Furloughed in Frisco

When you're furloughed in Frisco you have a pillow fight with strangers

2009-02-13T11:11:00.001-08:00

Check out their website (don't miss the video): spontaneous pillow fighters are organized!

When you're furloughed in Frisco and it's February, you take a financial challenge

2009-01-31T11:20:00.001-08:00

February is the shortest month and so I've always considered it to be the best for making life changes: taking a break from drinking, promising to work out more, and, for me, saving money. If you can do it for one month--28 days to be exact--you can feel good about yourself, even if on March 1 you're guzzling beer from a pitcher or turning into an inert blob on your couch. It's the small triumphs that matter.

And that's why I'm challenging myself to end February with a larger balance in my checking account than I started with. Yes, I'm going to try to save money. Yikes. I've been furloughed for a month and my salary has been reduced, but I'm taking all of this as a further challenge to spend my money more wisely.

Wish me luck. I will need it.

When you're furloughed in Frisco, you go to happy hour

2009-01-29T16:41:00.000-08:00

Actually, when you're furloughed you stay home and start drinking at 3. When you're back at work after the furlough, you go to happy hour. And so we did, on Tuesday, at a great little place called Jade.

First of all, there's a waterfall. Inside. Second, look at these prices:

There was also FREE parking right in front of the bar. Could it get any better? It did. Our bartender was fantastic and made us free shots after we told her about the blog.

Cheers!
A tantalizing blend of Vanilla Vodka, Melon Liqueur, fresh Lemon, Lime, and Pineapple Juices
A tantalizing blend of Vanilla Vodka, Melon Liqueur, fresh Lemon, Lime, and Pineapple Juices

When you're furloughed in Frisco...you scrub toilets?

2009-01-27T14:46:00.001-08:00

Man. (Imagine I just said that in a whiney, defeated voice).

Sigh.

So I guess I should just be glad that I even have a job right now... Because, I could, you know, be furloughed or something. Although, if I were furloughed, I'd probably be playing Rock Band at home in jeans and flip-flops instead of balancing budgets in my office wearing "work clothes" and uncomfortable pointy-toed boots (which I really need to get rid of, by the way).

Maybe if they paid me a full paycheck I wouldn't be annoyed right now. But they haven't, so I am.

I just found out that come June 30th, I will spend three days scrubbing toilets and showers in order to get our building ready for the next bunch of students to move-in. Why? Oh, well, because our budget has been cut and we can no longer afford to have a janitorial service come through. That's why. So I have to do it. I have to do that, and clean the disgusting rooms that students leave behind. No, it's not just me. I'll be just one of several co-workers (none of us janitors and all of us with advanced degrees) to tackle this job. But still.

I really didn't sign up for this. I didn't leave my cushy job across the bay (doesn't it kill you that hindesight is 20-20) to jump on board the train-wreck express. I can take the elimination of matching 403b retirement contributions. I can clearly take being furloughed. I am even taking a 5% salary cut, effective February 1st, and ending...well...never. But scrubbing disgusting freshmen toilets?! I just don't know if I can do that.

Everybody has a line that they can't cross. I don't know, but I'm feeling like I might have just encountered mine.

Like Sand Through the Hourglass, So Are the Days of Our Lives

2009-01-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

When I was in high school, Days of Our Lives came on from 3:00-4:00 every weekday afternoon. I got out of school at 3:10 and my sister and I would be home most days to catch the last half hour of the show (after school activities…pshaw!). It was the perfect entertainment for a melodramatic teenager: love affairs gone awry, crazy villains controlling people’s minds, unbelievable story lines. So of course, on furlough, I figured it was the perfect time to revisit these old habits.

Besides, even though it’s been 10 years since I watched the show, I should be able to catch up on all the action with a few episodes, right? Everyone knows that nothing really ever changes on a soap opera.

Well, yes and no.

Hope and Bo are still around, and although Bo is having psychic premonitions, nothing much seems to have changed. Except that Hope is now on speaking terms with Stefano, a man who, if I remember correctly, implanted a chip in her brain to make her think she was someone else, almost ruining things with Bo. What a jerk.

Some character I don't know is trying to convince a pregnant teenager to give the baby to her. Kate is ending an affair with a much-younger man after battling cancer (that’s new!). Sammy, Carrie, and Austin and their never-ending love triangle (made even more awkward by the fact that Sammy and Carrie are half-sisters) have entirely disappeared

And still, no one is gay. Things in Salem are complicated, but not that complicated.

