It’s Day 604 of my unemployment, and a few days ago I was invited to a local Employment Development Department to make sure that I am, was, and will be looking for work while on the government dole. Are they kidding? I have a Calvinist work ethic combined with...
Day 542: Going vegan (aka pork belly fever)
It’s day 542 (Ack!) of my unemployment, and the only thing not plummeting is my waistline. Nick’s girth isn’t fairing much better. Inspired by a friend who decided to go vegan for three weeks (she lost five pounds in seven days!), we decided to give it a whirl. I...
Day 484: Cue the food, the uncles are coming!
It’s Day 484 of my unemployment and the uncles are coming to dinner! This means Nick spends two weeks planning the meal, and once seated with a cocktail in hand, Manny and Steve will relive the glory days of Los Angeles in the 50s. Their stories largely revolve around...
Day 474: Dreaming of a bourbon endeavor
It’s Day 474 of my unemployment and according to The Associated Press, the bourbon business is booming “in part to the comeback of cocktails appealing to younger adults, lower tariffs, robust marketing and a larger middle class in emerging markets.” The correlation between an upswing in cocktail consumption and...
Day 470: Revisiting a classic for Dad’s Day
It’s Day 470 of my unemployment and according to The New York Times, Congress has not passed a single piece of important legislation since January 4. This sort of inefficiency drives my dad bonkers. Dear Old, as he likes to call himself, cannot sit still for one minute—unlike his...
Day 451: Curtains raise thyselves, I’m ready!
It’s Day 451 of my unemployment and while apparently Americans are angry (finally), I’ve been reveling in a birthday month. Taureans around the world are steeling themselves for a curtain-raising year of fabulousness according to astrologzone.com. (Oh yes, I read it. Faithfully.) My friend, Luciano—a fellow bull—replied to my...
Day 428: The hunt for salt-packed anchovies
It’s day 428 of my unemployment, and well, it’s up again. I swear Kai Ryssdal—with his impish, yet reassuring voice—said things were getting better just last week. I obsess a bit about these ever-changing numbers and when I start rattling them off to Nick, he looks at me like...
Day 420: Is that a zing in your step?
It’s Day 420 of my unemployment, and in between the wedding and the “wars,” I was sent this link to “The Tipsy Diaries” blog in the New York Times. My love of cocktails—especially the fizzy varietal—is matched by my love of Frank Bruni’s writing. Who wouldn’t be enamored of...
Day 388: Film, food, meal: CUT!
It’s Day 388 of my unemployment and the drought is officially over in California. Also, the unemployment rate has dropped two-tenths of a point, which I guess is better than nothing—but is hardly a page one banner story. One Sunday afternoon, as the state moved toward optimal saturation, Nick...
Day 366: The girl who ate everything
It’s Day 366 of my unemployment, and today I spent the afternoon with former colleagues celebrating … errrr … commiserating … errrr … reflecting on our “liberation” from the workforce one year ago. I was sent this link a while ago and just re-read it. It’s beautiful and poignant....
Day 351: My so-called dream life
It’s day 351 of my unemployment, and my body, as if anticipating the possible government shutdown, has decided to do the same. I’ve been shooting DayQuil and chasing it with tea for the past week. My feverish dream life has been filled with celebrities (Alec Baldwin, Melissa Leo, Catherine...
Day 344: St. Valentine’s Day massacre
It’s Day 344 of my unemployment, and I was thrown for a loop by an ad for PajamaGram on NPR. I could barely process the stories on Obama’s budget and an impending rise in short-term inflation because the ridiculous spot was delivered in the usual soft, yet authoritative tone....