Our good friend Erin has moved on to greener (or actually, given the fact that Laos is tropical, less green) pastures. She PCS'd today (permanent change of station. I think it's a military term, but is used in the FS too sometimes). She's on her way to a month of home leave in California, then to DC for some training, including a brush up in French, and will ultimately end up in Paris for her next assignment in September. We'll miss her. We find solace, however, in the fact that her replacement, Dan, is a great guy (and a poker player). Dan is on his second tour, having served in Seoul previously. He's here with his wife Dana and their three kids (who are currently going to bed at 4 pm and getting up at 1 am). Tomorrow (Sunday) Katherine and I are having a barbecue at our house to welcome Dan and some other new faces in the Embassy attached to JPAC (Mil POW/MIA folks) and the Centers for Disease Control (the ever present AI threat). I'm off to the South on Tuesday for a UXO trip. Back on Thursday, hopefully with some good pictures and stories.