Day 57 - ?

My motivation is at 1% right now. Done.

Deep Thoughts for Tuesday:

?

Day 56 - Confusion or just plain dumb?

It occurred to me many days ago that I have not been posting on this blog or tweeting as much as I used to. When I first was let go, I had this overwhelming feeling that I was going to become a great writer, have one million followers, be asked to write a screenplay and then a history of my life and life happily ever after without having to actually "work". Well, what can I say. Money talks I suppose and I am not currently bringing any in (unless you count unemployment). So I have decided to do what anyone in my situation would do... work the corner. Except, with today's economy, I think there is a less of a demand for a male street cleaner than ever before. And that is just sad.

As for the reasoning behind not writing as much, what can I say? I am a lazy individual and sometimes I get behind. I'm sure many of you were procrastinators in school and didn't want to do anything until the last minute, but you knew you had to because it was for a grade. Now, if writing on this blog was my assignment for school or work, I guarantee I would do it every day and I'm sure you would too.

On to other topics. All work and no play makes Aaron a dull boy (The Shining reference). Do you see that picture of me as Wooderson? Yes, I decided to become the one and only again at a Yonder Mountain String Band concert at the HOB this past weekend. Couple problems with that... first, I was not in the mood to be the center of attention (and GF wearing a tutu definitely put us there as well). Second, I am nobody's hero for wearing the costume. When you come up to me and tell me you want me to say "I love them redheads" to your GF, then you might have some issues. Finally, I don't mind getting stared at, but not by some people who have obviously been drinking all day and cross the line between being cool and being a dick. And yes, there were those guys too. Call it jealousy, call it what you want, but for some reason, seeing a guy dressed up gives these meatbags reason to say something they normally wouldn't say sober. Well, at least I can say I made a few people smile (mainly girls, I mean, who are we kidding in those ridiculously tight cords) and hopefully gave them a story to tell that night.

I actually didn't take any pictures of this on my camera (just one on my phone), so we may never get to see the third reincarnation (and probably final) of Wooderson. I'm just happy to be someone that not everyone will recognize this Halloween. Let someone else bask in the glow of getting way too much attention. Captain America (Easy Rider) is NOT that type of person and just wants to live his life without hassles.

So, on that note, here is the Deep Thought for Today...

Deep Thoughts for Monday:

Whenever you wear tight clothes (Halloween), just remember that you WILL get attention. Whenever you wear ridiculously tight salmon color pants, you WILL get wayyyyy more attention than you may actually want.

Day 49 - A New Proposal?

So, as some of you may have noticed, I haven't posted in four days. The reason being... it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care. You see, it's a problem of motivation. I work my ass off writing every day and I don't see another dime. So where's the motivation? And here's another thing, Bob. I have too much other crap to do! That means, when I have to do something, I have to take care of it first before I get to this.

As you may have also seen, the ads have been taken off my blog. I was lucky enough to read another blog post about the fact that if you are on unemployment and you literally make $.01 from AdSense (or other revenue means), you are considered "employed". Whoops! Did not know that. Good thing you four followers didn't click on any of the ads. That would have been tragic.

And here's another update for ya from the weekend... I got my first "rejection" email from the company that I phone interviewed with on Friday. Yep, just like the common protocol, they waited until this morning to send out the generic "fuck you" email. I will post it below and take out the company cause that might get me in trouble. Let's call it CBA company (cause everybody always does ABC Company":

Thank you for your interest in the Logistics Black Belt position at CBA Company.

After reviewing your resume/CV and speaking to you directly, we have determined that we will not be pursuing your candidacy at this time.

We would still like to maintain your resume/CV in our electronic database located in the U.S., hosted by a third party provider.

The database allows us to match the skills on your resume/CV against the requirements of other open positions. If a relevant match is made, a business representative will contact you to discuss the opportunity.

By initially sending in your resume, you consented to your resume being processed and maintained in our electronic database consistent with CBA Company Candidate Data Protection Standards. You may review these guidelines at www.CBA Company/GoFYourselfCauseWeDidn'tLikeYou.com. If you no longer consent, please send a letter to CBA Company, Mail Drop KD, Address in Cambodia, requesting that your resume be deleted from the database. Please provide your full first name, last name, mailing address and home telephone number. Any letters sent to this address for any other purpose other than the above will not be responded to and will be discarded.

If you would like to know what other positions are available at CBA Company, please visit www.CBA Company/GoFYourselfCauseWeDidn'tLikeYou.com. Job opportunities that are available and open to external candidates will be posted on this site.

