The Fairmont Hotel in downtown Washington DC had an excellent fitness center and gym, much more than just a couple of treadmills and ellipticals.  I had never even seen some of the types of weight machines before.  I was able to get in a couple of good workouts, particularly for my legs (keeping in shape to catch up on my hiking … if the weather is still good by the time I get home to Colorado).

Working on the train en route to Washington DC

Our media escort Edie picked us up and drove us to Quantico, the main Marine base and also the FBI training center.  Though we showed up half an hour early, there was a line waiting for us.  We signed plenty of books and grabbed a quick lunch of a Subway sandwich before heading back to the hotel for two interviews that afternoon.

With a couple of hours free, I watched “Grand Torino” on the in-room movies and enjoyed it very much.  Clint can scowl and snarl better than anybody.

Edie picked us up for the evening talk and signing at Barnes & Noble in Bethesda, MD.  Once again, we were greeted with a group of Star Wars fans from the 501st Legion, busily suiting up in their armor in the back room of the book store.  Many fans of my Star Wars books have followed over to the Dune universe. 

Driving us back to the hotel after the signing, Edie made a point of taking us around to see some of the monuments at night, the embassies, government office buildings, so that we got a very informative (if brief) tour of Washington, DC.

I’m writing this in the cab on the way to the airport, heading to Pittsburgh, where we’re appearing tonight at the Mystery Lovers’ Bookshop.  (Brian is taking a car service.)  Then Cleveland OH, Buffalo NY, and Ottawa and Toronto, before I fly home on Wednesday…then a signing in Boulder CO on Thursday, Writers of the Future in LA the following week, and DragonCon in Atlanta over the Labor Day weekend.

Good thing I can write and edit in hotel rooms and on the plane.