSO-MANDATORY LISTING OF THE RULES
1. Put the award logo/image on your blog — Scroll up to the top if you missed it before.
2. List the rules — Eight more after this one. Keep going.
3. Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog — Thank you, Becky!
4. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well — Say hi again to Okoto Enigma.
5. Answer the five questions you were asked
6. Tell your readers three things about yourself
7. You have to nominate 10 to 20 people
8. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
9. Ask your nominees any five questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)
10. Share a link to your best post(s)
ON TO THE QUESTIONS!
1. Who is the person you text with the most? — Suzi. I think there was a thing going around Twitter a couple days ago that your presidential slogan would be your name, 2020 and the last thing you texted, so mine would be “Fonda 2020: Yeah.” (Suzi and I were texting about the rain.)
2. What’s the best meal/food you can make? — When the standard for an easy meal is my wife telling me I could make it? There’s a reason I handle dishes, but I could do a decent spaghetti dinner or take care of French toast if you happen to be here at breakfast.
3. (weird question) What’s one superpower you would NOT want? — You’ve made it this far … I’m assuming you didn’t skip anything.
4. What can you talk about for hours? — ::Everyone who knows me:: “ANYTHING!!! Seriously, he never shuts up!” That being said, baseball.
5. If you could have a song play every time you enter a room, what would it be? — I’m a wrestling fan, so let’s go with this one. (The things you find on YouTube.)
THREE ABOUT ME
1. In honor of Jim Bouton, who died yesterday, he was good friends with the owner of the radio station where I did an internship in graduate school, so I had the opportunity to meet him a couple times and get an autograph. Extremely nice guy.
Strangely enough, although I did in the years since, when I met him, I had never read “Ball Four.”
2. I could read at 2 1/2, but was the last kid in my kindergarten class to learn how to tie my shoes. However, I had forgotten the reason why and how it got fixed until my mother was talking about it recently.
Apparently, the problem was I couldn’t figure it out because I’m left-handed, and my father sat me down, got behind me and guided me through how to do it.
3. I have no use for emojis.
THE PART WHERE I CHEAT ON THE NOMINATIONS
I shouted out a bunch of people when I did the Blogger Recognition Award a few weeks ago, not as much to get them to do their own post (although they can), but to tell readers about them because they’re good bloggers and good blogging friends to have.
Instead of a new list, or rehashing a lot of the old one, I’m challenging people to provide at least one link to blogs they like either in the comments or on Twitter.
And if anyone wants to write a Mystery Blogger Award post, consider yourself nominated and get yourself some.
And even if you don’t want to write a full post, feel free to answer the questions.
Which are next.
MY QUESTIONS
1. What’s one thing you did that you were mortified about when it happened, but you laugh about now?
2. What do you fantasize about doing to the person on the plane who holds everyone up because he or she has no idea what to do with their carry-on bag?
3. Who is your favorite writer and/or blogger, and why?
4. When do you get up in the morning and go to bed at night?
5. If you could live forever, but you’d have to agree to endlessly repeat a random day that I chose, would you do it? (We’ll call that the weird one.)
THE BEST OF ME
To be honest, this is the part I was dreading, since I never think anything I ever write is that good. So these are going to be more of “oh yeah, I don’t think that one sucked” as I scroll through my archives.
In search of the elusive ‘upstate’ New York
London Travels: Waiting for ‘Hamilton’ no more
Close to your heart, and far away
I don’t think I can handle this ‘sir’ stuff
Relationship status — traveling
The greatest story I’ve ever told
Finally, Chicago: It’s great to be a baseball fan
Thanksgiving dinner, revolutionized
Welcome to the Church of Mumford
Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the meaning of cool
Forty-seven thoughts for 47 years
Oregon Adventures: Something isn’t quite right
Different time, different places
Yes, I know … for someone who things his stuff is generally terrible, that’s a lot of posts.
A Silly Place 
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