Day Two

I didn't accomplish nearly as much as I wanted to today.  On the other hand, I did deposit my check from my previous employer that paid out my vacation time.  Had I known it was coming this soon, I would've waited to send in my paycheck.  Such is life, I guess.

I took a nearly nine mile bike ride (8.99, if I recall).  It should've/could've been a lot shorter, but I decided to go straight where I usually turn.  Tomorrow I plan on taking a walk, but I'm not quite sure where.  I might walk around the neighborhood sidewalks in my usual walking path--although walk AROUND the pond this time!--but I'm also thinking it could be fun to walk to the bike/walking paths and walk around the lake.  The walking path goes closer to the lake than the walking path, so it would be slightly different for part of the walk.  Maybe I'll wait until next week and I'll bike to the lake, lock up my bike, and walk around the lake.  Hmm.  There's possibility to that.  I'm walking tomorrow to give my biking muscles a rest, since I know I'll be biking 10 miles on Saturday.

Bobbi called and asked if I wanted to go to CostCo.  When I was clothes shopping (for my interview) with Karen, we went to CostCo, and I noticed they sold coconut oil.  I've heard of it being used in a lot of natural products, so I wanted to try it.  Plus, with my sensitive skin, I'm hoping I can use it straight-out as a lotion. The jar is HUGE, so I put a small amount in a clean food container, and we'll see.  So far, it seems to work, but my skin feels greasier than normal.  Then again, my skin is normally so dry, this might just be normal.  I'll try it for a while and find out.  Rumor has it that it's naturally anti-bacterial, so we'll see if that changes anything.

This evening I went to the Twins game with Rachel.  I had a good time with her.  I miss hanging out with her at the office.  I feel very lucky to have such good friends.

Tomorrow I need to do more.  A lot more.  I NEED to get my skills-based resume done.  It just feels so overwhelming right now.  I need to vacuum my living room rug so I can fold clothes.  I may have overbooked my day tomorrow.  Then again, the folding clothes can be done during the Twins game tomorrow evening, so I can effectively use that time.  Oh, I also should get a birthday card for Phil.  And a small present if I can think of something to get him...

Day One

Well, today was my first official day of unemployment.  Even though I turned my laptop, etc., in last Thursday, it's still a weird feeling for me.  When I worked from home, as the days waned and I had less to do, I would do things like wash dishes.  But even as I washed dishes, I was well aware of my laptop sitting there, logged onto work.  So I'd check in for e-mails.  I'd make sure I didn't get a telephone call.  I was always aware of the work world.  Now...I can wash dishes and immediately go sort laundry--without stopping in to check a laptop.  Which brings us to today.

Today I got a later than anticipated start.  My Windows computer needed to be restarted because it was freezing up and locking.  I have to remember that my Windows laptop requires more work than my Apple laptop.  My Apple laptop rarely needs restarting; apparently this one needs more frequent restarting.  After taking care of that, eating breakfast, and things of that nature, I recalled it was supposed to rain and storm this afternoon, so I quickly got on my bike and went for a 10-mile ride.  I'm not going to deny that 10 miles is far, but on a bike, 10 miles isn't nearly as far as 3 miles on foot--which sounds like it doesn't make any sense, but there you have it. 

I got home, and the sky was looking a little dark, so I quickly re-mowed my front lawn.  It didn't look well from the mowing that I did late last week.  I now know that in the springtime, using the bagger on the mower just doesn't work.  It causes the lawn to be shaggy because the juicier grass doesn't fly into the back properly, so it's clogging up the bottom of the mower, and the lawn looks shaggy.  I had only done a few rows before taking the bag off and putting the spout on.  Therefore, I also had to rake before I could call it done.  I probably should've done my back yard, but no one sees my back yard and I wasn't sure if my battery would last long enough to do all of it.  When it stops raining again, I'll have to take care of that.

This afternoon I read further into Start, by Jonathan Acuff.  It's a good book, and I'm enjoying it.  (But, honestly, I would recommend the book even to non-readers, just for the awesome texture of the book jacket.  Yes, I am that weird to fall in love with a book jacket cover texture.  No apologies.)

Tomorrow I hope to take another long bike ride, and clean my living room.  This will also involve folding clothes, which has needed to be done for a week now.  Oops. 

I really need to get to work on writing a skills-based resume.  I'm feeling at a loss at the moment, so I need to just sit down and work on it. The first draft won't be perfect.  It might not be any good.  But it will be a launching pad.  And I need launching right now.

Here we got again...

So, I finally was employed again, but 20.5 months later, I'll be facing unemployment again.  I'm sad I didn't keep up my blog during my last period of unemployment, and I plan to do better this time.  I feel like I wasted a lot of time.

My goal is to do a "Thing-a-Day."  It's not completing a project, but making positive progress towards some goal--either job related, hobby related, or learning something new.

My unemployment doesn't officially start until May 28, but now that my work has wound to an end of sorts, I can start working on things now.