Thursday, April 30, 2009

Big Interview Tomorrow

I've made it to interview #3 after over a month of the interviewing process. This is basically my dream job and karmically perfect. I've liked every person I have interviewed with. The hiring manger I'm interviewing with tomorrow is supposedly brilliant and an amazing manager. I'd appreciate any good luck voodoo sent my way tomorrow at 9AM.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Guaranteed Sleep

If you are having trouble falling asleep at night, have a couple glasses of wine throughout the evening and then (allowing at least 8 hours for sleep) take a night-time cold dose. It is absolute magic.

Monday, April 27, 2009

TV Round Up

Since I am unemployed, and have FIOS' multi-room DVR, I have been catching up on a lot of TV watching. Some are good, some are meh, and some need a lot more viewers.



Okay, this is yet another police procedural but it has Nathan Fillion. As in Captain Malcolm Reynolds oozing charisma over your television screen. Also they are trying for a Moonlighting/Cheers love-hate vibe. I say trying because who cannot love Nathan? Yes, I have been practicing how Mrs. Nathan Fillion would look, so what of it? People, he is Canadian, loves cats, and is HAWT!



I cannot tell you how much I love this show. It makes me miss corporate working life and yet not so much... It has a very twisted sense of humor (the company invented an Octochicken, I am still giggling over the mental image) and also has some real heart. The lead guy is pretty blah but he's pretty to look at and I enjoy all the peripheral charaters: Linda, Lem, Phil, Veronica, and Rose. This is a show that everyone needs to watch. "The Office" has been super serious lately and this show picks up the workplace comedy torch, covers it in napalm so we have a marathoner on fire. ABC Tuesdays at 8:30PM Eastern - watch it people!


As a former Buffy and Firefly (see Nathan Fillion and my deluded rantings/ marriage proposal) fan, I really wanted to love this show. But so far, I am enjoying it but wouldn't be sad when Fox cancels it. The concept kicks ass and there are a bunch of amazing episodes but there are the buts. 1) Eliza Dushku is not such a good actress that she can take on a new personality each week. 2) Scheduling sucks since Fox has messed with episode order so what you think is intriguing gets dropped for weeks on end. 3) Ironically, the most boring fast fowardable plot has become the most compelling one - the FBI guy and the spying doll. I really do like all the questions of morality, bio-ethics and glimpses of hot men, I get weekly but it deserves to be on the bubble.

Seriously, Nathan Fillion needs to marry me ASAP!

Unemployment and Good Weather

Every Sunday, it takes me about 30 minutes to file for unemployment online. I've tried different times of day but nothing helps. It takes forever for the webcert pages to load - which I attribute to the thousands of people who need to file.

BUT!

We had amazing weather this past weekend and it took me maybe 5 minutes to file online yesterday. So, even the unemployed are going away and getting outside for good weather. Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain this weekend so no speediness can be expected.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The Bounceback

Good news everyone! I have invented an albino gorilla that yells "Love Mom!" No, seriously my COBRA subsidy has gone through. The trick is not to try to call any government office, just contact your COBRA provider. It's a pull not push situation. I actually got to speak to a human being who not only told me:

1) I qualify for the subsidy
2) My full payment from March will be applied as a credit for April (and possibly May)

So, thank you President Obama for signing this bill. It means that I will have more money to:

a) Pay down credit card debt
b) Shop, shop, shop!

On the health front, it is amazing how stress can mess with my immune system. I have been battling a staph infection and my psoriasis has been flaring up really badly. Yesterday, I took Rasputin to his new vet for a check-up. I love how everyone falls madly in love with him. Even hardened lab techs are amazed by his beauty. I get to stand by proudly saying, "I OWN him. Yup, he loves ME." Such a nice ego boost! He has a little cold and gingivitis but otherwise, he's ideal.

My dad and I have also made up a bit. We had a couple of talks. It was nice to know that I wasn't the only one who felt that a decade of therapy was undone with our fight. I also had a nice eye opener. Just because I'm unemployed doesn't mean I am the only person in the household with money anxiety and worries. Still, screw Patriot's Day for delaying my unemployment check...

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Therapy, Here I Come!



I hate not being in control of my life and when life takes control away from me, I try to find little things that I could still have power over. In my universe, money = control. Unfortunately, since I have no job, I've been having to borrow money from my father. Now, I can see this was a disaster waiting to happen. Why oh why did I not see it before? Since I hate owing money, I make a point to pay back any loans within weeks.

But if I give my father a little rope, he knows how to make a noose for me. I owe my father over $400 and I have two COBRA payments coming up back to back so that's more loans on the horizon. Tonight, he ambushed me with a list of all the money he has lent me, what I have paid back, and what I owe. I wasn't a happy camper and when I told him that I felt ambushed he told me that I was being "dramatic".