Once again, we thank you for your interest in CBA Company and we wish you every success in your job search.

Sincerely,

Blow me

I'm not bitter though. It was actually a position that I probably would have wanted to get out of in two months. Speaking of which, there may be something good down the pipeline, so stay tuned.

Deep Thoughts for Monday:

It's Monday, leave me alone. No wait, I'm just kidding, I love you. Oh hell, don't talk to me, I'm watching MNF! Those three sentences will be uttered all over the world tonight.

Day 45 - And we are off to the races!

Sorry for the lack of a post yesterday, my devoted followers. A crisis arose with one of my good friends, and I was taken away from my duties as a journalist/writer/extreme badass.

However, I did say I would let you know how the interview went with that consulting firm. Okay. Just okay. It was slated for thirty minutes but only went twenty three (but who's counting?). I have to send some information to the company regarding the non-compete agreements that are the norm these days and perhaps you had to sign one too. It basically states that if you work for another company, they can sue you. Seems fair, right?

Well, the interview was a typical phone interview, and I said before, I don't think I sounded like a box. However, being that it was my first "interview" in over a year and a half, I was a little nervous and probably spoke too quickly and too long. That is one thing that all of my HR and Recruiting friends have let me in on. The person on the other end of the phone doesn't want to hear about your forty five minute rendition on how you saved your prior company $1,000. They want to see if you can say the same thing in one sentence. I may have used two sentences. Oh well! The next steps include more phone interviews (Yipee!) and then a possible all expenses paid trip to Atlanta. I just hope the office is not in an area where it is flooded, otherwise, I will have to ship my canoe as well.

But hey! I had another interview today for a Six/Lean Sigma position in Charlotte, NC. I always said I would not want to move to the East Coast, but the position does sound interesting and they seemed to actually be enthused with what I have to say. I don't know why, because I am NEVER funny, NEVER want to have a good time, nor am I well spoken individual. Maybe it's because I had some incriminating photos and that is how you actually move up in the world.

In other news, I feel fine. GF had the plague since Sunday and I thought I was starting to get it yesterday, but it turned out it was just gas. Guess I hadn't released my anxiety all day. Boom! Fart jokes.

Seeing that it is 11:00 AM, I am starving and craving some DD. Probably another post later because these are so short.

Bye ya'll!

Deep Thoughts for Thursday:

If they can make edible panties, why can't they make other things edible? Say, edible glitter, edible body paint, edible boxers, edible bra's, edible briefs, edible makeup? People would just be licking and eating each other everywhere! What do I mean by "everywhere"?... Exactly

Day 43 - Just another manic Tuesday

Wind, the final frontier...

It's a cold and blistery day in Chicagoland and the natives are starting to settle in. All around the blocks, lights are appearing in apartments that haven't been shone in quite some time. The phenomenon is known as finter. Yes, you may think this is fall, but just like brunch, it's also winter. Thus, all the Chicagoites have locked the doors and turned on their TV's for the long haul. Oh, occasionally you will get those brave souls daring enough to go outside and put on eight layers and walk around. Not often though. So here I sit, enjoying our "free" heat and listening to our neighbors make a bunch of unnecessary noise. At least being on the top floor of a three flat means I don't have to hear footsteps above us.

So tomorrow is a big day. First phone interview of my 43 day adventure. This one is with a consulting firm and one of the biggies. Seeing that it's only 30 minutes long, the real purpose is to see if you are dumb as a box of rocks, or worth of the real "first" interview. Here's hoping I'm not a box.

I'm tired, I'll let you know how the interview goes tomorrow.

Deep Thoughts for Tuesday:

When people hack and cough during this cold season, it's not because they are sick, it's actually because they don't want you to talk to them or even be near them. This phenomenon happens every night at the bar.

Day 42 - I have 15 minutes left before day 43...

Two posts in one day?! Wow, you must be crazy they said. And you know what I told them? "It's more fun to be crazy, than to be less than crazy and still crazy" They were totally confused by my superior logic.

I've decided on what I want to be when I grow up... a professional advice giver outer. It seems like I can tell others how to live their lives a little better, yet I don't seem to know what I want out of mine.

A long time ago, I believed as many of you do that the path in life is simple... you go to high school, then go to college, get your degree in something you believe you might want to do for the "rest of your life", and then proceed to get a job. Next comes finding your partner in life (this can happen anytime from the high school sweetheart to the person you meet in your late 20's/early 30's), seeing each other for awhile, falling in "love" and then getting married, buying a home (or condo/townhouse), having children, growing old and then having grandchildren.

Whew!

