Blogpastore

I am now approximately 21 days into the sad state of affairs that is life unemployed. When employed full-time, one always hopes for the days of sleeping in, having no obligations, and just doing whatever you want. 21 days later and I still haven't done that.

After allowing myself about 2 hours to cry, wallow in self-pity, and just all around feel bad about what was thrown at me, I immediately jumped back on the horse and started the job hunt. Three weeks later and I feel like I can confidently say these are the pros and cons of unemployment:

Pros:

- You still maintain a schedule. A day in the life looks like this: wake up, eat breakfast, prep for phone interview, have phone interview, head to coffee shop to apply for more jobs, schedule phone interview for next day. And repeat. Who says unemployment is boring? I know exactly how my days are going to go like clockwork now.
- You become an expert on talking about yourself. My resume is pretty much memorized at this point and I can answer the, "So what are you looking for?" question in my sleep. Having 4-6 phone interviews a week (plus any in-persons that you're lucky enough to get) has you talking about yourself, a lot.

- You lose weight. In 20 days I have officially lost 6 lbs. It might not seem like a lot, but it is for someone who usually only fluctuates up and down 2 lbs - or up a lot more. It could have to do with not being bored at my desk all day, so not snacking. Or having no money, so never going out to do anything involving food or alcohol. But let's just say it's because I have time now to "work out more".

- You contribute more in non-financial ways. Who ever would have thought that I would enjoy doing laundry, washing dishes, and cooking dinner? Not me, but alas this is now my life. Being unemployed means that there is no excuse of "being too tired" to help out around the house -- and at least I feel like I'm contributing someway now!

Cons:

- You lose human contact. For sure top of the list is this con. I never thought I would be so desperate for human interaction. The extent of human contact that I have throughout the day is giving my tea order to the barista. It's gotten to the point that I use phone interviews for "catching up" with people.

- You hate talking about yourself. Naturally with becoming an expert on talking about yourself comes hating talking about yourself. Sure I think I'm qualified, but it's becoming a struggle to walk you through "what's gotten [me] to this point".

- You're poor. #preach This one is rough. Thank the Lord I'm married and my husband loves me enough that he didn't divorce me the moment I texted him, two months into our marriage, telling him he is now the sole bread winner. The whole "it's our money" becomes even harder to digest when you really aren't contributing to it at all.

- Unemployment insurance is not easy. I'm not sure why I had this vision in my mind of unemployed individuals, sitting on the couch eating Doritos, living life in luxury. The State really makes it difficult to collect unemployment.

While I have certainly enjoyed learning more about myself, and the system, the last few weeks, we can only hope that unemployed life won't last too much longer. My only advice is to never take anything for granted (and start a savings account ASAP if you don't have one!), because you never know when things will change!

It has taken me 70 days now to feel comfortable addressing one of the worst days of my life, and even now part of me still aches. January 14, 2016 was the Thursday of my wedding week. I was stressed while handling last minute details, but super excited for my rehearsal that afternoon and for family and friends there were all arriving to West Palm Beach that day and the next. When I woke up, I received the first text informing me of the terrible news. The love of my life, Alan Rickman, had passed away after battling cancer.


I was shocked. How had I not known he was suffering? I had seen him just a few years prior and he was healthy, lively, and sharing his craft with the world through theatre.

House of Cards
That is all.

So my good friend jpsquirrelz recently started watching Sex and the City from the first episode. Hearing this news via our gchat conversation at work made me so happy (that should tell you how exciting my job is)! It also made me think of a conversation I had not that long ago ...

It was during a large dinner and somehow the topic of Sex and the City came up. The first thing I hear out of someone's mouth is how horrible the show is. Wait, WHAT?! I was immediately on the defensive. Comments continue to be made about SJP and how all the show is is "omg, look at my shoes," "omg, my sex column," "omg omg omg." Okay, I will give you that. However, Carrie Bradshaw is a sex columnist, that is what the entire show is centered around. Obviously she is going to talk about her sex life and have a pretty wild one at that. It's all about single girls, living in NYC, searching for love. Hellllllllllo what could be more real than that?! (sarcasm...or not). The main point that was made during this conversation was that the show is not very realistic. Then the ball was dropped....someone had the nerve to belittle Carrie and Big's relationship.

Okay, SatC first aired in 1998 when I was only nine years old. We didn't have HBO and even if we did, I certainly wouldn't have been allowed to watch it (these were the days when reruns Ren & Stimpy weren't even allowed on in the house). My point is, I didn't get to experience the full fanfare of SatC while it was going on. Regrettably enough, it wasn't until my senior year of college that I even sat down to watch the entire series from beginning to end. I was taking three classes at the time and spent most of my days napping, so I thought I might as well give it a shot. I am the first person to jump down someones back for being a bandwagon jumper, but it was so difficult not to fall in love with SatC.

From the first episode that we (and Carrie) see Mr. Big, I was hooked! I love nothing more than to live my life vicariously through fictional characters. I live in a fantasy world and relationships like Big and Carrie's help me believe that true love actually does exist (it also helped that Big was an older, darker, attractive man...). The ups and downs of their relationship, culminating in the final amazing reconciliation in Paris, helps define what a great television relationship is. Even Entertainment Weekly named them one of TV's sexiest couples...joining the likes of Buffy/Angel, which is a hard feat to manage! 

Honestly, I could do without every other aspect of the show, so I understand where naysayers are coming from. But you can't experience the full affect of Big and Carrie without seeing every other wrong guy Carrie goes through to finally have Mr. Right. To this day I still refuse to see SatC2 because I know what happens during that movie and it is beyond incomprehensible. After everything Big and Carrie go through, no one in their right mind could believe that she would cheat on him. Sorry Hollywood Abu Dhabi, that piece of fiction just isn't even close to believable! 

So go on, continue to mock and ridicule Sex and the City. I know Sarah Jessica Parker makes it very easy to do...as does the idea that anyone could view Miranda (or Cynthia Nixon) as a straight woman that can attract a man as great as Steve. You can sit all shriveled up and unfeeling, while I watch every episode that features Mr. Big and I will continue to envision my life ending up like that with Alan Rickman.

I have seen the Broadway play, Seminar, a total of two times now. Both times the show was amazing. Like literally. I have seen plenty of shows on Broadway, but this was the first play. The acting in Seminar is Tony worthy. Beyond the obviously brilliant Alan Rickman, you get a surprise spectacular performance from Jerry O'Connell. Who knew little Vern would grow up to have such insane acting chops. I certainly didn't expect it from him after his days as Cushman!

Being the borderline obsessive compulsive person that I am, I purchased tickets to see Seminar for a third time for Alan Rickman's last performance on April 1st, I'm not foolin' ya! (corny jokes anyone?). I'm extremely excited, and rightfully so. What twenty-something girl wouldn't lust after a sixty-six year old British man?! My goal for the day is to get a personal pic with Mr. Rickman....and if he invites me to the after party, I certainly won't complain! #yolo

My good friend jpsquirrelz instituted a new rule not that long ago: no more discussing Seminar, Alan, Snape, etc. Gurlfriend fails to realize that there are much more destructive things in life to care about. Cocaine, human trafficking, anorexia, child pornography, asphyxiation...the list goes on and on. I will take my healthy, borderline stalkerish, tendencies and live my life.