The story I sold to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction last October is in the July issue and — thanks to newstand time warp — is on the shelves now. I’ve spotted it at both a Barnes and Noble and a Borders…and by “spotted” I mean “went to the periodicals sections and looked for it ’cause it’s my first story in a magazine and I’m allowed to be a geek about it…the clerk at BN said so.”

Don’t ask how the clerk knew.

A flight is usually only as good as the book I’m reading. I should have figured that out in April after spending 6 hours waiting on the tarmac at JFK for a 51 minute flight to DC. It would have been miserable, but I was reading Ursula K. Le Guin’s Left Hand of Darkness, so I managed well enough. A book so good it drowns out whining is a wonderful thing to have in your hands.

So my response to “How was your flight back to Seattle?” is “Great!” because I had Matt Ruff’s Set This House in Order. I just finished reading a borrowed copy (thanks, Cat!), and I’ve already decided that I need one of own so I can get it into the hands of everyone around me.

I’m in my office! The one in Seattle, in our house! The office with the green couch and the bowling pin and book books books. Joy.

I woke up at 7:30 this morning, which is about right considering my natural wake-up time is around 10:00. I slept in until the PDT equivalent — I’ve been running short on sleep lately. The apartment in DC was uncomfortably hot for the last few days, and between goodbyes and welcome backs there have been late nights.

Speaking of etc., when I got home last night (minus two pieces of luggage — apparently you can take the girl out of DC, but not her business casual wardrobe) Shelley unveiled champagne and two gorgeous trays of oysters on ice. Maybe it was the Pacific Northwest seafood deprivation, but I don’t think I’ve ever had oysters that good. Yay, Shelley!

Then the Best Neighbors Ever came by for honey pepper vodka, and the catching up commenced. All is right in our little corner of the world.

Okay, back to work. I have a book to finish.