Today was a busy day of packing, making sure the animals were picked up by their ‘pet sitters’ and having some fun conversations with a few friends.  As I write this, we are missing our animals and the house feels really quite.  Our luggage is packed except for our last minute items we will place in them in the morning, and our transportation to the airport will arrive “dark and early” – before the sun comes up.  Dee and I fly out from Ontario Airport around 6:15 in the morning.  We are both looking forward to a wonderful week filled with new experiences, inspiring speakers, and the joy of the historical event we will witness.  'Nawlins', here we come!