Weekly Update 32

Hello everyone, welcome to another week here on my corner of the internet.

Fun fact, this is another rare example of an auto-uploaded update! Because on Monday I will be working alllllll day at the school, and I have a very stressful “meet the teacher night” to look forward to. I decided it would be easier to have this one auto-published.

So, let’s get to last week… well, no good news. Still silent, still upsetting.

My life has been chugging along regardless and some fun things have come about. The week was full of “school stuff,” like Professional Development, meetings, and team bonding exercises. My team of teachers is full of rockstars, and they make my first year of teaching feel more doable. Don’t get me wrong, I am still very stressed and worried. They make it easier though.

I have a big announcement! A close friend has decided to look for a new home for his dog, an Australian Shepherd named Winry, and I have decided to take her in! She is a rambunctious little bundle of fur, and I can’t wait to have her in my life (even though I have known her since he got her). I get her after August 31st, so keep an eye on these updates for pictures!

Ok, time to get back to fretting over things I can’t control. See you all next week!

Weekly Update 31

Hello everyone! What a week it is to get back on schedule.

Well, no news on the agent front. If I can be completely honest, it is starting to wear on me. I feel bad complaining when in the grand scheme of all authors who have found representation my journey is small and just beginning, but I still want an agent dang it. My one respite, Author Tik Toks, has become a sad reminder of the silence I now endure on a daily basis. However, I continue drifting on the still waters of silent queries. One day.

This week is pretty exciting, despite my melancholic state. I start doing official PD (Professional Development), a mark that my journey as a teacher is about to really begin. PD is basically a bunch of meetings that cover mandatory information and procedure. I have only experienced a small amount during my student teaching, so this will be my first time experiencing it as a real educator. It all starts tomorrow, and it will last until next Monday, then we get students on Tuesday. That is hard to believe, but here we are.

I am happy to tell you all that I am reading a lot more than I have been lately! I think it is because I am bored with Movies, Television, and Video Games, but I am still happy I am doing it. I am halfway through Pierce Brown’s Red Rising, a book I have known about for years but only recently decided to try for myself after hearing so many people on Tik Tok talk about it. It is… so good. I went into it expecting Hunger Games in space, the one thing all blurbs and reviewers agreed on when they talked about the book. It is not that at all. Red Rising is more like The Count of Monte Cristo and Lord of the Flies combined into one… in space. I love love love the setting, world-building, and writing. I do think it drags a bit in the beginning… I was going to DNF (Did Not Finish) it until I got to the tenth or eighth chapter. It is very fun, very dark, and very cool in a way modern science fiction captures so well. I recommend it if you like the older books I compared it to or if you like science fiction in general.

My personal life update: Yesterday my sister, her girlfriend, and I all watched a small Barbie marathon. We watched some classic Barbie animated movies; Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses and Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus. It was very fun reliving the nostalgia from both our childhoods (I would try and watch them sneakily from outside the living room as my sister played them). There is something magical about the janky CGI, like the worlds feel bigger than they appear. It is hard to put into words. We hope we can watch more in the future.

My last news isn’t news really: I am excited for Lorcana, Disney’s TCG (Trading Card Game). I don’t remember if I mentioned it to you before, but as the deadline for its release draws closer the hype I feel grows. It is a TCG, like Pokemon or Magic the Gathering, but it uses Disney characters. It releases in the middle of August, but gameplay videos are up on YouTube. I can’t wait to play with more members of my family that wouldn’t usually play TCGs.

Ok, that is everything. Time for me to go and brave this uncertain, silent sea of rejection. See you all next week.

Weekly Update 30

Weekly Update 30

Well shucks, I guess I’m a man of many excuses. Or at least, many instances to give excuses.

This excuse is actually very happy! I quit my job at UPS last Friday and this Monday was the first Monday in years where I had just a normal day in the summer season without anything to do. I spent it playing video games and watching Castle. It was relaxing and, may I say, earned.

First, I should tell you that no, I have had no hits on my queries. I realized last Tuesday after I published last week’s update; I didn’t mention it at all. Isn’t that odd? I started this blog to show agents how determined I was to get representation. I guess it shows how long it has been since any news, any “nos.” I guess I had become complacent with the silence. That is… alarming.

