Being out of work gives me an opportunity to get out of house without being so tied down to the telephone. I visited my sister-in-law today (she had called yesterday, but I had been too busy writing my resume to take time to listen). She had a bit of a problem with her email. It didn't take too long to clear up. For someone with very limited exposure to computers, I've been pleased with her grasp of the internet; and now she's planning to register for some online training courses. Good for her.

As if we needed any more bad news about finances, we got a call from the bank where we had been preapproved for our car loans. Because of the expected rapid rise in interest rates in Canada, the loan officer said he no longer had the authority to lock in the rates he had quoted us for the 100 day period originally offered. The loan officer's discretionary limit had been cut back to only a 30-day guarantee. I guess that means the banks are expecting interest rates (and mortgage rates) to rise rapidly in the short term. By withdrawing the preferred rate, we probably wouldn't be able to afford two new cars even if I got a job (I'm assuming there's no way I will be able to find something in the same salary range I had previously enjoyed), so this puts an unofficial end to our quest for two cars. So, it's time to look at plan 'B' - a decent quality used vehicle as our sole means of transportation. It sure would be nice if we could get our deposits back, but it's not the dealership's fault that I lost my job. I won't be holding my breath.