Wednesday, September 9, 2009

It Finally Begins

Here are the facts. I am in my early 50's, married and have a adult daughter and a dog. I have three older sisters who live no where near me, THANK GOD! One in California and the other two in another state called the "North Shore" suburbs of Chicago. Two sisters are married and also have one adult child. The other sister - still trying to figure her out. I get along great with my sister in CA and so so with the married sister in NS. The other, still trying to figure her out - the jury is still out on her - I will explain her at a later date. My parents have past just a few years ago - strangely enough I miss them both very much and wish I could talk to them on occasions when my daughter has put me in a frantic whirl. Since 1992, I live in a wonderful moderately sized house that recently turned 50, and is located the far western suburbs of Chicago. Although the house is great, the main bathroom still needs to be remodeled. I believe that will be a project that will never happen.

Graduated from a state school in 1979 with a BS in Social Sciences (Social Work), and earned my Paralegal Certificate in 1993 from a well known university in Chicago.

As you can tell by the title of this blog, I am an unemployed paralegal. I've been unemployed since April 2008, when a temp position with a large corporation ended. The corporation merged into larger corporation, and the legal department was moved to a completely different city and state. Prior to taking this position, I was unemployed by my choice - this was when my mom died. I was appointed as a co-trustee and co-executor, along with the NS married sister. I had all of the family and trust records, since I took care of my parents when they were ill and pasts. So, I needed to work on closing the estate and trust. I left my job because I knew the up coming duties were going to be a nightmare and more of one if I remained working. I also hated my job - that will be explained at a later date. A few months into my new job as Co-Trustee & Co-Executor, I was contacted by a staffing firm that would not stop calling me and insisted I interview for the position with the large corporation. I was a prefect fit I was told. OK, I took the bait........I liked the job, the people and the location. And, the corporation did not have a problem paying me what I wanted (which I thought at the time was outrageous). It was the first time I worked with Attorneys that actually respected Paralegals and others. I wished I was still working with that entire department again.

Since April 2008, my husband quit his job or else he was going to go insane (he was the sole employee - will explain later), my daughter finally moved back from Iowa City where she went to college and then proceeded to move to San Francisco with no job in hand; my husband and I took a two month vacation along the old Route 66 to Santa Barbara, see my sister and daughter, other sites in CA, Tahoe and then home. During our trip, President Obama was elected - what a night. We had a great time.

When we arrived back home it was Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. Since January of this year, I've sent out millions of resumes, had 2 interviews, received a few rejection letters and emails, a few almost temp jobs, found out the new health insurance my husband's ex-boss changed to would not cover lap-band surgery, cobra insurance coverage expired, rejected by two insurance companies, pay the State of Illinois an arm and a leg for health insurance, rejected for unemployment insurance without having been interviewed, my aunt passed away, a best friend also past away, my daughter was robed at gun point in Berkeley, flew out to CA to help my daughter get her life back together, went back to CA to take care of my sister after her surgery, painted two bedrooms, went to Mass & Maine to visit my two old and best friends from childhood, found Facebook and several friends and family, gained so much more weight (now I am taking it off - 30 pounds so far), but I am stilling sitting here on the back deck of my house, listening the tinkling of my scummy filled water fountain.

I got this idea for this blog a long time ago. I was going to keep a diary of my days of unemployment while trying to find that prefect job. Never did............. Yesterday my husband and I saw "Julie & Julia." This morning I decided it's time I get this on record and have a bitch sessions with other unemployed paralegals, attorneys, graphic designers or whomever. Also express thoughts and ideas of our current government, health care reform, housing, how to make money, unemployment system, the screwing of the middle class, why adult children with a great education does NOT have a job, why I like my ex-husband's wife and not him, my mother-in-law, my sisters, gardening, eating, what the dog or husband do to drive me crazy, why I referred to a sister as psycho-bitch or whack-job, and the joys of my life when they occur.

So for now.

Sally