Serial Timekiller

Unemployment Depression part 2

2011-07-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

Things I suggest you can do with your day when all else fails.

1. If you can swing it financially, subscribe to Sirius radio and join the Stern Nation.
Howard Stern is amazing. If you don't agree, I don't think I can relate to you as a person. Every day (that he's not on break) he's on the air for at least 4 hours a day. That's 4 hours of quality comedy. You're not going to get that anywhere else. His show helped me get through my work day and helps me get through the days I'm not working. Plus he's got extra shows like the Wrap Up Show for those who need a postmortem discussion on what they just heard, and the hilarious Greg Fitzsimmons' show.

2. Social networking.
Your friends may not be available during the week if they're working, but they're most likely bored at work and are looking for a distraction just as much as you are. E-mailing, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. are great for entertaining each other when hanging out in person just isn't possible. People's updates give you something to look forward to and social interaction is good for the soul. Plus it makes you feel less like that guy in the Twilight Zone episode who wakes up in a town by himself.

3. Help others.
This doesn't necessarily mean volunteering. It's hard to admit, but some people aren't up for cold-joining a community of strangers. But if you look around, maybe someone else could use an extra pair of hands. Do you have any family nearby that could use your assistance? Maybe a friend who needs help with walking the dog or a grandparent who needs help with their grocery shopping? You'll get out of the house, avoid isolation and as an extra bonus, someone else will benefit from your free time.

4. Avoid daytime TV and save it for the evening.
It's a weird trick to help distinguish daytime from nighttime and helps give structure to your day. Some suggested viewing: The Office (work humor), How The States Got Their Shapes (education with humor), No Reservations (travel with humor), HBO if you can afford it (awesome programming), Modern Family (family with humor), Kitchen Nightmares (screaming with humor), and Conan O'Brien (crazy late night humor). Notice I overused the word "humor"? Because you will desperately need to laugh during this time. The only exception to this rule is if you've found a semi-acceptable soap opera to follow or if Howard Stern is on vacation.

5. The internet can be your friend.
There is a ton of stuff on there that will keep you entertained for hours. Take advantage of it. That's why it's there.

6. Learn to cook new things.
Looking up recipes, doing the shopping required for each recipe and actually executing the recipe will make you hate life less. You're creating and enjoying the results. And, there's never enough to learn. So you're an expert in Italian cooking? Try Mexican cooking. You can bake cakes like it's nobody's business? Try healthy cooking. Plus it's productive in that 1) you're feeding yourself and 2) if you perfect your craft, you can cook for others like your friends or a future mate or whoever walks in your house.

7. Blog.
Even if it's whining on about being unemployed. Someone out there may read it and relate. I've searched out blogs and found that so many others are in my position that I stopped feeling so bad about myself. Maybe someone will read yours and feel better!

8. Look up new music.
Grooveshark.com is awesome for this. Look up new bands, or old bands. Music saves.

9. Hobbies.
When you work you probably aren't thinking about how to fill up your downtime with relaxing activity because the downtime IS the relaxing activity. When you're unemployed, downtime isn't appreciated anymore. Crafts, the aforementioned cooking, writing, photography, carpentry, pottery... whatever your scene is, that's cool. Plus you might find out you're really good at something you didn't know you were good at which could help you find a new professional direction.

10. Laze about.
If you want to watch TV all day, fine. But don't let it interfere with moving forward in your life.

11. Clean.
Yourself and the house. The average person is not that tidy, so most likely your place is cluttered like everyone else's. Make Mom proud and organize your place. When your life does get busier (which it will), it's nice to come home to a clean home. And don't forget to shower. Just because you're not going out doesn't mean you shouldn't keep good personal hygiene.

12. Join a gym.
Again, this gets you out of the house and amongst the people. Plus when it comes time to socialize, you'll feel good about the fact you can still fit into your clothes and that the brownie ice cream you stress ate didn't do too much damage.

