Big flakes, too! They said that it might happen. Poor kids -- snow on Halloween! At least our little neighbor who is dressing up as Olaf the Snowman will be warm. My grandsons are going as the Kratt brothers, so I guess they'll have to layer up under their safari jackets.

No real financial news. I am planning to buy my train ticket this evening in the station, hoping that it will post later so it can go toward my November Discover bill. Tomorrow I'm going with my son's family to Medieval Times, but I'm also going to try to get a haircut, get some laundry done, and check out washer/dryers.

I have more laundry than usual because I found two sweaters my cats had peed on. Last winter I discovered (belatedly) that if I put my sweater drying racks on the floor, they would pee on them. I thought I caught them all, but when I pulled these two sweaters out, they had that distinctive smell. Ugh. Hope I can get it out, after they set all summer. I now use the drying racks on the dining room table, and I tilt them against chair backs, so the cats can't get on them.

I brought in a breakfast sandwich today, but quickly put it in the freezer when I realized there was free breakfast in the break room. Big, soft oatmeal raisin cookies, which I call breakfast cookies! Okay, not the greatest breakfast, but no worse than muffins.

Last night I went to bed early because a pain in my foot was driving me crazy. It is a neuroma, which is a swelling in the nerve or inflammation around the nerve at the base of a toe. It comes and goes. When it's inactive, my foot is fine, but when it's active the pain is excruciating. I took three Advil and tried to read in bed to distract myself. I finally fell asleep and this morning my foot is fine.

It is the same leg in which I suffered the broken ankle -- don't know if there is a relationship, but at any rate, there is no treatment other than pain management.

The social security talk I attended yesterday was very informative. Most of it I knew already, but some things were clarified for me. I learned that if my ex were to die, I would receive somewhere between 75% and 100% of his survivors benefit -- EVEN IF I MARRIED AGAIN! And I wouldn't have to wait till age 66 to collect. Of course, he is healthy as horse, and I don't wish him ill!

I learned that I have three months after retirement to secure my Part B Medicare supplement. (I already have Part A). He advised that I talk to my doctor to see what plans he accepts. I looked on the website, and it looks like Blue Cross/Blue Shield Medicare Advantage would be a good choice.

I learned that I can continue to work after receiving benefits, but my benefits would be reduced if I earned more than $15,480 annually.

All very interesting!