Excuses, Excuses, and a Winner

I'm sorry for the lack of poetry yesterday. It ended up taking me all day to tally the votes on the picture.

Just kidding. But there were a lot.

Really what happened is that I planned and booked a trip to New York! Yay! I've never been and I'm very, very excited. Plus, I get to spend one of the afternoons with Agent Michelle and Editor Erica, who, as you have no doubt learned from this blog, are two of the most singularly awesome people on the planet.

So that is why I suck and reneged on my promise to post poetry yesterday. To make up for it, I'll write two poems right now, when I really ought to be taking a shower. See how devoted I am to you?

(As suggested by Renee, who has been asking me to write one about whales for months.)

Whales

While they are quite majestic
they just aren't too poetic
Blubber, fins, and tail
That's what makes a whale
And yes, this poem's pathetic.

(Sorry, Ren, I really do like whales--but all I can think about is the story my husband tells of when he was a young boy and a whale carcass washed up on the beach and the stench was so overwhelming you could taste it. Which doesn't lend itself well to poetic adulation.)

And for Anita, Rainy Mondays:

Rainy days and Mondays
always get her down
and when they come together
they're sure to make her frown.
But me, I'm rather jealous
I'd like some rain 'round here
So next time it starts raining
Fed-Ex me some, my dear.

Alright. Now that those are out of the way, I'm going to announce the winner of the photo contest, which will no doubt be SHOCKING.

SHOCKING, I tell you.

In last place we have picture four, with 22 votes
In third place we have picture three, with 23 votes
In second place we have picture one, with 32 votes
And far and away the winner is two, with 51 votes

What was interesting about your comments (besides the fact that you are all way, way too nice to me and wildly flattering) was that everyone who has taken photographs professionally disagreed on which was the best photo. And none of the professionals chose number two, even though that one was the clear favorite. (Now you are questioning my math [which is entirely justified because, once again, bane of my existence], but there were 102 comments left, so obviously I counted all votes, including those of the wafflers who put in two choices. So in reality, half of the voters liked two the best.)

I have no point to that analysis. I just thought it was interesting. But number two it is! Unless someone at Harper disagrees, in which case, you can still say you helped choose my author photo, because you totally did.

I'm not sure how to wrap this rambling post up. So, hey! I'm going to New York in a month! Dance with me in the comments.