I was able to get to the park this morning. Still it was pretty packed for 8 a.m.
I took my time to think and compile things. The weather was just starting to warm up and the sun was a few inches above the trees. I walked around, saw some deer – watched the squirrels.
What I really liked was the smell of the mud. Let me explain. The first smells of spring once all the snow has melted and the organic material that has laid dormant underneath the snow, matted down. It begins to break down with the warmer temperature, the bugs and animals rooting around in it – playing in the woods. That earthy, muddy, leafy smell is intoxicating.
This week has been pretty crappy overall, and I (don’t) know why. I have some theories – and I’m going to ramble on for a while.
Let me start off with the bright spot for the week. St. Patrick’s Day evening was AWESOME. I went to Claddagh Irish Pub in Toledo for some beers and to spend quality time with a group of friends. A few pints of Guinness and some onion rings made the day finish great. I saw some dance floor moves that I don’t have in my private life and I was partially impressed and partially scared. A lot of people being escorted out because they couldn’t stand anymore…
This is my last week for initial unemployment benefits before I can apply for the myriad of extensions. That has caused me a certain degree of anxiety. I have friends who are going on over a year of unemployment so I should feel relatively lucky to be at 6 months. But I still want to get back to work. The jobs being posted seem to be the same positions posted week after week. I am noticing the same companies, the same job numbers, etc. I still apply. I received a call this week for a few jobs that I match. A $9.50/hour job that requires a high school diploma or G.E.D. to work in an office OR a $10/hour job for customer service work. That’s where I’m sitting…?
The weather has been great – warmer than it has been in a while and I really like the sun. I have the pent up aggression and wanted to walk it off at the park. I was driving a little aggressive on my way there, but when I got there – it looks like everyone else had the same idea and there was no where to park. So I thought I would head off to the next closest park…that one was packed as well. So I ended up driving home even more worked up than when I left. I’m hoping to head out in the morning before everyone else gets the same idea.
I’ve been in this terrible mood. The creative group I belong to hasn’t exactly been forging ahead boldly. There are 40 members in the group, but we’re at a 25% active member base. I edit the members list at the end of the month during our administrator’s meeting – and each week it gets smaller and smaller. It is very disheartening because actual events are starting to pick up and we are building momentum. We have a new project that will be fun to do and it seems as though everyone is bailing out now. I guess we will just re-fortify, regroup, and re-assess the plan.
I am hanging out this afternoon at Biggby Coffee on Markway in Toledo, OH.
I’m working on prep meeting materials for a meeting I have later with members of the Type B: Creative Production Group. This is one of the few meetings we are having this month – to try and update the projects.
I am upstairs drinking Leprechaun Latte’s and wondering why it is blistering hot here. I’m sure it has nothing to do with it being near 60 outside or that I am wearing jeans and a thermal long-sleeved shirt. Nothing at all.
Any minute now the caffeine and sugar should kick in and I will be flying. Not soon enough.
No Soda Report – its been over a month now with no pop/soda. I still get to occasional headache, but I think that’s more caffeine related than anything else. My cravings for sugary syrup have subsided and I am moving onwards. Once I use up the last of the Crystal Lite this week, I am going straight water. Let me see how long that lasts. Kenny-1, Soda -0
Unemployment – I’m on my last week of initial unemployment benefits until I am able to apply for the extensions. A friend asked me if I had gotten them yet, but until I use all of my initial benefits, I won’t know if/when I can tap into them.
The job search continues. It seems like I keep applying for the same positions and they are repeatedly posted with no responses. There was a posting yesterday online, but when I applied for it, the database code showed an error when processing. The same code was there this morning – so I think it was overwhelmed with applications. The one position I interviewed for about a month ago that said to “keep an eye on your e-mail for further correspondence in the next few days” – well, over a month. I called back checking in and got nothing in return. The job was posted again as of this morning – I guess they can’t let anyone know via e-mail…
The snow has melted and it has warmed above 40d. I had the opportunity to take down the window plastic and open the windows to get some fresh air inside. Today it is overcast with a little sun.
I was working on the Type B:CPG blog over the last few days (http://typebcreates.wordpress.com) and think it looks cleaner.
This morning we had a hike at Swan Creek Park in Toledo, OH.
It was a drizzly morning with heavy winds, but that meant we had the park to ourselves. We walked out the orange to yellow and back via the brown trails. The creek was swollen to just below the bottom of the swinging bridge. Above is video of the 360 degrees around the trailhead off of Airport Highway.
I went out for a drive to get some fresh air and to run a few errands. Not much is going on on the job hunting front – same positions posted every day, nothing new…
I went to Taco Bell for lunch – first time in almost a year. I had a craving for a few 7-layer burritos. I then went to Michael’s Craft Store and picked up supplies for darn some socks – old school…
I was able to get to the park this morning. Still it was pretty packed for 8 a.m.
