Oh yeah.., I forgot to mention that the spider got bent, too, so that's why I had to throw it out. I didn't get any photos of the chainring, but it was folded somewhat neatly in half along that 3-4" section. Alignment could have had something to do with it, I suppose. It happened when I started to pedal harder.
The crank was never 100% straight. I had only ridden about fifty miles on it. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the metal of the chainrings was kind of soft.
Well.., on to something better.