We went to Berkeley on Presidents’ Day weekend to meet up with my college friend for lunch. Her daughter is just a few weeks younger than Westley, so we got to share our experiences as new parents. We also returned to CB2 to buy the Sidera chair that we’ve been eyeing, and more of the Marta glasses that I’ve become obsessed with. Back home, it’s been off-season for our usual TV shows, so we’ve started looking for new things to watch. Thanks to Netflix’s “Suggested for You,” we’ve kept ourselves entertained with stand-up specials from comedians like Ali Wong, Aziz Ansari, Anjelah Johnson, Dana Carvey, Iliza Shlesinger, John Mulaney, Russell Peters, and Trevor Noah. Last weekend, we also binge-watched the critically-acclaimed first season of Stranger Things. With a minimal budget and a nearly-unknown cast, the supernatural tale set in a small town in the 80’s paid homage to a slew of horror and sci-fi flicks from that period like E.T.. In fact, we had to solve our own mystery this weekend with the appearance of animal droppings beside our house and a strange squeak from our kitchen hood vent. A call to a bird specialist led to the discovery of a new bat infestation in our attic, and an intense bat-catching operation from the vent this afternoon. Faced with the need to get rid of the bats, a massive tax bill, and water damage repairs that insurance refuses to pay for, we’ll need to keep our wallets zipped up tightly for now. Fortunately, I’ll be drowned in NIH grant reviews for study section next week, and I’ve got my parents back in town to help out with the baby.