We went to Serendipity for dessert to celebrate mom's midyear review! Yum!!

Harold & Kumar & John & Tom & Stacey go to White Castle

Unfortunately for our coworkers, the three of us visit the Castle frequently!

An email update from a friend in New Orleans

This is an email I received from a friend who just got evacuated from New Orleans, having recently closed on her first house:

Thanks again for all of your emails and phone calls. We do appreciate your thoughts and prayers. A couple of you also have family from the New Orleans area and we are very glad that they are safe as well.

As of last night, after the storm had passed and the initial assessments were done, we were more hopeful that we may still have a house even though it could be very, very wet. However it appears that the situation in New Orleans is only worsening, and at an exponential rate. While the storm is over, the water to continues to rise and areas that were not flooded yesterday are flooded today. Despite the massive amount of water covering the city, fires are breaking out all over. Structures that appeared to be spared are collapsing. Levees that appeared to be holding are being breached. Unlike hard-hit Mississippi which was devastated but today can begin clean-up, New Orleans is only getting worse. Martial Law has been declared in the City of New Orleans... when was the last time that happened - the Civil War? There is no way to re-enter the city and the list of concerns are endless. There is 100% power loss, contaminated water supply, impassable roads and fear of disease because of the breeding mosquitoes and standing water. With the entire area becoming an extension of the swamps there are likely to be alligators, water moccasins and hoards of fire ants in the "streets" and in homes. We're getting information nationally as many of you have seen, and local reports from people in Baton Rouge and others close enough to get local reports. It is difficult to wrap our minds around losing everything, but as we watched people being rescued from their roof tops and hear the reports of bodies floating in the water we know how fortunate we are.

Sorry for the "doomsday" email. This is all a little hard to swallow and we just want to thank you all for your support.

Mina Allman

Looks like Mina Allman is adapting very well to becoming a St. Louisan. Here she is in the St. Louis Zoo parking lot with mama Suz.

Here's His Most Royal Fatness napping on his scratching post. Blending in to the scenery too, wouldn't you say? 

Check out little miss I-can-do-my-OWN-hair! (Actually, she can't.)

We are way funky today! Check out the high tops, baby!! (and we've got BIG BIRD embroidered on our jeans! whoo!)

I just came across this one. This is the first photo ever taken with my new camera phone. This is the perfect embodiment of "Fred, what on Earth are you doing back there?"

CHAOS IN ALLENTOWN! Details at 10...

We bring chaos to Allentown McDonald's!

Yup. It fits. 

Livi testing the capacity of her mouth 

Brendan munches 

The boys are having a grand time! 

Fred and boa at McDonald's for post-Flags ice cream 

Holy crow! We ARE pretty high up! 

We're pretty high up 

Hayden thinks he *might* like this carousel thing...the jury's still out. 

Baby Zoe looks concerned (She's thinking: "this place is just FREAKY!")

Brendan shoots-- he scores! 

The Zychs spend the kids' college tuition on the midway... 

Yup. We sent the adults with the longest legs on this one. 

Ooops! My subjects are catching on that they're being photographed! 

Action shot #3 

Action shot from the carousel #2. Can you tell I got my camera back?
"At last! My arms are complete again!!"**
**50 drachmas to the theater snob who can identify THAT reference!

Fred and Christine-- an action shot from the carousel 

The swings were a big hit, though  

Hayden and Brendan on the airplanes (Livi didn't like the planes quite as much...in the sense that she screamed to be let out mid-way through the ride)