Oh day two of unemployment, how lack luster you were.  I spent the day meeting up with ex-coworkers and my mother, doing dishes and organizing sales data for our applications.  Working on a couple of personal projects, like crocheting house socks (the design dating from the seventies) and playing in the snow.  

Yes it snowed.

Amazingly enough I am unemployed on a day where everyone else except my former place of employment, has off, because we had 4 inches of snow.  It may not be much to you, but in the Willamette Valley 4 inches means several years worth of snow related accident horror stories.  It feels odd to be unemployed on one of the few days where we actually have snow.  I started making a snowman, and then realized that I would rather see the snow on the ground than roll up the snow.  That thought, though, was quickly belayed by a snow ball fight with my boyfriend.  At the end of it I was laughing.  I felt a release, the laughter made my whole body glow.  

I like the snow.  I especially like it on castles and Stavkirke (Norwegian Stave Churches). It reminds me of the stories I read as an undergrad.  During my ‘Bachelor’s training’ I did lots of things.  I joined the marching band, dated a homeless man (among other with-home men), gave hemoglobin for money, ate at a stone soup, got a DUI, and watched my family start to separate and grow apart.  I also did other things, things not so dismal or dreary.  I lived in Norway for half a year, studied 5 different languages (alive and dead), sang in a gospel choir, volunteered for a community garden and climbed a mountain.  I experienced life as best I could.  As I graduated in 2006 I had little to say, I just wanted to “Go to Colorado and rock climb”.  Not much to that really.  I wanted to hike the Appalachian trail toe to head, and I wanted to camp in the rain.  I wanted to get away.  I wanted to stop listening to what was required of me and do something that would revitalize my soul.  

Now I’m back in my home town.  I’ve quit my job and by choice am self-employed.  I’m injured and unable to play the sport I love, soccer.  I’m low on self esteem and I’ve got about 5 months of rent in the bank.  It’s time to apply for food stamps, along with looking into unemployment.  This situation is primed for a long bout of deep depression with a side of 20 pounds weight gain (as long as the food stamps pull through).  

Today the people in my life are my inspiration.  They possess rich souls, and they share laughter and love with me continuously.  My neighbors, my family, my friends, and my beloved.  I wish to share more of my life with them.  So now I have some work to do.  I need to find a way to make rent payments, and get food on the table.  And this time I want to do it on my own terms.