Personal question coming, so you don't have to answer... but please try to cure my curiousity.... what do you do at home allday if you aren't working? How much time do you spend looking for a new job?? Just wondering, cause as you may know from my own blog, A, the live-in, has not had a job for an extended period of time (over 1 month) since I have known him. He claims to be looking all over all the time... but I have my doubts. So just curious.. no need to answer if I am too nosy tho. :)

Honestly, I have two recruiting firms and monster.com forwarding me jobs that match certain criteria... so I haven't really been pounding the pavement really hard. But I have applied for several positions and have interviewed four times now... and I have a lead that could lead to some temp work for 2-3 months. But unemployment benefits will be gone in two months so I'm ramping up to do more networking.

On the flip side... Fuck, is it nice not to be on call 24/7! An average work week at my job was probably 50 hours because of being responsible for fixing other people's technical support nightmares. I also did lots of evening, weekend, and my share of holiday work.... But the salary was nice enough for me to have ridiculously high car payments and still buy lunch out every day without thinking twice. Mostly.

So, when I got the boot I coasted for a long while. And got depressed again. And stopped showering every day. And stayed up all night and slept all day. Porn. And Blogging. And Windows Server 2003. And a lot of porn.

I've been slowly becoming a productive member of society again. I'm getting some old household tasks done that have been on hold for years. I'm teaching myself new Windows Server tricks. I'm signed up for a CCNA certification training course. And I have managed to pick up slack in household work.

I do have depression and ADD... and I have to say that I'm grateful Wellbutrin has kept my head above water. The recent addition of Strattera to my regimin has also been a huge benefit (even *despite* issues it has created). I feel more personally motivated now than I ever have at any time in my life. I honestly never knew what that felt like before.

My personal opinion is that in some ways, I've really been a lazy SOB. Which I regret. In other ways, this has been a useful recharging period. Almost like a sabbatical. I'm very grateful to have had the benefit of this "time off."

If I can't find the right job in IT before my benefits run out, I'll try to hit the technology retailers. I've got years of retail experience plus real-world IT experience. That ought to be worth domething at MicroCenter or CompUSA or Best Buy.

And if that doesn't work, there are often help wanted signs at convenience stores. And I've worked every position at Burger King.

Whatever it takes.

I'm keeping my car, my house, and my 'net connection.

I believe some dreams carry deeper meaning, and that the dreamer usually can tell which those are. I also think the dreamer knows essentially what the dream means, so you are likely right that change is in the air for you.

I bet, because it was about flirting (something that requires self-assurance usually), that you are gaining some confidence that will help in that job search. My fingers are crossed for you. :)