If anything can speak to the nature of Days of Our Lives, I think it’s SoapCentral’s attempt at making sense of the relationships on the show. They’ve created a quite thorough set of family trees for the main families on the show. The family trees get so complicated, that they've written a key to help people better understand the relationships between characters. It looks like this:

Key
m. Married
c. Child
a. Affair
r. Rape

A category for rape? Wow. They don't have a category for what happens when someone is born after Stefano creates a baby with stolen egg and sperm, but I guess that’s probably another discussion entirely.

The familiarity of Days was a bit comforting, I have to admit—the melodramatic story lines, the familiar faces, the fact that nothing, ever, really happens in a single episode. And at the end of the episode, listening to the same theme song they used ten years ago, watching the hourglass spinning as the credits rolled by, I could be thankful that no matter how bad my life was, it was always a little better than the mess I had just witnessed.

When you're Furloughed in Frisco, you take to the stage!

2009-01-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes. Tonight I make my debut at the infamous J'Lo Bennifer, super-star extraordinaire, ex-wife of many, and possible murderer of one.

You know you're intrigued. You know you want to go and see me in all my lipsticked glory as I deliver jewels of lines like:

"If it weren’t for this brilliant mystery writer, I wouldn’t have the starring role of ‘Nancy Drew, Valley-Girl Detective,’ in the upcoming music video based on Agatha’s new book, DEADER THAN A DOORNAIL."

But alas, this engagement is one night only, and all 140 tickets to "Murder in the Library" (performed in the San Leandro Public Library, of course) were given away (free) within 24 hours!

Did J'Lo Bennifer do it? Did I kill Agatha Mystery because she was having an affair with my my fifth husband, Rocky? Or was it the Governator? He's a character in the play you know, and it's quite possible he's the culprit. After all, Agatha was blackmailing him. The poor thing has a terrible gambling problem and didn't want Ms. Mystery to write about his obsession with lottery tickets in her next novel...

I'm sorry my furlouged friends, I really should have said something sooner about this brilliant opportunity for free entertainment. Lot's of Groceries didn't even get one of the highly sought after tickets! Unfortunately, you won't be able to help solve the mystery yourselves and will just have to wait to find out who did it...

When you're furloughed in Frisco, President Obama makes your day

2009-01-20T22:04:00.001-08:00

Lots has happened since my last post: we went back to work (but won't be paid until February), we had another momentous last-minute staff meeting (more on that later), we went back to Pop's (although ditched out on Bacon Night 48 hours later), and discovered a happy hour special down the hill from work that rivals Pop's (and if you can believe it, the place doesn't smell like an outhouse).

But the most important thing that's happened since I last wrote took place today. It's Obama Day and I've been celebrating since 5:30 am. Truth be told, I was so excited for today's festivities that I couldn't sleep last night. I just couldn't wait to wake up and watch Barack take the helm of our country.

The Inauguration was beautiful. And I guess great minds think alike, because at each of the Inaugural Balls Barack and Michelle danced to "At Last" - the same song that I walked down the aisle to at my wedding! I hosted a viewing party today at work and the cafe was packed with students, faculty, and staff. I almost called in sick because I wanted to watch the Inauguration without being interrupted, but I'm so glad I didn't. It was really nice for our community to come together to commemorate such a joyous event - especially considering that the last two times the staff has been drawn together ended negatively, resulting in lower team morale.

But today we celebrated and I'm still on a high.

Lots of Groceries and I marked the occasion with a fantastic bottle of champagne (90 points at BevMo) and spaghetti with Lots of Groceries' homemade sauce. Yum! We even toasted our new President!

I'm so proud today. And so happy. And so thankful! I hope the next four years bring a renewed sense of purpose and optimism to the country.

Happy Obama Day everyone!

When you're furloughed in Frisco, the fun must end

2009-01-11T23:22:00.001-08:00

No Fun Times, no! Please don't go!

Our relationship rocked. It was so awesome sleeping in until 11:00 am everyday. Do you realize that because of you, my body clock reset itself? I haven't slept in that late since my early 20's!

