Day 1 - To Monroe, LA

We did it -- we finally got everything packed up and left our first home.

It wasn't easy, and it wasn't fast. The good news, though, is that everything fit. As an added bonus, we found out from the preperty manager that we've got somebody willing to sign a lease starting mid-September. That was very encouraging.

The trip to Monroe, La., was blessedly uneventful. Instead of the Mapquest-recommended route going north to Dallas and then taking I-20 east, I took a northeasterly path toward Marshall. It might not have been along the fastest roads, but it worked out fine.

The Residence Inn there is in a great location -- right next to a mall. It's a shame we didn't get there earlier; it would have been nice to let the kids run around inside.

And if there's one thing I've learned, it's never to volunteer for duty at Fort Polk.  Louisiana is *humid.*