In other news, I finally beat Mortal Kombat X! In preparation for MK1, I decided to replay the game I never finished just to be caught up on the story. I got MKX and MK11 extremely cheap, I’m talking five dollars for the market price of twenty. I was pleased with the story of X but I thought it was just… meh. Maybe because I am excited about MK1, which reboots the entire franchise, I found it only sets up MK11 which, again, becomes a little moot. The game was fun, and so far MK11 is even more fun.

Also, I found a new game I love! I had some free time today after I went to a quick lunch with other teachers so I went to my LGS (Local Game Store) and I got a hankering to play a single-player board game. Single-player board games are very fun, but the ones I wanted ranged from $195 to $200, and I am not as liquid as I once was. I instead found a game by Ravensburger (a company I have been very interested in as of late) called “Alien: The Fate of the Nostromo.” It is a 1-5 player board game that, in my humble opinion, is so so so much fun! I just played my first game and I found the rules to be super easy and fun. The setting is just like the movie and they capture the beats of it almost scarily well. I can’t wait to play again, and I hope I get to play with friends in the future.

Ok, time to do some adulting in preparation for my new job. Hopefully next week I will see you all here on Monday. Until then, keep your eyes open for me. Maybe you will see my agent before I do.

Weekly Update 29

Weekly Update 29

Hello everyone! Well, isn’t this awkward. My perfect update streak is broken and I am left feeling embarrassed. In my defense, I had had a busy week and was a little distracted. I played DND with my family on Sunday, and I was looking forward to my last week at work.

DND went very well! I think all four of us (my father, sister, and her girlfriend) were worried that the game would be too complicated for people with little experience but they did very well! There were the normal questions of “What do I roll?” and “What do I add?” but that is expected for any RPG. Aside from that they played the game expertly! My father was an excellent Wizard, Lillie was an amazing druid, and Faith was an outstanding Ranger. The game was fun, exciting, and a little sad when it ended. I hope I get to play with them again.

My last week has officially started! Yesterday was the last Monday I will ever work at UPS, and I am very happy to say I only have four more days there. I will miss the people, but the work itself will be nothing but a stepping stone on my journey to becoming an author.

Another reason I was distracted… was Castle. I love this show! I think I figured out why: my favorite show is Psych, a crime procedural about a man with exceptional deductive reasoning and perception skills who convinces LAPD that he is a psychic who wants to help solve criminal cases. I also spent hours of my life in high school watching Bones, another procedural about a forensic scientist who works with the FBI to solve murders. And Castle? It feels like these two shows combined! A snarky writer helps the NYPD solve murders with his creative prowess and wit. It is quickly joining my list of top five favorite shows. I spent most of Monday in front of the TV watching Castle.

Well, time to watch more Castle and wait for work to start. My last Tuesday, how exciting! See you next week, hopefully on Monday this time!

Weekly Update 28

Weekly Update 28

Hello friends! Sorry for the late update, but I have been addicted to a tv show I have been waiting to try for years: Castle. This procedural is amazing, and the one reason I wanted to watch does not disappoint. I am a huge fan of Firefly, as anyone who reads my work can surmise. Because of this, I am a huge fan of Nathan Fillion. He plays the character of Richard Castle just as well as Malcolm in Firefly.

In addition to Castle, I have just purchased the game Street Fighter 6 and I love it. I finally understand the appeal of fighting games and I love learning how the game works in every match I play. For the record, my favorite character is Kimberly.

That isn’t the only thing that is taking up my time. Yesterday I went to my first-ever Magic the Gathering tournament! It was called a Celebration: all contestants got exclusive dice and a picture of them that can be used as a card in the game. The format was something called “Jumpstart,” a very approachable and fun form of the game that I might love now. I got 3rd or 4th (I had to leave before the last round) which meant I won four of the six games I played. I had so much fun! Who knows, my new job’s schedule might lead to more tournaments.

This week has been very fun, despite the lack of “hits” on my book. Thank goodness I have more things to distract myself with. This Friday I will be playing Dungeons and Dragons with my father, sister, and her girlfriend. This won’t be my first game, because as cliché as a novice writer starting out as a DND Dungeon Master is, it is entirely true.

Well, time for me to watch more Castle, play more street fighter, and read more DND books. What a busy day I have! See you all next week.

