Three months now....12 long, distressing weeks

So. Week 12 finds me the same - still unemployed, still not exercising, still worried about Dad.

He's doing better - though he's back on the breathing vent. He had his pacemaker replaced last Friday, but it hit his body rather hard, so they put him back on so he wouldn't have to fight for oxygen. But he's still on that damn teeter totter.

Maybe I'm not supposed to get a job until Dad's home from the hospital??

But....

I'm beginning to hate being a whiny jobless person. I know, I could quit whining....but I'd still be jobless. WHY won't someone call me?!?! I've put out many resumes, but I haven't gotten ONE call!!

Damn it to all the hells.

. . . Week # 11 . . .

One week shy of 3 months of unemployment...

This week finds me back home. Dad is MUCH better, though still in the hospital. We expect him home in mid- to late-September. Also, I finished up my acting class last night. Even though I had missed 2 classes, I really wanted to participate and get the chance to be critiqued by someone IN the industry. It was a lot of fun! Now I'm trying to get some headshots scheduled so I can actually audition for roles...who knows? I figure even if I only get 1 or 2 roles over the next few months or year, it'd be an experience I haven't had before. Also, I'm STILL trying to get my voice over demo done, because I think I'd be really really good at that.

But. I'm also still trying to get a "real" job in my career field...and still no interviews. Very discouraging. There was a job I would have been super great at - but unfortunately it's only for internal candidates. I did still contact the hiring manager with my resume - just in case they turn to an external candidate....it'd be a GREAT job.

So....I continue to hunt the job boards each day, doing follow-ups and sending out new resumes whenever I can. Wish me luck, ok?

New venue for weeks 9 and 10...

Week # 9 finds me in Michigan - my dad underwent some emergency surgery last Thursday night. Seven + hours of surgery. He had an abdominal arotic aneurysm that was huge and bleeding. He's doing better, but hasn't been brought out of sedation yet (today's Tuesday). I flew up on Friday morning to be here and help my mum. So far, dad is holding his own. There's been no blatant complications (i.e. he could have had a stroke, a heart attack, been paralysed, or had kidney failure, etc.) but he's still not breathing on his own, and he still has the spinal drain in....so we wait.

Good thing I'm unemployed, basically.

I'm still filing for unemployment, and doing a job search - one just never knows. But for now, I'm up in Michigan, missing my hubby and my puppy. And will be here way into week # 10 too.

We start into week EIGHT

I have been part of the workforce - with one significant break due to relocation/lack of employment - for 26 years. I have worked as a groom at a stable, an employee of Fotomat, a picture framer, retail management, an optical associate, a fast food cashier, a bank teller, and - for most of my career - as a writer/editor.

But the point is, I've almost always had a job. The one time I didn't was much more MY choice, after I'd moved from Arizona to Maine (LONG story there). I'd been working on a master's degree in AZ while my hubby was up in Maine working, but when the semester ended I moved up to be with him. I had thought to finish out my masters in Maine, but circumstances changed that direction. Instead, I started looking for a job in July shortly after I got there. We lived in Bangor - a population of 33,000 and not a lot of anything in publishing. I managed to find a 3/4-time job in September, but that didn't work out, and I was back to searching again in October. In November I started a part-time job at the Public Broadcasting Network (really super people and kinda fun job) that I kept till the following May - but then we moved to Maryland. Within a few weeks I got a job back into publishing and have been fully employed up till 8 weeks ago.

What's the point of all this? I dunno. I can't stop reeling from STILL being unemployed. I feel much better - in many ways - when I have an office to go to, a project (or 10!) to work on, co-workers to talk to, and a commute to do twice a day. It's too easy for me to just sit on the couch with the TV on, surfing the internet for jobs and NOT playing with the dog. I know part of it is due to being down about not working, but I also know that I am inherently lazy, in need of structure.

"So go out and do something every day" you say? Yeah, that's so much easier said than done, especially when it's hot and sticky out or storming. "But you'd be commuting through all that if you had a job" you say? Yes, but that is very worth it. That is part of what makes having a job "fun" to me.

And I really really want to have fun. I really want a job.

Seven weeks....

49 days. It's a long time, but I have a feeling it's going to be a lot longer. Not one nibble. Many resumes out - sent one today, and two follow ups to past submissions - but nothing on them seems to have caught anyone's attention yet.

I have finally started getting my weekly unemployment checks....which are almost exactly 1/3 of what I was making per week previously. How the heck can someone adjust to loosing 2/3 of their income?!? Yeah, I know - at least I have something coming in, but still.

I just want a job. I am a skilled editor, with over 12 years of experience and a bachelor's degree. I am very personable, learn quickly, and am quite motivated. I do admit that there are SOME jobs I'm avoiding...I'm not interested (at all) in the political field, or foreign policy. There's also a job opening at Oxford University Press - but it's for their Physics Journals...I have never taken a class in physics, nor am I adept at interpreting the language, so I'm not going for that position. There's even a Publications Officer position open at the CIA - and I admit, I really seriously considered applying. But. No. Can't quite do it. I'm not a patriot, nor am I that interested in National Defense...let alone the thought of the description they give of the depth of the background, personality, and physical checks that they'd do.

So yeah, I admit, there are more jobs out there than what I'm pursuing. But I don't want "just" a job - I want a job that I'll be interested in, learn things from, and want to go into every week day for many years....so I have to be "true" to the knowledge of myself, right? I have to stick to my likes, wants, desires, and hope those bring me my needs.

But hopefully I'll find something before much longer.

And another one's gone...

I know - YESTERDAY was Monday, but I was working really hard - not at a job, just cleaning the house in prep for upcoming visitors. I didn't realize how much a Boxer actually sheds....it's insidious....the little black hairs just kind of meld to the carpet on the stairs, and hide in the corners quietly breeding....and then there's the drool emissions. When that dog shakes his head, he'll let fly with the drool and it can land on the wall at SHOULDER HEIGHT!!! Yeesh.

But anyway. Still no job nibbles. Sent off 3-4 more resumes, and today is the "close" date (they stop accepting resumes) for one I'd love to get. Oh, and then there's DC unemployment - ye gods....

Last night was the 2nd meeting of acting class - it's so fun!! On the first night our instructor assigned us a 1 act play and a partner we'll work with for the next few weeks. At the end of 8 weeks, we'll perform the 1 act play in front of friends, family, AND a real Talent Scout!! My role is . . . quite interesting. I'll tease you about it over the next few weeks...for now, let's just call it a challenging and transformative role. And last night the instructor (Kevin) gave us a booklet of monologues - next week we get to choose one that we have to memorize and perform on the last night (along with the 1 act play). I'm way excited about that!!

Anyhoo - gotta get back to work on the house...after I walk the dog.

Beginning of Week FOUR....

It's another Monday. Still no job nibbles. Feeling a bit better - but have a persistent cough, so I made a doctors appointment for tomorrow. The cough seems to rumble right out of my chest, and keeps waking me up at night, so something must give.

On a happier note - tonight is the first night of acting class! This will be so very cool!! It's an 8-week course; 4 weeks of theater work, 3 weeks of TV/movie acting practice and then the final night is performance night - complete with a REAL SCOUT!! I'm not expecting to "be discovered" but one just never knows...if I could get into some extra parts that would be way cool. I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh, and happy birthday (tomorrow) to Mom and Su too!