Look, I am fully prepared to silver-lining the hell out of this situation, but let’s get this out of the way first: I liked my job. I loved (LOVED) the people I worked with. And I know some folks subscribe to the notion that this is all part of some bigger plan, and that something “better” is in store, but I’m pretty convinced that if you are happy, there is no “better” and that the current economic downturn is responsible for me losing my job. And it sucks. But, if anyone knows how to be unemployed, boy howdy, I sure do.
Right now I’m camped out at my fellow laid-off friend’s apartment, on hold with the Texas Workforce Commission trying to apply for unemployment benefits. I’d do it online like all the normal kids, but with my rather complicated work history of the last 18 months, I’m just not like all the normal kids. Enter the 35 minute telephone wait set to very groovy tunes heavily accented by electronic piano. I’m working out the corresponding choreography. Pelvic thrusting will be involved.
One of the stinkier things about this situation has been that since 9:06 yesterday morning, all I’ve wanted to do is call my mom. I know that she’d coddle me for about six seconds and then unleash a steady stream of infuriatingly practical advice and right before I threw a gigantic hissy fit, she would invite me for Sunday dinner. Which, let’s be honest, I’d have to turn down because I couldn’t afford the gas, but the invitation alone would be enough. None of this has been possible, though, since mom and StepBob embarked Sunday morning on a two-week Mediterranean cruise. So I called my brother, who was supremely sweet and sorry, but not at all infuriating, so, you know, it was a mixed bag.
Um, screw. Turns out, I might definitely do not qualify for unemployment benefits in Texas. Hold please, while I find the silver lining for THAT.
I’m SO sorry, Heather!! That completely and totally sucks – and while I would like to say that it’s going to get better, I know that won’t help much.
Just thought of something: maybe with the coming holidays, there could be at least a retail gig in the immediate future? Y’know – to at least pay for cat food?
[[[HUG]]] Hang in there!!
I feel for ya fish…. so sorry. No infuriating advice here. You wanna come over for dinner sunday night?
Well, I suppose Montreal IS a few gas tanks away… Hang on girl, you’re talented.
I don’t have a lot, but I would very much like to give you 40 bucks.
I was unemployed in NYC (and facing eviction) two years ago and met a friend of a friend, who wanted me to take 40 bucks from her. I couldn’t believe I took it, since I’ve never taken money from people for no reason. But she wanted me to have it because she knew what it was like to be down and out and was thankful that she was no longer.
So email me your paypal account, or tell me a physical address, and I’d be happy to pass along that little something to the Fish Fund. I bet a lot of other people would be, too.
Possibly infuriatingly practical advice? Or infuriatingly UNpractical advice– dunno. Hell, I don’t know you from Adam’s Housecat. But I dig your blog.
When I’ve found myself unemployed (embarassingly frequently, but this is about you, not me), my To Do list becomes a morass-y swamp, and my schedule goes to hell. Figure out the scheduling thing yourself– you might even want it to go to hell for a while.
The To-Do List part I wanted to throw a link at you for:
http://lifehacker.com/5057170/why-you-should-risk-dweebhood-with-written-goals
The last thing you probably want is an article on how to check things off your To-Do list. Maybe it sill be useful in a couple of days. Or maybe it will just go ahead and give you that push over you needed since your mom wasn’t available to do the job. (Isn’t it amazing how they are good at that? One of Nature’s little answers to catharsis, I guess.)
Glad you go other folks in the same boat as you right now. Which means it sucks for more folks, but maybe it spreads the suckage slightly thinner by distribution. Or at least you have people who need a drink for the same reason an easy phone call away.
For extra infuriation value, I found this article vaguely encouraging, too:
http://lifehacker.com/5057170/why-you-should-risk-dweebhood-with-written-goals
Hmm, trying for another silver lining… Not qualifying for unemployment gives you more motivation to date so that some guy can buy you dinner! (I’m mostly joking. I tend to do that when situations really stink.)
I’m not gonna say sticky-sweet things to try and make you feel better because I understand the reality that this situation is absolutely no good. I also realize that I’m not super clear on what type of job you are looking for, but for what it’s worth: jobs.ou.edu, req. 06435 is one I just received notice about in the big D.