Weekly Update 27

Hello everyone! This week I continued to do not much of anything in preparation for my new career. I know that soon I will need to buckle down, but to be honest there isn’t much for me to do right now.

I have a staff day I plan on attending soon, and next week I can finally see my new room! Until then, I am living it up in my work-in-progress apartment. I put up some shelves (with the help of my mom) and organized some more amenities. All that is left is getting more shelves to display my figures, and to set up my desk. The desk is starting to haunt me, honestly. Judging me from the corner of the room, buried in a sea of documents and desk toys.

My time has been taken up by new movies and shows! I recently watched a great bad movie called Ax Em, and I started an old show called X-Men Evolution. I am sure some of you have heard of it. I used to catch a few episodes back in middle school but thanks to Disney Plus I get to watch it completely and it is so much fun!

It is very of its time, and a little “kiddy” but very enjoyable. I will also admit I had a huge crush on Rogue, it is great to see her and the other X-men.

I have been a fan of the X-Men since my father showed me the movie from 2000. But, all I have is my experience with the movies. Lately, I have been branching out into comics, video games, and now shows. It feels really cool to see these characters in different settings and ages.

Ok, time to continue enjoying summer for the small fraction I still have it. See you all next week!

P.S. Happy 4th of July!

Weekly Update 26

Hello everyone! Welcome to my second blog post from my new apartment. First, I have had no bites on my submissions yet. Just two more rejections. Having the new apartment really helps distract me from the sting of rejection.

My apartment is coming along nicely, despite its present disorganization. All I have left to do is set up my desk, hang my posters, then display my figures. Hopefully, when I finish I can have people over to see it but I don’t want anyone to see this mess right now.

To be honest there was a time when I hated it here. I wasn’t used to having neighbors that share a wall. The only time I dealt with that was in college, and in a college dorm, you live next to other students. Here I am next to adult strangers. But now I love having my own place to do what I want when I want. Speaking of which, I am excited to start writing seriously again once I feel more comfortable in my new surroundings (most likely when all of my stuff is up and out of the way).

Ok, time for me to continue watching movies and playing video games again! Moving is hard work. See you next week.

Weekly Update 25

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog! I missed manually updating you, but I am glad my scheduled update worked!

Over my cruise, I upped my rejection count to… 27? That can’t be right, but that is what Query Tracker says. It feels more like 29, but whatever. I am still waiting patiently. Very patiently.

Big news! I am writing this on a futon in my new apartment! I just moved in so it is very messy and stressful, but I love it. It is small by most apartment standards, but large for a single-person domicile. It is technically a townhouse, so that means I have stairs! I have always thought my life was too much for one story in a house, now I have two.

It feels good to write to you, especially because my life has been on a bit of a tumultuous path. I don’t recommend moving to anyone, it is so messy and slow. As I write to you my living room is besieged on all sides by boxes full and empty, as well as trinkets that need shelves. Despite the overwhelming stress emanating from these inert parcels, I am still excited to live by myself for the first time ever. Look at me, a real adult.

Well, wish me luck acclimating to my new life! See you next week.

Weekly Update 24

Hello everyone and welcome to my first automated upload! What a thrill, to see me become more versed in the ways of online blogging. For this installment, we will assume that I have the same number of rejections: 25, and we will talk about my long and illustrious career as a “cruiseman.”

I have been cruising with Carnival Cruise Line for years because of my mom and her wife. They are avid cruisers and masters of the art. After years of cruising, I finally discovered the perfect way to enjoy one’s time on the sea: reading.

Every cruiser knows that reading is best enjoyed lounging on simi-hard lawn chairs under an unforgiving oceanic sun (nature’s perfect book light). There is truly nothing like reading on a luxury ocean liner, around all of the screaming kids and splashing water. All jokes aside, reading on a cruise ship is actually very fun. I am bringing Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard with me, book one specifically, The Sword of Summer. I am halfway through it now and it is spectacular, mainly because of my time spent playing the latest God of War games.

Well, time for me to get back to cruising. By the time you read this, I will be smack dab in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico! So, wish me luck I guess.

Weekly Update 23

Hello everyone! This week I am writing to you from a condo in Galveston, Texas. This is a very familiar vacation destination for my family. First let me update you on what you want to know: 25 rejections now. What a milestone, I am very excited. Can you tell?

