Do you remember that scene in A Christmas Story when Ralphie’s dad wins the leg lamp? He beams over his major award and defends it passionately. Well, that’s how I feel, because yesterday, I was nominated for the Lovely Blog Award by Chris and the guys from At the Buzzer.

I’d like to thank the Academy, my mother for always believing in me and, of course, Chris. Not only is Chris Etling one of the tallest people I have ever known (seriously, the man is a giant), he is one of the people who sent me off on the long and circuitous journey that eventually led to the creation of this blog.

You see, a long time ago in a land before time, Chris was my editor when I was an opinion columnist at The Lumberjack. As my editor, it was his job to help me improve my skills as a writer. He paved the way for me to inherit his position and eventually discover the wonders of the Blogosphere. Thank you, Chris.

Now that I’ve given Chris far too much credit, it’s time to move on to the award itself. Unfortunately, it is not a cash prize; it’s a way for bloggers to recognize the excellence of their peers. Upon receiving the award, the nominee is required to share the love:

• Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them in your post
• Share 7 things about yourself
• Nominate 15 bloggers you admire
• Leave a comment on each of these blogs letting them know they’ve been nominated

Rules are rules, so without further ado, seven fascinating facts about yours truly:

1. This is my third attempt at blogging and the first time I’ve ever blogged consistently. For nearly a year now, I’ve tried to post twice a week. I try to post things that will get people thinking, but I’ll admit that sometimes I’m just showing off or need to vent. For some reason, people seem to like it. In March, I was Freshly Pressed and now I’ve got a Lovely Blog Award to my name. So, whatever I’m doing seems to be working.
2. I’ve only had a concussion once…and it was self-inflicted.
3. I over-think everything: my past, my future, my breakfast and my blog posts. Nearly half of the blogs I write are never posted because I’m still not happy with them.
4. For years, people have asked me what I’m going to do when I grow up. Now that I’m a responsible adult, I still don’t have an answer for them. When I was four, I wanted to be a major league baseball pitcher by day and an astronaut by night. Right now, I’m in social media marketing in the nonprofit sector. In five years, who knows what I’ll be doing. The one constant is that I like to create. I like to take photos; I like to write. As long as I get to do that, I’ll be content.
5. For over a month, I’ve been slogging away at a novel/novella. It’s about an obituary writer who accidentally discovers that one of his subjects was murdered. I’m finally putting my journalism degree to good use.
6. I’m an accent sponge, unconsciously absorbing other people’s accents, which is why I should never again be allowed to work customer service.
7. I do all my best thinking on paper. Whenever I need to make a big decision, process an idea or express my true feelings, I have to work it out in writing first. Not that I can’t have a deep conversation, but writing is simply how I think. Hence the blog.

And now, I’m proud to nominate the following lovely blogs for this prestigious award (in no particular order):

• The Art of Writing — These guys are serious about the craft and lifestyle of writing. I want to be them when I grow up.
• You’ve Been Hooked — The hospitality industry has never been so funny. Hook holds nothing back in his day-to-day account of the life of a bellman.
• The (Writer’s) Waiting Room — Writing isn’t the hard part, it’s the waiting. And now, I don’t feel so alone as I await my next rejection.
• Girl Wonders — Half the time, I don’t know what Brooke’s talking about, but it’s interesting, self-deprecating and so true it almost hurts. Deep insight into the life of a PhD student.
• AstroWoW — Okay, so the blog moved, but my friend Dr. Crockett sure does make astronomy sound interesting. Anyone who can do that deserves an award.
• Breathe — Crystal is a master of the slice of life blog post, complete with great photos.
• thirdeyemom — A travel writer’s travel writer. Breathtaking photos and a healthy dose of memoir.
• Sara Toole Miller — Sara spins a great yarn and she also throws in reviews and personal asides.
• Nicole Cloutier — She writes about everything from writing to video games. And does it well, I might add.
• 1 Story a Week — No false advertising here, just a great piece of short fiction every week, like clockwork.
• David Niddrie Photography — Stunning photos. I’m really jealous of his skills.
• Doctor Quack — Life is awkward and this blog doesn’t shy away from that. I remember reading 10 Things No One Warned Me About My Twenties and the words resonating in my very being.
• Simply Cooking — Without this blog, it’s quite possible that I would’ve starved to death in college. Try the pan roasted chicken breast.
• Emily Clack Photography — I’ve done wedding photography, so anyone who is this good at it gets my automatic respect.
• The Red Pen of Doom — A bastion of cynicism and cutting wit in the Series of Tubes. He even sums up every political system in a clever cow analogy.

Please check out these phenomenal blogs. You’ll be glad you did. Now, I’m off to celebrate my victory by severely maiming a pineapple.

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Jonny Ebere is a writer, photographer, filmmaker and all around really cool dude in Flagstaff, AZ. You should definitely read the rest of his blog and follow him on Twitter: @jonnyeberle.