Looking Up, Looking Ahead

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Put your camera on the ground to shoot a picture of something you don't usually see from the bottom up. Call it the "worm's-eye view" of the word, if worms had eyes, which they mostly don't.

Supposedly my IN box, but I don't use it for that. The beige tiles are the ceiling.

Part of the Crosswalk of Death. From below it looks très moderne.

Other end of the Crosswalk of Death. From below
I kind of look like 1968 John Lennon, at least here.

Follow me to the top of my license plate holder.

Below the dog. Being beneath her eye level is
pretty much a guarantee I'll get my face licked.

As I experimented with photographing Tuffy from below,
another live critter came to rest directly above me:
one of the female hummingbirds.

Technorati Tags: Photos, Tucson, Birds, Dogs, Monday Photo Shoot, Scalzi


*******

Okay, it's time to come clean on the Weekend Assignment:

Weekend Assignment: Present three "facts" about yourself: Two of the facts true, and one of the facts false. Let people guess which "fact" is the fake one. Reveal the fake fact on Monday. You don't want to give away the fake fact too early, so be sure to make it sound plausible, next to the other two real facts.

I posted my answer here. (You can also scroll down about four entries to see it.) The relevant bit is as follows:

1. Don't get too excited yet, but Tor has asked to see the rest of the Heirs of Mâvarin. As you may recall, the publisher has had my initial submission package - cover letter, three chapters and synopsis - since February 23rd. Now the Neilsen-Haydens (or one of them; it was Patrick who emailed me) are interested in getting the rest of the manuscript. This is a big step forward, and a huge improvement over my one-week-turnaround rejection back in the mid-1990s. Still, there's no guarantee that they'll buy the book. I'm trying very hard not to count on it, but you know how I feel about all this. These novels are my life's work!

(The comments had three votes for that being the lie.)

2. I got a fairly substantial raise today at Unnamed Largish Company, as part of my one-year-review. I'm very pleased, and just a little surprised, because my first year won't technically be over with for another week. Afterward I called my Dad with the news, and he kept me on the phone for about half an hour. I can't really tell you any more about this, because of nondisclosure issues and personal privacy and all that. But yes, we have big plans for the money, mostly involving the payment of bills.

(One person voted for that being the lie.)

3. After months of excuses and health issues and just being too darn busy, I finally made it to the gym tonight. I hadn't worked out since Christmas. I didn't last too long, but I did use the treadmill, plus a shoulder press downstairs. I hope to do better tomorrow. Next time I'll have a fully-charged iPod with me, plus at last one bottle of cold water.

(Three people thought I didn't make it to the gym.)

And John Scalzi picked out the first item to highlight. I'm not sure whether that means he thought it the least likely, or just the most interesting.

Well, I'm sorry to have to admit that #1 is not true - yet. I have not heard a peep from Tor so far, for good or ill. Based on their posted response time, I don't expect to hear anything for another six weeks at least. But it is my fervent hope that that's what will happen, when something does finally happen. A fat envelope in my mailbox, containing three chapters, a synopsis and a form letter, would just about kill me at this point, although you know I'd eventually recover and send it out again.

I don't want to send three chapters out again. I want to send the rest of the manuscript to an interested editor.

Please...please...please!

Karen

Technorati Tags: Weekend Assignment, Scalzi, Lies, Writing