I've been nominated for a Versatile Blogger Award!

Okay, so two people have nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award,  so I think it's time for me to get my shit together and participate.  I think it is a nice idea to spread the love around.

The first blogger to nominate me was Mommy Rotten, who I don't know personally, but who I will forever think rocks hard, since she included me on a list of some amazing bloggers, who have been doing this waaaaaay longer than I have.  Talk about a huge confidence booster.  Thanks for that, Mommy Rotten.

The second is Jay Fingers. He is a dear friend of mine.  He is also someone who used to get drunk at my bar on a regular basis, when I was still the reigning queen of the Fort Greene, Brooklyn bar scene.  He was one of the first people to link to my blog, and he actually wrote a whole article about it here.  Oh, by the way, he just wrote a whole book.  Amazing.

So, the  way this thing works is-  you tell the person who nominated you seven things about yourself, that you don't think they know.  You link to their blog.  Then you choose some other bloggers to nominate for the award- which will not be easy since Jay chose some of my picks.

So, first things first.  Seven things about Maria Guido.

1.  I was the female perspective of a regionally syndicated advice column for a major newspaper.  It was called Four Cents (get it?  His two cents plus my two cents equals...)  Said job brought me droves of hate mail after I made fun of an association of men trying to reverse the trauma of circumcision by growing their foreskins back.  Not kidding.

2.  My photography made it into the Cuban Biennial In 2000,  only to be thwarted when Bush was elected, and artists Visas for travelling to Cuba became next to impossible to get.  Boo, hiss.

3.  I was the Editorial and Creative Director for the Brooklyn-based magazine, FLY- which was, indeed, fly.  This amazing piece of creative work was born on my sofa, in Brooklyn, New York.  I built several issues of a magazine, with no budget, and convinced the likes of Kool Moe Dee, Prince Paul, Rock Steady Crew, Doze Green, and Pete Rock to contribute- for free.  Woot-woot.

4.  I'm pretty sure I had a conversation with a ghost at Ocean Beach, San Francisco.  It was circa 1994, and I was in the vintage arcade underneath the Cliff House.  I was stone-cold sober.  I'm not kidding.

5.  I've had some pretty cool experiences waiting on people.  Joan Baez kissed my hand after I bought her a drink.  Selma Hayek left me a $200 tip on a $120 tab, and yes her boobs look amazing in person. David Bowie sang "itsy bitsy spider" to his daughter, in my presence, when I waited on them on Thanksgiving one year.  And I had this interaction with Gay Talese, father of New Journalism;
What do you do?
This.
No, really, what do you do?
I'm a photographer.  And I write a little bi....
Yup.  Knew it.  Something special about you.


6.  I used to commute over the Golden Gate Bridge for work, five times a week.  Once a week, I would pay some one's toll- for good karma.  It remains to be seen whether that worked.  But I guess it's proof that the SF peace-love-hippy vibe really rubs off on you.

7.  I read Tarot cards, have lucid dreams, and tell futures.  I'm pretty sure I was burned at the stake in a past life- which explains a lot, actually.

OK, enough about me.  Now for my nominees.

Katie at Red headed step child.  Because she is a woman that I looked at years ago, and thought, Wow! She's got her shit together!  Because it turns out, that like the rest of us, she didn't.  Because she survived an abusive relationship, and  has gone through a bunch of shit.  Because she is honest about all of it.

Erynn at Ugly Food Tastes Better, because I want to eat everything she makes.  Also because she is one of the coolest chicks on the planet.

Morgan at Kitchen in Season.  Food snob extraordinaire.  Person with great taste.  If you feel like your personal style needs a little brush-up, you can just visit this blog and learn about whatever it is he is profiling that week- be it food, design, art... you get the picture.  The guy's got taste.

Brian at Bodysuit to Fit, because he makes me never second guess my decision to not get a tattoo.  Seriously, I knew that shit was painful.  He describes every minute of the huge back piece he's currently getting in painful detail- with a dry dark wit, and humor to match.  Anyone who is interested in the art of Tattoo should check this out.  Great blog about committing to something wholeheartedly.


Sarah at Smaller Sarah, because I think blogging about weight loss is brave as hell.  Also, because what she is doing is working!  She is doing it in a healthy way, and it is a great inspiration.  One that I will follow after I finish eating my way to Cozumel, Mexico and back- on my sister's wedding cruise.

Amy at Amy C. Wilson blogspot, because she makes the cutest, most original toys I've ever seen, and she has a really sick sense of humor.  Those two things combined kinda make her my personal hero.

Karen at   A Child Grows in Brooklyn, because there is so much information on this blog.  Seriously.  It's incredible.  Also, I love that she includes information for things like public pre-K.  She understands that not everyone who has a child in Brooklyn can afford a $1200/mo preschool.   I like that.  She makes me feel included.

Phil at Asshole Baby.  Yup, you read it right.   The guy not only shares my affinity for the word asshole, he has no problem calling his baby one.  Since I have a sense of humor, I appreciate that.  Also, his parenting stories are authentic and he comes across like a real person, not a parent-bot.  Good job, Phil.

Okay.  So if I've included you on this list and you
A.  Feel like it's akin to a chain letter, and want to erase all evidence or mention of it- feel free.
B.  Have already won this, or have been around so long that you feel above it all- no biggie.
C.  Don't really feel like participating because you think it's lame- no problem.

You still rock.