Getting laid off is a lot of work

Or, how I’ve stayed busy thus far, in no particular order.

• Created a resume and sent it out (building a useful receiver list is actually quite time consuming)
• Created another resume that is intelligible to smart folks who happen to not have a background in telecom
• Sent that one out (much easier… just reused the previous receiver list)
• Answered most every email that came back in response
• Mailed rebate for new T-Mobile phone (easy)
• Mailed rebate for new laptop (hard… somehow lost the receipt and had to drive back to the store)
• Was conquered for the first time in my life by a piece of technology, my new T-Mobile Dash phone. I fought back, and I think I won, but it took quite a bit of time.
• Got my laptop set up the way a laptop should be set up.
• Filed for unemployment online
• Called unemployment office to discuss the set of questions that were impossible for me to answer honestly. Here’s how it went down. Question: did you receive wages this week? Answer: Yes. Question: How many hours did you work for these wages? Answer: Zero. Oops. Zero isn’t a valid answer. But my job related activities were to all cease the day I was laid off. And I’m still on payroll for the time being.
• Started jumping through hoops in support of unemployment insurance, whenever it does kick in. Pretty easy, really, as I was already doing all sorts of job searches and job applications and was keeping a journal of all of it.
• Did all sorts of job searches and job applications and kept a detailed journal. Wrote cover letters where possible.
• First went to the hospital at which all my children were born and then the county clerk’s office. Got a birth certificate for Josiah (already had one for the other kids).
• Used birth certificates and tax returns to prove my dependents are really my dependents so they stay covered on my insurance (for the short time I have it). I call this the new “No (love) child left behind” except, of course, they are trying to leave (love) children behind.
• Had the first killer migraine I’ve had in a couple years. Really bad. I’m at a loss as to what the trigger was, given that I generally get migraine’s from emotional stress.
• Canceled lots of services, including my broadband card with Verizon Wireless.
• Desperately tried to pay off my Verizon account, but no one would take my money since, you know, my account was canceled. Like this was a new situation they had never encountered. Eventually had to drive to an ATM, get lots of cash, then drive to a Verizon store and hand the cash to them.
• Sent in various signed pieces of information to various locations to secure my severance package.
• Went on bike ride with my dad, a round trip from Valley View Park to White Rock Lake. On the way, we were pushing into 70 mile an hour wind. I don’t remember coming back, as the 8 miles went by so quickly it was a blur, what with a typhoon blowing us home.
• Worked most nights very late into the night / early morning looking over job posts and responding to email.
• Pretended Friday was Saturday (you can do that when you don’t have a job). In the morning, enjoyed a wonderful grandparent’s day program at the Covenant School. Then spent some time weeding the yard and hanging out. Even flew kites with the kids at the nearby elementary school yard.
• Will probably end up pretending Saturday is Friday…