very logical

Unemployment will take 4-6 weeks to start, if it does and in the mean time I am supposed to be actively pursuing a job. So today I actively pursued a job listed on the state's job board only to be informed I need to fill out one of the employers applications withing two days unless I want to "risk losing" my benefits that I am not getting. OK so I have enough cash in the bank to get me through a week or two and I'm supposed to buy gas to drive 50 miles each way to do an application for a job I will most likely not get to make sure I don't risk benefits I'm not getting....Maybe I'm just looking at this all wrong but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. The very best part is the fact it took me three days to get through on the Agency For Workforce's phone line to find out it would be 4-6 weeks. I'm thinking they could lower the unemployment rate substantially if they hired enough people to pick up the phone. Friday, Monday, and most of today I got a recording that everyone was "busy helping other customers, call back later...click". When I did finally get through it was to another recording telling me my wait time would be 15 minutes and they were on the money, it was. After all that I spoke with someone who couldn't tell me anything about my claim other than it takes 4-6 weeks.

declining funds

Having very limited funds has yielded a lot more time in my day. There's no point in spending time on the pile of coupons or ads that come bundled in the Sunday paper because unless it's free I can't afford it. There doesn't seem to be much point at looking at things I can't have. Same time savings at the store. I go in get exactly what I came for then I'm out the door. No wandering about looking at things maybe I can use if the price is right....again, unless it's free, don't need it. I plan my excursions to accomplish several chores in the same area rather than use gas to make several trips. Now if I just had a very important use for all these saved minutes, that I'm still working on.

almost a record

So my all time record for shortest period at a job was three weeks but to my credit I was still in training when I quit. I found a job I thought there was a chance I'd like and quit the one I already knew I was going to hate with a passion. Now anything that sounds like call center or telemarketing makes me break out in hives. Oh, yeah, now for the second shortest time of employment and first time being fired...that would be this week. I took a job that paid half of what I was making before because I was on unemployment for the first time and I really wanted to get back to work. I must be completely delusional because I thought I was doing a pretty good job. I know I was sure trying (and they totally got more than their money's worth). There was no "you need to fix this or you'll be fired", no write ups, just please sign this and go. If it wasn't so sad it would be hysterically funny, oh hell, it's funny anyway. I don't suppose the fact that I would have been there 90 days the next day had anything to do with it. Perhaps superwoman is looking for a low paying job with crap benefits not that she'd be quite what they're looking for either.

feeling crappy

I picked up a nasty cold virus somewhere. I'd be more than willing to give it back if I knew who gave it to me. Got home from work last night and went directly to bed. For me to miss a meal you know it has to be something serious. Time to trudge through the day, cold or no. No work, no pay and that just won't work for me.

Speed bumps

One of my friends has a son in law in the Navy. They have been stationed a short three hour drive away but will be going to Hawaii. I do feel her heart break. I remember when my Air Force Daughter moved from the Florida panhandle (a 7 hour drive) to Oklahoma. I was quite sad that I could no longer jump in the car and see her over a weekend but I felt blessed to have had her in Florida for six years after three years in Italy. Oklahoma, while not paradise was not Iraq or Afghanistan. Now she'll be in Idaho, even farther away but again not Iraq or Afghanistan. I am horribly envious of my friends whose children and grandchildren live around the corner but I have gone places I would have never gone had I not had family there. I look forward to her retirement back in Florida. I also believe one should not wish their life away so much as I do look forward to the time when we'll be closer together I hope I make the most of all the time before that also.

Would you stop to listen?

One of my girlfriends sent me an email about a street musician playing the violin and what the response was of the passers by. The end result was that very few paused to hear him play. It was a social experiment. The violin was one of the most expensive in the world being played by one of the best violinists in the world and he was playing a very famous very beautiful piece of music. Music people paid very well to hear in a symphony hall. So would you stop to listen? Not only would you stop to listen, would you stop to see...what if the man on the corner speaking wasn't some "lunatic" but Jesus, would any of us pause long enough to hear the words and know they were worth slowing our steps for? We are in a constant state of hurry when in truth we have no idea we are hurrying to or what we have hurried right by.

sore feet

My job is helping me with my exercise and weight loss program. I most of the day walking the halls, getting residents for activities and the rest walking from one end of Walmart Super Center to the other (and back) getting the ones that went shopping back to the van to go back home. I eat whatever the kitchen prepared for lunch then Special K for supper when I get home. So far it's working. Too bad my feet aren't appreciating all the walking. New sneakers helped but unfortunately not enough, maybe I can get a feet transplant (just kidding, surgery of any kind would not be my idea of fun).