News from the temporarily unemployeed.

I got a message from Mom last night wondering how I was doing since she’s been checking my site daily and I haven’t been writing anything.  I didn’t get the message until this morning and since she’s at work right now and I can’t get a hold of her there and since it’s the hot time of the day when I should be inside to avoid the burning, burning sun, I figured I’d give you all an update.  (And then call Mom later this evening.)

I’m at the end of my second week of my 4-week furlough and it’s been going okay.  You’d think that having so much time off would be great!  Exciting!  Relaxing!   And then you get there and it’s not exactly what you’d expected.

The way I figure, the next time I have this much time away from work I’ll either be unemployed or dealing with a baby.  In either case, I’ll have a major project on my hands.  I’ll either be spending hours looking for employment or I’ll be figuring out what to do with a little person entirely reliant on my inexperienced hands.

But with this furlough, I haven’t got that.  What I’ve got is a month of trying to figure out what to do with myself, by myself, all day long, for a month.

And, go figure, I waffle between having so much to do that I’m not sure how to handle it and being so fed up with doing projects and just wanting to sit on the couch and watch tv for hours.

So far, I’ve exercised several times and then got so burned out that I took a few days off and then got lazy.  (Got to get back to that one.)  I’ve explored around town a little—hitting the farmer’s market and the local library. (Oh!  That book is due today!)  And I’ve done several around the house projects.

I cleaned out the porch closet so I could fit the portable grill to fit in there.  I cleaned out the closet in the dining room so I could actually get to the vacuum and the winter stuff was tucked back and the summer stuff brought forward.  I cleaned the entire house, dusting, vacuuming, and tidying the whole place from top to bottom.  I cleaned out Justin’s car, even wiping down the leather seats with cleaner and oil.  (He’s been taking mine to work since I have air-conditioning and he doesn’t.  Plus, like 2-times better gas mileage.)  I’ve learned how to cook a few different recipes, including a yummy chicken slow-cooking thing.  I’ve talked to several different government offices about what I need to do about a business license for my professional organizing.  I’ve talked with an investor about opening an IRA for my 401(b) from Toccoa.  I’ve mowed the lawn.  (Gotta do that one again.)  I’ve done the ironing.  I’ve practiced piano.  I’ve hung a curtain across the bottom of the steps to keep the air-conditioning upstairs at night.  I’ve written a few letters.

I’ve met a few people.  I was in Target and had a woman start crying and then invite me to a Mary Kay party.  And then she and I and another girl went out to lunch on Sunday after church, with Justin and the other girl’s husband.  I think we’re going to get together again soon.

I was supposed to babysit on Wednesday, which turned into today, and then got canceled.  I was supposed to organize an office on Wednesday, and that got postponed until next Wednesday.

I’ve slept in.  I’ve watched tv.  I’ve played video games.

I’m trying to get my music collection and podcasts organized on my computer so they sync with my music box.  I’ve got to go through and clean up the files for my photographs.

I’ve set up a dentist appointment for Monday afternoon.

And I’ve stared out the window, trying to think of what I should do, what I have the ambition to do, and what I would rather be doing right now than anything else.

And in reading this over, it might sound that I’m discouraged and frustrated with the whole thing, but I’m really pleased with what I’ve been able to do.  I’m a little frustrated that I haven’t been working on my weight and fitness like I should be.  And I think I might be playing video games more than I should be.  But I’ve gotten so many things done!

Today, since my babysitting gig got canceled, I’ve been outside washing mold and junk off three wooden chairs that we have sitting on the front porch.  Once they’ve dried off and I make sure that we’re not going to get rain this afternoon, I’m going to go out and paint them with a weather-resistant stain.  (This afternoon meaning after 2 or 3 o’clock to avoid the burning heat of the midday sun.)  Plus, I apparently need to hit the library, so I’ll be doing that, too.

This weekend, if it’s nice, we’re going to take 1×8 planks of wood that we had from shelving at the old house and stain it so we can use it to make bookshelves for the closet of Justin’s office—where I’m really hoping to finish going through and getting him organized.

Yesterday, Justin had a doctor’s appointment, so he worked from home in the morning and then we went to Savannah together.  We hit his appointment, where the ophthalmologist gave him a clean bill of health on his eye situation.  (Remember when he was wearing an eye patch for like three months?  Iritis.)  And then we went to Olive Garden on a gift certificate that I got from work for being the 5S employee of the month.  And then we came home for an enjoyable evening of playing games online with friends.

So I’m having a good time!  I’m tickled with what I’m getting done!  I just constantly feel like I should be doing something *more* when I’m sitting around, trying to think of what to do next.  I should work up our hurricane evacuation plan!  I should go through my dresser and fold everything!  I should weed the pavers in the back yard!  I should organize the filing cabinet!  I should get clients for my business!

And that’s where I’m at.  I will try to remember to post on here now and then.  I tend to think of my projects as being exciting for me, but not really for anyone else.  But I forget that other people might want to hear about my boring news.  🙂

Anyway, I hope you’re all doing really well!  Remember to wear your sunscreen and drink lots of water!

Cheers!