I hate to think about the point at which the amount of time I've spent unemployed will surpass the amount of time I've been employed (at a real job that required a degree). I started working fulltime in '98 and have had a total of 5 years experience. I was unemployed for 9.5 months after Scale Eight and now have been out since May which makes 6 months - that's a total of 15.5 months. A little more than a year. That's really depressing. *sigh* As an amateur bum on that first go round I didnt do much but job hunt and sit at home and eat ice cream.

But I learned since then to make better use of my time. I think I've done a better job of being productive during this bout of joblessness. I've taken golf lessons, gotten contract work, tutor 2 kids, edited 6 graduate admission essays/letters (not my own, but for pay), taken officer positions with 2 clubs (NAAAP and Toastmasters), entered a public speaking contest, wrote the GRE (twice, unfortunately) and applied for grad school. On top of that applied to a shitload of jobs and interviewed with about 12 companies. Oh and now taking a fiction writing course and trying to decorate our now not-so-fancy home. I guess it doesn't seem so bad now that I capture that in writing and it fills out a whole paragraph. Now if I dont get into grad school...then I'll be in a jam. I really don't see myself finding work here right now. *sigh again* And now that I've had all this time for observation, introspection and such... I'm not sure that grinding away fulltime to make someone else rich is for me anymore. Life is certainly an adventure. I've had so little control the last 3 years, but I guess that is what makes it an adventure...