The day started out slow enough. I was able to sleep in a bit, which I needed to do. (Haven’t slept too well over the last couple of days, due to thoughts about our home situation.)

As I went to the bathroom this morning I was surprised to find I was sharing it with a bird. Somehow a bird had gotten into the house and my parents hadn’t see it. My entering the bathroom spooked it (and me too) and it flew downstairs.

Thus began Operation Bird Brain. First it was downstairs, then it got scared back up to the bathroom, then it seemed to have gone. I pulled at a cabinet and it flew around again. After some furious banging with a broom I was able to get it out of the bathroom and downstairs. (This time I closed the door!)

Once downstairs it was flying around, then decided to, of course, fly behind the entertainment center. So I dragged that away from the corner, TV and all, and swatted at it to get it flying about. It flew to the kitchen and back. Then over to the stairs, trying to go up again.

Finally it went toward the front window and I was able to throw a blanket over it so that I could release it outside. Quite a way to start the morning. We found that it must have gotten in through my parents bedroom, where the air conditioner was still in the window (with gaps in the foam). Needless to say, the A/C got taken out of the window.

After this we headed over to Mike’s house to help with a broken garage door opener. Fortunately it was an easy job, as it looked like a bolt had come loose and been lost. We replaced the remaining bolt, added another, tested, oiled, and it seems to be working again. Thank goodness it was an easy thing; buying a new opener isn’t cheap. It fell like the “good old days” of being a mechanic; working on stuff in the freezing cold, having your fingers freeze up. I love Chicago winters! Get me back to Austin, quick!

Things wound down with a short trip to Target and then lunch at White Castle. After my 5th Slider I was feeling queezy, so cut it off there. Then back home for a bag of microwave popcorn. Healthy eating!

Later on Mike and Erika and Arianna stopped by, visited for a while, and we all went over to their place again for dinner. There is a good taco place nearby (Don Lupe’s) that serves some really good food. Their portion size is amazing. One taco has the meat of 2-3 tacos from normal places, and they are only $1.75 each! A great deal.

Let me put it this way: I was starting to feel full after only two tacos, and almost died after four. They are that full of meat. During all this I had two beers, then some leftover candy, then another beer. Maybe I should have a bacon sandwich before going to bed?