- The Dude is back in his apartment, wearing a bathrobe, drinking White Russians, and doing some obscure version of tai chi on the rug he stole from the Big Lebowski.
- His answering machine is full of messages about how Walter's outburst may get them kicked out of the bowling league.
- (You might not know what an answering machine is, so we'll explain: it's a box-like device once used by dinosaurs to track missed calls. It was invented in the Paleozoic era, and all but a few were wiped out when an asteroid hit. One of those few, on loan from the Smithsonian, makes an appearance in The Big Lebowski.)
- Back to our story: there's a knock on the door.
- It's The Dude's landlord, who looks a little like a human chipmunk and wants to invite The Dude to see his dance quintet.
- He also meekly asks The Dude to pay his rent, which The Dude probably isn't going to pay.
- The Dude wanders back into his apartment, where the final message on his answering machine is playing.
- It's Brandt, who assures him that he's not calling about the stolen rug. There's been an emergency, and the Big Lebowski needs The Dude's help for some reason.