It was so cool going to bars in the middle of the day any day I wanted. It wasn't that long ago that Lots of Groceries and I were driving down 16th Street (at Valencia) and saw some people sitting in the window of the Casanova Bar in the middle of the afternoon, and I looked to him and said, "Sometimes I wish I were a hipster with no responsibilities who could drink in the middle of the day and not worry about it." And then that wish came true and it was so rad. Fun Times, you were good to me.

And how awesome was it to go on an extended vacation to LA? I mean, how many hours of Rock Band did we play together? Honestly, it must have been pushing 100. We made it to the Rolling Stone Hall of Fame. That was so cool.

I'm going to miss the ultra romantic late night nachos that Lots of Groceries made. Now that the real world is knocking on my door, late night nachos will be once again regulated to the weekends. Come to think of it, everything fun will be regulated to the weekends!

Oh Fun Times, why must you forsake me? Maybe someday we'll unexpectedly meet again. Until then, here's looking at you kid.

Some else who thinks (sort of) like we do

2009-01-09T17:07:00.000-08:00

A funny, true, and sometimes crude guide to living without money.

When you're furloughed in Frisco, you make koozies. Yes, koozies.

2009-01-08T13:24:00.001-08:00

A beer koozie*, as defined by an especially impressive Wikipedia entry, is "a fabric or foam device that is designed to keep a beverage can or bottle cold." Well, I would argue that a koozie is so much more, but everyone knows Wikipedia is always right, so why bother.

The point is, that beer koozies are an absolutely genious invention. For those of you who don't have any around the house, get some. They're not white trash: they're classy.

In my extra furloughed time, I've begun crocheting beer koozies. I have a lot of extra yarn lying around the house and what better way to use it? The great thing about crocheted beer koozies are that they're easy to manufacture (I have an Asian sweatshop worker who can make one in about 15 minutes**), cheap, and can stretch to fit almost any drinking container. As you can see above, the koozies can fit a beer can (not a cat) and can also stretch to fit a large red cup.

If you'd like a lesson in crocheting koozies, please let me know. I've perfected the pattern.

* Some argue that KOO-zee is, in fact, an incorrect pronunciation and instead should be pronouced KHO-zee (like cozy). Despite long controversy and argument, there is no definitive answer to this debate. In my personal opinion, I believe there are multiple acceptable pronunciations and spellings of this word, but some disagree and for the sake of the reader, I have used only one spelling variation here.

**I do not support sweatshop labor of any kind, including Asian sweatshops. My Asian sweatshop worker is really a friend (employed as a medical doctor) who comes over sometimes and crochets beer koozies instead of interacting with people at parties. We call her a sweatshop worker. She is not, in any way, a sweatshop worker. She drives a BMW.

When you're furloughed in Frisco, you discover the glory of the 5 o'clock coffee

2009-01-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

During my normal life, working in an office, I have a very delicate relationship with coffee. Too much, and the day's filled with jittery stress and a great deal of toe tapping. Too little, and I'm pretending I'm not asleep when my boss walks by (just kidding, Brian: I hardly ever sleep at work!).

On furlough, coffee is an entirely different animal. I still drink coffee during the day, although it rarely matters how little or much I drink since I have very little of consequence to accomplish. (And sometimes, let's be honest, I've switched to beer well before I'd normally be out of work.) The great joy of this new relationship I've found with coffee is the 5 o'clock coffee. This is unthinkable in my working days: maybe I'll squeeze in a late-afternoon coffee at the office if it's a particularly rough day, but a coffee after work? I have to be to bed soon so I can get up in the morning and go back to work! Drinking coffee at 5 o'clock is crazy.

Of course, on the furlough, there are no pesky responsibilities that require one to wake up early....or at any time, for that matter. Nightlife has become much more interesting than in my former life. I almost never turn down an invitation to go out these days. Why should I? I'm not doing anything else. The 5 o'clock coffee keeps me going right when I'm thinking about a nap, the productive hours of the day gone, and the party just getting started.

Maybe I'm a little late to the 5 o'clock coffee game. Maybe everyone else has already figured this out. But I feel the obligation to share the wealth for anyone who hasn't yet experienced this. I used to be glad that bars closed at 2, because it meant I would get to go home. I used to dread nights out in New York (well, not wholeheartedly) because I knew I'd be out until the next morning. I used to be the one at a party who, around 1, was ready to go. I used to be such an old lady. With the help of the 5 o'clock coffee, I have, on a number of occasions over the past month, been the one who couldn't believe that the party was ending so early when people started to leave around 2:30 and the hostess was brushing her teeth. I'm the one who always wants to keep hanging out, go somewhere else, see who else is still awake.

