I'm going on my 9th month of unemployment. And yes, it's as depressing as it sounds. I haven't hit rock bottom yet where I have to take ANY job I can get, but I know that moment is lurking off in the distance. I'm trying not to take it all so personally, I mean, it's not like I'm NOT getting calls because of who I am. It's because it's a shitty market right now with a lot of people, just like me, looking for work. Employers can afford to be as picky as they want because they know their perfect candidate is out there. So I continue to go thru the motions of looking for work every day, checking out the job boards: CareerBuilder, Monster, Craigslist, Indeed, Worksource, etc. And every day I send another resume with a letter explaining why I'm the right person for the job. It's exhausting, mentally & emotionally. There are days when I cry because it shouldn't be this hard to find a job. I'm talented. I'm smart. I'm a hard-worker. I'm good at what I do. Why can't anyone else see that?! Then Christian takes my hand & reminds me not to take it personally.
It's hard to get motivated when you have nothing to do. My day starts between 10a-Noon (depending on what time I went to bed.) The dogs don't seem to mind sleeping in with me & the cats are always napping... they get me. Chances are very good that I'll stay in my PJs for the entire day because, why not?! Maybe I'll tidy the kitchen. Or I'll vacuum up a week's worth of pet hair (it's very fulfilling for me to see the "before & after" on the carpet!) I might sit outside & sun my legs while the dogs sun themselves on the deck. I'll stare at the trees, watching for hummingbirds, crows or squirrels. I might doze off. Maybe I'll sweep the deck now that leaves are starting to fall. I might bring the laptop outside & spend HOURS on Facebook, reading the various articles that my network posts. Maybe I'll work on my website & get lost in the mountain of pictures I have posted. Christian will be home soon, so I might make something for dinner... or not. Surprisingly I don't watch TV during the day. It's boring with soaps, talk shows & court shows & I'd really rather not get sucked into that. I'm happy when Christian gets home & hearing about his new job & being so thankful he found work. He winds down his day playing some Xbox & I get back on the laptop & get sucked into the interweb. He goes to bed & I stay up til whenever I doze off. This is my day... every day.
It's not so bad sometimes. I'm lucky that I get to spend time w/my critters & enjoy their company. And this weather!! Wow, we've had an absolutely BEAUTIFUL summer with lots of sunshine & warm temps. If I were working, I'd be missing out & wishing I were outside. Sometimes I have errands to run or get to meet a friend for lunch. Or I take the dogs for a playdate. People always tell me to walk the dogs. I do walk them, but it's usually in the evenings once it cools off. But I never get out of the house just to get out of the house. I need to have purpose for leaving my abode.
I love not wearing makeup or having to wear a bra. It's very liberating. I don't snack/eat during the day, so I'm not worried about gaining weight. I have time to give myself a mani/pedi or pluck my eyebrows. There, that just saved me $50! My laundry consists of PJs, tank tops, shorts & underwear. I can dance to "Blurred Lines" over & over & over if I want.
The truth is I really want to get back to work. Surprisingly, I miss people. I miss the interactions. I miss using my brain to solve a problem. I miss feeling like a part of something. But for whatever reason, the universe doesn't think that's where I need to be. In the meantime, I'll keep sending out resumes while wearing my PJs.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Sunday, June 02, 2013
I'm Baaaaack!
Fast forward to 2013. That's where I am now. Blogging/journaling has never my strong suite, but I had good intentions to keep it up... just failed miserably!
Since 2008, lots has happened. I got more tattoos. I took my hubby to East Africa (making it trip #2 for me!) Adopted two dogs. Changed jobs too many times to list. Went on an Alaskan Cruise. Got into two car accidents (w/in 3mos of each other.) Watched the economy take a nose-dive. Got my first root canal. Bought a new camera. Swam with wild dolphins. Turned 40 in Vegas. Bought a bigger bed because we have two dogs. Went to Phoenix to visit newly relocated parents. Visited Denver to see all my peeps. Became an Aunt. Learned how to shoot a gun (and found out I'm pretty darn good at it.) Saw the first African-American President get elected... TWICE! Lost 10 of the 20lbs I've put on. Changed my photography business name to Sanctuary Images. Became addicted to Facebook. Went thru rehab for Facebook. And some other stuff.