Now, time for what many of you don't want to hear or will try to debate. I do not want to get married, nor do I want children. Plain and simple.

Now comes your rebuttals. But Aaron, what's going to happen when you are 70 years old and all alone? So what? I do not believe that we need to grow old with somebody in this society because of fear of being lonely. In fact, once you reach a certain age, I think it may be better to have just friends.

But Aaron, I'm sure you will find that one person that you will fall deeply in love with and you will want to get married. I'm sure I will love, and will continue to love, but I do not believe that there is just "one" person that you are meant to be with. That's not to say that I would go around with multiple girlfriends, it's just that when we deny our human feelings and repress them, we are bound to get in to worse situations (50% of marriages end in divorce. Add to the fact that if there are children/possessions involved, it's worse).

But Aaron, what about continuing your name? What?! Continuing my name? As much as I'd love to have little kids and worrying about them constantly, that's exactly what I don't want. I am not being selfish, I am just telling you that this world is continually getting worse and I would not like to see anyone growing up in to what I see is a very scary future. Also, I like nice things. Just being truthful.

But Aaron, won't it be awkward to visit your friends' that are all married with kids and you are not? Let me tell you, I have met many people that are currently married (some with kids and some without) or in serious relationships and after they hear my "theories" about this topic, they open up to me and inform me that they may have made the wrong decision. But because there are feelings and "obligations" that society has placed on them to stay married, they feel they cannot leave.

I also want to follow my dreams. My future consists of traveling, living a life of relaxation without worries of others, laughing with friends and enjoying the company of many others.

Seeing that not a lot of people are currently reading this blog, much of this information will be lost in day 42 of day 3,092. However, it has now been written and I am not afraid of who reads it. These are my true feelings and those that I needed to express.

My advice is to not scorn or look down upon people with different feelings or ideas than yours. Instead, just try to understand where the other person is coming from. Listen to their ideas, their positions and their feelings. If you ever want to talk to me about the stuff said above, please do so. Have a great night all.

Day 42 - National Holiday? Only for some?!

Happy Columbus Day!!!

I made a discovery myself today! You can actually sleep for 10 hours straight without blinking an eye (?). I was able to awake at 9:00 to put dishes in the dishwasher and clean up a little bit and then it was right back to sleep. Not that I needed to, actually, I needed to. What a crazy weekend it was.

Friday -

• Elbo Room - Saw Mason's Case (GF's Cousin's band) at 9:00 PM
• Left to go to the Darkroom to meet up with the "guys" considering all of the "girls" were in Vegas until Saturday night
• Left Darkroom to go back to Elbo Room for a late nightcap
• In bed by 3:00 AM, not a whole lot of details to go along with the night

Saturday -

• Woke up with full intentions of going to the gym, but with MSU playing at 11:00 CST, there wasn't really any time to go. I've been told my Ab's look good though... HA!
• Went to the Stretch to watch the game. I got there about 10 minutes early and there were only 7 people there. Eventually more showed up, and it was a festive atmosphere as MSU was stomping on UofI.
• After the game, I left Stretch and went home with full intentions of going to Will's to watch the Wisconsin game. However, that didn't end up happening and crashed instead. Don't you just love naps? Naps are some of the greatest things in the world, right? George Carlin agreed and so do I.
• Woke up and went to a friends' place for a drink with full intentions of going out first before picking up the GF from Midway. But... it didn't work out that way as by the time that I would make it to downtown and come back, I would only be able to stay for a half hour at most.
• I left my place around 9:40 PM to pick up GF from a 10:25 flight.
• I made it to Midway with 15 minutes to spare. Wow for lack of traffic!!! I parked my car and waited.
• She came down the escalator and then we went to the baggage claim area #6. Man oh man, I cannot believe some of the people that get off of a Vegas flight. I saw guys that were literally missing 4 of their top teeth, guys in jorts, big tittied women that looked like they smoked 3 packs a day and then the younger, good looking people. All in all, good people watching.
• GF checked two bags, only one came out!!!
• Almost a meltdown, but as we discussed with the Southwest baggage lady named Joyce (wonderful by the way), there was another flight coming in and we should just wait. Which we did. On that flight were two of my other friends, so it was good to see them as well. And what do you know?! GF's second bag came out. So we were on our way home.
• By the time we got back it was 12:30 and neither one of us wanted to go out, so, we stayed in (duh?).

Sunday -

• The Vikings were on National TV again thanks to a Bears bye week, so I was in pure elation! And they won!
• No real Sunday funday, but at least I didn't spend much money. However, after being stuck inside for too long, I went to Binny's and bought a nice bottle of Cab. Mmm, delicious.

