AZERTY?

Zell; hello folks:

Oh, wait, that doesn't look right.  Let's try this again: well, hello folks.  I am test-driving my new French keyboard.  I got sick and tired of copying/pasting the various accents and other alphabetical accoutrements required in French, and found a great deal wireless French keyboard online... super, right?  Well, sort of.  While I can now type accents with ease, the French thought it would be a great idea to switch only a handful of strategically-placed letters.  Goodbye, QWERTY; hello, AZERTY!  Other fun facts about the French keyboard: you have to hit "shift" every time you want to type a period.  Really.  Efficient?  Not so much.  I feel like I need an eighth grade typing class refresher.

In other news... we're moving right along on wrapping up loose ends on American soil.  We sold our RAV-4 today (woohoo!) just 4 days after posting the ad.  Our renters have been settled in our old house for almost 3 weeks now.  The dog and kitty now have their international health certificates, stamped by the USDA and ready for export.  We're posting our last few craigslist items, getting documents notarized for the little one to fly solo with L, and are trying to see as many friends as possible between now and Tuesday.  After being in "wait and see" mode since August, it's surreal to be approaching our leave date so quickly.  We were in the Alberta Arts district of Portland today (near where our home is located) and it's bizarre to think that in mere days, nothing will seem familiar.

Once I depart from PDX early next Wednesday morning, I will still have some familiar faces to see on my way to France.  I have a decently long layover in Montreal on Wednesday afternoon, and will have a chance to celebrate and have dinner with my parents, my brother and his fiancée (see? the accent feature comes in handy!).  Even better?  My flight path goes through Canada so I may even avoid most of the Thanksgiving holiday traffic.  Now if I can just get upgraded to business class...

- E