Being employed in some form—either part time or full time, self-employed or working for someone else—is obviously preferred to searching YouTube all day. I'm not trying to sugarcoat the situation. It is definitely hard to sit home and think of ways to entertain yourself without spacing out and going into dark mental places. Hopefully I've come up with some ways to help you with that. Or at the very least helped you feel less alone about your situation!

Unemployment Depression

2011-07-02T15:15:00.001-07:00

The actual experience of losing your job is depressing enough. What people don't tell you is that the time you spend at home, especially if you're alone all day, can nearly destroy you. I'm here to tell you how to avoid self destruction. Now, I'm not saying I can get rid of all the bad feelings because that's impossible. There's no way to not feel frustrated. I'm just giving you tips to help stave them off until you break out of this emotional prison. It IS scary, lonely and sad being in a position you didn't choose, and especially one that puts you in financial jeopardy. But this blog isn't for those who are financially screwed. This blog is directed at people who are having trouble dealing with the daily grind of not being part of a daily grind.

1. Take temp work when you can.
Accept an assignment even if it is part-time, and even if the assignment is for less than a week. Besides earning money, there are other perks. You'll get out of the house, meet new people, make new contacts, fill your day with productive activity, and give you a chance to experience different offices, industries and projects on a trial basis.

Though the downside to temping is that it is definitely temporary, that can be a plus. If you hate it, you're under no obligation to stay and no one is upset. Hey, sometimes things don't work out. But if they do and the place loves you, they'll call you back for future work or even hire you full time if they find they need you in a more permanent role.

Oh and definitely register with more than one temping agency and stay in their faces. If you don't check in every few weeks, they may very well forget you exist because right now they're all swamped with candidates due to the economy.

2. Use the time to think about what you really want to do.
There is a certain freedom you don't realize you have as you sit in front of the computer feeling trapped. Remember in high school when you had to figure out a path for yourself and decide what you wanted to be when you grew up? It's kinda like that. You can go in any direction you want.

People earn money in other ways besides doing the job you don't have anymore. If you need inspiration, check out the PBS series "Roadtrip Nation", which follows 20somethings who are figuring out what they want to do with their lives. They talk to people around the world who are passionate about what they do and how they got to a place of happiness and satisfaction. Even if you're not in your 20s anymore, you will probably be able to relate. Everyone from fashion designers to mountain climbers to professional surfers to inventors have appeared on the show. It's a great reminder that an income doesn't have to involve living behind a desk.

3. Get a routine.
Being alone in the house every day while everyone else goes off to their job or on crazy awesome vacations can be really trying. You can, and will, feel resentment towards those who are lucky enough to still have a job complain on Facebook about how annoying their day at the office has been. But, they probably feel resentment towards you for sleeping late and having a ton of free time. Whatever!

Try to get outside whenever you can. I know that I (and others) have spent days in a row in the house without even giving it a second thought. This is ok in that it means you are great company for yourself, but isolation can set in and add to your depression. Take a walk, go to the store, visit a park, take a drive, go to the movies, do anything. Instead of shopping once a week, shop bit by bit a few times a week.

Another thing that's helped me is joining a gym. Not all gyms are expensive. Planet Fitness is a great option for those who are budget conscious. Plus, joining a gym will also to help burn off those calories you consume while stress-eating your way through unemployment.

Anyway, if you look around you, you'll definitely find that there is stuff to do that won't cost an arm and a leg. Also, try to schedule the outings at the same time each day. It helps to give your week some structure.

4. Stop judging/shaming yourself.
It's so easy to feel like you're the only one in the world in your unfortunate position. This is not true. MILLIONS are in the same position. Some worse off than you, some better off. The thing to remember is that it is not your fault.

5. Turn to the internet.
After you've checked all your jobsites for any openings, check out message boards on unemployment depression. Sometimes misery loves company and there is plenty of misery talk on there to get lost in. But also there are people there who can't wait to offer encouragement or success stories of their own that can inspire you to find ways to get yourself out of the sadness that everyone feels when they lose their job.

