Asheville nc, bark wells

I got a job! Details to be revealed but its very exciting and fun and content I can get behind which was VIP to me. Anyway, it all happened rather quickly and I then wanted to quickly get a pre-work trip in.

Goal: dog -friendly (food, water, fireplace, hiking? (Pickle is a dog so hiking to her means walking in the woods) AND becky-friendly (beer, walkable, fireplace, hiking) and within a days driving distance.

Solution? Asheville. Actually, bark wells, just south of Ashland.

I rented a car, cancelled my week (thanks Amy/Andy and Margaret/Sabrina for bring understanding) and headed south.

What a god damn beautiful place.

This group of cabins, sort of in the country, sort of in the sticks is fenced in. Like, pickle proof. If there's one thing I've learned about pickle is she really likes to sniff.

Girlfriend sniffed her way through barkwells. And I sat and stared at te fireplace (gas! So freaking easy) and watched movies (twin towers).

My pal tim hooked me up with a to-do list that included a bluegrass jam in a town with a population of 850, that's barely on the map.

Hiked through the nc arboretum, DuPont forest, drove through tiny mountain hovels (as i like to call them "hollers"), drank a ton of coffee, frequented a delish taco place called white duck ), felt hipper then I am when i purchased my first beer growler at wedge brewery), and sneezed my way through the mountain spring (or pollen time as my nose calls it).

Man, I totally didn't write that one morning when I said I was going to, and I also slept in a ton and stayed up late watching tv and also was overly concerned with what Facebook traffic I was getting w pickle posts.

Just when I got bored, an old college buddy and her partner came up and brought their dog and we hit the town.

My favorite thing was when she said "and what is your blog supposed to be about?" I told her I don't edit it, and it's mostly feelings and thoughts. She is a funny girl.

Tonight, I'm heading to one more brewery that is walkable and dog friendly and has a bluegrass band cd release party.

Tmw drive back north to emails, to-do lists and such.

And to look for a place like this within. 2 hours of Chicago.

Where is it dear friends?

But do I have too???

I feel like I did when I was a small child and my mom had us put laundry away and I haaaaattttteeeedddd it. It was soooooooooo boring. That's how the job search feels right now.

I need to muster up some enthusiasm and gumption.

But lunch time Zumba just wore me out.

And I don't want to work on my resummmmmmmmeeeeeeee....

Is this the face of unemployment?

Walking pickle at 425 on a Friday. Hello!

Busy busy

Wowza! Big day today. Info interview at 9a (ugh! So early to put on a statement necklace and interview dress!). Audition now. Networking/try to get some creative work lunch followed by another informational interview and then a coffee klatch. Try to sort out unemployment then Improv show tonight. Wah! Life is so so so hard...but the truth is that none of this makes me $. Yet. Might it? If anyone needs a writer/sales person/marketing/actor/improviser/dog enthusiast just let me know!

Resume,recycling

My résumé is updated! I'm still working on it but its prettier and clearer and less stuffy more becky.

In other unemployment news, I haven't taken the recycling out for a month.

Also , I'm heading to Florida ( don't fret I'm flying on points and staying for free America).

And it's fun to scheme and dream about job possibilities. The world is my mother fing oyster!

I miss pickle.

Successful!

I'm at my outplacement for my job. It's very helpful, practical and I wouldn't mind this as a job. The nice thing is that it's only people from my old job, so it's a good gossip session too! I love a good chance to dish.

My favorite thing is the wifi password:

Dating myself

You know how sassy heroines, hearts broken, pick up the pieces again and say "I'm never dating again! I'm going to date myself" and then go on a whirlwind wacky rendering a facsimile of single life. Inevitably, they end up in love. (They probably don't blog from a bar surrounded by men like I am now)

But, for real Internet, I took myself on a awesome date tonight. Bus down to the music box to watch the graduate and now an Abita and crawfish étouffée (it is Ash Wednesday y'all).

I'm going to see what ebert thinks of the graduate and sip this beer and eavesdrop.

I love Chicago. And I need a job.

(Ps--just watched this weeks parks and rec. whoops. Ann Perkins essentially does the same thing I said above about dating yourself. I am an unintentional big copycat)

Unemployment office mail box

I swung by the unemployment office to drop off paperwork that proves something that was blocking my payment. Unfortunately, you apparently can't just "drop" something off and I was given a number. "There isnt a mailbox".

I waited for 15 minutes as they called off one number "64"? I looked at my number ("196") and asked the security when they thought mine would be called. "Tomorrow?" And then they giggled their asses off. I appreciate what they are saying so I opted to go back home and mail my info in instead of waiting.

I also found out how much the economy is not improving based on the anecdotal evidence of the unemployment office not having enough chairs for all the applicants.

Suburbs! Recruiter! Dog walks!

Well, if I've got the time, might as well get some stuff done.

I'm doing lots of day time activities -- meeting a recruiter , reaching out to contacts, but, you know, walking my pup too.
And then this afternoon I drove out to one of my sweetest and most encouraging pals--Lori. That was great. You get to her house and the frig opens up to delish treats! She sits down on the couch and visits! I get to hang out with her lively and lovely kids and hubby.

We chat about tv, mortgage, job, their kids and family. At 430 we drink wine.

Then we watched the state of the union.

Perfect day.

Tmw--new and cheaper cable! Sorting out unemployment! And dog date afternoon for this pooch and her soon-to-be dog friend.

(Laid) off

I've just gotten laid ! Laid off that is. Did I trick you in to thinking I meant the other kind? Dear readers, I am a lady and wouldn't dream of sharing such intimate details on a public forum.

Any who, I've been interviewing, informational interviewing, reading about other types of work, etc.

I believe the children are our future and that they are taking all the good jobs while grandmas like me scramble.

But, I'm also scheming and dreaming and carving out a little path that could be v v c interesting.

And I cook a lot and am re-learning the
pleasures of the Chicago bus system.

And hanging out with my new bdff (best dog friend forever), pickle.