This morning Colorado is experiencing its first really cold day. So, naturally, we have no heat. I'm "in the process of getting organized," so I can't find the furnace file. But hubby remembers what company we use...I call them, and no, we aren't on the 2-year discount plan anymore. It will cost, and we can't afford. But freezing to death is not an option (he wouldn't find it painful, but I would.)
Luckily, a young guy arrives a few minutes later. He has NO personality. As I follow him down to the basement that could be on "Hoarders," (not quite) I'm cringing, hoping he isn't looking and doesn't have the sense of smell I do (we had cats down there for 8 years.) He starts doing his diagnostic thing....talking as if I can hear him. He says it's the motor, but that it looks fairly new, and I mutter, "yeah, I think so," just hoping we won't have to buy one. I can tell he thinks I'm a ditz (what? I'M supposed to know how old my own furnace and its motor is?? What planet is he living on?)
Now he's asking for a bag to put something in. I drag my bones upstairs and down, hand him the bag. I think, as he's putting the burned-out furnace thing into the bag, "that looks like some poor dead animal." Now I'm paying closer attention, because I might need to understand something. And after about a minute of back-and-forth questions (gee, it would be nice if he'd turn around when he talks) it turns out he'd said, "bird," not "burned." 
This is really sad to me. The poor bird had flown into the furnace thing on the roof. I hadn't understood because he'd acted as though it was just a hunk of trash.
So, the deaf old animal nut in her bathrobe and the grouchy young repairman did not hit it off swimmingly...but we do have heat, at least for now, for $119. There may have been some damage to the motor when it was trying to move with the bird stuck in there. A new one would run over $400, so I sure hope not.
Hope everyone else is having a better morning.
Debbie