I am now a statistic: I’m Unemployed.

Eleven days ago, I lost my job.  And being unemployed affects everything including one’s health.  Those eleven days have been a flurry of activity doing all the things that one does when one looses their job:

• Applied for unemployment benefits — I don’t know yet whether I’ll get them.  When I log onto the Texas Workforce Commission’s website the status still says “TWC is reviewing your claim to determine if we can pay you benefits. If we need additional information, we will contact you.”  *sigh*
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  Not knowing whether or not I’ll get any unemployment benefit checks, I assumed “worst case scenario” — that I won’t and started making plans:
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• Pre-paid as many bills as possible.  — There are certain things that I’ll have to have if the worst happens I’m going to be out of work for  a while:  medications, rent on storage unit, cell phone, internet connection, car insurance...
  
  
• Figure out what I’m going to do about Rent and my Truck Payments — My roommate and best friend has now officially been put on the fast track for sainthood because he (1) is going to let me “owe” him the rent (he’s also my landlord–I rent a room from him).  He said I can pay him back when I get a new job and get back on my feet and (2) he’s going to pay my truck payment for me!  He’s a saint.  A lifesaver.  My best friend.  And I won’t lose my brand new truck!   Yay!I’ve got April’s payment covered but if I’m still out of work in May and so on, he’ll make my payments.   This is a BIG deal because in the Dallas Metroplex, if you don’t have wheels you don’t have options.  To get anywhere using what is laughingly called “mass transit” in this city is almost impossible.  Possible sometimes but not practical.  This ain’t New York or Chicago with transit systems that actually get you where you need to go when you need to get there.
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• Budget the remaining cash — There isn’t a lot remaining but what is left is for food and gasoline.
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• Update the resume and start looking — I checked with the places physically closest to where I live work to see if they had openings.  None of them did.  *sigh*

Dancing and Being Unemployed

Now, about that dancing thing.  Arrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!

Dancing is my passion.  And it is a very expensive passion.  No job = No money = No dancing.  I don’t want to turn pro but if the right job opened up at a studio, I’d do it in a heart beat.  Too bad I don’t live in Austin, I saw a post on a dance news list that GoDance was looking for  male dance instructors.

I can teach line dance of course without jeopardizing my amateur status in ProAm, but it is tough to make a living as only a line dance instructor.  Stay tuned for further developments on that front.  🙂

The short version in regards to lessons and competitions is that what I’ve already paid for, I can do.  But when those pre-paid items are done, then the dancing, at least the competitive dancing is done as well.  I’ll dance on my own (maybe find a rec center someplace? I’m still looking into options) but the lessons and the competitions come to a grinding halt.

I buy packages of 10 lessons at a time so I have 5 left with my coach in the current package  Once she has her baby…  …yes she is six and a half months pregnant–and she looks beautiful, more beautiful than ever.  She’s always gorgeous.  Check out her website at http://allballroomdance.com/.  But I digress.  I do that a lot don’t I?  *sigh*

When she has her baby at the end of May, she’s offered to trade lessons with her students in exchange for baby sitting duties.  Since I’m the oldest of four kids, I know how to feed ’em, burp ’em, change ’em, clean e’m up and love ’em bunches.  🙂  A match made in heaven I tell ya.  Details to be worked out later.

I’ve already registered and paid for next four competitions so I’ll be going to those especially since I’m on the line dance staff and teaching workshops at all four of those events.  (More on that too later–this post is already too long.)  *sigh*

The problem is how to get there and where to sleep at those comps.  My roommate, the newly canonized Saint Mike, has said he’ll cover my transportation and hotel costs and pay him back later.  He’s a dancer as well and going to those comps.  I have to come up with $$ for food, but I figure that worst case, I can take a loaf of bread, a jar of jelly and a jar of peanut butter in my luggage and I’ll be good.  For dance… …I’ll do it. Maybe someone will buy me an occasional beer or soda while I’m there.

I’m really going to owe Mike some bucks when this is all done.  But without him I’d be on a street corner with a sign that says “Will shelve books and/or dance for food”

About that Bear?  I did mention a bear didn’t I!?

And, drum roll please,  I’ve slept a lot.  I mean a LOT.  The word hibernation comes to mind.  I’m turning into a bear!  Not the gay kind of bear, the sleeping through the winter kind of bear.

As in Grrrrr, not “Gurrrl!”

“Aha!” I imagine my dear readers saying (all four of you that read this, 5 if you count my Mom).  I bet you were thinking something like  “Gee, this boy is DEE-pressed!”  Well, I am.  But I’m trying to maintain my usual level of silliness. It ain’t easy-very not easy as a matter of fact.  But I’ll try.  🙂   But I digress…

Back to talking about how loosing my job is impacting my whole health & fitness thing…

First and foremost, I didn’t realize how much my ex-job was affecting my health.  I mean, I kinda sorta knew that I was exhausted every day and that the stress of working there could not be good for me.

However, I didn’t really really understand just HOW “not good” working there was for me until I wasn’t going to work there everyday.   I’ve been under a lot of stress at my former workplace for quite a while and it was taking a real toll on my body.  I just didn’t realize what it was doing to my body until that stress was removed.

As a bonus, I no longer have a twice daily 30-45 minute commute on crowded freeways full of inconsiderate drivers who speed, swerve through traffic, tailgate (my personal number one peeve), text and use their cell phones like they are the only people on the roads.  Check out this article from Consumer Reports from their 2012 Annual Auto Issue: Survey reveals top gripes among drivers.   No daily commute = less stress.

I’m feeling better now that I’m starting to get rested.

I went by the library where I used to work on Sunday, just a couple of days ago and was told by three different people “how good I look”.  And they are right.  The bags under my eyes are fading.  I have more energy when I’m awake and I feel mentally more alert.  Truthfully, in complete candor, I feel better now than I’ve felt in two years.  And that is true even knowing that (1) I’m horribly out of shape – more on that in another post and (2) that I’m still under a lot of stress because I’m now unemployed and dealing with all that entails.

About that hibernation.  Oh!  My! Gawd!  Since loosing my job, I’ve very quickly fallen into the habit of sleeping whenever my body demands it.  And it is demanding a lot of sleep.

A Glass Half Full…

You would think that being out of work means you have LOTS of free time.  NOT!  At least not yet.  There is still too many things to be done in relation to unemployment, job hunting, etc.

But…  I’m going to look at this as an opportunity!

I’m not going to let this beat me down.  I’m going to use this “time off” to get healthy.  My new “job” is “getting myself healthy and fit”  And I’m going to work 9-5 on it.  At least until I find a job.  LOL

So there you have it.  I’m a statistic.  But this here statistic has got’s style!  <grin>  and plans!  <bigger grin>  And I’ll be blogging about all of it, so stay tuned.

See ya on the dance floor!

Related articles / Websites

• Driveshaft Drama or “Getting Healthy Requires a Budget” (txcowboydancer.wordpress.com)
• Sleep and Stress (www.fi.edu)
• Natalja Sawal (www.allballroomdance.com)
• Consumer Reports – 2012 Annual Auto Issue: Survey Reveals Top Gripes Among Drivers (www.consumerreports.org)
• Ways To Manage Stress and Sleep (www.manageyourlifenow.com)
• Relaxation, Stress & Sleep (www.dartmouth.edu)
• Less Stress, Better Sleep May Help You Lose Weight (healthfinder.gov)