We haven’t had as much snow, but it’s been miserably cold. I had started to say a few months back that this winter was snowier, but warmer than last winter - no way! This winter didn’t get as cold temperature-wise, hitting down at 7 degrees versus -7 degrees like last year, but last year the average high was in the 40s and this year it’s been in the 30s or lower. We’ve had way more days this year where it didn’t even get over freezing. I hate it here! At least it’s quiet. And thank God for this wonderful bed setup and the air cleaner being so much louder than the fan! Never have I had such a good daytime sleeping aid. You know you do when UPS, FedEx, and the regular mailman can practically knock on your head yet you sleep right through it. The air cleaner sits on the shelf that’s attached to the bed frame, so it vibrates loudly.

I just went to dump the trash and saw a gray car parked next door that I don’t think I’ve seen before and I’m like - not again! I do not want two cars living over there. They’re asleep right now. She still does most of her coming and going from 11 PM - 3 AM. I assume this is to pick up her mail, get junk food, and visit with others on disability.

I was glad to hear Tom say that the orders at work are picking up once again. The busier he is, the less likely he is to get let go. They let people go like crazy there, so he says. I would hope that God wouldn’t allow this to happen after watching us suffer through enough hardships. If he got let go, sure we could survive till he got another job, but gone would be all our extra money. See, there’s what I hope for and there’s what I expect. I hope to either win big or for him to get a huge raise or partnership or both, but I still expect to be poor and in noisy environments for the most part. I want to go to California and warm up, but I don’t want to deal with the noise, yet at the same time, I want to stay in this cold little dump where it’s quieter and where we have extra money for fun stuff.

The new cage is great. Not too big, not too small, and definitely escape-proof! I wish I’d gotten this cage from the get-go.

I’m up two pounds since I had to go and make a pig of myself two days ago. I had over 2000 calories. I don’t know why I have days like that where I’m absolutely famished and nothing I eat satisfies me. Next time I’ll wish I could binge till I puke. That’ll disgust me enough to kill even my worst hunger pains.

Since the Claritin hasn’t been working as well, I’m going to take a week or so off from it, see how I do, then see if returning to it renews its kick after having gotten it out of my system. I just got too used to it.

I’m reading a Dean Koontz book. He’s one of the best writers ever. The only thing I don’t like about him is the way he glorifies blacks and Hispanics and makes them out to be hard-working people.

This weekend we’ll be signing me up at a survey site. I’ll be one hard-working woman so long as they send me the surveys to take. I’ll try to milk it for every penny I can!