Still, there's not a single mild day in sight. I'm tired of being cold day after day, but I don't dare raise the thermostat. If I haven't screwed up my bookkeeping, I'll be starting the new year with thirty dollars in the bank— not enough to risk having a higher gas bill. If I have screwed up my bookkeeping, there might be even less, and I would be at risk of having an overdraft if I send in the payment for the property taxes before January. 2013 could be the year when I finally have to give up cable television. I might not be able to afford it anymore.
I'm a bit disappointed that the Mayans turned out to be wrong. Annihilation would have been very economical for me, and I wouldn't be cold anymore. But I'm sure Portia would .disagree with me. The cold doesn't seem to bother her, and she's clearly enjoying her life. Right now she's giving herself an after-dinner bath at the corner of my desk, and shedding fur onto my keyboard. What could be more fun than that?
