I don't feel like telling you about my vacation so far, beyond the fact that it is not going as planned and will probably be curtailed. Which is not to say there have not been some lovely moments, one of which is bound to become a lasting contribution to the family vocabulary.

We were sitting at a tiny table right on a curb in New Orleans when a guy started to park his Aston Martin by angling it right into Victoria's chair. An alert waitress dragged V out of the way while a noisy Brian, muffuletta in one hand and plastic cup of adult beverage in the other, rose and began delivering advice to the driver. The lady in the passenger seat was not amused, but the sequence of her responses: the librarian one-finger "shh", the "You need to be quiet", the "You're obnoxious", and finally the rolling up of the window--we have employed them all singly and in combination ever since, as the man frequently offers advice unbidden.

B and V are still vacationing, but I am currently back in Ohio. I'll meet them in Virginia next week and then I think Brian will continue travelling while we return. Or maybe not. More later!