And here we are on Monday and it's a National Holiday. Now, if I were to take a boat and start sailing around, would I get a day named after me too? Perhaps. Okay, time to start sailing.

Tomorrow I will wake up refreshed, apply for numerous jobs and then go to REI for a free lunch and learn series. They are doing this all month long and you get a free Chipotle Burrito while you sit for an hour and listen to cool topics. I chose the volunteering in the city series. And then it will be off to the gym to work off said burrito.

I hope you all had a great weekend. As I am now on Day 42, I thought I should celebrate. Thus, tonight, I have decided to get crazy and have a cup of Jasmine/Green Tea. Craziness!

Deep Thoughts for Monday:

National Holiday's are kind of a downer. It just means that no matter how hard you work your ass off, you will never have one day of the year named after you.

Day 39 - Oh the weather outside is frightful...

Rain, rain, go away, don't let that snow come any day!!

Weather conditions in Chicago as of 11:21 CST: 51 Degrees and Rain

Chances of going outside before the concert at the Elbo Room tonight: 0%

Chances of the weather to warm up before getting colder: -43%

As I sit and ponder what to eat for lunch, I sit on the three big "job sites" (i.e. Monster, CareerBuilder and Linkedin) and pump away resumes into the lengthy redirected websites. Days like today are good for two things when you are unemployed... submitting resumes and "other" (Use your imagination on "other", I know I like to experiment, yow!)

I did make my way outside already as I had to return a Netflix DVD to the box and the hit up the local Dunkin Donuts in search of that hot, black stuff that keeps me awake for the remainder of the morning. I am going to tell you right now that DD coffee is infinitely better than the crap that they serve at Starbucks or Caribou. Not only is it a matter of taste, but also a matter of, well, taste really. Many of you may not know this, but DD coffee is actually made by Sara Lee. Yes, the same Sara Lee that I worked at for two years right here in Illinois right off of 88 in the burbs of Chicago. When I started working at the Lee (yeah slanging it up boyeee) I was a tea drinker, but when I realized that I could have unlimited Douwe Egberts coffee (do you see the theme of this blog? Mention places when you blog/tweet/facebook update and you may get comped). My choice every morning was a medium cup of coffee in my coffee mug with a shot of espresso. It's called many things at various coffee shops, but I called it the "Get your ass up" cup of coffee. That helped considering I had to take a bus to the Metra to a shuttle to the office every day and vice versa. Otherwise, I drove and that wasn't so much fun. Chicago is a perpetual traffic jam and that is never so evident than at 5:00 PM on any day of the week. In fact, unless you are driving in or out of the city from 3:00 AM to 4:00 AM, you will be waiting. Seriously. Seriously.

But I don't do that anymore, nor do I want to ever do that. I know that all of the good "jobs" are out in the burbs because of office space (ha!) costs, but Chicago traffic just puts me and the rest of the world in a pissy mood. How did I combat this? I would crank some Kenny G, roll down the windows and let the good times roll. Or roll in first gear as I moved at a pace of 2 MPH.

I might have two blogs today, I'm feeling frisky! I guess I'm not ending these with a proper ending, but that just keeps you reading, right?

Deep Thoughts for Friday (Part I):

It's not that you're sick with a cold or flu, it's just that everybody else is WAY too healthy.

Day 37 - Professional MegaMillions Player?

Day 37? Ooh boy, what a crazy ride it has been. I started out on Day 1 and was loving life because it was still warm out and I could go to the beach and then go out that night with some friends. Oh how the seasons change in this Midwest Urban Jungle.

I will still go out during the nights and you know how I do this? I have given up drinking during the week and I don't drink that much during the weekend. Now you should question yourself. Can I give us something like alcohol living in a city such as Chicago? I guarantee you can but perhaps you feel the pressure of your friends. Hey, I used to be the go to guy to do a shot or buy the next rounds. However, when you don't have what seems like an endless bank account or the American Express Black Card (I have two, cause one wasn't enough), then you scale back. And you know what happened? I realized that I drank to catch a buzz but was drinking so much that I was not remembering what happened the night before (passed out in the bushes?) and not moving very fast the next day. Considering I am a workoutaholic, I decided that I could get that last "cut" from cutting out the main contributor to many an individuals last "love humps". My drink of choice was always a vodka martini with three olives, but that has gone by the wayside. Now, I drink a lot of red wine and straight water on the rocks.

