Another Fedex package arrived today, quite unexpectedly. It contained my first severance cheque. I hadn't expected the cheque until sometime after mid-month, and thought it would arrive via snail mail. So, it was a welcome surprise.

Apparently there were newspaper reporters at the orientation meeting yesterday, unbeknownst to me. Several of the people who attended the meeting were quoted in today's newspaper, and their comments did not make me feel any more at ease. In essence, they indicated that the job market was pretty much in shambles at the moment, and that new jobs would be hard to come by. I have already applied to the local position I spoke of yesterday, but I have yet to apply to the other position. I think that will be tomorrow's job.

In the meantime, the painter is making short work of the inside work. The patch work was completed yesterday, and today, he managed to put the first coat of paint on the basement, staircase, and bedroom walls. Unfortunately, there's a bit of a problem... it means leaving doors open that are usually left closed, and I'm finding it hard to restrain the cat's curiosity now that she's discovered the new rooms. One of these rooms is my office. All my stuff is strewn about, and it's certainly no place for a cat. Worse, however, is that the dogs can follow her into this room, and corner her. When cornered, she tends to claw and spray. Yuck. I don't need that kind of mess in my office...