Home Alone

Days 1 and 2 of my inaugural unemployment odyssey are just about in the books. Not a whole lot of news to report.

Yesterday wasn't too bad. I was able to get some cleaning and straightening done around the house -- just a few things I'd been putting off because I was always too busy with work or getting ready for work or relaxing after work. Things look a bit nicer here, so that's always nice.

I'll need to file for unemployment next week and get that process going so I can get some money flowing in until I can find another job. The only problem is I can't earn more than $74 a week before my unemployment benefits are reduced.

I know they're just trying make it so you don't depend on UE solely, but damn guys, if I could find a job that paid close to what I was making before, I wouldn't need to file for UE. It's cool though. I'll figure it out.

For the first time in months -- maybe a year or so? -- I've picked up my guitar again. Not that I was ever really THAT good at it in the first place, but it's good fun. I know a handful of chords, and then there are the POWER CHORDS!

I've just got to rebuild the callouses on my fingers now. Good times. My only problem is this: I changed the strings on it a while back and ever since then, I can't get the damn thing to stay in tune for more than a few minutes. I have no idea. Still fun though. I've almost got "Day Tripper" down in its entirety (minus the solo, of course as I'm a terrible soloist).

I don't know -- I don't think I'm horrible at the guitar, considering I taught myself just as a side hobby seven or eight years ago. I never set out to become a guitar master or anything. I have fun with it, and I can figure out how to play the songs I like to listen to, which makes listening to them that much more enjoyable.

I also showed Anne how to play the intro to "Day Tripper." It's really not that complicated once you get over the intimidation of trying to play a Beatles' song. She's picking up on it pretty fast too.

So there you go. Two days out of work down, hopefully not too many more to go. But I know how that goes. I do miss my friends at work, so hopefully I will be seeing them again soon.