Next, I wanted to tell you that next week I will be on a cruise headed to Mexico, so my next blog will be a first: a scheduled upload! Crazy, I know.

Aside from my vacation, I decided to make this update very special because this month is Pride Month. I was looking at other authors and seeing the controversy surrounding them about stuff they said years ago and I had the idea to set the record straight at the beginning of my career.

I support LGBTQ+ people and organizations. I had a whole list of things I wanted to say, but that sums it up. Just in case anyone misunderstands, I will give you a shortened version of the list:

I support gender-affirming care for children and adults, I support trans people and rights, I support gay and lesbian people and rights, I love everyone under the rainbow, you could say.

In my work, I hope to represent these peoples to the best of my abilities through interviews, research, and reflective understanding and growth.

If any of this offends you, I don’t think we can be friends. Sorry if that is a little harsh, but that is how I feel.

Well, that is it! I will see you all next week in the form of an automated upload!

Weekly Update 22

Hello everyone. Today was a sorrowful day, and not for the reason you think.

Today a dear friend and excellent roommate moved away to Kansas City, Missouri. I cried heavily on the floor of the empty house. I can’t begin to explain how his time as my housemate has affected me. I love you, Sam.

In similar news, this is the last update I will give you in the house where I wrote my first book. I am emotional (though mostly over the Sam business) and don’t know how to handle my feelings. I will look back at my time in this house very fondly, and I even had an embarrassing thought: what if I become so rich, I buy this house one day? I will be honest; this house is pretty janky. But if I become filthy rich, I could afford to buy a house just because I wrote my first book in it. One can dream.

Anyway, I have to get back to packing. I have to be out of this house in two days.

See you next week.

Weekly Update 21

Hello everyone! Welcome to my weekly update, and so far… no hits. That is right, no agents have reached out yet. I have been distracting myself by packing up and playing video games, but I still hear the low continuous “No” that pervades my life… and I saw Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3.

IT WAS SO GOOD! I cried multiple times, and I can’t wait to see what else James Gunn does in his future movies. Finishing the Guardians trilogy was also emotional because the first movie was very inspirational for my work! I can’t recommend the movie enough, even if you aren’t an MCU fan. Watch the first two, and then watch Infinity War and Endgame, then watch the third movie. You won’t regret the experience.

Ok, sorry this update is short, but I have to get back to packing up my desk. I can’t wait for my life to be more stable.

See you all next week!

Weekly Update 20

Weekly Update 20

Hey guys! What a milestone, twenty weeks of updates. What a nice round number! Well, no good news yet when it comes to finding an agent, but I do have something cool to tell you.

I got brave and sent my book to some of my mothers’ friends, and one of them responded! He gave me some of the best feedback I have ever gotten in this whole process. He told me he liked it, gave me a helpful list of things to change, and gave me a lot of motivation. My favorite part is the quote he left me with:

“Critics are men who watch a battle from a high place then come down and shoot the survivors.” -Ernest Hemmingway.

It was amazing to read feedback from a stranger, and I feel very good about the future of my story.

In other news, TEARS OF THE KINGDOM WAS REALSED! I finally got to play one of the most anticipated games of my generation and it is not disappointing… so far. There is an odd feeling playing on the same map with the same base mechanics as the first game, Breath of the Wild. I have to remind myself sometimes that it is a sequel, especially when the story isn’t at the forefront, which is most of the game. Just like BotW, most of the gameplay is adventuring through Hyrule. This is largely the same as the first game, but it tries to separate itself with Zonai devices scattered around the surface. But the game does feel like a sequel when I am flying above or crawling below Hyrule. The sky islands high above the ground are beautiful and very fun to explore. When I left the tutorial island, I felt a little conflicted because I didn’t want to leave the beautiful scenery and fun Zonai devices. The Depths, the caves under Hyrule, are very fun which is surprising because I usually hate games with parts that are unnecessarily difficult for no reason. The Depths feel balanced between danger and fairness. In conclusion, I don’t know how I feel about Tears of the Kingdom, ask me when I finish it.

That’s it for this week’s update, now I have to go and pack more clothes into boxes while dreaming of the open skies over Hyrule.

Weekly Update 19

Hey guys!

