School's Out! New Shoes, Itty Bitty Birdies, and Spanish Tortillas

A brief glimpse at my first few days of life without school...

Flip flops! Because now that I'm not either perpetually going to or coming from class, I can actually where something other than clogs. Hey, did you know it's summer?

Side note: I have to mention that this is actually my first ever pair of flip flops. I know! First! Ever! Crazy! As you may or may not know, I grew up in the Midwest where there was a distinct lack of what you might call "beaches." And lake shores are NOT to be confused with beaches. Lake shores tend to be very different beasts requiring such sturdy footwear as Teva Sport Sandals and Water Moccasins and what not.

So no, aside from the occasional shower flip flop, these are in fact my first. Fancy!

We're not sure what this guy's story is, but after a heavy rain a few days ago, the Engineer and I found him (her?) in our holly berry bush. He seemed a little...confused. This impression was mostly based on the fact that he (she?!) allowed me to bring my camera within inches of his personal space.

The Engineer was quite concerned that something was wrong and that we should do something. We found a wounded baby bird in front of his house a few weeks ago that ended up dying and I think it affected him more than he let on. Cuz he's a softy, but doesn't like to admit it.

There didn't seem to actually be anything wrong with this bird, though, so we decided to let it be. We checked a few hours later and he wasn't there anymore. Phew!

This was one of the first 'new' meals I've made at home since starting school. This past year, I've depended on a rotation of tried-and-true, make-it-in-my-sleep recipes to sustain me. It's fun to page through cookbooks again for the sheer enjoyment of it.

"This" is actually a Spanish tortilla (what, you can't tell?). Not exactly the most shining example of my new chef skillz, but whatever. I'm tired. It's potatoes, caramelized onions, and cheese in an eggy custard, kinda like a frittata. Exactly like a frittata, actually. Only with a Spanish tortilla, instead of putting it under the broiler to finish cooking, you do this flip thing so that it finishes cooking.

Anywho, it may not look like much, but it was mighty tasty!
So that's what I'm up to these days! Oh, and also sleeping. I've been sleeping a lot. It's like I've been running a marathon or something. Huh!