1.4.13

List #206: The Steel Trap


Happy April Fool's Day, everyone! Today on the blog, you're not getting a post written by me. But instead written by HGB over at The Steel Trap. This whole mix-up is coming to you as part of some blogging shenanigans courtesy of Pittsburgh Bloggers and was the brain child of my friend Alex at everybody loves you.... You can read my guest post on Prettyburgh and learn all about the people who are really worth your time.

HGB is a Pittsburgh blogger who loves to read and has a dog. We've never met in real life. But I'm pretty sure if we did, we'd get along famously. 

So without, further ado, meet HGB.


Much like Brassy Librarian, I am a list maker, especially when I am procrastinating, or being bored, or not paying attention. And as a guest blogger* from The Steel Trap, I have like 800 ideas for lists that I could contribute to this lovely blog... books that I think you should read, books that I think you should not read, reasons why hipsters are so totally for sure mainstream, reasons why I think baby/bridal showers should be outlawed, the fast food restaurants with the best condiments, etc. Anyway, after serious contemplation and a thorough reading of Brassy Librarian’s work, here is what I have come up with as my guest blog post: my Mt. Rushmore of Awesome Compliments. 

Now, I know that Mt. Rushmore only displays four heads (and not just from pictures, because I actually have been there to see it for myself); but for the sake of this post, let’s go more with a figurative meaning than a literal one. Mt. Rushmore represents four images of historical greatness... so great in fact, that their countenances were painstakingly and laboriously carved into stone. Thus, the following compliments are the greatest that have ever been bestowed upon yours truly, so great in fact, that they are forever in my steel trap of a mind (and heart):

  • “And my darling, you look wonderful tonight.” Sure, this was stolen from Clapton. But when it was said to a 16 yr. old version of me at the Freshman/Sophomore dance in the Uniontown Fire Hall during a slow dance to “Wonderful Tonight,” it was a teen movie moment that I shall cherish forever (wink wink).  
  • “Your eyes are your defining feature.” I was just relieved that this person didn’t say that my defining feature was my big mouth.
  • “You have always made the best mixes.” I learned from the best (namely my father, JDB). And, if anyone wants me to make them a mix, I will do it as long as it’s via iTunes, youtube, or Spotify. You see, my dual cassette player is ahhhht of commission at the moment.
  • “Don’t frown. You are prettier when you smile.” I was lamenting over a break-up when someone told me this. It was kind, although I don’t exactly agree. I think I have a wicked “Blue Steel” face and my lip curl is unrivaled. However, I do think of those words whenever I am frowning and they still make me smile.
  • “That HGB can really wear a t-shirt.” Someone said this at a party at a cabin in the Fayette County mountains (no, we were not making meth) sometime around the turn of the century. I had never strived to be known for having great t-shirts, but this brought that fact to light for me. I still do have great t-shirts. Like the one I am wearing right now from 1995 that says “We stand out in a crowd” on the back.
  • “You accessorize really well.” Although my husband JTP was not the first (or last person) to say this to me, his statement was particularly memorable because he meant it honestly and said he spontaneously. Long before we were dating, I kept running in JTP on the Southside (most often at the defunct lounge Dolce). On one of those many nights, JTP complimented my accessories and it was then I that I started to pay attention to him in a more friendly (as opposed to a merely acquainted) manner.
  • “You are the only one who could find the most thoughtful, unique gift!” Someone wrote this to me in a thank-you note, and I have to admit that it means so much when I hear expressions like this. Giving gifts is something that I truly love to do, and when those gifts mean something to the recipient, it fills me with bliss.
  • “Without ever being in your classroom, I know that you are an amazing teacher.” A few people have said this to me, and I have taken it to heart each time. I believe that I inherited the teaching gene from my mother and all four of my aunts, and considering that my career is in education, it’s important to me that my daily work is my strong suit.
  • “I love reading your blog.” This is the yin to my yang because I love writing my blog. I never anticipated that people would look forward to the things that I write. Seriously. I started the blog because I needed a creative outlet and facebook status updates were not the right forum for my social media criticism. And here we are, over two years later with yinz still reading and me still writing. That’s pretty great.
  • “There are three kinds of girls: girls you want nothing to do with, girls you want to hook up with, and girls you want to date/marry... You are in the ‘date/marry’ category.” JTP is a bit of a philosopher and he said this casually in conversation after a week or two of hanging ahhhht with me. Clearly he didn’t know me well enough yet to understand that I tend to remember stuff like this forever, but he actually amended it when we got married to, “There are four kinds of girls: girls you want nothing to do with, girls you want to hook up with, girls you want to date, and THE girl you want to marry... you are that girl.” Love him... and his perspective(s).

Now that you’ve read mine, what are the best compliments that you’ve ever received? Leave them in the comments.

Both HGB and I would like to thank thank AFJ over at everybody loves you... for orchestrating this mass guest blogger extravaganza! We appreciate him. Very much. Even if he is better at yoga than at least one of us (ahem, he kicks the librarian's butt at yoga).



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