So, let’s get what you want to know out of the way first: no agents have taken the bait yet. That is ok though, because I can wait for the right one. At least I think I can…

My life was super busy this past week, especially during the weekend. My brother got married on Saturday and I am very happy for both he and his wife! Congratulations to Walker and Chelby. My favorite part of the wedding was getting to spend time with my nephews; beautiful, smart, and rambunctious boys named Creek and Kannon.

Another big change in my life is the fact that I am moving. I got a place just down the road from my current abode and I can’t wait to move in two weeks, but I will miss living with my current roommate. We have had great fun together, and I can’t wait to see what he does with his life. I love you Sam.

Well, today is the day I go through my clothes and give away the old ones I can’t fit in or don’t wear so moving is easier. I will see you all next week, hopefully (as always) with good news.

Weekly Update 18

Weekly update 18

Hello everyone! You guessed it: more “no’s” and no “yeses.” I am not going to lie; it is getting hard to accept rejection after rejection, especially on top of some things happening in my personal life. But I continue. I have decided to restart the query train by jumping stations. My book is a science fiction adventure, so I feel confident in querying the agents who are focused on adventure titles instead of science fiction exclusively. It might be a smidge dishonest, but I want to try as many avenues as possible. The worst they can say is “no.”

In my personal life, I have done little more than work. But I did one major thing I am proud of: I beat Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild!

This is big because I have played upwards of eight different Legend of Zelda games in my career as a “gamer” (hate that word) but I never finished them. Something about the format didn’t mesh with me despite how much I enjoyed the world and characters. Breath of the Wild is way more different than the others. I played that game like crazy when I first got my Switch, but I stopped playing right at the entrance to Hyrule Castle. I conquered every divine beast, visited every shrine, and did every major side quest to the point where I felt like I did everything I wanted to before facing Ganon. Back then I knew the gravity of the situation so I decided to take a break so that a game that blew me away (it is one the best games ever made, hands down) could last a bit longer. Since the sequel, Tears of the Kingdom is set to release in a few weeks, I decided to sit down and finish what I started.

The fight with Ganon didn’t take long. What took longer was relearning the controls after years of not touching the game and figuring out how to parry those annoying laser blasts. But after years of trying and trying and trying to save Zelda, I finally banished Ganon with the blade of evil’s bane. It was very emotional, especially when Zelda looked into the camera and said something to the extent of “It took a long time, but we did it.” In the story of the game, this fight with Ganon was one hundred years in the making. But those words rang true in my heart because after years of stopping three dungeons deep into game after game I finally rescued Zelda and killed Ganon. Little Seth is very proud of me.

I can’t wait to play Tears of the Kingdom, but I might have to put that game on the back burner for a bit. In addition to Jedi Survivor (goodness I want to play that game) because I might be moving very soon. I look forward with a deep sense of dread.

And that is it for this update, now I am off to harass more agents and hope they say yes. I will see you all next week!

Weekly Update 17

Weekly Update 17

Hello everyone! You will never guess what I have to announce today!

…no representation requests yet.

Sorry for that, I use humor as a defense mechanism. This week has been a trip though, let me tell you about it.

First off, I did a lot of stuff I wanted to do, instead of lying down in front of the TV resting due to my fever. One of the coolest things I did was finish the Legend of Korra! I finished Avatar: The Last Airbender a few months ago and it took me a bit to get through Korra. Here is my take: it is worse than ATLA, but not bad. I loved the evolution of bending and the increased worldbuilding, but the writing was bad. In my opinion. The biggest reason I found the writing lacking was the lack of an overarching villain. Aang had to learn how to master the other three elements to fight the Fire Lord, while Korra had to do something wildly different every season. It made the show feel like it was “wheel spinning,” which means a whole lot of nothing happens. Also, the ending was rushed and underwhelming (probably because we just met the villain ten episodes earlier), and it focused on characters that I didn’t really care about. WHAT HAPPENS TO BOLIN? TO MAKO? I also had a problem with Korra and Asami’s relationship. I understand the writers couldn’t have an openly gay relationship if they wanted it to air the show but the two of them didn’t even talk until the middle of the third season. I give ATLA a 9/10 and Korra a 6.5/10.

I also got to see Beau is Afraid in theaters with my roommate. All I can say is… wow. I highly recommend you watch it if you like Ari Aster’s other movies or stories that are “thinkers” like The Lighthouse or Donnie Darko. I want to watch it again; it was so good.