I'm telling you: the next time you have plans to go out, drink some coffee at 5. It's amazing.

When you're furloughed in Frisco disaster strikes...

2009-01-07T18:53:00.000-08:00

again.

Oh that's right folks. Our quaint little abode, Disaster House, decided to rear its precious head today. This time the tub stopped draining while Lots of Groceries was showering. He spent about an hour plunging the drain in hopes of clearing the clog, but much to our chagrin, he was relatively unsuccessful. Beyond unearthing hair globs galore, all he managed to do was get the standing water down the drain. Fantastic, yes, but the pipe is still blocked.

Gross, gross, gross.

I jumped in for a quick shower about 45 minutes ago and the water is still chilling in the tub. It looks like it will stay that way for the rest of the day because our landlord is MIA. I was worried that the kitty would get excited about going for a swim, but all the plunging has freaked her out, and now she's hiding under the couch. Poor little nerd kitty!

I apologize in advance to everyone we have made plans to hang out with tomorrow. With a broke-down shower and no one to fix it, we'll be experimenting with cologne and perfume. Yippee!

When you're furloughed in Frisco, you love corporate sponsorship (and the Buddha)

2009-01-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to the Asian Art Museum. It was free thanks to Target, who sponsors the museum's free day, the first Sunday of every month. Thanks, Target! (But I'm still not shopping there, as my friend Anthony added.)

Of course, as I have learned from past free events, the museum was crowded. Everyone loves free stuff! The Afghanistan exhibit was packed, but we cruised through parts of the Japanese Bamboo Art and Art of the Islamic World without much trouble. I only wish we'd had more time! We arrived at 4 and the museum closed at 5.

We have only one week left of the furlough (or so we continue to hope), so we're packing in the activities this week. On the calendar: Bacon Night at Pop's TONIGHT!, the de Young on Tuesday (Yves Saint Laurent and Maya Lin....eeek!), and the Exploratorium on Wednesday.

When you're furloughed in Frisco and vacay in LA

2009-01-03T23:15:00.000-08:00

your kitty forgets who you are.

At least mine does.

Lots of Groceries and I left my cat, Mina, with my parents while we were in LA. I was excited to see her today and went straight to the room she was staying in to say hello. Well, my crazy kitty was simply not interested in any sort of reunion. She's been hiding under the bed all evening and acting like she doesn't even know who I am!

She won't come out at all. However, I'm positive that as soon as we try to go to bed she'll decide that she remembers us enough to jump all over the place to prevent us from sleeping. Maybe if we're lucky she'll even wake us up by throwing mice in our faces. It's one of her best tricks.

My poor kitty. She's so pretty, but so dumb.

When you're furloughed in Frisco you apply for new jobs

2008-12-30T18:58:00.001-08:00

because the Unemployment Office says you have to. They aren't exactly clear about how often you have to apply for jobs, so I've been doing it once a week. Now, I still haven't heard for sure whether I'll receive unemployment benefits, so all of this paperwork that I've been filling out and sending in could be worthless... but they haven't denied me yet. I'm hoping for the best.

So far I've applied to be some sort of instructor at the University of Phoenix (you only need a Masters degree to teach courses there, so I'm covered) and an Associate Dean at ITT Tech somewhere in the bay area. Neither of these positions are jobs that I'd really be interested in...unless they wanted to pay me mucho dinero. And in that case, I might be persuaded.

At any rate, if all goes as planned my first unemployment check will come next week. Score! Then Lots of Groceries and I will be able to buy new songs for Rock Band! In case you've been wondering, Hunticle made it into the Rolling Stones Hall of Fame last night. I think we were playing an arena in Tokyo. Yeah, it was pretty sweet.

When you're furloughed in Frisco you disappear for a bit...

2008-12-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

only to reappear in La La Land. Living with your in-laws is much, much cheaper than trying to go it alone in SF. Besides, with so many friends to visit down here and hours upon hours of Rock Band tourneys to compete in, being furloughed has become down-right fun!

So far Lots of Groceries and I have:
- gone ice-skating to celebrate my birthday.
- eaten about twenty tons of cookies, candies, and cupcakes that his mom and sister baked.
- toured the US and Europe with Hunticle (our Rock Band group which features Lots of Groceries on Guitar, his sister on drums, and me singing).

