Once again I am passing through Chicago, but this just connecting through.  The writing-and-medicine conference went swimmingly, although Abraham Verghese did not attend, which made it decidedly less amazing.  But I mustered up the courage to read a poem and an excerpt from a short story at a well-known bookshop, and nobody hissed, so I guess it went about as well as can be expected.  It was five minutes of terror, with the added delight of larygitis making it barely possible to finish reading.  When I was done and all the adrenaline departed my body I practically collapsed on my way back to my seat.  But I made it.  And today we ran our workshop, which also went well.  Now it's back home via Chicago.  I won't land at home until night, and then another half-hour or forty-five minutes until home-home.  But oh, well.  I also wrote a poem during the conference of which I am not ashamed.  I may post it tomorrow when I unpack.

I do have baby news, though, which warrants posting.  Our surrogate and donor both had their baseline ultrasounds, and everything is going (tfu tfu tfu) according to plan.  Maybe this will actually work out!

For now I will end with this brief posting as we will board our plane soon.  More details to follow.