So here I am writing a post that I do not want to write.

And I so much do not want to write it that I have stalled, delayed, told myself I would somehow not have to do this.

But the fact is that I have a book deadline that I have also stalled, delayed, told myself I could stretch a little further.

And until I realized that I’ve run of stretch room. And also that I am delaying finishing a very cool book.

So with the agreement of my terrific editor, Betsy Mason, I’m going to take a leave from Elemental until the end of this year.

I will miss my absolutely terrific colleagues here at Wired, and all the opportunities I’ve had here to tell stories of poison and murder, environmental pollution, arsenic and other contaminants in the food supply, and the occasional rant on the idiocy of the phrase chemical free.

And I will miss you – the readers who’ve consistently made me smarter at what I do.

Still, I have stories yet to tell here and good ones I hope. Here’s to getting back together next year.