Sanity for the Unemployed

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’m going into my third day of unemployment. I’ve got resume’s floating all over the Bay area, so I’m not idling but now that I find myself at home every morning, I’m finding a different problem. I’m friggin’ board.

My schedule is as such: surf Hot Jobs/Monster/Craigslist - submit resumes - pay applicable bills - make necessary phone calls. Barring appointments from prospective employers (of which there have been none yet) that’s all I have to do. And that usually gets me to about ten in the morning. My apartment has never been so clean. My video games are being worn out. I need to find something productive to do or I’m going to seriously freak out.

I was thinking of making my dog try on all of my clothes and give me a fashion show just to kill time.

Any other temporarily unemployed Dopers hanging about? What do you do to keep your sanity?

2

Hey Jack, nice to have you back. I was unemployed once for 8 months, so I know whereof I speak. Mostly what I did was read. You could also take the time to better yourself, i.e. learn some new computer skills, learn some songs on guitar, just brush up on your general knowledge (most of which you can learn from books or online). Above all, enjoy your time off. It’s only temporary, and you’ll be missing it soon enough. If you’re really bored, you could always read every single thread on this board and try to come up with witty responses to each one. Good luck.

3

Sorry to jump in again, but I forgot some things. I don’t know what your money situation is right now, but you could also check out the museums in your area, or some of the independent cinemas. If you’re broke, just go for walks; get to know your neighborhood a little better, or discover new neighborhoods. No reason you have to stay indoors.

4

Woody, you da man. Thanks for the good advice.
Money is a little tight at the moment but it’s not at desperate levels yet. I think I might just follow your directives and see a little more of the city. I’ve lived here for over a year and there are still touristy things I haven’t done yet (Golden Gate Bridge - Alcatraz - Lombard curvy Street). I’ve got my self a good book, a new Beatles CD, and and the internet, but damn I feel a little useless. I’ve never been unemployed for more than a week stretch since I was 18.

Fear not. Jack’s head is squarely up. And at the risk of going totally sappy, I would just like to say how great my wife is. She has been the major sustaining life-force for me this past month.

Three cheers for Mrs. Batty.

5

I went through a long period of unemployment last year and started going to the gym to keep from going crazy. It made me feel like even if I wasn’t working, I had done something productive that day. It was the best habit I could have developed, and still maintain it, to a lesser extent, now that I’m employed.

That reminds me, I should probably do some work around here. Best of luck!

6

Clean the house, you bum! Hey, if you’re going to Alcatraz, wait for me! I’ve lived in the Bay Area for years and have never gone! Whatcha doing tomorrow? I don’t work Wednesdays. :wink:

7

Well, I’ve been seriously underemployed for months now. I think I’ll finally go and find a real job. Rasa’s here, and she too is unemployed. Be more than happy to show you both around the city. I’ve got memberships at a few of the museums around here. I haven’t been to Alcatraz in a while. Also, Pt. Reyes is quite nice at this time of year. So, if you need some entertainment give a ring, or email, or something.

8

Oldscratch! You’re alive!
I thought you were in prison in Idaho or something.

Demo and oldie, let me just check my calendar for tomorrow.

8:00am - get out of bed - drink entire pot of hazelnut coffee
9:00am - internet job hunt.
10:00am - Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2

Hmmm, it seems after about 11:00am, I’m wide open. You guys want to hook up and be tourists? We can get the biggest maps we can find, Hawaiian shirts (I think Demo’s already got that covered), cameras around our necks and Fisherman’s Wharf t-shirts. Whaddya say?

9

I’ve never been to Alcatraz either, can I come?

10

I’m going to be unemployed in about five months (I think I received the most gracious and most advance notice of a lay off in the history of employment) AND at that time, Mr. Del and I are relocating to the Midwest. Then I will be unemployed in a town where I don’t know anyone. I’m going to print out this thread so I have good advice when the time comes.

One of the things that has always sort of nagged at me is that places like our church are often asking if anyone can volunteer time to do things like produce flyers or other desktop publishing type things, and I am never able to help because I know I don’t have the time to really do a good job. I also hear about calls for volunteers for things in the community that are needed within the work week, when I am otherwise engaged at work. So I promised myself that when I become unemployed, I am going to find one of these short term volunteer projects to help out on. And something like “Created phone call reminder database for local blood bank” can go on a resume too.

