Ah, Houston in summer…

The school year is winding down; my daughter’s last day of school is Friday, and in a classic example of fabulous planning by yours truly, I will be in Houston that day. (I am driving for her all-day field trip to some zoo place tomorrow, though, so I really don’t feel too bad about it — particularly since my fabulous m-i-l Dorothy, who is also a writer, is pinch-hitting for me on Friday! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Dorothy!)

Anyway, back to the Houston thing. I’m looking forward to it, actually — I have an interview on KUHF’s The Front Row Show Friday, and then they’ll be filming an interview for the Charles Snider Show at a beautiful B&B; (I believe it’s the Lovett Inn, and I’d better get directions) that evening. And then, on Saturday, I get to sign with my good friend Candy at Murder by the Book. What fun!

While I’m there, I hope to have a chance to tool around my alma mater (Rice University) — in fact, I plan to go for a walk around the campus. For old time’s sake. (Although I’ll probably actually get up and do it before 2 p.m., which will be a novelty. All that important career prep reading — Agatha Christie, P.G. Wodehouse, Anne Rice, etc. — tended to keep me up late.) My residential college, alas, is long-gone — the 60-year-old temporary building known as Wiess College finally bit the dust a few years ago — but I’ll bet I can still pick up some beer fumes if I stand close enough. I’ve never been in the new version of Wiess… maybe I’ll swing by. Wonder if that nostalgic melange of vinyl, must, beer, cafeteria food and cheap disinfectant transferred?

And when I’m done tootling along memory lane, I’ll also be stopping by Lucia’s Garden — a neat little new-agey store — to get ideas for Sit A Spell, the magic shop in the book I’m working on.

I’m off to sleep now… but I’ll touch base soon. Hope to see some of you in Houston!