March 19, 2014.

It snowed overnight.

Sigh.

Mother Nature is apparently confused, as you can see by today's date.

Our very old snowman, new snow.

There was new animal activity overnight by the bird feeders. Mom says it's the time of the year when the raccoon families emerge from where ever it is that they have been all winter and completely devour every last seed in the cedar feeder. She's warned me not to fill that feeder late in the afternoon, because the masked bandits will consume every last seed by morning.  

The raccoon tracks led from the feeder around the front of the house, across the front steps, down the front sidewalk, past the garage doors, across the lawn and into the woods. The raccoon apparently encountered another animal whose tracks we couldn't quite determine as well as the occasional bird. I'm sure, though, that they are used to crossing paths (literally) with other creatures when they are out and about, just as we wouldn't find it unusual to pass by another human.

Tracks in the newly fallen snow.

$37.19.

That's what the repair of my 4-Runner cost.  I LOVE my mechanic (love, of course in the most "he's my mechanic and he repaired my sole form of transportation very cheaply" sort of way.) I think I'll keep him.

The Internet. Ah, yes, the Internet.

I went online (back at the Public Library, of course) and increased my data plan for my cell phone, from 4 to 6...up to 10 GB.  That's a lot of data. The 10 GB plan claims that you can send 10,000 emails (I send slightly fewer...), listen to 30 hours of music and watch 20 hours of video.  My use doesn't come anywhere near those figures, but I didn't think I came anywhere near the figures listed for 4 GB either.  The 4 GB plan boasts 2,000 emails, 15 hours of music and 8 hours of video, and I seem to use that up with regularity, although I would note, for the record, that I don't listen to music, nor do I watch videos. I send emails (not thousands) and I surf the web...job sites.

I increased my data plan so that I can use my cell phone as a hotspot and access the Internet at Mom's that way.  Rather than trying to bury a cable, dig a hole through the permafrost for a satellite pole or clear cut the Black Walnut trees in the backyard for a "clear view of the southwestern sky," I decided to spend the extra money on the shared data plan I already have and see IF that will meet my temporary needs. 

We'll see.

I applied for another position today...online. I am extremely overqualified for it, but it happens to be at the organization that I have dreamed of working with since I was practically a child; and have since, as a grown professional, applied to for a couple of different positions. The salary that goes with that "1 to 3 years of experience position" is probably unworkable for a single parent in DC, but we'll soon be out of money and I have do something. 

I'm not desperate.

I'm not panic stricken.

I'm just thinking that I should cast a wider net and see what I catch.

I also went online at healthcare.gov and applied for coverage for Harry and I, adding to the surreal experience that unemployment has become day to day.  Because I have no income, no unemployment benefits and no other source of money, we would possibly qualify for free healthcare, but the state of Wisconsin has to decide that based on the information that I provided through the system today.  We'll know in 30 days. That, of course is beyond the mandated deadline of coverage by March 31, but allowed because of our current state of affairs.

I have a second interview, another video chat, next week. 

Fingers crossed.

It's just life as usual these days...only...everything in it, is not as usual.

Everyone needs a hug sometime.