possibly, maybe.

I may survive this cold/flu season yet. And maybe I'll survive this mystery illness that's been hacking away at me since last March. 

I've been unemployed now for four months as of tomorrow. We've adjusted our lifestyle to fit my new and improved budget. I say improved, because we've fixed it so that we have less of what we think we want and more of what we need. The food's better, because we have to plan our meals, and have adjusted our diet accordingly. We spend more on the food, but I spend much less on gas. Currently I'm running through one tank a month. I refinanced my car around September, knowing in advance that it may come down to this, so I earned a better interest rate and a lower payment. We had a lean, but meaningful Christmas. I buy toothpaste at the dollar store, and we finish our leftovers more often, which means I'm even more creative with the food we have instead of being lazy and ordering out. I exercise for fun sometimes, which has the side effect of getting me more healthy. We moved, and with the "no more smoking in the house" rule, the cold outside has effectively cut down my cigarette intake by half. I'd say unemployment has lead me down a better path. Better for my health, better for the environment, and oddly enough, better for my finances.

Having made these adjustments is leading me to a place whereby I can go back to work part-time, and possibly manage to start something to--after 20 years away--continue my education. And having finally met the guy that's completely behind my sometimes unconventional approaches to life and work, I can say with confidence that I'm more than content, if not happy. The wheels are finally in motion. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a long-awaited interview that might place me in just this kind of position. I can only hope that my health continues to improve as I try to get a running start. I'm also hoping my friends, new and old, can send some positive thoughts my way to help keep me moving toward this new chapter. Who knows, maybe it will lead to a bunch of new chapters. The kind I can bind together and hopefully find in a store window someday. And yes, you'll all be obliged to buy a copy, even if it's rubbish. That's what friends are for, right? 


So. What's everyone else planning for the rest of their life?