I didn’t participate in the $4.99 special Popeye’s ran last week. Judging from the news reports that may have been the best thing. Last thing I need is to get stabbed over someone being angry over Popeye’s running out of dark meat.

But, I’ve been trying to get up on all of the free meal offers several different chains are running this week.

On Tuesday, I swung by KFC trying to get me a free piece of grilled chicken. I was hoping that instead of using [my] meat, I could take their piece of chicken and eat with it some brown rice and veggies. Bam: instant meal.

Too bad I decided to go right when the middle school down the street let out. Apparently growing kids don’t miss out on free meals. I can’t be completely mad at that. I weigh half of what I did in junior high.

Yesterday, I finally struck gold at El Pollo Loco. They weren’t giving away just one raggedy piece of chicken (I’ve learned via Twitter that some locations were far more generous than others). No, they were giving away two pieces of flame-grilled chicken with a tortilla and salsa.

I rolled up there around noon after the gym and stood in a long line. Yes, I stood in a line for free chicken. Am I embarrassed? Do I feel like I was perpetuating a stereotype? No and no. If either answer offends you, fight the power, pass me your drumstick.

Now is not the time to be passing up a free meal. Even if I did manage to have groceries at the house, that doesn’t mean I’m going to turn down a restaurant’s offer to feed me for free.

My brother joked that it’s very likely that I consumed rabbit or pigeon yesterday. Well, I ate rabbit as a child and pigeon sounds like it’s less fattening than regular chicken. I still feel vindicated.

Am I willing to eat anything for free? Not necessarily. Tomorrow Domino’s is giving away their bread bowl pasta to in-store customers from 11-2 today.

Yeah, I ate hundreds of slices of their pizza as a kid, but bread + pasta = stroke. I’ve already told you all that I lost my health insurance on my birthday. I can’t fool around with stuff like that.

Then again, it is free. But if that’s too much for you, look out for Baskin Robbins. It's holding its third annual 31 Cent Scoop Night from 5 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

So c’mon now, am I the only one who’s gotten in on the free grub? Don’t tell me you’re too proud to get in on a free meal.

That’s not recession-friendly.

E-mail me at therecessiondiaries@gmail.com.