FOR THE RECORD: These turkeys will not be allowed to pardon themselves.

I hope you have planned a great, safe weekend everyone.

I don’t think I’m alone in this—I can’t get to sleep without reading at least a few chapters of a book. Preferably a longer session. Neither can I board a plane or train without a book or a host of them on an e-reader.

In one of those unexpected moments of enlightenment recently, I realized—huh?—none of my characters is a reader. At least not the way I am.

At the time, I had 4 series and a pile of short stories, but a stack of books was nowhere to be found in any of them. In fact, I couldn’t recall seeing, that is writing about, a single book.

Now and then, Gloria Lamerino, my first protagonist would pick up a copy of the magazine Physics Today or a Scientific American, but for the most part she was busy thinking, waiting for that AHA moment when she solved the case.

I have to excuse the women for not settling down with a good book: they were very busy solving murders. In almost every one of my books, the murder is solved in a week, maybe two at the most. Compare that rate with the years it takes for the real cops to solve a real murder.

No wonder my characters don’t have time to read.

But in my 5th series, the Alaska Diner Mysteries by Elizabeth Logan, I finally produced a reader. It’s not a spoiler to let you know that my latest protagonist, Charlie Cooke, has been lured into reading mysteries by her mother, an avid fan of cozies. Go figure.

Forgive the segue, but the second book of the series will be out on Tuesday, November 24, in time for a leisurely Thanksgiving read. If you’d like to tune into my blog tour, click here.

As much as I love reading, I’d prefer that we all be traveling or cooking for 20 that day, but a hopefully good book will have to do. Then next year, we’ll all be traveling and/or cooking on Thanksgiving again, saving the book for falling asleep.

I wish you all a safe Thanksgiving weekend.

November 12, 1904: the invention and patent for the first vacuum tube.

The brainchild of British electrical engineer John Fleming, the vacuum tube marks the beginning of modern electronics.

Because I know you want more: try this link for a fuller history and fascinating early images.

Sadly, I didn’t have the occasion to wear my buttons this year. Usually, they’d be part of my costume, lining the lapels and front of a white jacket at an election night party.

You’ll notice that (unlike me) the collection is nonpartisan. We have Democrats like Hillary and Mondale/Ferraro, GOP John Anderson, Reform Party Ross Perot, and nonpartisan Clint Eastwood.

Also, partly buried near the center is a button for “Taylor,” the oldest of the set. I never took the time to look him up (I was fairly sure it was a him). Until this year and this blog. I found Zachary Taylor who was the 12th president (1849) between Polk and Fillmore (which for San Franciscans sounds a lot a city block).

Old as I am, I was not around to vote in that election, and I have no idea where I picked up the button, except that a flea market seems a likely source.

FYI, I’ve packed the buttons away, with a hope that I might wear them next election.