November 13, 2007—Well, I’m just back from a week and a half off, and it’s moving day on the International Space Station. The one Russian and two Americans aboard the outpost are getting ready to clear the way for Atlantis’ planned December 6^th blastoff, by moving the complex’s new Harmony compartment from its temporary parking spot on the station to it’s permanent spot on the end of the U.S. built Destiny lab. Once the module, seen to the left being prepped for its launch aboard Discovery, is locked in place, Atlantis can deliver the European built Columbus lab next month. That new compartment snaps onto Harmony, which is why all the work this week on the Station is so critical.

This week’s "Final Countdown" book signing at Urban Think Bookstore in Thornton Park is just a few days away on Thursday 11/15 at 7 pm, so I just wanted to say a belated "thank you" to all of our neighbors on the Gulf Coast who dropped by for last week’s Sarasota Festival of Reading. After Urban Think wraps up, I’ll hop a plane to Washington, D.C. on Friday, following a flattering invitation from the Smithsonian to come up for two days worth of signings there. The trip will also give me the rare chance to actually sit down for a "face to face" interview with Scott Simon and the folks at NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday. Up to now, when I’ve had the pleasure of talking with Scott, it’s been over the phone, so sitting across from him in a studio may feel strange. Our conversation is scheduled to air Saturday morning.

So, to conclude, keep your fingers crossed for Wednesday’s Harmony move.

More to come.