It's the little things

So, we've crossed the border. As of this morning, we're officially living in a world where there isn't enough oil to go around.

Things are getting tenser here as we finally start to feel the squeeze. People smile less at strangers; they don't offer to help as much. Everyone has little worry lines on their foreheads these days, and even the places where we traditionally go to relax, like coffee houses and farmers' markets, are filled with a sense of uncertainty and fear. The farmers' markets are especially bad. You can see everyone wondering when the farmers will decide that it costs too much to drive their produce into town, leaving us to the tender price-fixing mercies of the chain grocery stores. I don't think it will happen soon--I hope it won't happen soon--not with the prices farmers can charge for their vegetables these days, but there will come a time when no one will be able to afford the price they'll have to charge just to break even with the cost of driving.

I told my landlord today that I was moving out at the end of the month, and I gave my two weeks' notice at work. Quitting work was a lot easier than moving out, it turned out. My landlord was furious. "How am I supposed to find someone else to move in with the way things are now?" he shouted at me. He's always been kind of excitable, but I've never seen him this angry. He's retired, and I guess our rent must be his major source of income. I feel sorry for him, but I won't be able to afford rent if I also have to pay to commute into the city. My boss just looked concerned and asked if I had another job lined up. "There aren't a lot of jobs to go around right now, the way the economy's tanking," she said. I guess I hadn't thought about that. I've got a couple of interviews lined up, so I'll hope one of them works out.

It's still so strange to me the way the smallest things in my life are affected. I decided that one thing I could easily do to reduce my consumption and save money was to make food at home and bring it to work or school with me. I used to do that a couple times a week, but I decided to do it every day. Of course, this meant that I needed something to bring it to work in, so off I went to the store for some Tupperware. I think my jaw must have hit the floor when I saw how expensive it was. $10 a piece (and they were calling that on sale)! It took me a minute to remember that plastics are petroleum-based, so of course the price is skyrocketing. I decided to stick with what I had instead. The grocery store has stopped carrying plastic bags for your vegetables, too; instead they have these boxy containers like berry baskets, but in all different shapes. Apparently, they're made from recycled paper.

Little things. All the time, just little things. But they're adding up to be bigger things.