Tag!! I'm it, you could be next!

I have been doubly tagged in a bloggers game.  I am honored to have been chosen by both Sleepy Joe and Journey of Life.

Rules are that I will tell you 11 things about me and then answer their 11 questions and then tag 11 other bloggers to join in the game.

Since I was tagged twice in a couple of days, I will address both of their questions together and then do the rest.

Some things about me:

1. I am really good at waking up at a set time even without an alarm.  My mother used to talk about me for doing this even in my childhood years when I would awaken to watch Mousercise.
2. I am also a creature of habit with my breakfasts.  I have had oatmeal almost every morning for breakfast for the past year.  I also eat the same basic things for dinner most days during the week.  I mix it up some days, but find that at least one item on the plate is consistent.
3. When I bought my car, I had never driven a manual transmission car.  I had only ridden in a car with a manual driver a few times in my life and those were in my young childhood.  I had driven manual cars in video games and beefed up on those before purchasing the car.  I made it out of the lot ok, but then stalled at the first light after the dealership.
4. I used to love Jem and the Holograms.  Me and my sister even got earrings shaped like stars so that we could talk to Synergie.  
5. For a long time I wanted to be on The Real World.  I thought it would be so great to live with random people.  I did live with three girls I did not know during my first year of teaching.  It was nothing like the drama from the real world.  We all got along, though one girl thought the community living room was her hangout place for her and her boyfriend who she didn't want to have in her bedroom.  I also became really good friends with one of the girls who's laugh I fell in love with and had to ask her what was always so funny.  She still can make me laugh this day.  And I am happy that I did not share those months of my life on television.
6. The only t-shirts I own are shirts that I have gotten for free from teaching and from coaching.  I have given a lot of them away.  When free shirts are given out at school, I tend to decline and then get the mean mug from the distributors.  I really would like to look in some teachers' closets to see how much school swag they have.  I have narrowed it down to about 8-10 and think that is still too much.  I got a new shirt from the football coach a few weeks ago and think that I either need to get rid of it, or get rid of a different shirt in exchange - one in, one out.
7. Although I sometimes wish I coached with another woman instead of 7 men, I do enjoy the perks of a guaranteed private room at the state championships.
8. I have two Netflix movies that I have had since for eight months but have not watched.  I have streamed movies for teaching and for personal use, but have not watched these two DVDs.
9. My addiction to this game is easing.  I thought it would become worse with the summer months, but I have (so far) been ok and not reverted back to obsession.
10. When I was younger, I used to hate when my mother bought generic foods.  I wanted Tony on my frosted flakes, I wanted the little leprechaun and his marshmallows.  It wasn't until I tasted the name brand foods and realized that the generic versions of many of them actually tasted better.  Now, I just need to buy the marshmallows in bulk since that is the best part of Marshmallows and Stars.
11. I missed my 500-post anniversary.  It was two days ago with my Yesterday I was Clever post.  I have still posted every day in 2012.  I have still written more in the past five months than I did in the past three years.

Now to answer my taggers' questions.

First for Sleepy Joe's:

1. Who is your literary hero? Why? I guess off the top of my head I would go with King James because he had the power to completely change the Bible to suit his desires and his needs and much of his edits, deletions, additions are still in play in the book to this day.
2. What is your favourite children's story?  Anything Berenstein Bears.  I loved those books and loved when they became a cartoon on Saturdays.
3. Are you a closet reader, are there some books that you won't admit to reading?  I haven't read books for fun in years. I don't think I would hide anything I read... reality tv is another story, though.
4. Do you have any regrets in life?  I regret not choosing to take more risks in my life that likely would have led to greater things in the long-run.
5. Name one ambition, not including getting your writing published. I want to be remembered for doing great things at every place I have worked and with all people I have known.
6. Heels or flats on a night out?  Both.  I often wear heals and then carry a pair of bendable flats in my large bag for changing into.  I don't like to drive in heals and often want to change into flats when no one can see my feet.
7. What is your comfort food?  Don't have one.
8. Normal clothes or comfy PJ's?  I don't own PJs, but I do love a pair of sweats or yoga pants and a t-shirt or camisole when I am hanging out in the house.
9. What is your favourite film?  I don't have an absolute favourite, but I do love many Asian horror movies.  They are more shocking than most American ones.  American ones tend to be more comical than anything else.  One Asian film I love is Three... Extremes. 
10. Coke or Pepsi?  I don't drink sodas.  I've only had a couple handfuls of them in over 15 years.

Now for Journey of Life's questions.

1. What is your life philosophy?  Be better than you were yesterday.   Simple, yet to the point.
2. What was your childhood's dream?  Did it come true?  I wanted to be a doctor and save lives.  Instead I am a teacher, but, I still believe I may have saved some lives or, at least, pointed some young (and older) people in a different direction.
3. Name one person that has inspired you the most in your life.  My boyfriend.  Regretfully, I have not done some of the things he has suggested in the right time frames, but, he has still opened my eyes to so many things and pushed me to be better and smarter and kinder.
4. Who do you love the most in your life.  See #3.
5. What is the most memorable moment in your life?  There are two that stand out the most.  The first was 2001 August-Septemeber.  My mother's twin brother died and she was supposed to fly to Nigeria on the 12th of September (if I remember correctly).  Due to all the terror issues, she was unable to go.  The way she broke down when he died and even more so when she couldn't be there for the funeral was truly heartbreaking.  The second was when my uncle died.  He was such a great man to me, but I know that my parents struggled to help him with addiction and with different problems in his life.  When he died, my dad seemed fine, until the funeral when he was laid in the ground.  I was tearing up the whole time, but when he broke down, that was it for me.  I couldn't bear to see him crying.  Those were the first, and only instances where I have really seen my parents cry.
6. Where is your favorite vacation spot?  I loved it in Toronto.  But I would love to go to an island in the Pacific... Bora Bora, perhaps.
7. Where is one place that you must visit before you die?  I don't think there is a must-see place.  There are places like in #6 that I would like to see, but I don' think I will die sad if I don't get to those places.
8. What is one thing that you must do before you die?  See #7.  I just want to live a fulfilled life and leave people with fond memories of me that aren't warped by sentimental feelings when I die.  I want them to truly be glad that they knew me.
9. If you know tomorrow is the day that you would leave this world, what would be one advice that you would leave behind?  Be better than you were yesterday and be willing to take smart risks.
10. If tomorrow is the day that you would die, who would be the person that you wold like to spend the  rest of the hours with?  See #3.

Tag!! You're it!

If you're still with me, thanks for reading!!

Now for the questions I will pose to the next recipients of this blog tag game.  I will only do eight, because I like to bend rules.

*** You just have to tell 11 things about yourself, answer these questions (supposed to be 11 questions), and then tag 11 other bloggers to do the same.  Then post a link to your post in the comments here so we can all see your answers. ***

1. Soy milk or regular milk?
2. Favorite sport to watch?  Why?
3. Sitcoms or reality television?
4. Laptop or tablet?  Why?
5. Which person has influenced your life the most?
6. Which would you most hate to be without, television, computer, or cell phone?
7. Which would you hate to be without, your hair or a body shape you liked?
8. Where would you rather live - high-rise or suburbs?  Why?

Here are the bloggers I am tagging to be IT.

Check out their blogs to see their answers to my questions.
A Life Improbable
Alphabet Salad
Kicking Corners
Clay Baboons
Does Anyone Care What I Write?
Good Naija Girl
Jane in Her Infinite Wisdom
My Really Real Reality
No More Coffee Spoons
Patent Pending
Allthingsfadra