Amazing How Things Work

So far, 2009 has been an interesting year for me, and we're only 60 days into it.

In mid-January I got laid off. Not unexpected, I must confess -- my employer has had lay-offs every month since last September. This time, they let everyone go that didn't have a direct tie to bringing in revenue. Everyone who's still there is partly hopeful, but mostly just waiting for the end to come. In any event, they couldn't afford severance pay, so instead the lay-offs were done as temporary lay-offs, which means that the company still pays its share of medical benefits for 12 weeks. Fortunately, I can keep my benefits until mid-April while still collecting unemployment insurance. Not a bad way to go.

It's good to be debt-free in this period. While I'm jobless we'll have to forego investment contributions (but who wants to throw that $$$ down the black hole right now anyway), but unemployment more than covers our needs. Regardless of how I feel about the federal "stimulus package", Obama will be paying 65% of my COBRA expense from mid-April forward (should I remain unemployed), and we're feeling lucky to have that. And once unemployment runs out, savings will keep us going for 7-8 months. Freedom from debt is truly the secret, though, to keeping the expenses low. I thank my brother Matt and sister-in-law Shelley for being such a great example of how to weather tough times. We've definitely learned from them.

So, everything is good for us for at least a year, should worse come to worst. Still, I'm antsy to get back to work. Been spending my days networking, sending out resumes, applying for everything from $15/hour up. I have no fear of starting at the bottom again ..... it's fun working my way to the top.

My days are busy .... nights bring anxiety-driven thoughts, but that just comes with the unemployment territory. All will be well.