And I'm just going to say it- there is nothing wrong with joining Twitter or Facebook or other social networking sites. Not as a replacement for human relationship, but as a way to still feel connected to the outside world while you're riding the downtime out in your house. Plus, sometimes you'll make friendly connections online that take you out of the house.

Along with socializing online when you can't in person, I think there's also nothing wrong with letting the internet distract you from your situation either. Everyone needs entertainment in their lives. There's YouTube, StumbleUpon, etc. If you're tired of filling your head with fluff, you can also utilize the web to educate yourself on a wide variety of topics whether it's silly or important (assuming you're visiting reputable sites).

Don't be afraid to start a blog either. I did, obviously. Even if no one reads this, I did something creative today and vented, so I feel better. And honestly, one of my daily goals is to keep from going over the edge. If I managed to keep it together without having a freakout, I consider the day a success.

6. Don't set your expectations too high.
I was told by a person at Unemployment that on the average, people only get one interview per 40 resumes that they send out. One out of 40! Even the Unemployment office doesn't expect you to find a job a week after you file. Take some pressure off yourself and realize that it's going to take some time. Unless you are very, very lucky of course. But you would be in the minority if you did find a job right off the bat. It's not 2000 anymore. It's 2011. Some people are even admitting to giving up job hunting and are making alternative plans for themselves.

Look, you're not going to find a temp job every week, or even every month. But eventually something will turn up if you keep pressing on. Though things suck, we're not at Great Depression levels (yet). So there is bound to be something for you eventually, just not right away.

7. Be nice to yourself.
You didn't do something that you should be punished for. You're just out of a job at the moment. This could change tomorrow. Do the positive affirmation thing you saw Stuart Smalley do on Saturday Night Live. It works. Make a list that you read every time you feel sad consisting of things you're grateful for and that you're doing right. Remind yourself of times when you didn't know something good was about to happen or how you've pulled through other life difficulties. Listen to inspiring music or watch inspiring TV. Do things you enjoy. Really. It's ok to have fun even though you're not earning money.

And on the other side of things, it's ok to be sulky. You're going to have days where you aren't motivated and just want to watch Everybody Loves Raymond marathons, eat ice cream and play video games. That's fine! Own it! There is no way to be happy go lucky every day during this time, so treat yourself to some laziness. Just try not to go overboard.

8. Be honest with yourself. Really.
Are you really doing everything in your power to get yourself out of your situation? Did you really like your last job? What do you really want to do for a living after the experiences you've had in life? Have you really reached out for emotional support or are you keeping it all in and adding to your stress? The more honest you are with yourself about issues like these, the closer you will be to finding some inner peace about your situation and go in a positive direction.

9. If you've been out of work for a LONG time, relax.
If it's been years (which for some it has) since you worked full-time, congratulate yourself on making it through this far without giving in to your demons. I mean, some people don't make it and depression takes over with life-ending results. But you're still here! And, I bet you had some pretty awesome days here and there since that stupid place let you go. There are more good times around the corner. I promise you.

10. Read "Oh! The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss.
I love this poem because it makes me feel like what I'm going through is just a part of life and is not permanent. Life is full of ups and downs and there is nothing you can do about it but try to get through the downs, and you will!

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
by the incomparable Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

I guess that's all for now. If anyone reads this, post your suggestions!

Mistakes Employers Make During Hiring

2011-02-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

I am one of those people who is not part of the 9 to 5 workforce at the moment. Times are changing and it looks like my chosen job (print production artist) is being forced out of full time and into a freelance position at many companies. In other words, it's been a lot easier to find freelance/temp work than full time. Because of this, I have stretches of time where I'm between gigs and have to look for new opportunities to earn money on a regular basis. This means reading a LOT of job postings. I have to tell you, though there are listings there, it doesn't mean I can necessarily apply to them. And after living with this job search routine for quite some time, I hate to say it, but there are listings I don't WANT to apply to for a variety of reasons. Here are my top 5 turnoffs:

1. You are offering a ridiculously low salary.
No self respecting experienced employee is going to accept a position that pays half of what they are worth. A few bucks less than ideal? OK. But half?! Come on. Even if out of desperation a quality employee actually applies, they're most likely going to leave for a better salary the first chance they get. If you want to be cheap, be prepared to get stuck with someone sub-par who will not be very good at the job or someone who will always have a foot out the door. You get what you pay for. You care about your business right? Then shell out a few bucks to hire good, qualified people and it will be worth it in the long run. Or else get ready for high turnaround, huge amounts of frustration hiring new people constantly, or face losing a great worker who will show you no loyalty at all.

