Jack, I've finally figured it out!

Jack Heffron, I've finally figured out the reasoning behind your first prompt in your "The Writer's Idea Book"! (Well, yes, I DID warn you that I was somewhat slow on the uptake, so don't give me that look!)

You want people to shower me with praise and compliments about my attempts at writing, right? RIGHT? And then you want me to acknowledge those times by saving the comments (if written) or to write it down myself so that it can carry me through those frequent (daily, really) times when I'm plagued with utter despair and self-doubt, right? So that I can, when times are tough, revisit the praise and compliments and not quit writing, even if I want to do nothing BUT lay down the pen and give up forever. Right?

Say yes, please, because it would serve as a very nice and convenient segue into this:

Well, Jack, nothing would stroke my fragile little ego more than being nominated for a South African Blog Award (or two...).

Yes, it's apparently that time of year again. I was going to let it slide this year, because come on, I don't have a snowball's chance in hell anymore. (The fact that I have even managed to get nominations before is utterly astonishing. But let's also remember that there were far fewer blogs around in South Africa when I began blogging. Now, though, the web is positively TEEMING with stiff South African competition.)

But as I've mentioned in my previous post, I'm not a quitter. So I'll be like the frog on that famous "Never give up" cartoon. Even though he is already mostly in the pelican's beak, he still has the ingenuity to get his frog arms (front legs? I'm not familiar with the anatomically correct terms for amphibian limbs) out and to use it to strangle the damn bird.

So this is me, strangling the pelican in a last second attempt to stay in the game.

And yes, of course it is last second, as usual. Because nominations close at midnight tonight South African time.

So all you do is go over here (please?) and nominate me and at least two other bloggers in at least three categories. (At least, that's my interpretation of the rules, but I might be way off, as usual.)

I even have some other fine bloggers in mind, in case you don't read any other South African blogs. Of course, I realise that I'm revealing this and running the tremendous risk that you would only nominate them and not me. But you know what? That would be perfectly okay, because they are all incredible and deserving of acknowledgment.

There is the lovely Po, the charming Village Pig, fiery Hells Kitchen,* Nafisa, Charmed, DBS, MyDigitalLife as a whole, (oh, and while we're mentioning them... kindly remember the other blog I write over there), Books4Cooks,* Silver and his buds, and... the list goes on and on and on.

See? Told you. Teeming!

Ta!

* Update: Even though the foodblogs.24.com links (Hell's Kitchen and Books4Cooks) appear to not be working, it's because they are just experiencing temporary site issues/maintenance. The links are correct, so nominate away!