I'm back home from the US tour.  I had a wonderful time, but it's unbelievably good to see my womenfolk again, and to sit in my own comfy little office, writing blog posts and books.

I tried to break the jet lag in one go, which meant staying awake throughout the day.  When I couldn't stay awake any longer, at 9pm, when I'd been awake for 45 hours, I collapsed and slept for 10 hours.  It seems to have worked though because I feel more or less normal.

I nominate these awards from the trip:

Best public transport system while on tour:  the Seattle buses.  Especially the cool way they turn into electric trams in the tunnels underneath the city.  Why doesn't every US city have these?

Best intercity trip:  the Amtrack from Ann Arbor to Chicago.  Comfortable, cost-effective, and incredibly convenient.

Best Airline:  Frontier Airlines.  Flew with them from San Diego to Detroit.  They have real people at real check-ins!  No machine replacements for people!  Staff who seemed genuinely happy to be there!  Totally crushed both United and American. Well done, guys.

Best coffee and muffin:  Bakery, (that's its name) in San Diego.

Best non-private-friend place to stay: Inn at Michigan League in Ann Arbor.

Career highlight: the ancient mystery panel at Bouchercon.

Weirdest moment: every time I walked into a store and saw my book on display.  A huge thank you to "M" is for Mystery, the Seattle Mystery Bookshop, Mysterious Galaxy, Aunt Agatha's, and Centuries and Sleuths.