Another Month of Internet and the New Normal

I've got the money (I think) for another month of Internet, courtesy of an old friend and a big bag of cans to turn in for the nickel deposit.  I know I should disconnect and save even that money for food, cat food, gas and vet expenses. I need to live within my means and I've always been  too poor to pay for Internet.

I should cut it off today.   The library is only a few miles away and open most days.  I can use their net access computers.  I am just being lazy to try to hodgepodge together money for more months of home access.

But I have a gift of one more month promised me by an old friend.  And the can collection pile growing for a possible second month more.  In two months, comcast jumps the price for Internet only, as my "deal" ends, by about $25.  I think its crazy there are no options here other than comcast and the phone company.  I tried the phone company.  They said the lines where I live have never been upgraded but they still charge a lot for really super slow Internet.  Those prices you see them quote on TV ads?  Those are only good if you bundle and don't include costs of local taxes or modem rental fees.

I don't mind picking up cans and turning them in.  The only downside are the can machines at the stores.  Many don't work or jam quickly and make returning cans quite a frustration.

Now that I know I'll never be going with phone company Internet, I will disconnect my land line.  I don't use it.  The phone I have for it barely works.  It rattles inside from being dropped a few too many times.  When it rings, I give it a shake to answer.  It's quirky like everything else here.  And like me.

I was going to disconnect the land line yesterday, since that will give me quite a decent budget lift to use for internet.  Then I remembered first I need to report a change of phone number to everybody and their sister and some of those I must report the change to are closed due to shutdown government agencies.  I'll send a letter.  Like that will ever be seen or fall into the right hands.  I'll keep a copy, so I can prove I did indeed report a change as required.  There, that'll be my strategy.

I think my neighbor is getting bored.  She's been furloughed due to government shutdown.  She figured it would last a couple of days when it happened.  Now I don't think she is that optimistic.

I've heard gory tales and fairy tales about what might happen if the government doesn't increase the borrowing limit, including that SS checks would not be sent.  Is this true?  The fairy talers scoff and say the government has plenty of money and won't run out, as the gory talers say, right away.  The fairy talers include the tea party members currently holding the country hostage.  The gory talers include the other side, poking at the fairy talers with their gory tales of people like me, starving, being unable to pay rent and forced to the streets.

The truth?  I don't have any idea.  Denial is my best friend now.

I don't mind having no regular TV.  I don't have to hear these things so much.
I don't think I'd mind being disconnected further either.

I think I'd adjust rapidly and be better able to live.

I do like my happy cat world.  I do not like those unhappy mean politicians intruding into it with their bloody yelling rants and blame games.

They must not have cats to hug.  Or something.

Just wanted to let everyone know--am still connected, and if all goes well, I will be for two more months.  There is no way I can pay the price comcast wants per month for only internet after "the deal" ends, however.

But I live in the day, so right now, I'm a happy smiling person because I'm still connected today.

An asteroid could smash into the earth by the time I can no longer afford comcast, in two months.  Or lots of other things could happen, like say comcast could get a heart and charge affordable prices, something like that.  You just never know.

For today, it's all good.

I should add its not all good.  There's some person involved with a property that was foreclosed on just outside Lebanon, off highway 20, where over 50 cats, a good share of them kittens, were left behind by the person who was foreclosed on.  Unfixed of course. Walked off and left them.  This other person is trying to save some of them.  The people who have bought the property don't want any cats left there.  There is no money for spay neuter or anything in this valley currently.  There are no fixing nonprofits or groups who fix cats here.  There are zero options to help, outside of Safehaven vouchers, of which you can get four per year, to get cats fixed at participating clinics.  You pay $25 per voucher.  That won't help in such a huge situation, created apparently by one person.

An old couple also called, whom I had helped before.  Five more kittens were dumped off by the driveway.  The old couple doesn't live there, just has a shop there and they're in their mid 80's.  They called hoping I could get them fixed, at least, but I can't and I had to tell them that and that I'd see if I could come up with any other option.  But I can't. There's nothing.