ACFT LOGBOOK LEFT AT RAMP. NOT MISSED DURING FLC TECHNIQUE PREFLT PROC.

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ACFT WAS TOWED UP TO GATE APPROX 45 MINS BEFORE DEP. DURING INITIAL COCKPIT SETUP AND ACFT PREFLT; I LOOKED IN THE AREA WHERE THE ACFT LOGBOOK IS KEPT AND THOUGHT I SAW IT THERE IN ITS PLACE. WHILE DOING ALL OF THIS I WAS ALSO GIVING A TOUR OF THE COCKPIT. I THEN WENT OUTSIDE AND DID MY EXTERIOR PREFLT INSPECTION. I CAME BACK INSIDE AND CONTINUED MY COCKPIT PREFLT/SETUP WHILE EXPLAINING EVERYTHING I WAS DOING TO OUR COCKPIT VISITORS. SHORTLY AFTER MY RETURN FROM OUTSIDE THEY LEFT THE COCKPIT AND I CONTINUED WITH MY DUTIES. THE FUELER CAME UP WITH THE FUEL SHEET AND I DID THE COMPUTATIONS FOR THE BOARDED FUEL CHK. I THOUGHT; AT THIS TIME; TO CHK THE LOGBOOK FOR PRE-SVC FUEL; MAINT RELEASE; LAST AUTO-LAND; ETC; WHEN I REMEMBERED I WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL CLRNC DELIVERY ABOUT OUR EXPECT DEP CLRNC TIME (EDCT). I SPOKE TO CLRNC DELIVERY ABOUT OUR EDCT AND HE INFORMED ME BY TIME WE PUSHED AND TAXIED THERE REALLY WOULDN'T BE A DELAY. WHEN I WAS SPEAKING WITH CLRNC DELIVERY THE AGENT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT (I DIDN'T REALIZE SHE WAS THERE NOR DID I HEAR THE DIALOGUE BTWN HER AND THE CAPT); BUT I WAS ON THE RADIO WITH CLRNC DELIVERY. NOW IT'S TIME TO READ CHKLISTS; GET PUSHED BACK; START ENGS AND TAXI. I HAVEN'T BEEN INTO THIS ARPT AS A WORKING CREW MEMBER IN APPROX 4 YRS SO WAS VERY KEYED IN TO LISTEN TO OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL SO I COULD FOLLOW ALONG ON MY ARPT DIAGRAM. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF WITHOUT MUCH; IF ANY; OF A DELAY. WE CLBED UP TO OUR INITIAL CRUISE ALT WHEN I REMEMBERED 'THE LOGBOOK.' I MEANT TO LOOK AT IT AT THE GATE. WHEN I REALIZED IT WASN'T THERE; I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THE CAPT AND WE SENT A MESSAGE TO OUR DEP STATION OPS. WE THEN REFERRED TO OUR FOM TO SEE IF; AND WHO ELSE WE SHOULD CONTACT. WE DEDUCTED THAT WE SHOULD CONTACT DISPATCH WHICH WE DID AND WE WERE INFORMED A TEMPORARY LOGBOOK WOULD MEET US UPON OUR ARR AND THE PERMANENT ONE WOULD BE SENT ON TO THE CITY WHERE THE ACFT WAS TO SPEND THE NIGHT. I BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE MY NORMAL HABIT PATTERNS WERE INTERRUPTED DUE TO COCKPIT VISITORS AND THEN I GOT MYSELF RUSHED. IF I HAD REFERRED TO THE LOGBOOK WHEN I FIRST THOUGHT OF IT I WOULD HAVE REALIZED IT WASN'T IN THE COCKPIT AND THAT I WAS MISTAKING ANOTHER BOOK FOR THE ACFT LOGBOOK. I COULD HAVE THEN CONTACTED MAINT FOR THE LOGBOOK. IT WAS JUST AN HONEST MISTAKE. I DON'T THINK ANY POLICY OR PROC NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 357878: FO AND I DISCUSSED THIS AT CONSIDERABLE LENGTH; AS WE WERE BOTH ASTONISHED THAT IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. IN UNDERSTANDING HOW IT OCCURRED; THE MAIN REASON WAS DISTR. THE FO'S PARENTS; WHO THE FO HAD VISITED FOR THE LAYOVER; WERE IN THE COCKPIT FOR A TOUR. A SECONDARY FACTOR FOR ME WAS THAT THE DEFERRED AND INBOUND LOG HAD NO LOG ITEMS; NO COSMETIC ITEMS; AND NO OPEN DEFERRED ITEMS. I HAD MENTALLY NOTED THAT THE LOG HISTORY WAS UNUSUALLY CLEAN; WHILE STILL IN DISPATCH. I FEEL THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO INCORPORATE A FINAL SAFETY NET CHK. I FEEL THE BEST TIME FOR ME WOULD BE WHEN THE FUELER DELIVERS THE FUEL SHEET. AT THIS TIME WE PERFORM A GALLONS BOARDED CHK COMPUTATION; AND THIS IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO DEP FOR THE LOGBOOK TO BE ON BOARD.