unempolyed

Hi, all. This has been an interesting week indeed. It has been a week and a day since I was laid off, and I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. I don't feel like I've made a big dent in Operation Find a Job that Doesn't Suck, but I have been making progress. It is amazing how much time I can spend tweaking my resume or on a probably fruitless endeavor such as searching for job postings on Monster or the like. Anyone who doesn't think finding a job is a full-time job is obviously not trying hard enough - or they're more marketable than me.

For the most part, I've been in very good spirits. It is exciting to look at my updated resume and see how much I've grown over the last few years, but yesterday I spent the majority of my day searching every site I could think of that lists job postings, and by the end of the day I felt deflated - very deflated. Things seem more promising today, after talking to one woman I used to work with who might have a lead on a job I am legitimately excited about. I haven't brought myself to actually apply for anything yet. I honestly haven't seen anything tangible I could fathom doing for 40-some hours a week. I am a picky girl, and over the last three years editing content I found extremely interesting, I got spoiled. One thing I can say with certainty is this: there are a lot of crappy jobs out there.

Not having a real income will not allow for me to get too comfortable, but I am finding joy in being home all day (and even in being unemployed).

+ This is my new "office." It is a corner office with windows! And every day is bring-your-pet-to-work day! And with the book case right behind me, a copy of The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath is never more than an arm's reach away, in case I need to feel like I'm at least doing better than SP.

+ I can make foods for lunch I wouldn't bother attempting to make at the office. This took me about a minute and a half to make, but I wouldn't have made it if I had to pack up the fixin's and assemble and prepare them at work.

+ No one will let me buy anything because they feel sorry for my poor soul. Two people have bought me lunch this week, and although I am so not a mooch and it pains me to let people buy me stuff, it is very nice. And I like food. And food you don't have to make or buy is pretty awesome. So is lunch with friends. And it's just a really nice gesture. You get the picture.

+ I can listen to This American Life and music without headphones, but, really I haven't felt the need. I really love quiet. I can totally deal with a somewhat noisy office setting, but quiet - sweet, sweet quiet - is divine. It is nice not to have to try to drown out any type of chatter.

+ I have talked to a lot of people I haven't talked to in ages, and I've talked to former coworkers on a more personal level than I have before. I have been in contact with so many people this week that it is amazing and even overwhelming to me. Yesterday, a former coworker called to say she missed me and that she "needed to talk to my Fran," and it was just nice to feel valued like that. It has also been nice to catch up with old, old coworkers and see what they're up to at new jobs, even if it doesn't lead to anything.

+ I can do laundry during the day. This has been a dream of mine for quite some time.

Happy Friday, peoples. I hope you had a nice week and that you have a salubrious weekend.

Fran