I found out this morning that the first couple to make an offer did NOT respond to my counter offer on time. So, if the second couple comes through on the paperwork, I can legally accept their offer without repercussions.

Another couple went through the house today and I thought they might make an offer as well. As of yet, they haven't, but tomorrow is another day. I'll have to call the lawyers in the morning to sort out just which offers are in play.

And on the job front, one of the companies that had called me has backed out of the hunt. Apparently, there are a few less-senior people also unemployed that are willing to take less money, and do not present the same obstacles (vis-a-vis obtaining work visas) as I do. So, that's one opportunity gone. The other local opportunity is still there, and they will be forwarding my qualifications to a potential client within the week. I'm not counting my chickens, since there are also others with my qualifications available for this position as well. The disappointment I felt today will help light a fire under me to start independent consulting again, so that my future is put back into my own hands.

On the vehicle front, my wife took her car for pre-handoff inspection, and the snarky dealership inspector tried to bully her into making unnecessary repairs to her vehicle. My wife's got very low mileage on her vehicle and treats the damn thing like family. Except for a couple of stone chips (not exactly something she has control over), the car is in mint condition. The dealer is angry that my wife has complained to the company about the poor service she has received, and this is the dealer's last opportunity to screw her over. It won't work. I have taken photos of the vehicle, in case they try to dummy up evidence of abuse.

Also on the vehicle front, we went shopping today for a cheap but reliable new car. We settled on the Toyota Echo - a little car that gets 50 mpg on the highway, and 38 mpg in the city. I'm not quite sure how we managed, but she managed to qualify for a lease on her salary alone.

On the unemployment insurance front, things may have begun to turn around. I placed my call to the automated system today, and found that my SSN was no longer accepted. On a whim, I tried to call a different number (which had been sent to me a couple of days ago when the cross-border application came). That number not only worked, but it recognized my SSN and login password - which means my account has been transferred from the office where I applied, over to the "out of state" bureau. That's the first good news I've received about UI payments.