Leaving on a jet plane (or a propeller, most likely since it is the NYC-DC shuttle)

And so, here I find myself today, Saturday July 31, 2010, sitting on my desk in my NYC apartment for one last time. In just a few hours I will fly to DC with Son, and the Diplomat is already on the road with Fat Cat and all my shoes. The State Department movers came in yesterday to pack 600 lbs of my most important things—I can see that on the inventory list half of that is apparently classified under “spices” and “cook books.” Let me tell you—600 lbs is nothing, NOTHING. For all those future FSOs who plan on doing the so-called UAB packout first, I can only say—do not count much on it, it barely includes your clothes and bare kitchen and child essentials. Now what am I going to do with the 5 gallon bottle of soy sauce I have just procured at Costco, huh???

I am trying to be retrospective and think about NYC in these final hours. Son is playing with his seemingly numerous cars on top of the suitcases. I have no TV, no cable, no fast computer or Internet and so have been reduced to using my old school laptop (which can self-destruct any moment) and poaching wireless Internet from the only non-encrypted user in my building (poetically called Shrek). OK, now Son is throwing a tantrum and not letting me write—I LOVE being a mom at times. I will see you all in Washington, DC tonight!