2. We are not "gurus", "magicians", or "ninjas."
We are designers and artists. Using this language makes you sound like an idiot, and makes us feel like you think we are idiots as well. We aren't children who need the job to sound like some fantastical wondrous movie adventure. We also don't want to feel like we have to show up ready to pull a rabbit out of a hat to impress you. List what the job entails, what you are looking for in terms of qualifications, a small bit about your work environment and what you have to offer, and how to get in touch with you. In other words, grow up and speak to us like the educated adults that we are.

3. Your applicants don't know EVERYTHING.
Nothing is more frustrating than seeing a job listing that requires the applicant to know print, interactive and video programs all at the same time. Most of us went to school for a specific major (just like you), and chances are we are not going to magically be an expert in every software program under the sun. Print designers know print, interactive designers know interactive, and video editors know video editing. Asking me to know InDesign, Flash, HTML and Final Cut Pro is like asking me to be able to speak English, Russian and Japanese. If you do manage to find the elusive employee who does know all that you require, get ready to pay big bucks.

4. Put effort into your job listing.
Incomplete sentences, misspelled words, and job descriptions that are either too brief or too long are all things that are red flags. You read hundreds of resumes? Well we read hundreds of listings. That means we pick and choose what we want to respond to just like you do. Think of it as an ad for your company, not just a cattle call. Make the company sound like a place we want to work for, and you'll attract employees you'll want to hire.

5. Once we're in your office, don't talk trash about the person we're replacing.
It makes you look petty. If one of your major complaints was that he/she didn't go to lunch with you, then you appear to have mixed up priorities. If you're annoyed that the ex-employee spent their free time websurfing, then don't confess to me that you have used your own downtime to design invitations for your kid's birthday party (these things were actually said to me in an interview).

The way I approach a job is that I come in, I do the work, and I go home. I am not looking to start drama and I stay out of its way in the workplace. I am qualified, responsible, congenial and only want to do a good job. If I sound like a good employee, it's because I am.

If you're a company that is guilty of any of these five things, then you know why you haven't received my resume.

A Timekilling Update

2010-01-25T13:38:00.000-08:00

Well I haven't posted here in quite awhile. Didn't realize how long!

Since January 2009 I've only had 2 temp jobs, one in October, one in December. That was it as far as jobs that pay a salary you could actually live off of. Otherwise, I scored a writing job at an up-and-coming website which, while the pay is basically lunch money, has been the most fulfilling experience I have ever had.

I never thought that I had any kind of writing talent. In school I would always come up a few pages shy of what the required length was. For example, if it was to be 5 pages, I wrote 3.5. That is until I wrote a paper on Al Capone for extra credit in Social Studies class, Sophomore year of high school. And the time I wrote about Michael Jordan for English class. And the time I not only met the 15 page requirement for a Geography paper in college about the history of the hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, but exceeded it by 2 pages. I got A's on all of them. What do all of those assignments have in common? I was actually interested in the topic I was writing about. Go figure.

I started writing about concerts I was attending a few years back. Mostly because I was bored at work, where I was only busy about 4 of the 8.5 hours a day. But also because I love being able to go back and read what I had written, because it allows me to relive the experience. The fact that my friends, or anyone else, wanted to read about my nights with some legendary musicians was just a bonus.