Oh my, how rough this rope around my neck is! And oddly familiar... To give you a little back story, "dramatic" was the label I was saddled with as I suffered decades of abuse at the hands of my father. If acted out, I was being "dramatic", not trying to get some adult to notice or care enough to help me get out of living hell. So, you do not call me dramatic if you want a calm discussion. The beast was awoken.

So, tonight I had a huge all out screaming fight with my father the likes that hasn't occurred in 8 years. Plus, I am paying for all my healthcare coverage from now on - by choice. As I dangle from the rope, my neck will break from a bit less weight at least!

51 Days

Life has been pretty crummy nowadays. I showed up an hour early for a job interview because I wrote down the wrong time. But, on the up side, they just went ahead and interviewed me rather than having me wait. I like that kind of flexibility! That was my 4th interview in 51 days of unemployment. 2 of those were just staffing agencies.

I still haven't heard anything about my COBRA subsidy and trying to talk to a human at the medical security office is as impossible as raising Atlantis (I decided to go with fantastical rather than, "as impossible as me finding a job"). Unfortunately, in the interim, I have to pay my full COBRA costs which are astronomically high.

Living with my parents has started to wear on me as well. I stupidly decided to be open and honest about my financial situation. So, my father is now starting to decide how I should spend my money. My mom has become a moody rage-a-holic. Luckily, my room is a nice little oasis where I can weather out her swearing, muttering to herself, and banging stuff around. Rasputin hides in the basement and my dad hides in the study with a martini in hand. Again, it's better than living on the streets or in a shelter but that mantra wears thin after the hundredth slammed door of the week. But on the up side, at least we can apologize and make up like adults.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The Blogging Job

As I am falling asleep, I come up with these great ideas for blog topics but do I actually get around to writing them? Obviously, no. It's not like my day is so jam packed but I am a champion procrastinator so you'll have to wait a while for my sex toy review compendium...

A friend sent me this link and I thought I'd share it for all of you unemployed drones out there.

1. Find the best way to manage your stress—and do it now. I am kinda sucky at this lately. I can't tell you the number of gym sessions I have canceled lately. But I am thinking of trying guided meditation after my brother told me about his experiences. TV and The Sims are my current distractors and denial enablers.

2. Get some rest
I am kicking ass at this because sleep is the ultimate way to avoid reality and procrastinate.

3. Professional help...get shrink-wrapped
I'm pretty good on this front thanks to medication and decades of therapy. But living with my parents may put me back on the couch eventually.

4. Ditch the Doritos and (some) of the chocolate
Gee, what did I have for dinner yesterday? Cookies. I have also been inhaling dark chocolate kisses (but on the up side, only 20 calories each). Luckily since I don't do the grocery shopping, I have to get off my lazy ass to buy bad food. Plus, I have limited funds so stress eating isn't too regular or problematic so far.

5. Get some friends
I am really bad at this. Next month I will be throwing a party so hopefully that will help me get back into social mode.

Verizon Paella Teen

Dear Kid,

One of these days you will have to eat the meal your mom prepared without any alternatives. Why? Because preparing two dinners to accommodate your spoiled brattiness will bankrupt your family. Just do what I did, try it and you might like it. Or there's always the napkin move.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Landlord Redacted

Yesterday, I received a check for my complete security deposit plus interest. So, my landlord isn't a jackass, just crummy on the phone/at making excuses. This will be a nice way to chip away at my enormous credit card debt. Thank you Mr. Landlord! I'm sorry that I vented about you. You're an honest man.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

My Ex-Landlord, Jackass of the Year

I moved out of my apartment March 27 after giving my landlord a month's notice and spending my last week (with my mother) scouring clean my apartment. Oh yeah, I had a month to month lease. On the day I moved, my landlord kept saying, "Wow, what a good job." over and over about how clean my apt is. And he said that he'd mail my security deposit in 3 to 4 days.

Mail came today without my security deposit, it has been 10 days, so I called my landlord. Here are his excuses in order:

1) I left a huge mess in my apartment - um, I call BULLSHIT!

2) He has 30 days to get me my money - okay but why tell me he'd mail it in 3 to 4?

3) He'll mail the check in a couple days - damn straight!

So, I'll either have my money by Saturday or April 27. I don't know if he'll pay me the full amount but I know the condition I left the apartment in so if he messes around, Judge Judy here I come!

Monday, April 06, 2009

New Home, Lotsa Newness

Well, it has been over a week at my parent's house and I think I am fairly settled in and nested. Rasputin is pretty darn happy too. He has claimed the basement as his domain. Slowly he's getting to know my parents - lots of cute rolling and tummy showing for my dad, and running for his life from mom.

I got cable and a DVR in my room so I have a nice little oasis there. The job search is grinding along. I didn't get that job for that horrendous interview. Boo fricken hoo....

Yesterday, with the assistance of my mom, we tried two recipes from the latest Cooking Light issue: Potato salad. This is pretty good. Very goaty and doesn't really work well if you try to half it. And
Chicken and Feta Tabbouleh. This recipe is AMAZING! So many flavors and very filling. Plus, you basically use all the ingredients you buy.