Here's the thing.

It sounds odd, but I really needed a vacation from being unemployed. I went to Toronto for a week and spent time with some people that I just don't get to see very often, because they live so far away from me. It was one of the best vacations I have ever had. There was not a moment of grumpiness from me, even when I was tired and trying to get over the jet lag on 3 hours of sleep. It was end to end amazing. It was good for my brain to be around people, watching them make things and do things and create things and talk about making things.

HOWEVER, now I'm back at home and have to jump back into my life. Head first is the approach I'm taking. Here's the thing: I need a job. But what kind of job? I've come up with a list of things I want to get out of a place that I have to spend 8 hours of my day.

1) I want to create things. I want to be able to have a thing I can look at and say, "I made this".
2) I want a positive environment. I want to be recognized for the good things I do. I also want feedback on the things I don't do so well. I want them to help me get better at what I do.
3) I want to be paid fairly.
4) I want to be excited about what I do.
5) I want to work with other creative people. I feed off the energy of others, and I would love to be back in a creative environment again.

Now that I know this much, I need to figure out what I bring to the table. This is the tricky part. But after my vacation from vacationing, I feel like I'm finally ready to figure this out.

Also, I have learned that the best way to start your morning is to read a hilarious email, drink some coffee, and dance around in your underwear. Then you can start to get shit done. WOOT.

What to do when you have nothing to do.

The first week an a half of unemployment was just straight up MAGICAL. I would wake up every day at my normal time (6:30am) and hear my roommate getting ready for work. There would be a moment of, "Awwww MAN!" and then I would remember. OH YEAH. I DON'T HAVE TO GET UP BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A JOB. WOOOOOOO! Then I'd go back to sleep until whenever-I-goddamn-feel-like-it o'clock. It was great. When I finally did get out of bed, there was a leisurely schedule. Make a latte, (I need to develop some barista skills JUST IN CASE) watch some television, write some things, think about possible activities, read the entire Internet. I kept pretty busy. It was nice. It sort of felt like a vacation.

But then one day, it happened. I got bored. It suddenly dawns on you that pretty much everyone you know is at work, so if you go anywhere, you will be going by yourself. You can't really call anyone because everyone is busy doing work crap. You rapidly run out of ideas to keep yourself busy. You start making lists of possibly career ideas, but that all turns to crap once you notice that you have written "rocket scientist" and "robot butler" three times each. WHAT NOW????

I like to search for cheap airfare for a last minute vacation, because I can actually take last minute vacations with like zero planning. I can't really afford one, but this is not the point. The point is to remind myself of the fact that I could, in theory, flee at any time. I also like to shop for things on the Internet, because I enjoy the thought of receiving a package in the mail. If I order something online today, that gives me at least a full 7 days of waiting for a package. But I never actually order anything, because HELLO? BUDGET.

I suppose after I clean my entire house, organize some stuff, and doing absolutely everything else I can in order to avoid having to sit down and seriously think about my situation, I will eventually have to just suck it up and do it. I will have to rewrite my resume, decide what I want to do with the rest of my life, and start getting serious about looking for work.

But I'll save that for tomorrow. These origami zoo animals aren't going to fold themselves.

Sucks to your assmar.

So I don't *actually* have asthma. Well, I don't think I do. I've never been diagnosed with it, but I have been treated for asthma-related symptoms. It sounds more complicated than it is. ANYWAYS, I don't actually have asthma. This is the point.

However, sometimes I get breathing problems when I exercise. Today I went for a run and it turned out to be a lot colder out than I had thought it was. When I was running it was okay. But now, it has been a few hours and I sort of feel like I have the beginnings of a chest cold. What the heck, man? It was just a little cold air. This always happens, which is why I stopped running in the first place. It's rather annoying. I'm not sick... my lungs just don't like all that cold air, I guess.

LAME.