Ok, time for me to start looking for more agents. I ran out of science fiction agents on Query Tracker, so I also have to find a new way to organize my queries. Wish me luck!

Weekly Update 16

Hello everyone! Last week was a little harder than usual. First, I will update you all on my agent search: nothing but rejections. Oh well, always next week.

Now for the new stuff! Last week I got sick with a fever, something I haven’t suffered in years, I’m talking about middle school. I felt a little embarrassed but now I don’t care as much as my health has improved. Now all I have is a sore/dry throat. Because of my sickness, I spent a good chunk of the week resting which entailed rewatching Futurama! What a great show, I highly recommend it.

Ok, now for the big one. I had an interview with Chickasha Public Schools last Friday. The interview went well I think but I have since decided I did very badly in it (a state of mind I am told is very common). They told me they will know by “the start of next week,” which is this week. Fingers crossed!

Ok, it is time to get back on the horse. I didn’t query a single agent while I was sick. Let’s get this done, damn this endless dark cave of rejection.

Weekly Update 15

Weekly Update 15

Hello everyone! This week, the long silent tunnel grows but I am safe in my… safety, canoe. This metaphor is running away from me.

Basically, no good news to share regarding my book. But I do have news related to my personal life. Two days ago I had a scary realization: I think I can become a teacher. This is a big deal because for a year now I have felt that I would make a horrible teacher or I would have a horrible time, but I have had a major change of heart.

Today I am going to apply to several schools, something that would have terrified me last year. I am actually excited to see where I could teach, but I am very nervous and scared.

Writing is still my primary passion but as you know I can’t get paid for it yet. In the meantime, I will try to affect the lives of the future generation.

Well, I am off to submit my work to more agents! See you all next week.

Weekly Update 14

Hello everyone! This week continues our trend of nothing happening… yay!

I am still querying agents, and all I am receiving is radio silence or rejections. The responses are coming in slower and slower, which means that most of the agents who are known for responding quickly are thinning out which leaves me with the “if you don’t hear from us in twenty days please assume we have passed on your book” crowd. This is a little saddening because while I was receiving “no’s” I was also getting responses and in most cases feedback. Now I am entering the long dark tunnel of silent speculation and quick-footed shadows.

But I trudge on.

In my personal life, I have continued to deal with my computer and its sickness. Because of this, I am resorting to other forms of entertainment that I haven’t touched in years! Like the latest LEGO Star Wars game on my play station five, for example. It is a super fun game but only because of the nostalgia attached to it. I used to play and REPLAY the Complete Saga game for years on the Wii with my sister, father, and friends. Going back and replaying reimagined levels is great, but a lot of the levels feel very rushed because they are trying to fit nine movies in one game. I just finished the prequel episodes, and I can’t wait to start the original trilogy (yes, I started with Episode 1, it is where the complete saga starts so I felt like I needed to), but I am not excited to play the sequel trilogy. I barely remember them, which is sad.

Well, here I go, back into the dark hallway of silence I mentioned before. Wish me luck!

Weekly Update 13

Weekly Update 13

Hello everyone! The more perceptive of you will notice a marked improvement to the website. I hired a photographer named Chris Fischer to take some nice pictures of myself to make the website a bit more professional.

Chris was awesome and very patient, and his work was very satisfactory! He is an Engineering major here at OU and I can’t recommend him enough.

I have continued to search for agents, and I am now up to six rejections, but every one of them has been very inspiring. I am starting to get burnt out though; last Friday I didn’t even query a single agent. I won’t give up though! I will continue querying five agents every weekday until I get a yes.

On a sadder note: the computer I put together three years ago has gotten sick. I think the problem lies in the power cord from the power supply to the GPU, which has created the annoying problem where my computer only stops working when I try to play video games. What an annoying and painfully poetic problem for me to have. I ordered a new cord but it wasn’t long enough so I will wait patiently another week for a longer cord while I get further and further behind in the weekly story updates for Destiny 2. I am upset.

Who knows, if this problem isn’t fixed with a new cord, it might be time for a new PC.

Well, time for me to beg some strangers on the internet to represent my work. See you all next week!

Thanks again to Chris Fischer for taking pictures of my beautiful face.