Back in Charm City!

Montino and I have made it to Baltimore! The drive was gorgeous and easy. By going straight south for 9 hours, we literally drove from the last dregs of harsh winter into the glories of mid-spring! Trees blossomed and sprouted leaves in a matter of hours, the grass went from gravel-brown to lush green and what was barren landscape became young fields. It was like when you're flying cross-country and you witness the sun rising or setting in accelerated fashion. I would highly recommend it, especially when the side you end up on is all goodness and light!

To head off your first question, the answer is: he was a prince. He obtained one quarter of a two cheeseburger meal somewhere in Pennsylvania and spent the rest of the trip sleeping it off. Indeed, if your next question pertains to how Monty is adjusting to being back in the country of his origin, here is the answer in photographic form:
He totally doesn't give a crap where he is as long as there is A) food, B) a comfortable place to sleep, and C) one or more of his people around.

His people include not only E and me but also MMS, AIB, and, of course, his favorite person of all-time, mfree. Indeed, one of the best things about the drive between the 'Twa and Balto is that the halfway point is Binghamton, NY, known far and wide as Home of Mfree. Through dramatic glances, Monty kept saying, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" all the way to Bingbong.

He would not be disappointed. Mfree has scored some awesome digs until August and we enjoyed a one night convalencense in Bingo, becoming reacquainted with Pumpkin, whatever the cat is called, and BunBun the Bunny.
Mfree also took us to her office on campus and I can honestly say that it is the most tricked out academic office I have ever witnessed (and I've seen some shit in other people's offices, let me tell you, including breast pumps, exercise bikes, flip-and-fucks, full-on couches, microfilm readers, and three-monitor setups):

The minute I walked into it, I started laughing uncontrollably and she said, "WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!?!" And then she said, "Oh, well, I guess the drapery is a bit much." It's not just drapery, it's a luxury windowsill for dogs that eighteenth-century nabobs would envy. There's also a mini-fridge stocked with bubbly water of several varieties and every corner of the office has delicious snacks (fruit roll-ups and white cheddar popcorn) stashed somewhere. If this was my office, people would only see me when I left it to go to the bathroom. In other words, I would become Lazlo Hollyfeld (as played by Jon Gries in the 1985 cable-favorite and early Val Kilmer klassic Real Genius).
We also took the dogs for a giant walk up a ridiculously steep hill and Monty ran like the hunter he is through the woods, discovering a deer. The deer actually lost its shit upon being discovered and bounded away from the tiny warrior -- Monty has had a sparkle in his eye ever since.
Monty is the indecipherable white dot in the very center of this photo. He's on the hunt. Also, this pic tots reminds me of Silence of the Lambs.

The Mfree stopover might have had something to do with the Sleeping-Like-He's-Completely-Exhausted pic of Montoya I uploaded at the beginning of this entry.

But we're here!!! Balto update to follow but suffice it to say: YES!!! I LOVE IT HERE!!!