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work
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2004-08-01
Unemployment sucks: I hate being unemployed. The IRS let me go at the end of June, and I've sort of been floating for the past month. But now I've got to really buckle down and get into an application frenzy, because I'm seriously running low on funds.
Thank goodness I get UI benefits, however. The amount I get pays for most of my rent, all but $32. But my other bills, especially electricity and car insurance, are pretty significant.
My mom has said she would help me out if I get in dire straits, but I really hate asking for help. I feel like I should be an adult by now (my 32nd birthday is in two days), and I should by all rights be able to take care of myself. My mom is very cool about the whole situation, she is quite supportive. So I am lucky there. Let's hope I don't actually have to take her up on her offer of assistance.
I have an interview on Tuesday, with the Texas Department of Public Safety. I've applied there numerous times before, and gotten about seven interviews over the years. It's always a 3-person panel, handled in a very formulaic way (and very professional).
This time when I took the DPS typing test, I got 82 words per minute. I think that's the highest I've ever tested. Woo, me!
I have tons of jobs to apply for, so I am just going to go nuts tomorrow. I mailed off three applications today. Small victories: I found the post office quite readily. My good sense of direction steered me exactly the way I needed to go. The post office isn't even very far away. I think I will be making a lot more trips there in the near future.
Tomorrow, I have to go sell some books. That's right, I am selling books. I can hardly believe it. I mean, I used to feel such fondness for my books, but finally, having to lug them to and fro, I have realized they are a huge boat anchor. I set up my bookshelves in the living room, with the tv, vcr/dvd player, xbox, gamecube, media, and several shelves of Elena's stuff, so there simply isn't room left for all my books anymore. So I went through in a very harsh manner, asking myself honestly whether I wanted to read each book again. I ended up with four boxes worth that must go.
It's kind of sad - reading used to mean so much to me, but now it's something I only do occasionally. I should be shocked and horrified at this, but for some reason I am unmoved. It's just how things have ended up. I do most of my reading on the internet now, keeping up with current events. I did get a book recently though, Word Freak, when I was in Denver a few weeks ago. That was enjoyable.