Yikes! You could fight it I’m sure but bureaucracy being what it is, you wouldn’t have an answer soon enough to be any assistance. My go-to when I was unemployed earlier in the year and freaking about what I would do when unemployment ran out was temp jobs. Being the multi-tasking, good at everything type of girl you seem to be, you would get positions easily and it would help until you find something you want. I’m sure you’ve thought of this already but since you needed some good solid infuriating advice from *someone* maybe this will help
Student teaching.
Not fun, but they always need ‘em, and it’s not hard to qualify. (At least it wasn’t a hundred years ago when I did it…)
Sure, you’ll want to pound on the little brats sometimes (often), you have to be ready to jump out of bed and get to school on a moment’s notice, and if you’re hanging with the elementary school crowd, you can count on catching a runny nose, BUT….it’s something. Sort of.
I’ll see if I can’t find some more silvery lining things out there….
Bugger it! Drink up all your savings and be homeless cat lady for awhile. Think of all the interesting stuff you could blog about then! Of course, you’d have to go to the library to get on a computer…
Are you drinking enough?
Actually, I find myself facing a health problem or two, so I am not drinking at all these days. Sure makes things a little more… stark.
NY would take you back in a NY minute
Heather, I’m so sorry! This isn’t good news for you personally. I know how much you liked your job. I hope that something good comes along soon. If you can’t drink, then have some chocolate. That always makes me feel better. Hugs!
As a mother of 2 twenty-something daughters, I’ll offer to stand in for your Mom for a sec… get your resume out, post it all over, tell everyone you meet you are looking for a job and have a (VERY short) pity party. You sound smart, talented and hard working. Any employer would be lucky to have you. You are invited to dinner on Sunday. I’m a lousy cook, but I’m awesome at ordering take-out. Since I live too far for this invite to be practical, think of all the folks who offer you support on Sunday. I look forward to reading your next chapter …. Luv, virtual Mom : )
https://access.smu.edu/psp/ps/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_HM_PRE&Action=A&SiteId=1
I too, would be willing to throw some cash your way. I don’t have much, but if you could use that money to buy an interview outfit, (or maybe a cocktail?), that would make me happy! I love reading your blog, and I hope you’ll continue to write, no matter what your current financial situation.
yeah…this stinks. i’ve been reading your blog for over a year now and i love it. i’m really sorry this happened but i love that it’s not killing your personality…yet. we love you.
Am I the only one who loves working as a temp?
The first few days are unpredictable cause they don’t know you and it feel like they don’t have gigs for you… but as soon as you get good feedback from your temporary employers and they start requesting you by name…hell, you’re suddenly Miss Popularity. Plus you get to work at a variety of place, meet tons of people and make about $15/hr. Honestly I love it! Sure I’ve been sent to lame places but it’s temporary so you’re outta there in no time! And sometimes you get lucky and get sent to awesome sites you never new existed.
All I got is L-O-V-E to send.
It’s your own fault for not being one of thoae fat cat merchant bankers who got us into this mess in the first place. Then the Government would be able to find $700 billion or so to bail you out.
Well, that’s really ****ty. You’re welcome to dinner at my house too. I can’t cook for crap but I have loads of starving grad student leftovers from many friends so it’s free and eclectic. Yeah, gas schmash. Just get up here already.
enjoy your blog; so sorry to hear of this latest snag. wishing you a quick resolution and hope your health issues resolve too. hang in. you are a great woman. beth
Hi fish,
this is my first comment…i’ve been enjoying reading your blog for a number of months. i just wanted to say how sorry i am for what happened, what little consolation it is. you’re a great writer and person who deserves the best. Hang in there
I’m with anonyMouse re temping. Every time I’ve registered w/temp agencies over the years, a permanent job offer has been the result. Also, most (all?) temp firms offer opp to participate in group health insurance plans. Granted, none of this is ideal, and I’m not a silver lining gal myself, but I’m all about looking for best option in a pile of poop. If anything brilliant occurs to me, I’ll post it.
That sucks and blows at the same time. I was laid off a great job in 2000 and it still stings. No job I’ve had since has been as good. Hopefully you’ll end up working with some of the awesome people from this job at another place.