- slept in until at least 11:00 am everyday.
- probably gained 10 pounds eating all the deliciously free food around here.

Anyway, it's been great. We anticipate being down here through New Year's, and will reappear in the City sometime after that.

Happy Birthday to Ms. Felicitously Furloughed!

2008-12-28T08:38:00.000-08:00

Hope you have a great (and cheap) celebration!

When you're furloughed in Frisco, you decide to spend a good deal of time at your parents' house in order to save money

2008-12-23T21:24:00.001-08:00

However, you get stuck in Seattle on the way to Montana, wait in an airport line for 2.5 hours (no exaggeration) only to find out that they've put you on a flight the next day, have canceled the evening flight you were thinking about trying to go stand-by on, and will not provide you with a hotel accommodation, much less a meal voucher. Also, they may have misplaced your bag. You survive all of this without being mean to a single person, despite having eaten nothing more than a cookie. yay.

When you're furloughed in Frisco, you go to free museum days

2008-12-18T14:50:00.000-08:00

I'm not one to shun corporate handouts, especially when it means that I get something for free. So when a fellow-furloughed (furloughian?) called me to attend Wachovia Wednesday at the California Academy of Science, I went. Wachovia Wednesday is exactly what it sounds like: a day of free admission to the museum, sponsored by Wachovia.

As far as I can tell, Wachovia probably gave a bunch of money to the Academy of Science in exchange for the museum offering free admission one day each month, thus luring huge crowds of people who, while waiting in the endless line to enter the museum, are forced to gaze at Wachovia branding images. Normally, I would take a bit of offense to this fairly obvious ploy, but for our purposes at Furloughed in Frisco, we must put aside such luxuries as vegetarianism and conscious consumerism and avoiding any association with corporations. We must get down to the basics: we need free stuff. And Wachovia provides this. Please excuse this liberal tangent (it is Furloughed in FRISCO, after all, what did you expect?).

The California Academy of Science, first of all, is located in one of the most beautiful (among many!) spots in San Francisco. It's in Golden Gate Park, located across from the DeYoung, in this little alcove that appear vaguely tropical. So, I didn't mind too much when I arrived at the museum and had to stand in line for 30 minutes to get in. It was free, after all, and I had a beautiful view from my spot in line (that is, if I could look around the Wachovia signs).

The museum was crowded. Too crowded. The planetarium (not included in the free admission) was sold out. We spent a few minutes looking at the animal exhibits in the main room, then got into another line to see the rainforest, which was the highlight of the trip. Lots of plants, humidity, and butterflies. This was worth the trip. There's also a small aquarium, but the crowds were almost too much to enjoy any of it: too many people clustered around the glass, too many kids pushing each other, too many strollers. Ugh.

When you're furloughed in Frisco, free haircuts rock

2008-12-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

I've been going to Kendra at The Wak Shack Salon for a couple of years now and she's great. She's the one who gave me my new bangs that I love so much. Anyway, I've been starting to feel a little shaggy, so I made an appointment with her to have them trimmed -- which is kinda scary when you're broke because a good haircut in this city isn't cheap.

Well, I just got home from having my bangs trimmed, and she didn't charge me a dime! This was obviously a thrilling experience because a $0 haircut is right within my budget. Kendra says that many stylists offer free fringe trims to regular clients.

Moral of this story? Get a good stylist before getting furloughed. And then never, ever let her go.

When you're furloughed in Frisco you make GIANT cupcakes!

2008-12-17T12:57:00.000-08:00

I love cupcakes!

One of the really fantastic things about being furloughed is having time to bake. On Monday night some of my furloughed friends and I got together for a holiday party, and considering that I didn't have to work all day, I decided to make the cupcake of all cupcakes.

This wasn't just any cupcake, this was a Queen Cupcake! One cupcake to rule them all!

You may be asking yourself, "what's so special about that? It looks like a regular, old chocolate cupcake."

Well, what you can't see from the photo above is that this cupcake is actually the size of my head!!! Here are Megann and I modeling the scale for you:

It was amazing. What more can you ask for?

When you're furloughed in Frisco, you go to Pop's for bacon night

2008-12-16T16:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right: bacon. Every Monday night, Pop's hosts bacon night, where Tuffy, the bartender (pictured below), slings not only drinks, but crispy, salty, little slabs of pork. Here's the lowdown on the pork: before coming to work every Monday, Tuffy purchases and prepares 3 pounds of bacon. It takes him 45 minutes to cook it (multiple batches, of course) and the bacon arrives at Pop's around 9 pm.

