Have I witnessed a miracle?

Okay, so maybe it's not a full-fledged miracle, but I think my favorite pair of brown, pointy-toed pumps have stretched. Or maybe my foot got smaller--either way, I'm impressed (and in a lot less pain).
The Backstretch
Today is the 27th Legislative Day, and we're definitely seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (although maybe we should turn that off to save money and energy...). In three weeks, the lawmakers will have to approve a budget, and it'll have to be balanced, no matter how many "baby seals" have to be killed.
Days are filled with caucuses, committees, leadership meetings, etc. just to come up with some sort of budget fix. The federal stimulus package has been a subject of debate because even if there's enough stringless money to balance the state's deficit, we will still be facing a structural deficit. At some point, projects are going to have to be reduced or discontinued to fix our little spending problem. At the beginning of this crazy little adventure, the Republican party promised to use the budget shortfall as an opportunity to regain control of spending and now they have to follow through, no matter how much the cuts sting.
Impending Reality
During the past few days, I have finally taken notice of my impending unemployed future. In a matter of months, I'll be a college graduate in need of a job. I've been looking for openings and making a list of places to send tapes to when I get back to Brookings. I've also been formulating alternative plans, just in case.
...Plan B
Plan B is to apply for a city clerk internship in the state's largest city. If I get the position, I would have three more paid months to keep looking for a reporting job. I could also move to the city with Caiti, as we are planning on right now. I just worry about not finding anything in Sioux Falls come August and being forced to violate my lease or take a crappy job to keep our apartment.
...Plan C
Plan C is to apply for a media position (or really, any paid position) with one of the gubernatorial candidates' campaigns. If I don't suck at that, I could secure myself something most likely in Sioux Falls until June 2010, when the primaries narrow the field considerably. That one scares me because I've never worked a campaign, and if I'm on the losing side, I will have to find something new in a hurry. I also worry about being able to jump right back into news, especially if I stay in South Dakota. There's no doubt my objectivity will be called into question after working in party politics.
...Plan D
Plan D is to take the LSAT (which I will likely do regardless which plan I choose) and apply for law school. I would still be forced to find some sort of job until I started working towards my juris doctorate, but I would ultimately be improving my employability and job prospects. I do worry about paying off my student loans during law school, though.
Life in Limbo
As you can see, none of these plans is perfect. My dad keeps telling me to relax, "someone, somewhere will hire you...", but I really won't feel better until some positive news is sent my way. Perhaps I scare too easily, but it's just so much better to get a surprise than to be disappointed.
Keep on Running
I realized the other night that the race I've been training for (the Brookings 5K) is the night before my sister's high school graduation. I think at this point I'll still run it and then drive home for the celebration, but I feel bad missing Caiti's marathon the next day. I think she'll survive--she's made it through every other race without me--but I do wish I could be more supportive.
The skirt I'm wearing today is tighter in the hips than usual, which makes me wonder if my ass has gotten bigger during training. I keep telling myself that it's probably muscle that makes my clothes tighter through the legs, but seeing the number on the scale climb is very disheartening. There's just no way I can actually be getting fatter from exercise, right?