Hey girlie… I lost my job (that I love) in August. I’ve never been so devastated in my life. I didn’t, for some reason, qualify for the crappy ohio benefits and I worked there for 8 years. The people were my family. I haven’t found a job yet (cuz i’m so damn picky), but I still keep in touch with everyone. Luckily, I have great fam & friends that have been helping me out, but I def do not like to depend on anyone so I’m gonna go to a temp office on Monday. Lucky you and me to join this devistating economy. Just keepin it real! Try to keep your head up. That’s all we can do!
Well, Mercury went direct yesterday so things might be looking up now. Just so ya know.
yeah I love your writing too – sorry for your current probs but send good wishes and positive vibes your way
Not only can I cook, but I can throw down! I’ll leave you fat, happy and using the first belt notch for a change…and comfort foods are my specialty. When I get bad news, I cook then eat. So when you’re ready to visit Atlanta, give me a ring so I can get the cake baking before smothered ribs.
You will get back up and you will find a job. I’m not being comforting, I’m being realistic. This will happen b/c I’m putting it in the Universe. Positive thoughts… if you can’t right now I understand, i’ll do it for you…
fish will get a job soon
fish will get a job soon
fish will get a job soon!
*headdesk* are you f-ing serious?!? You don’t qualify? UGH State agencies are so freaking stupid!!
…I’ll come back when I have something helpful to say, right now I’m going to be pissed on my own(and now your) behalf.
Can you riddle me this, Batman? Does anyone. ever. get. unemployment. benefits. in TX??? I sure haven’t ever qualified.
I’m really sorry that things suck for you right now. Silver lining, blah, blah. It will get better.
Hi Fish, I’m a long time reader but it’s my first time leaving a comment. I’m sorry to hear about your job. Also sorry about not qualifying for the unemployment benefits. I’m currently in grad school (in UK – so if you convert currency it’s almost deadly) so I know how living poor feels, and it’s not nice but somehow it all works out in the end. Your blog lets me live a “real” (aka non-student) life vicariously through you.
Good luck finding a new job soon, sending you lots of positive thoughts from across the ocean.
I am plum out of advice (plus being unwillingly unemployed since June hardly qualifies me for giving advice). Just an I’m sorry. Hang in there (cats clinging to branch poster image inserted here).
This sucks!
Fish, I just have to point out how much you are loved! I mean I see so many people here who want to help you whether that means cooking for you, sending you money, or sending good vibes. I know this kind of “rich” doesn’t pay the rent, but I am teary-eyed at just how rich you are. Someone who touches so many people can’t be kept down for long. Oh, and I am selling everything I own, taking my two cats, and moving to Paris…because I’m single, and I can. Consider everything. Love to ya girl.
You say you have become unemployed, but you must also be getting paid by ivillage for these columns. may not be huge money…but you are not totally unemployed in that case then…isn’t it? and then you also have a travel column.
my $.02 : In any case, you should get a job soon, before the holiday season begins. because this quarter is not going to be so nice….lot of companies shutting down and lot of layoffs to come.
with this column and your travel column…you must have made connections in the ‘writing’ industry, this is the time to call all of those people.
all the best.
I no longer do the travel blog…which makes me want to kick myself in the face for letting that contract go.
But thank you for being so…cheery.
Nothing constructive to add, just sympathy and good wishes – good luck and know that we’re thinking of you!
Fish,come on..everybody has a different way of “cheering you up”…this was my way! I am a long time reader and you are one of my favorite blogs. This is a advice i would also give to my friends!
I still say, go and get a job soon before the market floods with more unemployed people and then jobs will become more tough to find!
Hi Heather! I’m sorry, that sucks. And I hope you know that every time I’ve left a job, or felt I had to leave a job, it’s been worth the pain in the end! I wish the same for you. Hugs!
but of *course* I’m going to get a job soon, or TRY because not having unemployment means I will be out of my apartment in… one month. I am very aware of the need to get a job right away.
Maybe now is the time to look into the horse training thing and move out of the city?
It’s total bull**** that you don’t qualify for unemployment.
p.s. Now I have Across the Universe stuck in my head. Jai Guru Deva Om…..
