Back to reality...

News from corporate headquarters continues to be bleak. While I have yet to receive any official notice of impending layoff, I continue to prepare for the worst. Meanwhile, since the announcement of layoffs, the stock market has deemed that my employer's company is not worth investing in. The value of the company has fallen nearly 40% in just the past four trading sessions. As I have always done, through any fluctuation in the market, I will hold on to the shares I own (it's not like my entire retirement is tied to this company - I own very few shares).

I visited my sister yesterday to help her pick out a CD-burner for her computer. While there, I gave her some idea of what we've been going through. She, too, has been recently shopping for a new car, and today, offered me first shot at her existing vehicle - essentially free of charge, except for the cost to get it running properly. It's a generous offer - one I may be forced to accept, if things turn out for the worst. Tomorrow, I'll be going over again to install the new drive. She had offered to pay me (even before I told her about the job situation), but there's no way I would have accepted payment for such a favour.