20 Questions Tuesday: 126 - Uemployed Edition

Well, in honor of my recent employment status, I have deemed today’s 20 Questions Tuesday to be all about getting laid off and unemployment. In fact it is soooo special it is the Special 30 Questions edition!

Thanks this week go to ACW, The Previously-Named-Lord-Pithy-Yet-No-Longer-Named-That-Due-to-Its-Length, JohnP, Capt McArmypants, Belsum, and Allrileyedup.

On to the questions:
1. What about healthcare? Cobra?
I am not sure that Cobra is an organization that has good healthcare.

2. What was the first thing you did to take your mind off of Jan 23rd?
Wake up on January 24th.

3. Job search is limitless, right? No constraints holding you to Columbus.
I love the city and really love my house, so there is a bit of a pull to stay in the ‘Bus, but I am not limiting myself to this area in my job search.

4. How long do you have to wait before receiving unemployment checks?
I have no idea. I should probably see if my first unemployment deposit has hit yet.

5. Does this mean your former company is fair game in the blog - or do you need to make should that nothing gets back to them?
No, this does not mean that the former employer is fair game. My time with them, as infuriating as it was, is over. That does not mean I will not throw in quips here or there, but as far as a rant? Nope. That place is dead to me and my soul is the better for it.

6. Are you considering taking up any new hobbies to pass the time? Are you open to suggestions?
I have my hobbies that I have been neglecting. In will be reawakening those past-times. I am not really open to other recommendations as far as past-times.

7. How temtping is it to just say, "Wifey, I think I will use this time to bond with the children. I'm going to be a stay-at-home dad from now on."?
Not very. She is a hitter.

8. What is the single most positive thing you can say about this unemployment experience?
I no longer work for that infernal company.

9. What's your favorite job research source?
Indeed.com It is like a compilation of job resources. It gathers up postings from multiple job websites.

10. If you could script the big happy ending in this movie, what would it be (as a suggestion, a big musical number is always nice)?
I would become independently wealthy and commission a musical number to take place at a mall while I was shopping there.

11. What activities will you get involved in whilst you are in between jobs?
I am going to start the exercise regimen again and a drawing practice as well as setting aside some time for some digital art.

12. What job would you absolutely not take even if the money was over the top huge?
Assisstant Crack Whore

13. Have you begun the paperwork for your TARP monies? How did you answer question 57b on form 23-10W? I listed religious affiliation as, other, Jedi.
I will get no TARP monies due to that fact that I am not a bloated overly important financial institution… yet.

14. Are you totally pissed or reflective on this as a learning/personal growth situation?
These are not mutually exclusive categories.

15. Will you allow yourself a week of sleeping in and poor grooming?
I think that is how I lost my job in the first place.

16. If you were independently wealthy would you still want to work?
Somewhat. I would not want to be employed full-time and depending on the level of wealth, I might actually work as the head of some charitable foundation.

17. If the answer is yes, what kinda job would you want?
An easy one.

18. How much money is FU money for you?
I think that I could smurf out a nice existence on 2.5 million after taxes.

19. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to ask questions about unemployment without flat out implying that your current situation really stubs toe?
This situation does suck, but it is a transition and most transitions suck to some degree. The other side of this will be great.

20. When my dad got laid off as the steel industry went bust many many years ago in the Bama, he spent a few months pretty much wandering around the house cleaning. He spent an unhealthy amount of time trying to keep the counter in the kitchen clean, confiscating everything left on the counter after he had cleaned. He would take said confiscated items be they silverware or toys or breadties and put them in a drawer. The drawer became a box and then many boxes. We moved about 8 months after that and to this day there are still several boxes of unorganized garbage / oddkins & bodkins under the new house that no one sorted. My dad went a little bonkers there, but definitely became a better man for it. What is the craziest thing you have done so far? Any predictions on the crazy for the future?
I would love to have an oddkins and bodkins drawer. I now have a mission. May God have mercy on all our souls.

21. Is this your first layoff? Did you know it was coming or were you completely blindsided?
First one. While it was not wholly unexpected, I was a bit surprised at the timing. They usually do this stuff right before Christmas…. Because they care.

22. When I got laid off I just got a local retail job and lived off that plus severance until I figured out what to do next. Any similar plan in the works for you?
Seeing as how they “gave” me 5 weeks severance for 9+ years of service, I really do not have much luxury to just live off that pittance.

23. You’re the third person I know (IRL and online) that’s been laid off since the beginning of 2009 (I’m not counting the DHL employees that found out in 2008 – that would be a LOT). How many do you know?
23 as of Friday the 23rd. The people on the bubble should just be happy that they did not wait and make it 30 on the 30th.

24. People always talk about using their time unemployed to self-educate and make those career changes they’ve always been too afraid of going for. Bullshit or sound advice?
Both. There is a goodly amount of time that one can devote to the learning and such. But looking for a new job is almost a job in and of itself.

25. If you could afford to remain unemployed and be a stay-at-home dad, would you?
I need to interact with adults at some level, so I don’t think I could be a stay-at-home dad.

26. What unemployed movie character do you most resemble, or want to resemble (fyi: I believe Rambo qualifies as unemployed)?
Kermit the Frog at the beginning of the “Muppet Movie”

27. Is a part of you glad that you no longer have to go back to that particular place of employment?
All parts of me are glad that I no longer have to go back to that particular place of employment.

28. If you had to be fired for doing something unscrupulous, what would have been your preferred crime?
Embezzling money for my eventual lay-off.

29. Have you eaten any bon bons since date of termination?
I am more of a bon mot man, myself.

30. I never really got into the whole shtick about bon bons. What gives? They’re not that great.
I have no idea. There are so many better foods to gorge oneself on.


To Recap:
There are a few readers out there that will get this: “Toke took Tues and I through a few rounds of the Flowgame last night.”
There was some direction
I hope to have some Digital Thursday fodder for this week
I am about 15% done with digitally coloring a pic
I am about 10% happy with what I have done so far
Which is about 80% away from what I had envisioned
Listening to The Beast and the Dragon, Adored by Spoon.