To New Challenges
Well, I never thought I would be in the place of so many other unfortunate Americans, but here I am, a new addition to the unemployment numbers.
Can I just say, what a ridiculous process filing for unemployment is? You file online, wait 10 days to be notified to list your resume on the state jobs website, in my case CALJobs. Once you've completed that process, you receive another mailed notice to verify if you could have worked during the time you initially filed and then to advise EDD where you applied to during their listed weekly time frames. Now, I'm not saying they shouldn't keep track of how diligent you are at finding new work, that you are legitimately looking for work, but snail mail? In this day? It is kind of refreshing, but at the same time why can't they just have you do this online? Your able to apply online, why not fill out these weekly updates. So now, we're at the place where your pretty sure you're getting unemployment, I mean they sent you the forms, had you upload your resume, you have to send it back and wait to receive a check in the next 10 days. Do you think any of these forms you fill out might actually give you a dollar amount? That they will explain to you what you can expect to get and attempt to budget with? The answer is, no. No, you are not told on that form what to expect.
In my case, as well as many others who file for Unemployment, you are asked to fill out the last 18 months of work history to determine what you should get as your pay. Considering I worked at a shoe store just over minimum wage, part time(for pretty crappy hours I might add) then full time 40 hour weeks and then moved to a salary job, I have no idea how they are going to calculate what I will be getting. Also, I have two credit card payments coming up! Time in a wasting.
On the positive, I filed my taxes, yay! And I mean the yay in a non-sarcastic way. For the first time since I was like 20, I do not owe the state anything over $50 and I am getting a nice refund, at least what I consider to be a nice refund. I've already worked it out and believe it to be spent. Two large credit card payments and a car payment, with some play money left over. . . Part of me wants to just do something fun, though. I always do the right thing, the things that make sense, I don't go out and buy a TV or a new laptop (although this really should be the time I do that). No, I've made plans for my money, ones that make sense that are the smart thing to do, I mean I try to be smart with my money a lot of the time, but lets be honest. If I were so good with my money I would not have so much debt like I do right now...
Moving right along.
With all my free time at home now, I was really hoping I would be super productive, have my room in a crazy Pinterest styled organization. Alas, half of the amazing things you see on Pinterest cost money, no matter what they say, and that is exactly what I am lacking at this moment. I'm also lonely. Sure, my mom and nana are here too. But, my mom stays cooped up in her room 90% of the day, my nana sits in the living room watching TV and crocheting or doing cross stitch embroidery. Me, I try and help out at the house, but after week 2 of being home all day every day, I got tired of doing it. Annoyed that what ever I was doing didn't seem to keep the house clean. I mean, is this what parents, mothers, feel like with kids? If so,I don't think I'll be hopping on that train any time soon. Of course, for that particular train you need a man in your life, of which I have none.
That's the other thing. All this free time to go out and do things, but things cost money, so it's not like I can go out and meet someone. Plus, I'm so far away from the friends I would go out with, from the places I would go out to! Maybe I should take up waitressing. I thought about that tonight. I wouldn't be making near what I did at any of my other jobs, minus the retail shoe store, so I can keep my EDD...maybe that's how I can meet a guy. Most of the time though, a guy I think is cute has a girlfriend, and the ones I think are just cute but wouldn't necessarily date are into me. What is that about? Good lord, this is going to turn into a rant...but that's what this is for right? It is a journal, right? So, who cares what I write, it's not like anyone I know is going to read it anyway. Most of them, if any of them, minus CK, she's on here, know about this journal.
Well for my first entry for 2013, I feel a little better. Writing it out usually helps me, it's not as personal as when I'm physically hand writing in a journal, but this is faster. Sometimes my mind goes so fast that my hand can't keep up and then my writing doesn't make any sense at all. At some point in my life or in the next few months, I want to be able to go back and read through my thoughts. See what goals and ambitions I had for myself and then see what I've done to accomplish them or get closer to those goals.
So, here's to change in 2013!