Well, we had a busy Thursday and Friday. The girls were both delighted, exhausted and discombobulated by the whole experience. I have to admit to have ended up kind of tired and cranky by the end of it all, but I’m delighted we got to Fenton’s for icecream, that we stayed with Kirsten and AAron (who were amazing hosts!), that we had breakfast with Grace and Joe, and the Thanksgiving Dinner at Charles’s house with Amelia, Mark  Marina, Kirsten & AAron, and Charles (of course), was a real highlight. Sophie ended up giving American 100,000 thumb’s up! It was sweet. This morning she said she was really happy she came because she made new friends like AAron (who made a real impression) and Amelia (who was wonderful with both girls). They’ve headed off to New York, and I’m going to collapse into a blurry heap until LACon(on which, I promise to email everyone in the next 24 hrs about scheduling).

Well, we’re keeping an eye on this page and this page for information. We’re still not sure whether we’re traveling on Tuesday or not. We probably will, but there’s a lot that’s not to like about the new situation. We don’t know how safe it is, and the changes to travel security are significant. Maybe just going for World Fantasy in November would make more sense.

Dad and daughter

Originally uploaded by Jonathan Strahan.

Last night I spent some time playing around with the girls and taking photos using the laptop’s built-in camera. This is a sweet one with Jess. It’s also a test for upcoming trip reports (I hope).

Given the events of the past 24 hours Marianne and I are reviewing our travel plans, but will almost certainly continue with the trip.

The World Fantasy Award nominations have been posted on the WFC website. Having sat in the judge’s chair myself, I know precisely how much work goes into arriving at a final shortlist, so my hat’s off to the judges. And, while we’d all pick slightly different shortlists (no Jeff Ford!!!), I think it’s a strong, diverse list. Special congrats to: Hal, Graham, Kelly, Deb & Jay, Ginjer, Lou, Chris, and Sean.