This time last year I was scared. I was offered a full time job in November of '08 by a place I had been temping at and although it wasn't the most exciting job, I enjoyed my co-worker and the fact the job was low maintenance in that there wasn't a bunch of inter-office drama and the company was a ten minute drive. But unfortunately they took back the offer in December, before I ever was able to fill out any official paperwork. Due to budget problems, they had to let all their freelancers go, even those they had offered to make full-time.

I was sick, because I knew 2009 was going to be terrible employment-wise. The last day there I told the receptionist "I feel like I was kicked off the last lifeboat on the Titanic and I'm waving goodbye to it as I go down with the ship."

Around the end of March I saw a job opening for a writer at the site. I applied with the idea that if I got it, at least I would have something productive to do all day that would keep my mind sharp. I never dreamed it would lead to opportunities to interview musicians, attend major shows for free, the chance to properly photograph the concert from the pit side by side with professional photographers, or that my articles would mean anything to the bands themselves. I can't tell you how much it means to have my favorite artists, who wrote the songs that get me through life without self-destructing, actually thank me for doing something.

The crazy thing is, that while it's upsetting I didn't get much work last year, if it hadn't been for cabin fever due to being in that situation, I would never have applied for that website position. Because I did that, it opened up a whole new world, and as a result, my life goals have changed. I hate to use a tired saying, but it really goes to show that sometimes things do happen for a reason.

Summer of Movies

2009-06-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie. I was a loyal viewer to both "American Idol" and "Dancing With The Stars" this year. I don't normally watch "Dancing..." but Steve-O was on which made it impossible for me to ignore. But that leaves me with no excuse for continuing to watch after he was voted off now does it. Unless you count "I like to see glittery costumes and be entertained by things that don't force me to think in these troubled times" as a good reason. I do.

Anyhow, I'm currently taking suggestions for movies to watch in place of the Prime Time shows offered to me Monday through Wednesday. I couldn't care less about "Hitched or Ditched" or "House" for example. I'm down with "Two and a Half Men", but that's only on for a half an hour.

So, suggest away!

JackKnife

2009-03-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

Last night when my parents and I saw we had to deal with the nasty beginnings of last night's Nor'Easter on our drive home from a nice evening out, we weren't too worried since we have a vehicle that's 4WD. However, as usual, it's not just your driving abilities you have to worry about in this weather. It's the other morons on the road as well. Last night was a prime example.

We and our neighboring drivers were going along fine, driving at a weather appropriate speed along the barely plowed highway. We were a little more than an exit away from ours when a car passed us with a pickup truck from NY tailgating right behind them. We shook our heads at the nerve of the pickup truck and watched as it sped along trying to bully the car into the right lane.

As if tailgating wasn't a stupid enough move in these conditions, the pickup truck then decided to try to squeeze in between the car in the left lane it was tailgating and the car ahead of ours that was in the right lane. That's when the truck spun out of control, knocking the car behind it into the guardrail and nicking the other car. We pulled over immediately so we could serve as eyewitnesses.

We jumped out of the car, ready to strangle the reckless pickup truck driver. The driver was a girl who looked to be about 18 or so and the car she helped total carried a husband and wife. While we started walking back to check out the damage, we saw another car come around the bend and crash into the guardrail. It immediately drove off, with its bumper sadly hanging off the car, as if defeated by the terrible road conditions.

After a few of us called the police, we all milled around waiting for them to show up. My parents and I were back at our car when I saw the scariest thing in my life. A truck was in motion, jacknifing as he drove around the bend. To give you an idea, check out this photo and imagine that coming right at you, completely unstoppable.

The feeling I had was of course, total fear. I stood there for a moment, trying to process what I was looking at, jaw dropped, thinking "Is this really happening?"

Like a broom, the truck's trailer began to sweep along the shoulder we were all parked on. My parents and I dove over the guardrail as I frantically repeated "Oh-my-god-oh-my-god" and tried our best to get ourselves to a safe spot away from the road, ready to kiss our van goodbye. We saw the trailer nail the car that was already totaled. Then by some crazy luck, it immediately straightened out before it got to any of the rest of our cars. After wreaking that brief havoc, it just drove off. Like nothing happened.

