tap, tap, is this thing on?

Hello friends and family,

Je regrete that I haven't been able to update lately, and this will be but a quick mea culpa. Since Betsy returned from japan two weeks ago, things have been quite hectic here. On the day she returned, my friend Geoff from EPA and his wife arrived for a few days of meetings and touring. I was lucky to be able to spent several days exploring the city with Geoff, and several evenings dining with them and others here for the meetings. Our friend Melinda from DC arrived the next Friday midday (a week ago now) and we've been spending days and evenings wandering and hanging out since then. I know we owe you lots of substantive updates, but we just haven't had time or energy to pause and write it down. Maybe it's time to explore that audioblogging feature some more .... If not, we'll get a real update to you by the end of this week, if the bridge don't burn and the river don't rise.

Love, all of us.