Reset Forty-Nine, Day Two Hundred Fifty-One

The all gray day got wet as I slept, and after getting up around three in the afternoon I put off going out to the mailbox, in hope that there would be a letup in the rain, but there wasn't, so about half past five I put on the thicker slippers and opened my umbrella and splashed out to the empty box as the day blustered and leaked. The disappointment was but mild, considering that anything that had been in that box for upwards of two hours would have been soaked, and I'd rather get nothing than get something important but ruined.

As it was the last of the month I diddled about with the banking and got caught up on that, and calculated that December was a somewhat costly month. The hefty winter utility bill was part of that, but I also got a bit extravagant at the grocery stores, partly due to some stocking up I did, which might make February a bit easier on the finances, depending of course on how cold it gets. I wouldn't be surprised to get my first triple-digit utility bill since moving into this fairly small and quite well insulated apartment. Neither would I be surprised not to. February is simply too unreliable.

Of course extravagance could rear its head by other means, namely some irresistible opportunities to get stuff I really want really cheap. In fact I've already done that once this month when I came across a good deal on some usually very pricey tea I want to try. It was actually still pricey, but considerably less so than usual, and I was unable to resist the opportunity, which had clearly been put in my way by some divine personage, or equally capricious random chance, neither of which it is safe to ignore, as long as one adopts a superstitious outlook long enough to rationalize the purchase one really wants to make, damn the consequences. Anyway, the tea is set to be delivered a week from Friday (I did not spring for expedited shipping) thus giving me an incentive to not die in the meantime, as though I had so much control over such an inevitability.

For the nonce the rain is somewhat abated, but will surely return off and on all day today, and through coming days. This afternoon might bring thunderstorms, always a displeasure (despite the fact that I enjoy the sound of the thunder itself) due to the threat of power outages and surges. I'm also enduring a bit of a non-acidic stomach ache at the moment, which is not one of life's greater pleasures. I have no idea what brought it on, as dinner was some three hours ago and all I've eaten since is a single square of chocolate with almonds, which has never precipitated such and event previously, so I'm just going to assume that it is the onset of stomach cancer. I don't believe stomach cancer kills very rapidly, so there's a good chance I will get to try the costly tea I've ordered. Thank heaven for small mercies. And rain.