Some of you may feel the pressure to drink and a funny thing happens when you tell them you don't. They look at you like you are crazy. Really?! Why is not drinking considered crazy? I can have just as good a time without the Bells, Miller Lite, Vodka Soda's, Jager Bombs, and Martinis as long as there are good looking girls there. haha. Just kidding?

As a major holiday is coming up, I would like to offer you a bit of wisdom. The best part of the night is always from 2:00 AM - 5:00 AM. That is where all of the stories actually happen. When is the last time you had an awesome story from the night before that was before midnight? I prove my point.

Okay, in all seriousness, here is the information for today.

I applied for a few jobs and am collecting those emails that say I have submitted a resume. When people say that applying for a job is a job itself, they weren't kidding... I should be getting paid $80,000 a year to do this for people. Wait a minute! There I go! I will be the official "enter your profile information into those ridiculously long online company applications" guy. Since I will charge by the hour, let's do the math:

52 Weeks in a Year

40 Hours in a Week (Well, for Americans, it's more like at least 50)

52*40 = 2080 Hours

$80,000 a year / 2080 Hours = $38.46 an hour

That's not bad at all. Any takers out there? I know it could be a lucrative career as the unemployment rate is reaching 10% and that's not including all of the people that consider working at Street Wise as a real job.

As always, remember to smile, laugh and be confident. The dream job (rock star that is also on the Travel Channel) is right around the corner.

Deep Thoughts for Wednesday:

Don't know what to be for Halloween? Here's an idea... how about a Patron Shot Giver Outer. You will be the most popular person all night!

Day 36 - A Little Freedom Perhaps?

To whom it may concern:

Aaron lived a good life

At the age 0f 28 he was rich in life and not so much in the pocketbook

Thailand, Cambodia, Mexico (is that really another country) is where he traveled.

Cultured, Ridiculous, Sometimes way too outgoing (I've been told that I love to talk)

A life of not knowing exactly where to go, but smiling to others along the way.

No, I'm not going anywhere. However, do you remember making up your eulogy at some point in your grade-High School era? Now that we think about that, wasn't it kind of strange perhaps? What do I want to be known for? President of the Fan Club for Matthew McConaughey? You betcha!!! Alright, Alright, Alright...

Deep Thoughts for Tuesday:

"What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". However, if you have an outstanding warrant in Illinois and you get arrested in Vegas, the new slogan is... "What happens in Vegas will send you back to Illinois in a prison plane to be arraigned". Not quite the same effect.

Day 35 - Recovery

Hello All!

I am back from my vacation in Wine Country (aka Sonoma) and I am feeling a little sluggish. What would you expect from a crazy weekend filled with waking up early on Friday, connecting flights, Friday night at the winery, Saturday pool day, Saturday evening on top of a mountain, Saturday night having dinner by the pool while freezing my tush off and then the hot tub... Oh the hot tub...

And now it's Monday. I have come back to limited sleep, still a little hungover and definitely ready to start my main move to making my second million.

I've been contacted by some interesting positions over the past few days. Voicemails from so calleed "sales jobs" that are actually just door to door sales. During my stint at MSU, I fell for one of these traps. They stuck us in a car with the "sales consultant" and proceeded to tell us that the company dealt with the Lansing Lugnuts, MSU and some other big name companies. Perhaps you have even seen one of these "dream" jobs in the newspaper and got excited. Well, if you are excited about doing door to door sales, then maybe it is your dream job. At the meeting in the morning, they never informed us what they exactly do. We found out pretty quick. A group of four of us (including the one salesman) piled into a car and went to our first "meeting". Um... the first meeting was the first house on a piece of paper of addresses. We were selling coupon books door to door! Ugh, I thought. My good friend who was stuck in another car actually informed the salesman to let him out on the side of the road because he was so disgusted. At the end of the day, we sat outside of the office of some 28 year old "manager". I then walked in and they said I was just the caliber they were looking for. I thanked them and said I would be in the office the next morning. Yeah, I never went in to that office.

That brings me back to this job in Austin, TX. One of my tips when doing a job search is to check out the reviews on job postings to see what the job really is. You may get some disgruntled employees or interviewees but for the most part, the review will be spot on.

Now, I have received some calls/emails from legitimate companies which I have followed up on. I will look in to those and let you know how they turn out.

October 5th... already started to get cold here in the city... MUST GET OUT!!!

Deep Thoughts for Monday:

If one glass of Vino is good for your heart, then fifty glasses a day this past weekend keeps me going through my birthday and possibly to New Years Eve. Thank you Deb and Matt for an awesome time in Sonoma!

Day 31 - Self Help is Great!

