Funemployment, Day One Hundred Seventeen: Back to School Day

i haven't said this in um, a few years (by which i mean ten) but i'm getting ready for school! tonight i start my ucla extension classes for their marketing certificate program. tonight is principles and practices of marketing, and if the textbook is any indication it's gonna be awesome! they've got case studies of iTunes, trader joe's, and other companies that are actually interesting and relevant. so i'm actually looking forward to it, even though my weeknight social life is totally shot.

i've got my textbooks, my registration paperwork and my bus pass so i think i'm set. although i think i'm gonna have to find me a trapper keeper, pee-chee, and hello kitty pencil case just for good measure. :)

so wish me luck, i've gotta go catch the school bus!

Funemployment, Day One Hundred Sixteen: The Funemployment Club

sadly i have more and more friends who are losing their jobs lately. like, enough friends that i always have someone to invite on my funemployment activities and never have to repeat in a week. sad, but true. so i'm thinking of starting a club and/or support group. but without the steps, self-pity wallowing and gloomy church basement.

i'm thinking we could get together once a week and do something we couldn't have done while working and at least make some lemonade outta these funemployment lemons. like go to a museum on its free admission day. or hit the beach on a weekday when it's not insanely crowded. or take advantage of all the restaurant early bird specials popping up lately. or my favorite, have lunch at the griddle, where you can't even get in on a weekend!

but whatever we do, i'm thinking of imposing a ban on the annoying jobhunting questions i've been inundated with for months. i know everyone just wants to help but i can only repeat my depressing and futile jobhunting history so many times a day before i start telling people i've stopped looking for a job and am now looking for a sugar daddy. yes, i've tried that job site (i've tried ALL the job sites!). yes, i've met with placement agencies. no, i haven't gotten any responses. yes, i'm on linkedin. no, just because i once liked the x-files doesn't mean the fbi forensics team will hire me. and no, dad, i don't want to be a paralegal or work for so cal edison.

so if i do actually make this happen, i'll spread the word. hopefully it'll give people a break from the jobhunting grind. and hopefully soon we won't have any members left. but until then, bring on the griddle celeb sightings!

See, if I was employed

See, if I was employed I could never have spent two days watching skating at the world championships. Silver lining....

Funemployment, Day One Hundred Twelve: On the Bright Side

this week has taken the fun our of funemployment. lots of useless emails, unreturned phone calls, pointless appointments, and hundreds more resumes lost in cyberspace. jeez, for the nonresults i'm getting i could at least be outside getting a tan! i'm trying to find a silver lining and think i have one, thanks to someecards.com.

Funemployment, Day One Hundred Eleven: Game On!

i actually a helluva lotta work today--resumes, employment agencies, follow up calls, etc. so now, it's time to play games!

the santa clara alumni entertainment group is hosting a tour of EA games' headquarters tonight. we get a tour of their hq, demo of a new game, and oh yeah...free food and drinks (my funemployment meal of choice). i'll be packing my resume and pre-written cover letter of course, but at least this'll be my kinda networking!

could you imagine working there? i don't doubt it's hard work, but honestly i think my guy friends would be more excited about this job than when i worked at playboy. (yes, my guy friends are geeks.)

if anything comes of it, i'll update the blog. but until then, game on!

Funemployment, Day One Hundred Ten: Funemployment at Work

today was a busy one. after two weeks away and a very funemployed week back, i desperately needed to buckle down and get back on the job hunt. i sent many resumes, contacted temp agencies, and did my online orientation for ucla extension classes which start next week. hell, i'm even staying IN tonight to catch up on emails and tivo!

all this work kept reminding me of, well...work! remember that time when someone paid me to bust my ass all day and be on a set schedule? i do. vaguely. today also reminded me that when you have a job you like you really don't mind it. i certainly wasn't averse to working 10 hour days regularly last year. well lemme tell ya, as someone who's been working since she was 15, a few months off is bliss!

sure, it'd be better to have a steady job, paycheck, and health insurance, and i'm sure once i get the next job i'll be right back to busting my ass all day. but my god, it's been pretty fantastic seeing how the other half lives. it's so decadent getting to work on my own schedule, or sometimes not at all! this life isn't without its cares, but it's been a wonderfully refreshing break from the rat race. and as someone who isn't independently wealthy, i doubt i'll get to do this too many times in my life.

having said that however, i'll be spending the rest of the day trying to win the lottery and/or marry wealthy so i CAN do this many times in my life. gotta run!

Funemployment, Day One Hundred Eight: My 2-cent Fortune

i know, i know...everyone means well but seriously, if people keep giving me their job hunting two-cents, i'll never need to work again.

