My New Job, Week 1

I hate it. Plus I have had the theme tune to Monk stuck in my head since Friday.

It’s a jungle out there.

My New Job, Day 1

I don't like it.

(Some Of) The Deets

So, yes, I have a job. I start tomorrow. I had a choice of start dates, any time between Monday, April 21 and Monday, April 28. Those of you who know me well will know exactly why I chose Wednesday to start. And I think for the time being I am going to keep where I will be working and what I will be doing on the down low. At least as far as this blog is concerned. Just to add some intrigue to my mundane existence. Suffice it to say, it is like nothing I have ever done before in an industry that I never really knew existed.

A Wednesday start date will mean I was out of work for 14 weeks, three-and-a-half months. But I really did not do much the first two weeks, so let’s call it an even three months. Everyone tells me that is a very short period of time to be job hunting and I guess it is but boy it sure seemed like it was never going to end during those long boring days of scouring the internet for jobs and watching The Price Is Right (I swear, if I ever see another commercial for walk-in bath tubs I will lose it).

I am feeling all sorts of confused and anxious and excited and nervous and I do have a few concerns. For one, I am worried it might be difficult to get back into the rhythm of a regular job, for I have been incredibly lazy during these three months. And my sleep patterns are all out of whack. Once Sammy realized I no longer had to be up at a certain time, he let me sleep in and I made the most of that. Then almost every afternoon I napped. Then when it was finally time for bed I fell asleep on the sofa and crawled into bed only after I woke up to go to the bathroom or Sammy bit me awake, whichever came first.

I’m also concerned about how Sammy will handle it too. Poor thing must be so confused. For years I leave him alone all day and then all of a sudden I am at home with him all day every day. And now I will be gone again for 10-hour stretches. But maybe I am kidding myself and he will be perfectly fine with me being gone again.

Details To Follow…

I got a job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

March Sadness

Wow.  A whole month without a post. Partly because there hasn’t been much to write about (I’m taking a wild guess you’re all quite happy I did not detail the major attack of Dehli Belly I had a few weeks ago, right?) but mainly because of my lethargy and unemployment depression. Most days all I can do is crawl out of bed to watch The Price Is Right, nuke a frozen burrito and have a nap until it is time to start drinking (five p.m.). And the initial enthusiasm for the volunteer stuff I was going to do at the hospice has died down (pun intended).

I have been without a job for 10 weeks now. The job market is practically non-existent (at my level, anyway). On Monday, I do finally have my first interview. The ironic thing is, though, it is for a job I did not actually apply for; rather, the company found my resume on one of the job sites I’m on and contacted me, not knowing I was actively looking. I’m not terribly excited about the company or the position but, rather, am looking at the interview as good practice.

But it has not been all doom and gloom this month, I guess. J. paid a visit, his first since his impromptu birthday visit here five years ago. We’re both on limited budgets so that put the kibosh on a lot of stuff, but it was great to catch up.

And then there is my “boyfriend.” (I was going to write “new boyfriend” but seeing as I have never had one before, he does not technically qualify as new.) I finally made arrangements to meet with T., who grew up with D. in “Boston” (I mentioned this briefly in the previous post). Nice guy. Seven dates in three weeks. Zero chemistry on my part. On his, the complete opposite: he is really into me, and was using the G-word after the third date (I still have not used the B-word without using real or air quotes). I’ll go into details at a later date (there was one date that was right out of a Hollywood rom-com) but this is really a classic case of Be Careful What You Wish For (and yes, PLL, I can hear you screaming, “Way to bury the lead” all the way from the Mountain Time Zone).

 

Ends and Firsts

So it is the end of February. The end of my being “paid” because my severance package was for six weeks and that was Wednesday. So now I am on the government’s payroll, so to speak (that is if my claim was approved, I need to check that).

I’ve also seen the end of several friendships lately. Those of you who are on Facebook with me will know that many of my former co-workers proved that we were just that, co-workers and not friends, when they failed to find out how I was doing when I was first laid off. It was so hurtful I had to post something about it and then I unfriended those who had not reached out. It might seem petty but I was really hurt by it. I know I take some of the blame because obviously Evil Twin showed up to work more often than I care to admit, but she can’t stand brown-nosers and boy were there ever a lot of those.

There was also to be a first date this week (D. is pimping me out to someone she grew up with in “Boston” who now lives in Vegas) but my lethargy means that the date will now be sometime in March (watch this space for deets!).

February is also the first month since I started this blog that I have posted less than four times (September and October 2013 had just four entries each). I’ve mentioned before how my goal was at least four posts a month because then it would be like having a real weekly newspaper column (one of my ideal jobs). I’m not beating myself up about it though because I think being laid off is a great excuse.

