Saturday, November 26, 2011

How I Spent The Forty-Sixth Week Of The Rest Of My Life

At this time last week, I had no idea that I was going to be in Michigan this weekend.  My brother wasn't sure if he could get Friday off, so I had no way that wasn't prohibitively expensive to get here. And still it was only when my parents were able to pay for the expenses that I was able to afford to come here.

This year was almost a "Buy Nothing Day" for me on Black Friday.  I didn't need to buy anything, really, but Target has $10.00 pajamas just like last year and I can always use more of those.  The only thing that prevented me from buying more was that when I drove to the mall to take advantage of J.C. Penney's sale on pants, I couldn't find a parking spot.

But today on Small Business Saturday, I didn't buy anything at small businesses.  My parents bought me pants and a sweater at a large business.  We're having our Thanksgiving dinner (because my mother had to work) tonight so maybe I'll go to an independent coffee shop after dinner.  But I've failed both "holidays" that I would have come home for besides the family.

It's probably better because had I been home, I probably would have gone to one of the many mini-malls in Rockville and bought a lot of crap that I didn't need.  As it is, on the way home tomorrow, I'm probably buying a TV stand at IKEA.  Even though I don't have a TV right now.  That's going to have to wait for next weekend when I have money to make a trip to Woodbridge to pick them up.

Other than that, there's no news on the job front or living front really.  I did apply at an organization that a friend is affiliated with so hopefully there's an in there.  I don't think employers are thinking about hiring much more than I'm thinking about being hired during Thanksgiving week.  Even though I put in a bunch of applications.

Here's how I "spent" last week:

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 ($16.00)

  • 6:58 a.m. Washington Sports Club - Free.  Before the second day of the conference, I got a ride into the city with my roommate since I was up and ready at that time anyway.  It let me get to the gym at an insanely early time.
  • 9:07 a.m. Kellogg Conference Center - Free.  The second day of the conference, I was so tired that I didn't get that much out of it.  Though I do have the notes to look through when I'm awake.
  • 6:37 p.m. Katerina's Greek Cuisine - $16.00.  For my last meal in Prince William County, I decided to go to one of the places that I enjoyed the most in the area.  And one of the few place I'd visit again.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16 ($173.91)

  • 1:18 p.m. IKEA - $4.18.  Since the next time I would be at an IKEA, I would be closer to the College Park location, I decided to eat there one more time.  That and I got a late start.
  • 4:41 p.m. Budget Rental Car - $155.22.  There was no way that I could have possibly gotten through moving without a rented car.  And since I was moving, I definitely needed to get insurance.
  • 6:44 p.m. Burson-Marsteller - $6.11.  I was exhausted after travelling from Woodbridge to Rockville but I still managed to make it to the Social Media Club of D.C. event.  Having a drink there just knocked me out of it.
  • 8:44 p.m. Taco Bell - $6.31. Since I had a rental car and a drink, I needed to go to Taco Bell for my last meal as a Woodbridge resident.
  • 9:19 p.m. Walgreens - $2.09.  Trying to go to the gym on moving day was pointless.  So I needed to buy soap.  I figured that I needed soap for the new apartment anyway. 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17 ($42.41)

  • 10:51 a.m. Extra Space Storage - Free.  It felt weird to be taking stuff out of storage instead of putting it in.  And getting almost all of my boxes out in one trip was even weirder.
  • 12:18 p.m. Noodles & Company - $7.00.  Since my brother was at the dentist, I decided to get lunch.  There was no fast food restaurant I wanted to go to more as my first as a Rockville resident.
  • 8:33 p.m. Extra Space Storage - Free. Going back to make sure that I didn't have to pay any more fees for storage was well worth it.  We managed to completely clear it out.
  • 8:58 p.m. Target - $28.42.  I had absolutely no bedding.  Rather than sleeping on the floor, I bought a pillow and a mattress cover.
  • 9:17 p.m. Taco Bell - $6.99.  Rather than try to figure out where to stop on the drive home, I ate one more time in Woodbridge.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18 ($187.70)

  • 10:23 a.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  I had a phone interview.  Right before it, the Starbucks got really noisy so I ended up out in my rental car right when my potential employer called.
  • 12:36 p.m. IKEA - $141.72.  We had most stuff from my brother but we did need lamps since the apartment was pretty dark.
  • 3:38 p.m. Liberty Gas - $32.50.  Again, had I not gotten lost, I probably could have spent a little bit less on gas.  As it was, I had to pump twice to get it completely filled.
  • 4:19 p.m. Budget Rental Car - Free.  Even though they billed me twice, I technically didn't owe any more.
  • 7:49 p.m. Lebanese Taverna Cafe - $9.49.  This was a restaurant that I had never tried.  I was actually surprised how expensive it was.  But it was worth it because they had kushari.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 ($7.00)