So, I'm headed to Sonoma tomorrow. I am going to relax, I am going to unwind and I am going to have a fantastic time.

To all my friends, have a safe, happy, and totally off the chains weekend.

Salute!!

Your friend,

Aaron

Deep Thoughts for Thursday:

So I read a self help book and at the end it said, "Um, you know what, forget everything I just wrote. You're screwed!" Not sure what lesson to take from that paragraph but I'm sure it has something to do with eating better.

Day 30 - Travel? Yes Please!

I saw a job posting today that was for a position with 100% travel to various countries for various parts of the year. Was this a job posting for James Bond, a Hotel.com travel consultant, a teacher or a international man of mystery? No... it was for an ad salesman. Really?! Somebody who sells ad space in a newspaper gets to travel the world and all expenses paid? There must be a stipulation, I thought. And that stipulation was the fact that all of your money was commission and you better speak more than ten languages. I only speak nine languages so that put me out of the running. Oh well, craigslist does it to me again.

I am getting the denial emails pretty quickly these days. I guess the recruiting/HR departments at these companies aren't suffering any layoffs'. Well, good for them I say.

I'm not going to lie and say that I don't want to help people and have a job that actually contributes to the quality of human life, but... a man's gotta eat, ya know? And I love surf and turf.

A while back, I lived in Thailand (study abroad for Michigan State), and it was the greatest time of my life. I was thinking of going back there and living in a bungalow for $1 a night like I did at Ko Pha Ngan island. Want a picture of the good life? Ever think that when you get laid off/fired/quit you don't have time or money to go anywhere. Well, $1 a night! For that, you can cash in your 401K and live for like a hundred days (Well what's your 401K worth?). Here's a picture of the view (and yes, I actually took this picture from a 35MM camera):

So, book your tickets now and live the good life for awhile.

Alas, I cannot. Or can I? I have no car (Chicago livin), no mortgage, and am livin with a free flowing attitude. Perhaps I have already left and am writing this from Thailand. Or not. I mean, why would you ever be on a computer at a place like this?

Happy Wednesday all! Hope your Thursday is the best day of the past 2 days for you.

Deep Thoughts for Wednesday:

Do you remember the show/computer game "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego"? Unfortunate news kids. Carmen started to abuse drugs and alcohol and is now selling Street Wise. However, she plans on making a comeback in a new show called "Where in the Sewers is Carmen Sandiego"

Day 29 - Smiling Eyes

I promised you all some details, and what better way to provide details than with bullet points? Here you are:

• Let go August 31st
• Went over to Amanda's that night to have a couple of beers
• Filed for unemployment over at her place because the unemployment site hates MAC's and I am typing on my MacBook Pro.
• Went to Kirkwood's for some beers. In attendance: Meredith, Ash, Amanda and Raj. Some people didn't even know I was let go until last night!
• Woke up the next day and checked out some jobs and then went to the gym.
• Next day, next day, next day all seemed the same.
• However, the first two weeks of September provided some nice 78 degree days. After my usual mornings, I headed to Oak St. Beach. There is nothing more relaxing for me than sitting under a transplanted palm tree with the waves of Lake Michigan and all of it's bacteria filled glory crashing in. Some days I would stop and get Jimmy Johns for lunch. Other times, I just didn't eat.
• On those days I went to the beach, I would just get on the Clark St. Bus at the corner of Clark/Division to Chicago Ave. and go from there to the gym.
• This went on for the first two weeks and the past two weeks have been spend applying for jobs that I may or may not ever ever be happy at and relaxing!
• That brings me up to the day # that I started.

Whew!! Don't you just love lists? They are needed all the time in PowerPoint Presentations and what better way to be professional on today's blog than those above?

Are you jealous of my past four weeks? Should I be sitting in front of my computer for 10 hours a day applying for jobs like some would think? Perhaps. Perhaps I should go to the corner and ask for money like some of the "fake" homeless around here. Or, perhaps I should let karma take over and show me the way. Option #3 wins!!

I believe in Karma. When I have been screwed over in my personal and professional life, I KNOW that those individuals will get it in the end. And you know, they have. Oooohhh, so don't mess with me!! Haha, just kidding... or am I?

Done for the night. It's 7:48 PM CST. How about some of you out there in "Holy Crap! I don't have a job and I can't pay for my house/apartment/car/bills/sex toys/gambling/candy/Patron/plastic surgery/smokes"? Are you doing okay? Do you need a hug? I hear there is an opening.

Deep Thoughts:

What's the deal with spaceships? I mean, they aren't really in water, so how can they be ships?

