Dog and Pony Show

Noun: an often elaborate public relations or sales presentation; also :  an elaborate or overblown affair or event (http://www.merriam-webster.com/)

Steve and Joel left yesterday, and as I type this, are on their way to Peoria on the bus from Chicago. Their trip back did, indeed, start with a dog and pony show. Or perhaps, more correctly, a dog, pigeon and pony show, outside our building as we waited for our ride:

My wonderful colleague, Paola stopped by to pick us up so we wouldn't have to call a taxi to get from our apartment to the bus terminal. (She even took me up to school after, so I didn't have to get a colectivo, so sweet of her!)

 Waving bye, behind the window that would soon shatter:

Yup, that's right, when I talked to Steve at the airport in Santiago yesterday evening, he said the trip was OK except at the end when a truck drove into Joel's window. I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't. Thank God it was a fairly low-speed hit, and that safety glass was invented. I'm sure Steve will have something to say about this in his blog in a few days, once he recovers from a long, long trip. Bus at 3 p.m. from Viña to Santiago. Flight on LAN from Santiago to Miami, left at 10:55 p.m., (about 8 1/2 hours) customs in the morning, time to kill in the airport, Miami to Chicago (4 hours?), rush to get bags and make it to the 1:20 p.m. bus to Peoria. They are almost to Peoria as I post this. Welcome home! xoxoxoxoox