Cavanaugh family evacuated

My wife and kids are (according to our most recent phone conversation) on a plane from Cyprus to the United States now. They made landfall on the disputed Greco-Turk island early in the morning Sunday and boarded a plane very late that night.

I have to wait for the first-hand account, but in my experience, trying to make arrangements with various hotlines in Cyprus, Lebanon and the United States all week, I can say one thing: The United States government has done a bang-up job with this evacuation. There were the predictable half-days of busy signals, incomplete and/or incorrect information, and circular patterns of deferral from one hotline to the next and back to the first, but every person I've spoken with has been courteous, helpful, and as informative as it was possible to be under the circumstances. Mrs. Cavanaugh, not to mention the kids, may have a different story, but I have no complaints with the Departments of State and Defense over this matter.

Every time I reveal details of my personal life I feel like the hero of the great Stephen King story "Survivor Type," so I'm finished with sharing now. That having been said, I appreciate all the well-wishes, thank you sincerely for your concern, and hope you can spare some good thoughts for the many people who remain stuck in this terrible situation.