Day 28 - Mo Money, Mo Problems

Whoever said that money didn't buy happiness obviously had A LOT of money. I'd love to give that saying a try.

I slept in today, all the way to 9:30. My typical wake up call is around 8:00, but I don't usually go to sleep too late seeing that I don't go to the bar 4 times a week now that I've given up drinking during the week and cut back on the weekends too. It isn't because I don't have a job and incoming income, but more of the fact that I really don't have a reason to drink during the week. When I was let go, I did what a lot of people do on that day... I went to the bar with some friends. But my night was a "celebration" as I had let everyone know that I was excited, not worried, about what lied (?) ahead.

That night, a few of my friends came to the bar and we didn't actually discuss anything about the job or where I might go. Instead, we discussed everything else. I went home early that night actually and woke up early the next day. My previous routine consisted of getting up at 7:00 AM, taking a shower, getting lunch together (usually one of the pre-made microwave meals. Mmm, Salt!!!), and then heading to the the #8 bus to head to work. I have the unlimited CTA pass here in Chicago which I consider my car. I like to think that I have so many different "vehicles" at my disposal. Who needs Porsche's and Beamers when you can ride the wave of the El or ride on one of the many busses throughout the city? Plus, you will always seem to come off of the ride with a new story about some crazy person on that respective vehicle.

I would get to work around 8:00 and then fire up the computer. I'd wait for the log-in screen, type in my information, and then put my frozen meal in the packed fridge hoping no one would steal it (and food did get stolen). I would then take a look at my email inbox and sigh...

Have you ever looked at your email box and just wanted to hit the "Delete" key until it was ALL gone? And when somebody asks you why you didn't answer their email, you could say, "I don't know, I guess it got lost in the mail". And then you would get a strange look and that person would walk away. Well, I thought that every day. Instead, I would do what most people would do and wrote politically correct emails to everybody even if they were dicks in their emails. After awhile, I wasn't nice anymore and just wrote three word answers to some of their questions.

Around 11:00 I would hit the gym. I went at that time because it was less crowded and I could come back and get food at one of our vendors or take care of what I needed to with most of the office gone on their "official" 12-1 lunch. I've always done things differently, so going to the gym at this time was the norm for me. After lunch, I would take care of what needed to be done, be it mindless emails or conference calls to discuss the conference that we just had. I swear, some people just want to hear themselves talk so they schedule an hour long meeting that could be resolved in 5 minutes. Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk.

Around 5:00, the office exploded!!!! Everybody wanted out!!!! And I can't blame them. I mean, it is Chicago and there is always something going on so getting out of work is a really big deal. Especially when you have to catch that shuttle. There is nothing funnier than seeing a 45-60 man or women literally sprinting to catch a shuttle. That's probably the most they have run in the past 20 years! I can say one thing about public transportation though; at least you don't have to drive with the other crazies in this city.

Now that is over, and I spent my Monday packing for this weekends trip to Sonoma, applying for jobs, calling the Teleserve (only three times before I got through the busy signal!!) to certify my unemployment, and going to the gym.

I will watch MNF tonight, but after the game, TV OFF! I do realize now that I would rather be in front of a fire than watching TV, but we have wood floors... so starting a fire probably would not be the smartest thing to do. I guess I will just have to turn on my grill on the deck and pretend.

Deep Thoughts for Monday:

As far as the Midwest as a whole is concerned, the least we could have is more mountains for the avid skiers and snowboarders during our 9 months of winter. Perhaps we need to throw away more trash so we can build some new dump piles and call those mountains?

Day 27 - Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Are you ready for some football!!!

When was the last time you spent a Sunday watching a solid 9-10 hours of TV. Productive, absolutely not! Feelings of exhilaration when your team wins, feelings of depression and anger when your team loses.

My team, the Minnesota Vikings won! I was at a "neutral" bar in Chicago which pretty much meant it was 80% Bears fans, 5% Vikings fans, 5% Packers fans and the other 10% couldn't care less how the teams were doing. They were enjoying the beautiful day outside eating by the open garage door windows at the Wrigleyville bars. Unfortunately, looking at the weather, this might have been the last nice day in this Midwest Frozen Hell.

I saw some former colleagues at the bar though. It's funny when you are let go from a company you will actually see who your real friends were. Although I know that one of the guys at the table knew who I was and we had talked every day at the office, he seemed to totally forget who I was. This could be because one of two things: either he never really liked me and this gives him the opportunity to never talk to me again, or he is one of those people that is nervous to talk to anybody that got laid off. I guess he may have thought that I had something interesting to say.