Although the bacon's hot at 9 pm (and Tuffy recommends arriving at the bar around then for optimal bacon consumption), we showed up just in time to eat the rest of that night's bacon, which was good even though it was cold. Mmmm....nitrates.

The other great thing about Pop's is that it's cheap. Here's a list of the daily specials. Note the Monday night special, of which Hallie took advantage.

We'll see you next week!

When you're furloughed in Frisco you still remember

2008-12-14T10:22:00.000-08:00

your cousin's birthday.

Happy Birthday Oren!!!

For those of you who don't know him, Oren is a pretty cool cat who deserves to have the best of days today. Oren, I hope this gifty helps!
May all your birthday wishes come true! (You can check this one off the list). ;)

When you're furloughed in Frisco you have all kinds of extra time

2008-12-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

to do things like order your wedding photos and put them in albums.

Finally.

I figure I'm actually ahead of schedule on this project. It's only taken me four months to seriously sit down and decide which ones I like best. I'm not quite finished, but I will be by the end of the weekend. Here's one of my favorite portraits so far:

I know brides are always supposed to love their wedding dresses, but I really, really loved mine. And Lots of Groceries looked so handsome! Here's one of his favorites:

This has been a fantastic post-furloaded in Frisco activity. I'm a little tired (i.e. over hung) from last night's escapades. You see, yesterday was officially Furlough Friday. My co-workers and I celebrated by applying for unemployment on our office computers and then going out on the town. We meant to take pictures for the blog, but got too furloaded and forgot. It's probably best that way actually...

In closing, I want to send a shout-out to the fabulous Krista Lucas who took my wedding photos. It's difficult choosing which ones I want to put in my album because she took so many beautiful ones. If you have some free time (whether due to being furloughed or not), check out her photo blog. Several more of our wedding photos are posted there. Thanks again Krista!

When you're furloughed in Frisco...

2008-12-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

...and it's the last day of work before the furlough, coming up on 5 o'clock, and everyone's running around the office like the ship is going down and they need a lifeboat, the only thing to do is to put on your headphones, turn on the ipod, and blog.

When you're furloughed in Frisco, you file for unemployment

2008-12-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

Or at least you try to. Filling for unemployment, it seems, is quite a challenge.

The state of California cannot take your application for unemployment online if you've worked in another state over the last 18 months. Instead, they ask that you call since your application requires extra attention. Fine. Not that I'm thrilled to have to interact with a government employee over the phone rather than enjoy the comforting anonymity of clicking my mouse and filling in text boxes online, but I can deal with that.

So, this afternoon, I called the number (please note, fellow furloughed: apply for unemployment by Friday on your last week of work. this way, you will be eligible for benefits one week sooner than if you wait until Saturday). I was greeted with an automated message: “We’re currently receiving more calls than we can handle. Please listen to this message.” Ok. I start listening.

I'm waiting for the part where they ask you to press 1 if you'd like to file a new claim. I wait.

I wait some more.

And then. THEN. Before I have had the opportunity to push 1 or 2 or any number that will indicate my needs, the automated messages chirps a pleasant "Thank you" and disconnects. Of course I proceeded to call back three or four times to relive this lovely display of customer service.

So what did I do? I lied about earning money outside the state so that the online system would allow me to fill out an application. This is probably a crime punishable by time in prison or some such ridiculous thing, but at this point, free meals and a place to stay sounds kind of nice.

When you're furloughed in Frisco you can get paid to fill out surveys!

2008-12-10T07:55:00.000-08:00

The Today Show really is amazing. They just did a segment about making money over the holidays, and among other things, suggested signing up to take part in research studies.

Fear not my fellow furloughed friends! We'll get rich (or at least make bus fare) by telling people how often we use our cell phones and whether we're more likely to purchase organic vegetables.

Woo Hoo!

Check it out: http://www.findfocusgroups.com/

When you're furloughed in Frisco there aren't any answers...

2008-12-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

because, according to the robotic voice answering the phones at the Unemployment Office, they "have too many callers waiting on the line and are unable to assist you at this time."

What?! Forgive my rant, but this is crazy.

There are so many people applying for unemployment benefits right now, at this very moment, that the Unemployment Office cannot help everyone.

