Reflections While on Unemployment

1. I need structure and schedules in my life. Hence, the blogging at 1 am. When I was working I was out for the night by 10 pm.
2. When I don't have free time, I crave it. When I have too much free time, I tend to squander it (darn you, cable TV, and "CSI" and "NCIS" re-runs that I didn't catch the first time around! it is all YOUR fault that I am still working on organizing my scrapbook room).
3. When I am constantly around people, I often long for "ME"-time. When it's just ME all the time, I long to interact with people. Thank goodness for IM and Facebook and email.
4. The last time I had this much time off from working I had just given birth so I was pretty occupied for four months. I definitely needed some "ME"-time then.
5. Valentine's Day/Presidents' Day weekend was no big thing...hey, when you're unemployed, every day's a holiday. Did go see a movie - "Taken" with Liam Neeson. Kept watching the previews on TV, where the daughter (played by Maggie Grace, who also played "Shannon" on "Lost") gets pulled out from where she was hiding under a bed, but damn if I didn't still jump when it happened on the big screen!
6. Have been enjoying cooking for the family - made Portugese bean soup (no beans, extra ham) last night, with enough leftovers for tonight. Maybe some kind of chicken dish tomorrow? Tacos, beef sukiyaki, corned beef hash? Maybe try something totally new? My cooking repertoire is kinda limited so the rotation's pretty quick. Before you know it, it'll be "Portugese bean soup...again?"
7. I WILL be working again very soon. I have two offers right now and will be accepting one and turning down one by the end of the week. Luckily I never even filed for unemployment.
8. I probably should make a list of things I want to accomplish by the end of the month to make sure they get done. I'm a list-maker and things do get done when they're on a list because it feels so good to check them off as done.
9. Just saw a list of goals on another blog of "38 things to do before turning 39" and her recap of the "37 things" she did before turning 38. Cool idea, but maybe I should have started this last July on my birthday, 'cause now I only have five months to get them done and I am considerably older than she is. Well, maybe I will add "make a list" to my list of things to do. Or put "do laundry" 47 times on the list, which will definitely happen.
10. 2009 will have several milestones for us: Ryan turning 16, our 20th wedding anniversary, my 30th high school reunion. Need to find some special ways to commemorate these events. Add those to the list too.