Interviews.

Interviews are an emotional, wild and crazy ride, especially when on unemployment for more than a year. Since trying to find a job in a recession is never easy, I have been forced to apply for mostly jobs outside the music industry, where I have spent all of my professional life. I went with the mindset of the more jobs I apply to the better my chances of an interview would be. With large numbers of talented people out there looking for work, this is not the easiest time to find a job in a different industry. Sure, the job functions of a project manager may be the same, but I have found that most industries think they are rocket-science and an outsider would just not understand.

Before the interview: I have never had a job where I had to wear a suit to work, nor did I really need to wear anything but jeans and a tee-shirt. So when an interview comes around it is always hard to figure out how to dress for an interview. A friend told me once that you can never go wrong with a suit... guess what, you can. Over dressing for an interview can be just as uncomfortable as under dressing. I have found myself finding a happy medium to a few interviews by wearing a suit but no tie. I had an interview once at a PR agency where I took my friend's advice and wore a suit and the first thing one of the interviewers said to me was, "Oh look, you wore a suit. You did not need to do that." I sat there the whole time thinking I just looked like a dork... a well dressed dork. It is hard to "know your audience" when you do not know anyone at the company.

After the interview: For me, the waiting game is the hardest part of the interview process. Since over the past year I have only been on a handful of interviews, I can not help myself but get all worked up about the idea of being offered the job. Maybe it's positive thinking, maybe it's positive hoping. I find myself at times daydreaming about what it would be like to work at the company... what my commute would be... what having money back in my savings account would be like. I so want that feeling of being needed by a company, by a group of people, who thought I was an answer, a solution. Over-wishful-thinking only seems to lead to a big crash when no job offer comes, and a bigger crash when not even getting to the second round.

I know my day will come, and my guess is that I will know it at the interview. I have a feeling that it will feel right, that the company will be as excited about me as I am about the company. I know it will be right when my only disappointment will be the idea of not being a Mr. Mom anymore. I will miss that.

Clean sheets.

Being a stay at home dad makes me responsible for the laundry, among other things. This is one chore I really do not mind. There is something very satisfying to me about clean laundry, maybe it's the fresh smell or the warmth. Maybe it's the feeling of accomplishment... nah, it's got to be the smell (or lack of smelly smell). Plus, all of the trips up and down the stairs is a good workout.

One of the little joys in life for me... crawling into bed with clean sheets. Heavenly. Yet the biggest challenge with doing the laundry is washing the sheets. The reason: there is always a cat sleeping on it or in it, usually Georgia. Something inside me hates to move a sleeping kitty, and when I try to move one of them they play dead. Really. They get really heavy and try to glue themselves to the bed. So most times I just give up and wait until they get up by themselves. The problem: cats always sleep during the day. Our cats could sleep a week straight, like most I'm sure.

So today is the day... the cats must go find a new place to sleep. I have been putting off washing the sheets since Monday.

Georgia playing dead.

Whatsfordinner, 2.3.2010.

Chicken, Black Bean, and Goat Cheese Tostadas... I thought it was a great new way to prepare something we make once a month. The black beans were mashed into a cooked onion, ground cumin, chili powder, and water. LP was just not down with the goat cheese.

Dads night out.

Today I signed up to go to a Dads evening out through the Neighborhood Parents Network of Chicago. This is a group that we just became members of since a few friends highly recommend it. Dads are one of the parts of my life I feel I am missing. Being a stay at home dad, I tend to go on outings with moms... which is great... but I would like to hang out with some dads. Not just dudes, but dudes with kids. Guys that understand what being a parent is all about... hopefully. The few dads I know in Chicago work during the week and at night I am usually too worn out go out.

I had stumbled across a stay at home dads message board / group in Chicago, but I was not amused with some of the discussions that were on the board. One day they were taking a poll of your favorite sex toy - on a stay at home dads message board. Really? I just do not see that this is the place for that sort of discussion. Maybe a poll about what is the perfect time to go to the grocery store, or what is the rudest thing a nanny or mom has said to you... those would be great discussion / poll topics. So just based on those few things, I completely ruled out all dads associated with that group were douchebags. Right or wrong, that is what I did and did not look back.

So on Pączki Day, I will take my little buddy and we will head out to our first play date with dads. Although meeting new people is not my best skill, I am looking forward to (and staying positive about) this outing. Maybe I'll find a dad or two that share some of my interests... maybe.

Unemployment benefits.

On Saturday I received a letter from the State of Illinois stating that my unemployment benefits had expired. Done at 52 weeks. Do they purposely time these notifications to arrive on Saturday - when all State offices are closed? It drives one crazy (especially me). I just wanted to talk to someone... anyone, but I had to wait until Monday morning. So all weekend is spent worrying about what we are going to do as a family.

Monday morning is here so I made the call. After pressing #, and then *, and then holding, and being disconnected, then redial, followed by #, and of course *, and #########... I got through to a living breathing real person! The operator could not tell me any specific information about my benefits, all she could do was to tell me I had to come down to the office to dispute the notice, and I could not make an appointment. Life without a job is tough enough - so why not make it more difficult by trying to deal with the State's unemployment system. Ug.

So my goal is one morning this week I'll be going down to the Unemployment Office and spending my day in line... waiting... waiting... waiting. I sure hope, for their sakes, I don't have to bring Miles.