And we're outta here

We've been planning our move to France, as part of a relocation for John Lewis's work, for about a year now. This relo has been delayed by Gigi's welcome if not so timely arrival. More recently, the French immigration authorities and French real estate professionals have complicated matters. But if you're wondering when we're taking off, we've finally got a solid answer: August 19 (two days, as of this writing).

Our house in Manassas Park, Virginia is now empty. Everyone's sleeping on air mattresses, with borrowed linens. Our worldly possessions have been parceled into a shipment by air, a shipment by sea, a shipment to storage, and a piano that's sticking around in Virginia with John Lewis's sister, Georgina. Jezebel, our cat of 10 years, is on séjour in Utah and will soon move in with Amy's brother, Jason, once he settles for a new job in Idaho (no "private Idaho" jokes about Jez--she doesn't think it's funny). Our brand new house in Orgeval, France, in the northwest suburbs of Paris awaits.

Cleo's excited. Gigi claps at anything, so she is, too. Amy can't wait to start her intensive French study, in situ. And John Lewis, not known for enjoying simple pleasures, is just looking forward to going shopping at a French grocery store this weekend.