With the end of October comes something scarier than Halloween: the midway point for my unemployment benefits. This means I've gone thru 3 months of benefits and have just 3 months remaining. No doubt my anxiety level will grow as we get toward year's end.

We had our first snowfall today; it's cold and dreary, very overcast, and has been snowing on and off all day. I haven't been outside, even to get the mail.

As a result, I've done very little today. All I did was:

1. schedule an oil change and new wipers at local garage for next week

2. run the dishwasher

3 called my handyman about something I've been
wanting to get done

4. Had my last talk with the job coach my former employer paid for. I'll still have access (albeit more limited) to their online resources.

I haven't vacuumed, cleaned the bathtub or even read. Or done a hundred other things I could do. Mostly, I frittered away time online.

I want to reduce the amount off food I purchase that's contained in plastic, because BPA is not the only type of plastic harmful to human health. I already use a lot of glass containers to store food in, but there's still a lot I buy that comes in plastic. Like the cereal I like to mix with my own granola. Can't do much about that. I spent some time transferring food stored in plastic bags and put it in glass containers. I need to save more glass containers.

I organized my potentially tax-deductible job search expenses but can easily see how they won't come close to exceeding 2% of my AGI this year; it would be more likely next year becus my income could be lower. My income this year will be in the 60s, I think, so I'd have to have job search expenses in excess of $1200 in order to claim a deduction, and that just won't happen.

I turned the heat up to 64 degrees but am still wearing long underwear. It's chilly in here.