A new week starts. It's Monday, so it's time to call the Unemployment office and certify for the two weeks prior. If you are living in a city as big as Chicago, you may notice that you can't get through the first, second, third, fourth... seventy fifth time you call. You seem to get a busy signal. HOLD ON!! It's an automated system. How can you have a busy signal? What they are telling me is only one person at a time can use the automated system, which seems ridiculous. But, it gives me time to go online and look for future careers. I've decided upon three careers... underwear model, treasure hunter (aka metal detector guy on the beach), or the guy that holds the doors open at restaurants. All lucrative, all sought after jobs. You help me decide!

What is going to be accomplished in this coming week you ask? Well, I will do the whole resume dump thing on the usual sites. I have a phone interview so we shall see where that goes. And I will continue to get ready for my upcoming wedding in Sonoma, CA. Noooooo, I won't be the one getting married. Just one of my good friends. Pics will be included on those blogs.

As far as Sunday night and being unemployed, well, you don't really have a "bed time". Thus, my bed time will be 1:33 AM tonight and I will wake up at the same time that I usually do. Around 8:00 AM. And you know what? Tomorrow is one day closer to Tuesday which is when I will finally win Mega Millions and blow it all on more lottery tickets.

Deep Thoughts for Sunday:

If Jesus wanted us to spend an hour or more on Sunday's listening on how we are all going to hell and how we should give more money to the church, he would at least throw us a bone and have a choice of red OR white at communion.

Day 26 - Just Another Loss

As I sit here and write this post, you should be out celebrating your day of freedom. That is, a day without work if you work the usual 9-5 M-F. For me, it was just another loss.

Yes, I am a Michigan State Spartan and my Saturday's include watching the games with my "Chicago Family" at a respective bar. However, the past three weeks have been really tough on all of us. But you know what makes it all better? Hearing the other idiots on the street talk trash after they get nice and toasted. The best line I ever heard was between a Notre Dame and Michigan fan a couple of weekends ago. After Michigan had won, I looked upon the street to hear a drunk Michigan fan yell at a Notre Dame fan, "Oh Yeah! Well I want to have sex with your team in my mouth!!" That is up there with some of the best trash talk ever.

But as far as the post goes, it's Saturday... go out and play! I'm sure you deserve it! As for me, it's just a great day to hang out with good friends and think about what type of beer to drink at Oktoberfest. I'm thinking all of it.

Deep Thoughts for Saturday:

When life hands you a shot of booze, do it. I mean, it's rude to turn down a free shot.

Day 25 - The Long Weekend

Happy Happy All My Friends,

So, let's start from the beginning, shall we?

It all started 25 days ago when I was informed that my services were not needed anymore. Now, I know what most people will do in this situation. They will either get really pissed and yell or they will cry. Neither of these applied to me. As I sat there and listened to the 5 minute explanation of why my services were no longer needed, I was able to breath again. You see, I felt like at the age of 28 that I was going to literally have a heart attack. Now this is where America and especially corporate America might be in some trouble. In no way shape or form should a 28 year old ever feel like they are going to have to be put on a stretcher and be wheeled into an ER with a numb left arm and a heart beating (or not beating) in a crazy fashion.

I'm not to say that every job out there won't have its stressful moments, but listen followers (2 as of right now! Yay!), no career should ever do that to you. If it does, you may want to reconsider your priorities of getting that new LV handbag or that new 50 inch LCD TV as your meaning to work.

So, I was led out and went down that elevator for the last time (seeing that you need a badge to get past "security") and went outside and let out a sigh of relief. Now here's the interesting part... I still belong to the gym in the building. So you know what I did that day? No... I didn't cry, I didn't curse everybody's existence. No, I went directly to the gym. There will be more on my love of fitness in future blogs, but let's just say I had an extended work out.

In the following weeks, many thoughts and ideas have come into my head on what I would like to do with my "life" and where I will be going. These ideas will come shortly, as will the weeks preceding Day 25. However, for all those listening, my heart is once again back to normal. And you know what? Now I always take the stairs.

Deep Thoughts for Friday:

7 Day Weekend! Every Weekend! Now don't that beat all?

Day 24 - Starting

Hello World,

I stole that from Tiger Woods, perhaps you recognize it? If not, don't fret. Well, I wanted to start this blog about 24 days ago when I was let go from my previous position at my previous company. I won't name names, but my name is Aaron. That is all you need to know for now. I will begin my true adventure soon, but here is my deep thought (another steal from SNL, way back) for the day:

Deep Thoughts for Thursday:

Always remember to smile and say hello. You never know whose day you might make a little better by doing so.