Including me. Their automatic machine hung-up on me. TWICE!!! Here I am, trying to take care of business, trying to make sure that I can pay my rent, and instead, I get hung up on.

And if I have to see the sheepish, shit-eating grin of an auto executive asking for federal bailout money on television again...well honestly, I don't know what I might do.

Where's Obama? I mean, he's supposed to save us all, so let's have some saving. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing him. I'm just saying that it's time for a change. I can't wait for Bush to get out of the white house so Barack and the democrats can start doing some things to help the economy

Okay. Rant off. Back to work. At least for the next 3.5 days.

When you're furloughed in Frisco, you contemplate going on blind dates

2008-12-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

More to come as this story develops.

When you're furloughed in Frisco you bust out the Christmas decorations

2008-12-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, Lots of Groceries and I live in a quaint little apartment that we've nicknamed "Disaster House." The origin of its name will be left for another time, but let's just say it's the kind of place that you laugh about later as you reminisce about how romantic it was to be broke.

Anyway, I spent yesterday getting Disaster House ready for the holidays. We put up our stockings (even the kitty gets one), set up the nativity scene that my husband's grandmother gave us, and decorated the Christmas tree. I have to admit that it's a little odd having a nativity scene in our house considering that we don't go to church and aren't particularly religious...but whatever. It's festive. Besides, this nativity set is particularly awesome. It has real straw on the roof and comes with a bendable palm tree. Want to see it? Here it is:

And here's our very first Christmas tree! (That's Lots of Groceries).

Yeah, so I guess we're actually blocking most of the tree, but you get the idea. And anyway, the two most important defining characteristics are still visible: 1) we vote for a star on the top versus and angel, and 2) we like white lights, not multi-colored ones. They're obviously classier. And we're classy folks, so there you go.

When you're furloughed in Frisco you start baking!

2008-12-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

That's right, I did it. I baked cupcakes for hours last night! In fact, I stayed up until 1:00 am because I needed to frost four dozen of them. They're super cute, but truth be told, the cake itself wasn't my best work. I guess that's what happens when you spend the night with a spatula in one hand and a g & t in the other.

But don't worry, I didn't spend a dime on these suckers! My lovely place of employment footed the bill so I could bring these festive little guys to our art sale today. I love me a good bakesale, and I love me some cupcakes. And trust me, they are even more delicious when you can lick batter off the beaters knowing that those funfetti sprinkles aren't taking a toll on your pocketbook. Here's the final product:

YUM!

We were supposed to be selling them to defray the cost of the ingredients, but I gave several away for free. Why? Because it was cold outside, and attendance at the sale left something to be desired, and because $1 for a cupcake is kind of a lot for some of our students.

The best part of the day was when an older English guy (accent, bad teeth, and all) stumbled through the courtyard delighted to hear that we were playing Lou Reed. He took one look at my cupcakes, shot a photo of them while calling them "iconic", and then announced that he had always wanted to dance in a courtyard to Lou Reed with "a bit of cake in my hand." He looked ready to boogie down but got a little shy when no one else jumped up to dance with him. I feel kind of bad -we should have joined him.

In other news, one of my also furloughed friends will soon be contributing to the blog. Stay tuned!

When you're furloughed in Frisco you start blogging.

2008-12-05T22:34:00.000-08:00

At least that's what I did. I mean, what else am I going to do? Bake copious amounts of cupcakes?

I shouldn't do that. It costs too much. (But I might do it anyway).

Let's get a few things straight. No, I'm not on furlough from prison or a branch of the armed forces. I'm on furlough from my regular, old, 9-5. Think of it as a temporary lay-off and a month without pay. During a recession. Just in time for the holidays. In one of the most expensive cities in the United States...

In other words, let the good times roll!

I'm trying to think positively about this whole experience. Someone recently suggested that I might consider the next month mandated rest and relaxation. I'd like to look at it that way. Really, I would. But just as I settle into the couch, gin and tonic in hand, my favorite junk show on tv, I remember that I have to figure out how to pay my rent and fill my refrigerator (no easy task when your fabulous hubby is nicknamed "Lots of Groceries"). And when the hubby and I aren't up to our elbows in possible dumpsters to dive, I'll need to fill my time.

That's where this blog comes in. It's the documentation of my quest to survive being furloughed in Frisco with style - and not have to move back in with my parents.