I love the idea of touring your city. Now that we know we are moving out of New York City, Mr. Del and I are freverently trying see all the things we never bothered to see in the past. I’ve lived here for 12 years, and I still haven’t been to many attractions!

11

Sounds like a plan. Hey oldie do we need to get tickets now or what?

OOH OOH! I think psy may be able to get off work tomorrow!!!

12

Well, since I am in the process of being hired here, and technically I am still a temp, might as well play hookie before I need to deplete my sick days. Now I just need to concoct a story as to why I need to have tomorrow off. The sick kid thing I don’t really wanna do, I did that for the first time a couple of years ago, and my son got really sick two days later. I felt so guilty, I vowed never to do it again. C’mon guys, be creative!

13

The Alctaraz tour is plenty of fun. It offers fantastic views and interesting history of the prison itself. They give you a little radio to listen to during your tour that includes fun anecdotes.

There are some special tours that you sign up for that bring you to areas of the prison that you can’t see during the regular tour.

From what I remember tickets for the tour are about 18 dollars. Lots of pushing and shoving to get on and off the boat, I couldn’t really figure that out, why they needed to get on first or get off first, I am not sure. Just make sure to give out a few gratitious elbows and cop a few feels. I mean, be very gracious and help cub scouts and old ladies onto the boat.

Onto the OP. Living in San Francisco and bored? Go play Fascination at 3 oclock. You get 15 games for like 3 dollars or something, that will kill 35 or 40 minutes. Plus, you might become a world champion and make big money off of it. God, I love that game.

pat

14

I got laid off 2.5 weeks ago. The kids are driving me bonkers, and I am already staying up all night and dozing in the daytime. :frowning:
The good news is that I have an interview tomorrow for an admin/sales job nearby.

I wish I could go to alcatraz though…

15

I don’t know how to get out of work, but I wanna come too! Damn!

16

hmmm… a dopefest at Alcatraz…

Interesting.

17

Jack, my comrade! First off, why do you all have to live in San Fran. I wanna go to Alcatraz too.

Anyways, I got laid off a couple weeks ago too, and with the holidays I didn’t really stress about having spare time. I decided to really try and enjoy my time off, and I did. Not to mention that with bowl games, NFL postseason, and family gatherings I was never really bored.

Of course since the first of the year has come and gone, and my little personal slacking deadline has come and gone with it. I am about to join you in the daily job search. This evening is dedicated to reassembling the resume.

So, my days will look something like this:

12:00 - Sleep til noon
12:00 - 5:00 Hit the job web sites, call potential opportunities
5:00 - 7:00 Cook and eat dinner
7:00 - 11:00 Watch a little TV, play some games
11:00 - 4:00 Have a few beers, decide what I want to do with my life

Ok, so I’m a night owl, shoot me. And theres plenty of SDMB/chat time alotted in there. The way I see it, I have the rest of my life to be up at sunrise, why force myself to do it now? Unfortunately its winter here, and the outdoor activites are severly limited. Basically there is drinking, TV and movies to enjoy around here. I like all three, but you don’t want to over do it. Of course, I would have liked to enjoy Chicago in the summer similar to your explore SF adventures, but it just doesn’t have the same thrill when its under 2’ of snow.

Anyways, I’ll let you know if I come up with any epiphanies, but for now I’m going to have to figure it out the hard way along with ya. Wanna play some internet MechWarrior 4?

18

Sounds like a fucking plan. Ok. We’re there. Meeting time? Meeting Place? etc etc.
Sue, we’re still in SJ, shouldwe head up together?

19

Damn, you’re all going tomorrow? Crap. I, unfortunately, am no longer unemployed and have to work. I’ve already called in sick 3 times, and I’ve only been here for 2 months. Oh well… maybe I can come up with some excuse to get the day off.
I hate my job.

20

Well, I’m assuming we should meet somewhere on Fisherman’s Wharf, since that’s where the ferries leave from. How about somewhere like Alioto’s, Boudin Sourdough Bakery & Cafe or Fishermen’ s Grotto #9?

Say, we meet, around 11 a.m.?

Ferry Schedule:

Leave PIER 39
10:00 a.m.
10:45 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
12:45 p.m.
1:15 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
3:15 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
The last ferry off of Alcatraz is at 4:30 PM.

Price:

Round trip
With Without
Audio Audio

                           Adult $12.25    $8.75

                           Senior
                           (62+) $10.50    $7.00

                           Junior
                          (12-18) $12.25   $8.75

                           Child
                           (5-11) $7.00 $5.50