I’m exhausted, so I’ll keep this short.

Friday night’s comedy roast of Bob Greenberger was a real hoot, and it raised over $800 for the American Red Cross. I am enormously grateful to all the members of the tech crew who helped make it happen, all the performers who took part, all the volunteers who helped make it a success for charity, and the audience who came out to share the evening with us. Most of all, I wish to thank my good friend Robert Greenberger for being such a good sport as the guest of honor.

Saturday and Sunday went by in wild blurs, as they always do at Shore Leave. But it was terrific to be able to hang out with and talk to so many fellow Star Trek authors, especially David R. George III, Kirsten Beyer, William Leisner, Scott Pearson, Amy Sisson, Dave Galanter (and his lovely new wife Simantha), and my good friends Marco Palmieri, Dayton Ward, and Kevin Dilmore, as well as my old pals Glenn Hauman, Aaron Rosenberg (and his wonderful wife Jenifer and their adorable children, Arthur and Adara), and my buddy and partner-in-crime, Alan “Sizzler” Kistler.

Last but not at all least, I must sing the praises of my wife, Kara, who worked her ass off on Friday to help make the roast happen. She was up and working at 7AM that morning, and she spent the day helping the tech crew assemble the stage, the lighting towers, and run electrical. Then, that afternoon and evening, she served as the director and stage manager of the roast. I often say that I could not do what I do without Kara, but in this case it was literally true: Without her, that show simply would not have come together. She made it work and shine, just as she does with everything else in my life. For that and a hundred thousand other reasons, I love my wife.

And that was my Shore Leave for 2011.