Home again home again, jiggity jig.

We arrived in Washington today at 11:00 am, raced to Baltimore where we saw back-to-back apartments, and signed a lease in the magical neighborhood of Mount Vernon by 5:00.  When I say "magical," I am primarily referring to the fact that not only are the art museums and independent bookstores within mere meters of my doorstep, but I can also freely wander the charming tree-soaked streets for almost 6 square blocks without once witnessing 

a) an armed robbery 

b) crack houses

c) poop (the human kind)

Hurrah!

Also, due to the mangled scavenging of electronic communication that was South American internet cafes, I have allowed a month of anecdotes to slip by, and have thus decided to allow a gestation period to commence.    A la Hemingway in A Moveable Feast, I will produce a small collection of essays, throughout the next few weeks, where precision will be a small sacrifice for the greater recollections of toilets, deathcabs, and canons.  Stay tuned.