Arachno-Files (Again)

So, I'm here in Georgia while the rest of my family is enjoying city life in Chicago for the next couple of weeks. I've had a bit more time on my hands with them out of town. (Truly it has been amazing to see how much energy caring for two children takes up!)

Anyway, I found another very interesting spider (actually two of them) in our garden. It's another harmless, large spider, but it spins an incredible web. It "writes" on the web, making something called a stabilimentum, which you can see in the picture above. I've found a fun web site called What's That Bug?, so I'm trying to become an amateur spider spotter in my newfound free time. I'm sure it'll be a short-lived hobby.

So, enjoy our crazy spiders. I hope you'll hear something about the family soon, but that will have to come from the Chicago bureau.

The Big 3-0

So...I turned 30 on Sunday. I haven't been afraid of turning thirty, so I was just looking forward to having a fun day with family and friends. When I arrived at my office, I found that some church friends had wreaked a little havoc. It was their way of welcoming me to the "Dark Side."

We spent the evening together with some other friends having a barbecue. I believe that this is the first barbecue we've had since we left Princeton, and it was so nice to hang around a grill with some fun people while the kids wore themselves out. It sure helps us feel more at home to be doing something we used to do so regularly at Princeton.

Jess had been hard at work on a gift for me, and I can say that I was very surprised at the present. Let's just say that I have one more chance to visit Yankee Stadium before they tear it down. I'm in shock. It's nice to feel loved.