Planes and Parakeets

I'm now back in the United States for a few weeks, after a trip from Israel that was disrupted due to severe storms in Chicago that ultimately led me to ditch United for Amtrak. Israeli security also did their usual thorough job investigating me, this time going through each of my possessions individually and having me remove my pants so they could properly examine my rear end.

Some time ago my parents got a parakeet named Smurfy, who's proving a delightful addition to the family. They don't believe in clipping wings, so they tamed her using just millet and other positive reinforcements, and now you can let her out of her cage and she just flies around the house, which is nice and makes a breeze when the weather is warm.