A typical day

This morning, I had a required meeting at unemployment. I had not printed out my resume and some pdf file I had to fill in, so I got them on my flash drive and went to Staples where two employees had no idea how to use the computers at the front of the store in the copy center to do this. So I jammed in my debit card, plugged in my flash drive, and did it in about 2 minutes. I guess THERE'S a job opp for me.

At unemployment, I was certain my interviewer was a drag queen until she started telling me her life story which involved a male husband although she HAD owned a trucking company in her former life, so I guess I'm still not sure. In the hour I spent there, about 18 minutes was about me and the rest about her and life in general.

Then I went to lunch with Amy at City Tap, where I had a Groupon. She was taking the afternoon off.

After that I painted the west side of the garage, having done the back yesterday. It was the end of the Sanctuary color paint I had used on the house. Actually, I only got half of the side done and ran out of paint. So I'm contemplating getting a gallon of Cricket, the next color down on the paint chart and finishing the side of the garage and then using the rest to repaint the front and driveway side of my house as I have felt the Sanctuary was a tad too yellow. The paint is $5 off this weekend at Home Depot.

Where I also looked at concrete blocks to make a planter of sorts around the tree on my east lot line, under which nothing will grow as the dirt is apparently dead. The ones Amy uses are 22 lbs. each which I think would kill me. They have some that are 11 lbs. each but I would need more of them although they are cheaper. Still pondering this.

Also I read a bunch of Ann Beattie stories on the deck. And played Words with Friends with Jen from (my former) work. It was a beautiful day.

And I watered. And made garage sale signs although now it may have to be delayed a week because my Uncle Jim has died. He was 95. Funeral arrangements are pending.

I lifted weights during reruns of Two and a Half Men.

Then I came in here and whacked away at the B&B website AGAIN and practiced on my new electric guitar. And now it's midnight.

So that's what I'm doing with my unemployment.
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Week 5

I applied for some more jobs today and took the lengthy online Unemployment Office orientation. I have been seized by some malaise that makes me sit down at this computer and then do about nothing but check my email and Facebook.

It was a great weekend, however. Friday night we went to La Forchetta de Pasqualone up on Woodville Rd. in Oregon that has excellent Italian fare and a very reasonably priced wine list.

Saturday was the big Snaps at the city park which went OK but frankly, I messed up and we were nervous. Some of us went to Amy's after and sat outside in her newly renovated patio area which was lovely.

Sunday Amy and I went to Auglaize Village, over past Defiance, which we found out is only open on special event days, and Sunday was not one of them. Undeterred, we drove to Archbold to see the Ten Thousand Villages store, which was closed. Then on our way out of town, we drove by Sauder Village which most of was closed, like the bakery. The displays were open but we weren't into that. Then we went to a Nafziger's ice cream shop in the middle of nowhere and had a cone and went to the Green Acres greenhouse on the same road where we bought a bunch of plants on big sale.

Then we stopped in at the Candy Cane Xmas shoppe north of Archbold and then proceeded on into Delta/Swanton and ate at Shucker's. On the way home a monsoon struck.
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Step 2

No wonder I never get this step on my lawn. The grass has to have dew on it or you have to sprinkle AND you can't mow for 24 hours afterward AND it can't rain for 24 hours afterward. But today was the perfect storm of those conditions so I did it. It's the weed and feed one.

Also Kroger sux. They do not have lime Perrier and only one type of canned tuna in olive oil.

Small town goodness: I threw my sweatshirt on my hatchback and left it there when I left for the store and when I came back down Grove St., there it was in the street so I stopped and picked it up. Duh.

And the intersection of Main and Poe is closed. You can come down Main and turn right onto Poe but that's about it. So I had to go through the Walgreen's parking lot and illegally turn left onto N. Main to go to Kroger. On the other hand, traffic is light as people are avoiding the area. I saw my neighbor Don at Kroger and he commented that our street has become a thoroughfare due to people swinging off Main before the closed part. I had to go to the yard waste on Frazee and turn at N. College because Poe eastbound is also closed. I need to check out if you can go back into those apartments at the far end of N. Grove and then come out on Main. I predict alleys will also be heavily travelled.

I finally got all the detritus in my side yard raked up and toted away.
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I framed the monkey kiss print i got in austin and am preparing to mount a new display in the living room.

Week 4

Fabulous weather!! Today I took a one hour walk and deposited my unemployment check and bought some coffee and had lunch with Connie Ziss at Myles and aired up my bike tires. And tonight did more work on the B&B website: made pages but not the ones for the rooms, which will be most of the work. I captioned all the photos in a Picasa album online and sent that to Jess to make sure I have the right rooms with the right pictures.

Also I made a list of stuff I could be doing instead of wandering aimlessly around the house and yard. I'll be getting on that tomorrow. When I have Snaps practice at 4:15.

I didn't end up going to Delaware Sunday as apparently my sister has contracted this annoying nose and throat thing that is still plaguing me after 10 days. So I went out to Chip's and we finished painting that bedroom which looks great even with that pink carpeting.

Friday Amy and I went to the Art Museum for a glass blowing demo at which the Joe Baker Band played. Then we went to see Polka Floyd at the Village Idiot where we found out they cannot play at the Harvest Party which is just as well since the regulars expect to play.

Today I signed up to take a welding class at the art museum that is 4 Monday nights starting July 18.

Bought 14 tickets to go see Todd at the Ark in August.
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Exciting mail received ....

Yay Friday

Although I don't know why I say that as it's always Friday here at 222 Curtis. Or Saturday. Whatever.

I did finally buckle down on that B&B website and sent some questions to Texas but have not heard back.

Today I fixed that lamp in the middle room, replacing the 3-way switch successfully. And just now I walked downtown and mailed my rebates for a new phone and my Sonicare plus a thing so they'll direct deposit my unemployment instead of sending me one of those bothersome debit cards. Now I can finally see the top of my desk. Plus I got my mom some GFT decaf and a latte for me. I emailed the woman conducting the job search for that BGSU teaching job to remind her of my interest.

Yesterday, I cleaned up the edges of my driveway. Could that be all I did?? It turned out to be a beautiful day and I sat on the Laymans' deck for a while.

Todd Snider is coming to the Ark Aug. 19. I already have 9 people signed up to go and tickets go on sale tomorrow morning.
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Week 3

After feeling guilty about not having a job most of last week, this week is a little better. I have gone for a half-hour walk every morning. Monday I painted the trim in a bedroom at Chip's and then laid around watching TV and movies because I was in Day Five of this cold. You know: three days to get it, three days to have it, three days to get over it.

Tuesday I went to the library and Charlie Tuna's memorial service and Snaps practice and then out to the farm for dinner.

Today, I have mostly procrastinated about the B&B website. I do allow myself to watch Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at 12:30 as long as I lift weights during it. Which I did today.
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June

So far, I've done about nothing with my partial retirement. Sure, I water and mow whenever I feel like it. And I've made some new experimental foods, but overall I'm aimless. Just now, however, I am going out to paint one of the bedrooms at Chip's. So, more procrastinating about that B&B website.

And more later....