Until I started shaking hands with American diplomats at the Embassy, I hadn't realized what a truly strange time it was to be in Russia. Almost everyone I talked to was going home. Della Mae had gotten the offer late last year, and we were able to fit it snugly in-between a West and East coast tour. The airline tickets and the money hadn't come through until the last minute, but even then I hadn't realized this trip hung on such thin thread. We played Spaso house the day aft