Back in Austin. Will edit this post later, after I've recovered enough to recover the details of the fiasco.

"Always look on the bright side of life"

Yay for Monty Python!
Anyway, I'm looking at the positive side of spending Christmas Eve in Moscow...
1) I just woke up to gently falling snow - the beginnings of my first real white Christmas. If I had left on Friday, I would have missed what I really wanted - fresh snow. I mean, what's Russia in December without snow?!
(to be continued later - right now I'm off to play on Old Arbat).