Cross country and the opera

So, I thought that I would write my second official blog post to say that we are leaving tomorrow morning, at 8'o'clock, to begin our ~3 day trip to Greeley.  It's somehow reassuring to think that someone might know these details of my life...I'm writing, on the one hand, to legitimate my blog and, on the other, to convey an important piece of information.  I think the Ferguses in Ethel told me to leave my anxiety with them, but I doubt that I did that.  I am nervous, at least because my car is packed so completely.  But for some reason, I keep thinking on the opera Carmen, and it's making me feel loads calmer.  I saw a performance of this with Aunt Jo Ann and Mimi at Perkins Rowe in Baton Rouge the night before I left to come back to Oxford, MS, with Elina Garanca as Carmen, who, for me, made the entire performance, as a witty, joyful, daring, and slightly...unpredictable? character.  (A review here, if you are interested: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/02/arts/music/02carmen.html.)  But okay, so perhaps I'm thinking about her, Verdi's Desdemona, Britten's King Oberon, as always, Man of la Mancha's Dulcinea, and plenty of other characters who have found a place in my heart.  All of the operatic ones, at least.  So, on that note (ha ha ha), please keep us in your thoughts while we're driving!  More later...