I tell myself that someone behind him got his plates and reported him. But I'll never know. One could argue that maybe the driver didn't even know it hit anything since the trailer was so long. But who knows.

We thought everything was ok, until we heard a woman screaming. It turns out that the wife who was in the totaled vehicle had been standing near it and had gotten pinned against the guardrail by her own car when the truck hit it.

Imagine this? You and your husband are minding your own business, driving as safe as you can. When a dumbass girl, driving like she's got Andretti in her blood, during a straight up old school style New England Nor'Easter no less, comes along and ruins your night. Your car is destroyed, and as if that isn't bad enough, you are hit by your OWN CAR just because you were standing in the wrong spot at the wrong time!

Anyway, I guess if there is any "good news" for this unfortunate couple, the woman ended up with a broken femur. I was actually glad that's all it was because I had visions of her paralysis in my head. As for the rest of us, we all got out fine, just a bit shaken up from the stress one experienced momentarily fearing for your life.

I've definitely taken my chances and driven in such weather, knowing I could handle it. But it's nights like this that will remind me that not everyone respects the risks involved and will behave as if it's a bright sunny day made for stunt driving. Jerks.

Join me and laugh at other people's pain.

2009-01-29T22:03:00.000-08:00

F My Life

On those days when you're feeling sorry for yourself, go here for a laugh. There are tons of quick little posts describing random FML moments from people all over the internet. I think they should start a section for the Unemployed. Because right now, the work section is just making me mad at all those people for not appreciating the simple fact they have a job! One day, I will triumph and a steady paycheck will be mine again! *shakes fist at no one in particular*

The Inaugural Post

2009-01-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

Being that this is my first post on this blog, it seemed appropriate that I write about attending President Barack Obama's Inauguration this week.

SUNDAY

My family (Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle) and I arrived in D.C. just before dinner time. Perhaps setting the tone for our trip, we had our first run-in with the Inaugural crowd: the post-"We Are One" concert traffic. Pedestrians and cars full of people had jammed up the roadways near the Lincoln Memorial and we found ourselves stuck right in the middle of it. Although the holdup was annoying, we got a small treat. While sitting and waiting for the cars ahead of us to get a move on, we saw Obama's motorcade off in the distance leaving the Memorial via a waterside road. This sighting gave me the chills and immediately got me excited for Tuesday.

We ate dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill. The place was decorated, as most buildings in D.C. were, with red white and blue bunting. I had a tasty cheddar burger with fries. For dessert we ordered a few different things, the highlight being the Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding. Yum! After this we settled in back at our respective hotels, watched the "We Are One" concert on HBO later that night and went to bed.

MONDAY

We began our afternoon with a quick lunch at Loeb's Deli, followed by a stop at Political Americana. This place was filled with Presidential memorabilia, mostly relating to the Inauguration of course. The crowd of customers was nuts. Everyone was packed in like sardines and lined up around the corner just to peruse the merchandise inside, even though there were plenty of street vendors right outside the door. Another attraction that brought people in was that the store had set up a faux Oval Office set in the entrance way. Here you could take a photo with an Obama cardboard standup as you sat behind a fake desk. Since it was so crazy in the store, I didn't take advantage of this photo op because I just wanted out!

After leaving that madhouse, Mom went to get our tickets. To prevent scalping, the Powers That Be set it up so you had to pick up your tickets at your Congressman's office in person when you got to D.C. This caused there to be huge delays getting into each office, so everyone found themselves waiting outside for hours in the cold weather. My poor Mom was one of these people! Luckily she got back in time for us to get ready for a reception that our Senator was throwing.

Unfortunately, due to traffic on the way to that event, we had to jump out of our cab and take the Metro back up to Capitol Hill where it was being held instead of being dropped off at the door. When we got there, the doors to the building were all shut. We ran into other dressed-up wanderers who also could not find an entrance either. You can imagine how psyched we all were to be walking around the cold, in heels, only to have to turn around and go home without actually being able to attend the event. We bailed and met everyone for dinner at the Daily Grill.

