Just when I thought I'd have to skip a day …

I got tagged.

How cool is it that I don't have to think this morning? Well, that's not really true, there's a lot of thinking to go along with this post. But at least it's directed thinking. Because seriously? I don't have a thing in my brain to write about today.

Shannon at The Warden's Log wants to know 11 things about me. Then she wants me to answer some specific questions. Then I have to come up with more questions to ask 11 of you. There are rules! Sounds pretty complicated for this early in the morning, but here goes.

11 Things About Me

This is the plane I learned to fly.
It's called a Citabria, which is aerobatic
spelled backwards. Sorta.

1. I'm a private pilot, single-engine, land.
2. I've been knitting for more than 50 years.
3. The only foreign country I've been to is Canada. Does that count?
4. I've seen Bob Dylan in concert at least a dozen times and own all of his CDs except one. (Live at Budokon.)
5. I've been sober more than 20 years.
6. I drove a restored 1950 Hudson to high school.
7. The first car I bought on my own was a Volkswagon Karmann Ghia. I loved that car.
8. My current husband is my fourth.
9. I was a cat person until I got Lindy, a chocolate Lab who instantly transformed me into a dog person.
10. During my first trip to New Orleans, when I was 11 years old, I announced I was going to be an artist.
11. Some of my pen-and-ink illustrations have been published in magazines.

Okay, now Shannon wants to know:

1. Who is your favorite singer (or band)? Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan.
2. Cary Grant or George Clooney? George.
3. Canceled TV show you miss the most? American Dreams.
4. Most annoying habit? Interrupting when someone else is talking.
5. Best facial feature? I have good skin and don't use anything to keep it that way.
6. Favorite season and why? Spring, because I can start planting food!
7. Did you see The Artist? Sadly, no. (It's a two-hour round-trip to a multiplex cinema and the local one-screen theatre only screens family-friendly movies.)
8. Favorite book as a child? The Wind in the Willows.
9. Have you seen the first person you kissed in the last 10 years? No, not in the last 45 years.
10. Favorite movie made before 1970. The Parent Trap.
11. If you have children, who are they named after? My daughter isn't named after anyone, my son's middle name is his father's first name.
12. Sidney Poitier or Denzel Washington? Oooh, that's a tough one. Denzel, I think. And that's 12 questions, so I might have to say both.

Finally, your questions, whether you get tagged or not. If you're as uninspired today as I was when I opened the laptop, feel free to answer these questions:

1. First job?
2. GPA in high school?
3. Favorite beverage?
4. Most inspiring quote?
5. Last movie you saw?
6. What's on your nightstand?
7. Do you take a daily medication (vitamins don't count)?
8. What famous person would you invite to dinner?
9. How would you spend your lottery winnings?
10. Where do you want to retire?
11. Your last meal?

The rules:

1. Post these rules on your blog.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you by the person who tagged you.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag.
5. Let them know you tagged them.
6. You legitimately have to tag 11 people, but if you don't know 11 bloggers, tag as many as you can.

This is the hardest part for me. I hate to impose on anyone and I'm not nosy by nature. (Not that Shannon is nosy, this was fun and interesting and more challenging than I thought it would be!) I'm going to cop out on tagging others and invite anyone who reads this to follow through, with a request to come back and link to your post in the comments. Anyone wanna play?

The ABCs of Food

I totally stole this from D, who stole it from Karen. But really, we're all nice people and we don't steal, we share, right? Anyway … here goes:

A is for Apple. What's your favorite variety?
Honeycrisp

B is for Bread. Regardless of nutrition, calories or whole grains, what is your favorite type to have a nice big piece of?
Sourdough

C is for Cereal. What is your favorite?
Homemade granola.

D is for donuts. You might not currently be eating them, but what kind of you fancy?
Anything cream-filled.

E is for Eggs. How would you like yours prepared?
Either an omelette or deviled.

F is for Fat-Free. What's your favorite fat-free product?
I pay no attention to whether an item is fat-free or not. Been there, done that.

G is for Groceries. Where do you purchase yours?
Kroger, Sam's Club, the Amish market down the road.

H is for Hot Beverages. What is your favorite hot drink?
Coffee. Black. Hazelnut flavored.

I is for Ice Cream. Pick a favorite flavor and add a fun topping.
Vanilla (the good kind with the flecks of vanilla) topped with peanut butter and strawberry jam.

J is for Jams or Jellies. Do you eat them, and if so what kind and flavor?
I do eat them. Homemade strawberry jam, peach preserves and apple jelly.

K is for Kashi. Name your favorite Kashi product.
I don't buy Kashi products. In fact, I try not to buy "products" period. (And I have another post in the works about that.)

L is for Lunch. What was yours today?
Romaine with onion, tomato, sweet pickles and farmer's cheese, dressed with olive oil and vinegar.

M is for Microwave. What is your favorite microwave meal/snack?
Um … warmed-up coffee?

N is for Nutrients. Do you like carbs, fats or proteins best?
Despite the fact that protein is always the smallest percentage of my daily intake, I like it best.

O is for Oil. What kind do you like to use?
Olive

P is for Protein. How do you get yours?
Meat, chicken, cheese, dairy, eggs. Not whey powder.

Q is for Quaker. How do you like your oats?
Either in homemade granola or cooked with apples and topped with brown sugar and cinnamon.

R is for Roasting. What is your favorite thing to roast?
Potatoes cut into eighths, tossed with olive oil, coarse salt, garlic and pepper. Better than french fries!

S is for Sandwich. What's your favorite kind?
Grilled cheese.

T is for Travel. How do you handle eating while traveling?
I'm trying to stick with my plan and not look at a trip as a vacation from healthful meals.

U is for Unique. What is one of your weirdest food combinations?
Peanut butter, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwich. I think they're wonderful, but most people turn their noses up when I mention them. (It's my mother's legacy.)

V is for Vitamins. What kind do you take?
None.

W is for Wasabi. Yay or nay?
Yay.

X is for X-ray. If we X-rayed your belly right now, what food would we see?
Water. And coffee. Are those foods? Heh.

Y is for Youth. What food reminds you of your childhood?
Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake and my dad's homemade pizza.

Z is for Zucchini. How do you prepare it?
Zucchini relish and zucchini bread.

Should you decide to do this as well, leave a comment so we can go read your food alphabet!