Ho Blinkin’ Hum! This Job Search Thing Is BO-Ring
It wouldn’t be so bad if there were something I could do, but there isn’t really. I go online every Sunday and print all the ads I might be qualified for, write my little cover letters and mail, fax, or e-mail them all first thing Monday morning. On Monday and Thursday I hit the job sites: hotjobs, monster, and a number of individual company websites. If there’s anything worth applying for, I do the cover letter and apply thing. I’ve passed out my resume to everyone I know, and I’ve asked people to let me know if they hear of anything I might be qualified for. I’ve even queried a few companies that didn’t have specific openings, to see if they might be interested in me. But that’s all I can do. The rest is up to the hiring managers and personnel screeners, and there simply haven’t been many nibbles.
The rest of the time, I’m working on the manuscripts that have been sent to me for editing, and I’m getting household chores done. So that’s something. But I don’t want to leave the house for fear someone will call while I’m away. (I don’t have a cell phone.) And I would really prefer not to have to liquidate my entire IRA to pay bills and keep body and soul together. I’ve already taken a $2000 distribution, which will mean a hefty tax bill next April. That bill will only get bigger if I have to keep taking distributions. Not to mention, there are big bills coming up: homeowners insurance and city property tax are the two biggest, and both come due around August 1. And my kids’ new allergy medicine costs $50 a month — each! And that’s with their insurance applied to it. And, of course, I really need new tires on my car; the ones on it are “chopped” (where’s Mahnarch to explain this stuff?), and they roar horribly when we drive. I’m worried that they are unsafe.
Still, I’m enjoying the time “off.” I love spending time with my kids, and it’s nice to see the house getting cleaner and less cluttered. And I’m getting caught up on my reading. But I’d be happier with a job and no worries about running out of the money to provide adequately for my family.