This place had a Margherita pizza that was so tasty, I've decided I must try to replicate it at home. It had a thin crust, mozzarella cheese, tomato slices and fresh basil. Our table's dessert choices included a massive slice of Carrot Cake, Raspberry Sorbet and Strawberry Shortcake. When he served the Strawberry Shortcake, the waiter accidentally tipped the plate, and some of the sauce had dripped onto my Aunt's jacket and pants. Strawberry sauce is hard to get out! The manager came right over and offered to pay the bill. But since we were out-of-towners, she told him he didn't need to. Instead, he comp'd her dinner and dessert, which we thought was a nice gesture.

After dinner we all pretty much came home and crashed since we had walked around so much and had a big morning we needed to rest up for.

TUESDAY, INAUGURATION DAY
When I woke up and saw that the weather was 19 degrees, with a wind chill of 7, I began to rethink going to the Swearing In. The idea of standing out there for hours from far away seemed really unappealing. But then the importance of this day finally sunk in. So we manned up, bundled up, and headed out.

The Ceremony
As soon as we left our hotel, which was on the last street accessible to cars before hitting the restricted blocks surrounding the Mall, we got a taste of what we were in for that day. Loads of people were walking around our neighborhood that were not there the day before. Sirens for the VIP motorcades allowed beyond K street had been blaring since early morning and continued throughout the day. According to the papers, Bush had declared D.C. to be in a State of Emergency as a security precaution. It basically felt like you were walking around a Police State.

The Metro ride out to Federal Center was surprisingly manageable. Though there was a massive crowd when we got off the train, I thought "OK, this isn't bad. It's just like NYC on New Year's Eve" and didn't expect anything worse to face than that Metro crowd. LOL @ me.

When we got to the Blue Gate, around 10am, there was already a huge mass waiting to get in. It wasn't so bad at first; we still had some semblance of personal space. While standing there, I happened to notice I was right next to comedian Jeffrey Ross. Even though I'm a fan, having seen him on a few Comedy Central roasts and Howard Stern, I didn't think it was necessary to say anything to him. Besides, he was busy looking for his friend and seemed stressed out. When his friend finally showed up, he asked us all to help him through and when he made it, Jeffrey declared "Yes we can!" which got a giggle out of some bystanders.

The other night on Conan I saw Ron Howard describe his experience at the Ceremony and it sounded similar to mine. Which was that even though we were all packed in shoulder to shoulder for over an hour, everyone stayed good-natured about it. We were all just so happy to be there and appreciated the fact there were a few hundred thousand out in the back of the mall that would have loved to be able to view the ceremony from our section.

When we finally got in, we did our best to find a decent viewing spot. Even though we didn't exactly have VIP seating, it didn't matter. We were at one of the most historical events of our time and the desire to be part of it overrode any negative feelings.

The way I felt actually being at the Ceremony rather than watching it from my bed in my t-shirt and sweats is like how sports fans feel being at the game instead of at home. There's an energy in the air that can't be denied. Plus it's just not as satisfying yelling at your TV with two other people in the room as it is to be able to cheer along with the thousands when Obama was officially introduced as President.

After President Obama's speech, we attempted to hightail it out of there. Here's where the nightmare began.

Held Prisoner in the National Mall
We went to the Federal Center stop and there was already a huge mob trying to get into the station. "No problem", we thought, "We'll just walk back to our hotel." Bahahaha

Due to the parade, which we were supposed to attend, we weren't allowed to cross Pennsylvania Avenue. The Smithsonian stop was shut down due to security measures. After unsuccessfully trying to find an alternate crossing point to get to our side of town, we found out L'Enfant Plaza was still in operation so we tried there. What a mess.

I think we were stuck down there like animals for almost 2 hours. The hot temperature, due to the store display window lights that lined the hallway we had to wait in, caused people to feel faint, and at least one person actually passed out. There was no crowd control in existence. There may have been police down by the trains, but not upstairs where we were.