As for what's happening in my life right now... I've been unemployed (not by choice) since Nov 2012. My hubby got laid off at the end of 2012. This led to the decision to pack up & head to sunnier climates. In the running was Phoenix, San Diego & Denver.
Phoenix made good sense because my folks live there, the climate is much sunnier than Seattle & the cost of living is cheaper than Seattle. But after getting a whiff of the politics & we realize their government is waaaay too conservative for us "bleeding heart liberals". And the heat would've surely melted our pets. San Diego has always intrigued us. Ocean, mountains, lots of sunshine... did I mention the ridiculous cost of living?! And we don't know anyone in the area, which always makes integrating into a new area tough. Then there's Denver. A reliable back-up w/the right kind of politics (pot is legal!), lots of friends & family, familiarity of the area, lots of sunshine (even when it's 7°) & it's more affordable than San Diego. It makes the most sense to move to Denver & if we can find a job there, then that's where we'll go.
We're in the process of getting our house ready to sell. Luckily, it's a seller's market & it'll sell fast. But first, we need to secure a job in Denver. That's not as easy as it sounds. The job market in Denver is making a comeback, but there's still a big pool of workers employers can pull from. And usually when employers see an out-of-state address on the resume, they don't even look at it. The dreaded catch-22. But I keep applying because eventually someone will think I'm a good fit for their posted job.
In the meantime, I enjoy the time off from working. Spend time with my critters & husband. Take advantage of the sunny weather (when it happens.) & as my dad always says... we'll just wait & see.
Since 2008, lots has happened. I got more tattoos. I took my hubby to East Africa (making it trip #2 for me!) Adopted two dogs. Changed jobs too many times to list. Went on an Alaskan Cruise. Got into two car accidents (w/in 3mos of each other.) Watched the economy take a nose-dive. Got my first root canal. Bought a new camera. Swam with wild dolphins. Turned 40 in Vegas. Bought a bigger bed because we have two dogs. Went to Phoenix to visit newly relocated parents. Visited Denver to see all my peeps. Became an Aunt. Learned how to shoot a gun (and found out I'm pretty darn good at it.) Saw the first African-American President get elected... TWICE! Lost 10 of the 20lbs I've put on. Changed my photography business name to Sanctuary Images. Became addicted to Facebook. Went thru rehab for Facebook. And some other stuff.
As for what's happening in my life right now... I've been unemployed (not by choice) since Nov 2012. My hubby got laid off at the end of 2012. This led to the decision to pack up & head to sunnier climates. In the running was Phoenix, San Diego & Denver.
Phoenix made good sense because my folks live there, the climate is much sunnier than Seattle & the cost of living is cheaper than Seattle. But after getting a whiff of the politics & we realize their government is waaaay too conservative for us "bleeding heart liberals". And the heat would've surely melted our pets. San Diego has always intrigued us. Ocean, mountains, lots of sunshine... did I mention the ridiculous cost of living?! And we don't know anyone in the area, which always makes integrating into a new area tough. Then there's Denver. A reliable back-up w/the right kind of politics (pot is legal!), lots of friends & family, familiarity of the area, lots of sunshine (even when it's 7°) & it's more affordable than San Diego. It makes the most sense to move to Denver & if we can find a job there, then that's where we'll go.
We're in the process of getting our house ready to sell. Luckily, it's a seller's market & it'll sell fast. But first, we need to secure a job in Denver. That's not as easy as it sounds. The job market in Denver is making a comeback, but there's still a big pool of workers employers can pull from. And usually when employers see an out-of-state address on the resume, they don't even look at it. The dreaded catch-22. But I keep applying because eventually someone will think I'm a good fit for their posted job.
In the meantime, I enjoy the time off from working. Spend time with my critters & husband. Take advantage of the sunny weather (when it happens.) & as my dad always says... we'll just wait & see.
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