Hi Heather–
So sorry to hear about the job setback! While you’re plotting your next move, here’s a crazy idea worth considering if you want to bypass the tedious search process:
Rent a sandwich board and advertise that you’re looking for a job, handing out hundreds of copies of your resume. A PR/marketing guru I met recently said this little exercise netted him hundreds of phone calls and dozens of job offers, and it only took him one afternoon to make it all happen!
In a crazy job market like this, a little creativity might go a long way. Good luck!
Melissa
http://www.melissa-singlegalinthecity.blogspot.com
Hi Fish….I love your blog and am pitted that you lost a job that you LOVE (which makes it extra icky)
what is our line of work/expertise….I know a lot of people that I could maybe link you up with! they are always looking for smart, independent, cool chicks like you
XO
Christy
My husband and I are BOTH unemployed, although I start a temp job Monday and am wishing this weekend away to get out of the house and away from him. I already know what I’m wearing! I don’t think this is the first time you’ve lost your job since I started reading, is part of it your field? It sucks. It sucks in a big, huge way. I’m wallowing with you in sunny Florida! I love your blog, too!
sorry fish, that totally sucks.
i feel your pain: my husband of 6 months has been unemployed for 4.5. we are scrimping up a storm and really feeling the pinch. like, if its not too late when i get out of work, i’ll walk an hour home to save the $2 subway fare. and i volunteer to stay late (without overtime) all the time just to get the free dinner and cab fare home. we haven’t eaten this many pb & js since we were 8. and all the while i’m kicking myself that we didn’t do things more cheaply for the wedding: there are many things i would have done differently if i’d known then what i know now. best of luck w/ your job search: turns out, it is indeed hard out there for a pimp.
OMG… I am so sorry. The economy sucks right now. I graduate in May and I am so afraid I won’t be able to find a job because of it.
You are such a talented writer. I’m sure something will come up. *Message to all publishers*: Offer The Fish a book deal! I’d buy a novel written by you! Keep your head up. It’s going to be OK.
Well ****e. Hoping something lovely comes along very quickly.
Double Ugh. I’m so sorry – I have been in your shoes (even the whole complicated-work-history-leading-to-no-unemployment crap) and don’t envy your position in the least!
You’re right: this isn’t part of some “greater plan”. It sucks. And it is yet another life experience to make you even stronger and even more appreciative of the good when it happens. Give yourself a couple of days of feeling sad / angry / scared, and then bust a$$ to find the next job, which after what you’ve been through is bound to be better. I mean, the Universe can’t be THAT harsh…. right?
And for what it is worth, if you ever decided to move back to Boston, I’d hire you in a millisecond.
Well?? It’s been like 5 days. How are you holding up? Did the ticket you’d purchese to head home for the birth go through? Have you worked out any finances or picked up something temporary for now?
This may be the opportunity you’ve been looking for. We’re never given something we can’t handle (and I know it sounds like crap now but it’s true).
So bounce back already!! You will thrive.
Heather,
First of all….I enjoy your blog, thanks for writing it and for always being so honest. I read other blogs and think, “do these people really exist? Seriously, is their life really that carefree all the time?” Of course, the answer is no. They are just not honest, humble, and brave enough to admit that life sucks a fat hairy one sometimes. I appreciate that you acknowledge suckiness. =)
Secondly….misery loves company (for a short period of time anyway) so let me share in an effort to make you feel better. In Oct 07 I had to “put down” my 13 year old dog. And by “put down” I mean “pay the vet $350 to kill him”. Devastating to say the least. In Dec 07 my mom was diagnosed with cancer. In Feb 08 I “lost” my job of 10+ years. And by “lost” I mean “they replaced me with someone who took the same position for 25k less”. Also, devastating. In March 08 I left my beloved Boston and relocated back to Texas. Boston being a much more expensive place to live and Texas being where my entire family resides. And did I mention that not only did I relocate back to Texas (a state I still have an unexplainable hatred for) but I moved in with my sister. I’m 36. I live with my sister. And I’m not even going to mention my love life (or lack thereof).
So there…enjoy a few glorious minutes of feeling, “thank god that’s not me”. Then remember that intelligent, savvy, ambitious gals like you and me will come out on top.
And if you’re ever interested in pretending like its all okay over a (half-price) happy hour Shiner, then let me know!