Threads for the rest of us.

Day Three of OFFICIAL UNEMPLOYMENT

I feel a bit like a bump on a log, as I haven’t contacted any potential employers the past two days. I fairly confident I will be offered a job from either or both of my former employers, which isn’t good. I need more of a safety net than that – I know I should be out pounding the pavement until I do find something. But a part of me treats this situation like a vacation (and that’s what I’ve been saying to the newt (kiddo), even though I know she wouldn’t understand “laid off”). Also, since I’m being paid my vacation time (which was two weeks worth) from the old job, my mind keeps thinking finding a job isn’t critical until the end of two weeks. Gotta remember the potential lapse between the last paycheck of the old job and the first paycheck of the new job (which I don’t have yet).

So, I’ve realized how my life has changed in the past couple days. Besides the whole, not getting a paycheck thing. Little things, both good and bad, like:

Coffee. I have to make my own coffee now. I used to get a cup o’ joe at the daycare provider’s house when I’d drop off the newt. Or get a cup at work. Now I’m on my own.

Sleeping in. This is a good and bad thing. Good because, well, it’s sleeping in. Bad because I’d stay in bed until 9 or 10 if I could. I need to stay in my old weekday routine, for myself and the newt. I will admit I’m sleeping in about ½ hour more than usual. That’s not bad.

Grocery store. Ok, I had a real nice Giant (grocery store) on my way home from the old job. I knew where everything was in that store, I’d often take my lunch hour to pick up something for dinner, or just run in and grab this or that. I don’t shop at my local supermarket, I have no idea where anything is! Something new to learn.

Lunch. I used to run to the deli right around the corner from the old job for lunch a couple days a week. They had an AWESOME chicken salad sandwich, with grapes and almonds in it in a honey wheat wrap. It was SO tasty. Now, not only do I need to make myself lunch, I’m responsible for making a balanced lunch for the newt, too. Today we had hot dogs with ketchup. That covers the meat and veggie food groups.

Heat in the house. We have a step-down thermostat that drops to 62 during the day. Yes, I can reprogram it, but since we’re a one-income house at the moment, I don’t want to waste a whole lot of energy heating the house. It’s a double-edged sword! I’m damned if I do, and I’m damned if I don’t!

Now for the Outta the Mouths of Babes Segment. The newt said today (after going #2 on the potty) – “We can’t eat poo-poo. It’s yucky”, as she flushes the toilet. For the record, I DON’T feed my child poop. For ANY meal. Granted, I’m not the best cook, and some of the stuff I do cook (that damned sun-dried tomato rice dish a few weeks ago comes to mind) may smell or taste like shit, but I repeat, I DON’T feed my child poop. Where she came up with that statement is beyond me……