My photo gives you some idea of the uncomfortableness we all felt. Imagine standing in that crowd for hours, only moving about 5 baby steps every 15 minutes, with no end in sight. Literally- we bailed a few feet after that shot was taken because someone said it would be another 2 hours before hitting the Metro platform. Claustrophobia kicked in and we just left out of one of the side doors that lead to the hotel lobby exit.

Finally after 4 hours, (and a Daily Show sighting!) we found an opening to cross just beyond the Monument and were able to get back to civilization. FOUR HOURS just to be able to leave the Mall. Add to that frustration that you only got cell phone calls through to people by pure luck, due to cell phone signal jamming that was going on, and you have two very scared, confused and sad women. What a way to take away from the morning!

Meanwhile, on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue, things were not so peachy either. Those in my party that were able to actually make their way to our seats weren't even allowed to sit in their designated spots! I believe they were told that for "security reasons" they couldn't.

Not willing to accept defeat or let the $250 for 10 pre-paid tickets go to waste, they wandered around in the cold until they found seats that were left deserted by people who were still trapped in the Mall. They had the extra joy of waiting outside for the unexpected 2 hour delay until the parade actually got going, only to have to leave the what became a parade-in-the-dark early to join us for the Ball.

Apparently parade attendance was not as high as expected. To quote my Father: "My sympathy to all the bands who had to raise $100,000 (or more) to have the 'privelege' of marching in sub-freezing temperatures, in the dark, with no crowds to cheer them on."

In hindsight I don't really know how we could have done things differently. I suppose if we knew what to expect, communications from the organizers had been better with the public, and there was some attempt at crowd control in the nooks and crannies of the District, maybe less chaos would have ensued and we wouldn't have been so upset. Every person I talked to, including strangers, had their own Hell story from the afternoon. Anyway, luckily we were able to make it back just in time to get ready for the "Salute To Heroes" Ball we were going to attend that night.

Buzz of the Ball
This Ball was to pay tribute to Medal of Honor winners. Emcee'ing the event was Marg Helgenberger from CSI. Her acting past included a major role on "China Beach" which was appreciated by this crowd of veterans when it was actually on the air so she seemed an appropriate choice. Later, Buzz Aldrin spoke as well. For some reason I was really delighted to see him in person.

Dinner was a goat cheese salad, bread with butter shaped like the Capitol, Filet Mignon, and various bite sized cakes for dessert. Everyone was dressed up to the hilt like we were at ...well, a ball! The most interesting dress I saw was a white strapless gown, decorated with a blue bust with white stars, and red in the skirt pleats. Her wrap was red and white stripes. I WISH I had taken a photo of it!

Before you ask, no, Obama did not attend and I do not have official confirmation as to why not. I'll admit it was disappointing since The Clintons attended the same ball when we went a few years back. Oh well!

The end of the evening was spent outside attempting to try to hail a cab. Obama was at the Ball across the street at this time, and due to traffic re-flowing for security reasons, cars couldn't really drive down our street by the hotel's taxi station. Three cars came through over the course of an hour and a half. While waiting we saw his motorcade leave to people cheering from the street, which provided another cheap thrill. Eventually we took a gypsy cab. By we, I mean me, my father, my mother and her three friends. Five grown adults in the backseat of a regular 4-door sedan. It had to be done, otherwise our friends would have been there all night waiting for a ride. When we arrived at our hotel, it must have looked like a clown car at a circus emptying out!

WEDNESDAY
Nothing much to report, except it took an hour and a half to get our car from the Hotel Valet. The highlight of this wait, was my Mom got to meet Bishop Desmond Tutu, who was staying at our hotel. Other than that, it's safe to say that we were happy we made it out of this historical "Clusterf*** of All Clusterf***s" (as the Daily Show put it) alive and well!

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

ARTICLE REGARDING CROWD CONTROL
After reading random comments from other attendees, 4 hours seemed to be the average amount of time spent trying to get out of the Mall.