Lifestyles of the Out of Luck and Unemployed

So good news travels fast (especially through facebook) and I'm sure most people that read this blog know that I was laid off on Tuesday.

It wasn't a big surprise I have to say. I had heard rumblings of lay offs for a good couple of weeks and I was fully prepared for it to be me. A nice new version of my resume was ready to go. So when I got the call to come to a meeting in the lunchroom and could I bring three of my co-workers with me.... I knew what was happening. Apparently I was the only one. It was what I expected, they just weren't making enough money to support our salaries and they loved us and ect, ect. One of my (former) co-workers asked me why I wasn't upset and all I could say was I knew it was coming. When you hear rumors of lay offs and you have only 1 1/2 hours of billable work per day...you pretty much assume it's gonna be you.

It was truly one of the most awkward moments of my life. We just sat there staring at them after they gave their schpeal and no one said anything until I excused myself. I made it all the way out of the building and down to the side alley before I started crying. It was more of a rejection really. Like I got picked to be voted off the island. Kudos to James for being able to interpret the crying, hiccuping, hysterical phone call him got. And in typical James fashion all he had to say was "Well shit." Followed by the normal "We'll get through this"

So I pulled myself together and hugged two of my other co-workers as they exited. They were planning on coming back when no one was there to clean their desks. I just wanted to rip it off like a band aid and just have it done that day. So I went upstairs and started collecting my stuff. They had called a staff meeting so it was just me, my other lone laid off survivor and the accountant. Who hovered over us like I was going to blow up my computer or steal some pens. I hear that this is pretty normal but its still disconcerting when you're trying to pack. So I packed it all up and drove off into the Marana sunset to go file for unemployment.

So now that its been a couple of days I am doing a bit better. I have couple of applications out there and we are still figuring out how long I have to search for a "real" job before I need to start waiting tables or something. (Not anytime soon Mom & Dad!) I am so incredibly lucky to have fantastically supportive parents, equally supportive friends and one heck of a husband. I have spent a lot of time at the gym running off some aggression. Maybe the gyms positive effects on my ass will be the one good thing to come out of this.

And of course my POS car likes to kick me when I'm down so it has proceeded to stop producing heat and/or air conditioning. Its a good thing we live in Arizona or I'd be an ice pop. That has been broken for a couple of weeks. But in the wake of feeling like I was going to get laid off (look it came true!) I refused to fix it. And then today my something-or-other broke in the engine having to do with emissions. James knows whats wrong with it and all he said when I asked him was one word-- expensive. That's enough to make me spiral further into depression. So this is not a big deal most of the year but my tags are up for renewal next month which means a trip to emissions. I hate my car. I'd like to blow it up and be done with it. When I get a new car I'm getting the Mac Daddy of all waranties. But if there was ever a blessing in my ill fated car life it is James' family's hot rod shop. They are the savior of my little red piece of crap that I drive around. They have helped us fix that car no less than 8 times already. And only one of those times it was my fault (that truck came out of no where!). I refuse to give Acura anymore of my hard earned money and I don't care if we have to dismantle the car with a toothpick, we will do it ourselves (with Randy's supervision of course).

So that is the current story of the down on her luck Betsy.