"and they're off"

That's a reference to our visit to the best (tied for first?) fair in Maine a couple weeks ago, where some of us bet on horses for the first time and all of us learned, for the first time I think, what a "2-4-6 quinella box" is. That was at the Windsor county fair, which we all liked, and might only be bested by the Common Ground Fair since the Common Ground Fair is all organic and green and stuff. But it's a close one. Anyway, it was a really nice time. And we won $7!

It's also a reference to the fact that Clara and I are at the airport headed to Burundi. It was a really nice few weeks at home, wagers and all. I spent a lot of the time working, so I wasn't always very present, but actually I liked it that way: it gave a reason to hang around a lot longer than I have in a long time. And more time means more great eggs in the morning (thanks, Mom!) more great martinis in the evening (thanks Dad!) and an all-around great time!

So Clara and I are going to spent the next day on airplanes and then move ourselves into a hotel in Bujumbura. I'm wicked excited. I feel like I've only recently started following the news there, a symptom of my one-move-ahead mentality, something that makes me think I either need to stop moving around so much or change my mentality. (Side note: but isn't moving around what is supposed to help change mentality? TBD.)