Because of a professional engagement abroad, our friend CET (Edmund) may not be visiting this forum as frequently or contributing as fully as has for lo, this long time. He will be as safe as an adult can be, spending most of his time in a large military installation, and I expect him back in early December.

He took a large iPod stuffed with all manner of songs, including a heck of a lot of sea shantys that he can listen to without having to put up with my wincing.

This deployment is a welcome opportunity, and he prepared himself with care and determination all through the winter. We had a pre-embarkation treat of a trip to New York City for the Metropolitan Opera and a Broadway show, followed by a weekend of music with folkie friends in New England. Then we came home, I got over my cold (no, it wasn't allergies) and he packed. On Friday -- yesterday, that is -- we had a nice, quiet three-hour drive to Trenton and I handed him over to the air movements people at 8 Wing. That's it until his mid-tour leave.

The house is remarkably empty of large items of military luggage and odd camouflage-patterned items lying around in inappropriate places -- note to file, all you military folks out there, the dining room table is not the place to leave your new holster, and your spouse will get very tired of stepping over and/or around the inevitable heap of boots.

So it's six months of coffee for one ...