Andy Wheeler has posted about the recent changes at the SF Book Club. I don’t know what the changes mean, but the news is bad. I can only hope that things work out for Andy. He’s really one of the good ones, and has always been a delight to deal with.

No photos here. There should be. But, I don’t carry a mobile phone and never remember to carry an actual camera. Still, yesterday morning Marianne and I had breakfast at a little cafe next to our hotel, and then wandered through the markets on Grote St. How come we don’t have these in Perth. The fresh produce was incredible.  There were four cheese stands, three nut specialists, a plethora of astounding fruit and veg stalls, beautiful meat and fish. And the prices! It was so much cheaper. Walking through the market was like a glimpse into another, simpler, better life. After we’d marketed, M & I met up with Dave, Karen, Scott, Justine, Rob, Cat, Simon, and a friend of Dave and Karen’s, who took us to a good dim sum place. Lunch and conversation followed. We then wandered through the Rundle St mall (honestly, just another Australian shopping mall), had a coffee, then back to the hotel. The guy from The Cook and the Chef works here, but we didn’t know (damn you Stephen, you didn’t say), so we’d eaten elsewhere.

Then it was off to the wedding. The Jade Monkey is a cool little performance venue located close to where Sean used to live. It’s very local, intimate, and kind of ‘arts and crafts-y’. The whole feeling was warm and casual, and the crowd seemed to really fit well into it.  We’d barely arrived, when we began to see all of the people who we never see enough of: Nick and Adrian (I’d not met Adrian, but what a lovely guy), Bill and Michelle, Deb and Chris, Marian, Pat, and on and on. This kind of thing can’t happen often enough. Then the bride and groom arrived. She was lovely, he was handsome, and I swear she was giggling through the vows.  After that it was all champagne, conversation and dancing till late. A wonderful wedding.

Yesterday afternoon, just a little after lunch time, Marianne and I flew out of Perth for Adelaide. It had been cool, bright and sunny there, and we were both looking forward to a short break, to seeing friends, and to Sean and Amanda’s wedding. The flight was uneventful, the in-flight movie even less so, and I read a little more of The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (which is full of event). We arrived at Adelaide airport, lined up for taxis for about thirty minutes, then headed into the city and the hotel. We were late, and our dinner dates arrived while we were checking in. To cut a long story short, after a pleasant drink in the Hilton bar, we ended up in a Thai restaurant with Simon, Scott, Rob, Cat, Dave, and Karen. It was a splendid evening. It’s now Saturday morning, and I believe I’m in Adelade because I’ve heard the church bells. Next is breakfast, then the markets, then lunch with the gang, before the wedding tonight.

This is my favorite magazine in the world.  I would give a lot to read a science fiction magazine that is ten percent as well done, as interesting,  as this one. sigh.