A few more details

We decided to be brave, or daring, or maybe just stupid this morning and get to the embassy on the metro. I studied the google map, so I was pretty sure I could manage it, but still . . . So we got up this morning, called the embassy, and no one answered.  I left a message, and was sitting on the sofa, pleading with God to let today be the day, when the phone rang.  It was the embassy.  They had scheduled us for 2:00 pm, but said we could come at 11:00 if we wanted to.  At this point, I don't wait for anything.  I rudely woke Julia up, told her to get dressed, started dancing around and jumping and singing (or as my kids would tell you, acting like I normally do in the morning).  We walked to the main metro station, rode to what I thought was the correct stop, headed up a street we had never walked up before, and whalla! There was the embassy big as life!  The only hiccup we almost had was the guard had us listed as a 2:00 pm appointment.  I reached across the counter, started slapping him down, handcuffed the rest of them, and ran for the front door.  Okay, not really.  But I told him with some amount of excitement in my voice that Lilia had changed it to 11:00, can you call her? (Buddy?) He looked skeptical, but called Lilia, and then somewhat surprised, smirked and said to go on in, the appointment was at 11:00.  (You better believe we are going in . . . Buddy!). Things ran smooth as clockwork on the inside, where I smiled almost the entire time knowing I was standing on US soil.  There was a brief interview, where Julia had to swear that she didn't lie on her visa application, a couple of papers to sign, and then a brief wait while they physically attached her visa to her passport, and put together a sealed package for us to give immigration as we enter the US.  The entire process, including the beat down of the guards, took less than an hour.  Now for final details.  I paid my apartment bill, confirmed a taxi for 3:00 am, emailed the travel agent to get the airline tickets, bought some special cookies we really like for the trip home, a few extra truffles for a few of you that Libby has special compassion for. We should probably go sight-seeing one more time, but we are wrung out.  Libby is napping, since she did not sleep well last night.  I keep wanting to pack my suitcase and head to the airport.  The word "home" has a whole new, fresh appeal to us right now.