Last Thursday, our family went to a free carnival put on for grad students and their families. It had everything a carnival ought to have -- carnival food, face painting, bean tosses, stuffed animals -- without any of the things that make carnivals not so great -- dirty, dark, expensive, creepy, loud, crowded, etc. Capta Nerica. As we were leaving, the organizers of the activity asked if we'd like a balloon. We looked at everything we would have to manage to get on and off the bus in the drizzly, windy night -- a stroller, baby in the car seat, new teddy bear, balloon animal Spiderman, diaper bag -- and said, "Sure." Well, we made it, and even our balloons made it too. This was great news, but it also meant that Jim had to suffer the disappointment of watching his balloon lose its helium. It's like what Harvey Dent said in Batman* -- "You either lose your balloon in the sky or it lasts long enough to become really lame." No offense, peg-leg