And in another first, despite the aforementioned lethargy, Good Triplet has been amazing and started volunteering! But in a twist that is classic Evil Twin, guess where that is? At a hospice. I know, right? Of all the places to volunteer, how perfect for me, what with my fascination with death? Deets on that to follow soon too (after I have encountered my first almost-dead person, right now I am still in training).

The First Cut is the Deepest

So it has been four weeks (to the day). This is the day I told myself that if I was still out of work I would start making budget cuts. But what to cut? Fact is, I live pretty frugally anyway. I have a three-year-old cell phone that is on a pay-as-you-go plan, so that won’t make much of a dent. Obviously, car insurance can’t go. I guess I could get rid of my renter’s insurance, but that is not such a good idea, considering where I live – on those “crimes happened here” maps they do in the local paper, you cannot see my apartment building because it is covered in symbols marking what types of crime occurred. I’m making an effort to conserve electricity and water. I guess Netflix could go, but it is only $13 a month and is my only movie source left, now I do not go out to see movies. But my free trial of Microsoft Office ends March 1, and if I still need it, I will have to pay for the whole thing (about $100, I think) or I could go month-to-month for $10. So I am going to keep Netflix unless I do have to buy Microsoft but that is just swapping one bill for another.

So, yes, it has to be done – my biggest bill has to be trimmed. That is my cable/telephone/internet. Internet cannot go, and I could get rid of the telephone but then I would have to increase my cell phone usage, so that should stay. So, yep, it has to be cable. Or at least some of it. Because television is my only non-furry companion and I could never be without at least some channels. It is going to hurt (especially the loss of BBC America) but it has to be done. At least I will still have the channel on which The Price Is Right is shown.

News About Booze

I have not had a drink since the new year...

 

...the Chinese new year!

 

Hahahahahahahahahahaha...

A Clothes Call

The last time I had a job interview was about four years ago, for an internal position. It was also about 20 pounds ago. None of my "interview" clothes fit me anymore. So, coupons in hand, I toddled off to Macy's. Big fat waste of time that was - my local one does not sell plus-size skirts or dresses. WTF? "Rip Macy's a new one on their online comments section" has been added to my Things To Do After I Get A Job list.

So next was Lane Bryant. I try to avoid this place as much as possible because I believe they take emotional and financial advantage of the plus-size shopper. And their designers have obviously never seen a fat chick in their lives. Ruffles on the hip part of tops that will emphasize huge thighs? Check! No sleeves on dresses so fat flappy arms can be on view? Why not! And horizontal patterns? Of course. I could design better clothes and I cannot draw a straight line!

But I did end up making some purchases - a black skirt and top, and, wait for it - two dresses! I cannot remember the last time I bought a dress. I hope I don't get buyer's remorse because I still don't know what came over me. Maybe I was mad at Macy's.

And I was treated so nicely by the two sales reps, one made an extra effort to find my sizes and the other gave me a discount that was supposed to be only for casual wear (sweat pants, etc.). Not sure if it was the accent (over which they were both gushing) or if it was sympathy for my unemployment (I made sure to mention it more than once!).

Oh, a pic of the dresses:

The Day After

Kind of in a funky mood, as you can imagine. Didn't even watch Idol last night, that is how discombobulated I am. Have decided I will not be writing about it, not while I am out of work anyway. Sorry if you were looking forward to those postings.

Had some people from work follow up with me, that was nice. Apparently, I was not the only victims, there were 39 other layoffs. Sad, yes, but all I care about is me. I bet all of those people have local family and friends and significant others to commiserate with, so fuck them. (My problems are bigger because they are mine, right?)

What is really frustrating about this is that I completely understand the decision. I was severely under-employed and really should have been let go a while ago. I got most of my work done by 10 most days and then spent the rest of the time trying to look busy. Mainly I surfed the Net (thank the Universe for Reddit), and typed up this blog's posts. Once I even took in some paperwork from home that needed sorting and did it at work!

There was some minor good news, though: I managed to get that upcoming $150 a month bill canceled. However, I now need to go out and get a new laptop for resume updating and job hunting, so that is a wash, I guess.

I also heard from the apartment people; my rent is going up, but "only" by $20 if I sign a lease ($140 if I go month-to-month). So I need to make a decision about that. I have no emotional ties to Las Vegas and would leave in a heartbeat if I had a job and/or a place to stay waiting for me elsewhere. Colorado is a possibility, of course, but the main reason I left - the weather -is still an issue. My dear friend L. is in CA now and staying with her is an option in the future. So signing a 12-month lease is a risk but if I sign a six-month one and then find a job quickly, I risk another rent hike then. I need to make a decision about that soon.

And another thing that pisses me off is that I was had finally decided to grow out my fake hair color to see what my natural color looked like now. So I have this nasty half mousy brown, half fake blonde look going on right now which was fine for work, but looks terrible for interviews.

So that is where I am, one day into unemployment. I don't know how much I will blog. For those of you who believe, please pray for me. For those of you who do not, please send me vibes.