Funemployment, Day One Hundred Seven: $$$Professional Guinea Pig$$$

i keep forgetting to check craigslist for jobs but that might not be a bad thing. i know there are great legit jobs on there but for some reason craigslist seems so old skool for me. sure, it's great for selling furniture, missed connections, and some other things that i hear an ex-boyfriend is using it for these days (afternoon delight, anyone?).

so i finally gave it a look this afternoon and holy goldmine, batman! i've found a revenue-generating goldmine! as long as i'm willing to be scrutinized, poked, prodded and generally used as a human pin cushion. which i so AM!

allllllllllllllllll the way down below the "real" job listings (overrated!) there's a link to "ETC". click it. please. it's awesome. and i can make a killing if i can just find enough things wrong with me.

insomnia? check! irritable bowel syndrome? why not? anxiety? hell yes! jewish and willing to donate eggs? absolutely! there's big money in these studies and i may need to cash in soon. the big money is in egg donating...and a rare medical condition called "Dance Hostess", whatever that is. i'm not quite at that point yet so maybe i'll start at the bottom (diabetes and overactive bladder) and work my way up as times get tougher.

and clearly i'll have plenty of time to think about this since my anxiety is causing my insomnia which is making me overweight and making my irritable bowel syndrome flare up. i think craigslist has just the study for me!

Funemployment, Day One Hundred Six: Back to School

i'm back from the east coast and sadly, the job market did not miraculously turn completely around in the two weeks i was away. still only a few faint glimmers of hope but nothing i can take to the bank. not that i'd trust a bank with much of anything these days....

so with no real prospects, i'm making like rodney dangerfield and going back to school! since nothing in enertainment is opening up i'm trying my hand at marketing and doing UCLA Extension's Certificate program. from what i've seen on the job sites marketing's one of the few fields still hiring. and from the little experience i have with it i think i'm gonna like it. if i really bust my butt i can finish by the end of the year. but god willing, i'll get a job before then.

in the meantime, though, i'd better go dust off my trapper keeper, my pee-chee, my hello kitty pencil case, and make some brown paper bag book covers. wish me luck!

I got a bite! Well

I got a bite! Well an app't for a call about a job with spin master toys. I think my offer to be paid in yo gabba gabba merch did the trick! :)

Funemployment, Day One Hundred Four: Back to Funemployment

much to my dismay, my fabulous east coast vacation is over and it's back to reality. it was amazing while it lasted though! i saw friends i haven't seen in 5 years, made some new ones and remembered how exhilarating it is living in nyc. i was so sad to have to leave (although getting home to 75 degree sunny weather was a nice way to readjust).

and ironically, i never would have been able to do this without the recession. i rarely got to take vacation while i was working (it's difficult when your boss takes more vacations than george w. in office) and with everyone cutting back on travel, the industry is virtually giving away vacations. mine was even more affordable thanks to my wonderfully generous friends who let me crash with them, and those who treated me to dinners, drinks, and a rangers game!

but even if you're not as much of a mooch as i am, you can still travel on the cheap. the package deals are the best bargains but even if you just want a weekend staycation you can get hotels and flights for obscenely low prices (my flight from l.a. to DC was $99!). one site i stumbled on is for Frommer's Budget Travel magazine which lists lots of great deals: http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dynsrch/realdeals/realdeals.html. (7-day alaska cruise, $499)

or if you're one of the lucky funemployed masses you can get even better deals by booking at the last minute. check out http://www.lastminutetravel.com/hp.aspx for deals like airfare to NYC plus 4-star hotel for $403. wait, seriously? hold on, i may be going back!

you, too, can live the life of leisure whether you're funemployed or not. (but hopefully you're not.) so take advantage and send me a postcard!

I tried to post daily

I tried to post daily on my east coast extravaganza but funemployment may need a hiatus until i'm back to the land of fruits & nuts. Stay tuned!

Well i'm celebrating st patty's

Well i'm celebrating st patty's day early in hoboken as you do a week before nyc. Enjoying east coast funemployment while I can!

I'm on the train from

I'm on the train from DC to NYC and my wallet isn't too much lighter. Friends graciously treated me to meals and the amazing museums are FREE!

I'm dead tired and can't

I'm dead tired and can't wait to do it again tm! pandas @ the zoo, more museums and dinner with friends. This is funemployment at its best!

DC, day 1: walked around

DC, day 1: walked around all day in 10 degree wind chill & loved every minute. Saw 2 friends & hung outside the west wing w/ secret service buddy

CA, VA & MD. I've

CA, VA & MD. I've now been to 3 states in one day. Throw in DC tm and it'll be four. Now THIS is funemployment!