I’ve packed and re-packed, weighed the backpack and have done everything that I could to get ready; now it’s in the hands of the gods. Dean dropped me at the airport and wished me well. I wished that he would have been able to join us but the time away was too much. Besides, the cats needed him-well not so much, but it’s a nice rationale. My flight from Philly was uneventful-if a hyper-talkative 2 year old one seat away can be considered uneventful. I really wondered how long she could keep it up, and apparently most of the flight was the answer. The hotel in Madrid was looking better and better every minute.