OOHNINE

Since I just pulled OOHNINE as my first set of letters in a game of Scrabble (in that order), I thought that tonight would be an appropriate time to make my first post to this blog. Actually, unless you consider Facebook a blog, I really haven't posted to a blog before.

Anyway, I recently came back from a month-long trip to Israel (2.5 wk), London (1 wk), and Boston (3 days) with Amy. I met tons of her relatives and we took some pretty cool trips in our tiny rental car (look up Hyundai Getz--I'm surprised I even fit in it), including to the Dead Sea and Jerusalem. We also went up to the Galilee and Golan Heights with one of Amy's grandma's cousins, who is a former Israeli military bigshot and knows pretty much everyone in the North. Fun stuff. Other highlights included an outdoor, free, concert for Tel Aviv's centennial featuring La Scala from Milan and a shelter for 700 cats and a few dogs.

London was also excellent and included a 5-foot-tall green rabbit holding a trash can whose ears lit up when you throw something in, as well as the Great British Beer Festival, featuring over 450 ales, mostly from Great Britain. In Boston we did some shopping for furniture and lamps and stuff for my new apartment in Back Bay, went on the Swan Boats, took a Duck Tour, and generally hung out as well.

I'm starting work the day after Labor Day, which is coming up fast, and I'm very excited. I may post some pictures of the apartment once I'm moved in and it's pretty much set up, but I'm currently in Chicago until 9/1. Anyone who's in town and wants to see a movie or a baseball game or something, let me know!