A Brief Interlude

Because of our light travel schedule over the past couple weeks, we haven't updated much. This should change after we leave tomorrow for our last loop, this time to the Southwest. Despite being a bit more sedentary recently, we have managed to keep busy.

Among the exciting developments and adventures:

1) My niece, Delphine Guidry, was born on November 12 (8 lbs, 9 oz), and she is just as cute as can be!
2) We traveled through Alabama and Mississippi to Louisiana to visit my family, including my grandma and aunt in southwest Louisiana. On the way back, we spent a couple hours in New Orleans, where our perfect record of no car trouble was broken by malfunctioning child safety locks that kept us from being able to close the door for 45 minutes. After crawling around the car for a while, we prevailed and managed to get in some quick sightseeing in the French Quarter and some biegnets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde before confronting a menacing-looking teenager in a minivan at a campground in Meridian, MS and deciding we'd be safer in a hotel.

3) We visited the Smokies and did a short hike before driving around the Cades Cove loop, which is probably the most boneheaded move we've made all trip. It takes a good hour to go just 11 miles because everyone is intent on driving 5 miles an hour to look at the (un-notable) surrounding grass. Very frustrating.

4) I accepted an offer to join the Foreign Service and will be starting diplomat school on Jan 4.
5) We signed a lease on a DC apartment in Logan Circle and are making plans to move in late December.
6) We both have started work as consultants for a few nonprofits that will last for me through the end of December and Brad into the new year.
7) Brad has a new MacBook Pro, and unlike all the PCs we've owned, it doesn't suck! Alas, it will not be traveling to the Southwest with us for fear of dropping it into the Grand Canyon.

Bon Voyage....