  • 12:33 p.m. Washington Sports Club - Free.  To save money, I switched my gym membership to the Friendship Heights location.  Taking the train into the city on the weekend felt like freedom.
  • 1:58 p.m. City Cafe And Caterers - $3.00.  Not knowing where to eat in Bethesda, I took out my phone and checked Foursquare.  It told me there was a Groupon special here.  It might have been the nerdiest meal that I ever had.
  • 2:25 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  I returned to the Bethesda Starbucks that I went to after finding the apartment. It seemed further without a car.  I don't think it's going to be my go to Starbucks now.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20 ($43.00)

  • 2:32 p.m. National Museum Of Crime And Punishment - $10.00.  Using my Groupon Now the day before, I saw that this one was about to expire.  Being as there was a Redskins game, there were not a lot of locals here.  But it was still pretty busy.
  • 5:20 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  Since it wasn't quite time to go and watch soccer yet, I went to my old Starbucks near the Archives.  It was surprisingly crowded and they still hadn't fixed the power outlets.  I remembered why I switched to the Chinatown location.
  • 7:09 p.m. Ireland's Four Courts - $29.00.  Having been friends with this bar on Twitter for a long time, I decided to finally pay them a visit.  They are pretty cool.  It reminded me a little of Small Bar Fullerton.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21 ($26.33)

  • 12:21 p.m. Maria's Bakery And Cafe - $9.00.  For such an English sounding name, they served really authentic Hong Kong cuisine.  But it was a bit too pricey to be my "cheap" after-gym Chinese place.
  • 1:04 p.m. Capital One Bank - Free.  While I went in to open a checking account, I ended up just cashing in a bunch of coins that I had around the house.
  • 1:52 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  I really needed to write a blog entry since with the move I hadn't had a chance to in about a week.  I actually accomplished publishing one!
  • 7:27 p.m. Cici's Pizza - $6.35.  In all of the times that I had been back to Michigan, I meant to try this buffet pizza chain.  Now that there's one nearby and I tried it, I'm not really that interested in going again.
  • 8:21 p.m. Target - $6.98.  Looking at the boxes left unpacked in my room, I knew I needed more storage.  So I bought a stand to put my stereo on and some of my books under.  I still don't think I have enough storage.

So that's $496.35.  I knew moving was going to be expensive, but that seems a little bit excessive.  No wonder my bank account is lower than it's been than at any other time that I've been unemployed.  It's weird that I was never more than 50 miles from Rockville the entire week and spent more than it cost to be in Michigan for Thanksgiving.  Hopefully the next time I spend that much in a week, I'll have a job.  My total money spent since I've been unemployed is $9833.85.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

How I Spent The Forty-Fifth Week Of The Rest Of My Life

Rockville has been kind of amazing all around.  After my phone interview with the place in Silver Spring, while I was dropping off my rental car, I got a call from a resort hotel that I put in an application for in Potomac.  Unfortunately, they are not on public transportation since the person I talked to on the phone said they really liked my resume.  How could they not with the amount of customer service and event planning that I have.  I have thought about going into the hospitality business.

My brother has offered me to let me use his car to get there.  I'm going to call them on Monday for an interview. Though I'm still hoping for this place in Silver Spring.  The interview process was one of them most transparent that I've come across.  My potential future boss let me know that I'm in the final six to have gotten a phone interview.  If I get called in for a physical interview, I'm one of the last three.  If I get the job, I'll be starting the second week of December.  I love the timeline.  After ten months of being completely in the dark with most application status, my first glimpse of this organization's culture is refreshing.

The move in general has gone really smoothly.  At least until I tried to put together the dresser that I bought at IKEA to finish unpacking.  It's still sitting in a corner since it is the first IKEA furniture to defeat me.  And, as such, I'm still surrounded by boxes.  But at least my dress clothes are all safely in the closet.

Other than that, I love this new location.  Today I discovered a path that leads in a straight line from my building's front door to the Twinbrook Metro stop.  I used it to go to the Washington Sports Club near the Friendship Heights stop.  Being in the city on the weekend (despite barely being inside the border) felt like freedom after over six months of being stuck in Virginia on the weekends.  Though I can't abuse the fact that it finally feels like I'm living in Washington D.C.  It's not like my money supply has increased.

I hope to soon change my gym location to Silver Spring to change that.

Here's how I "spent" last week:

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 (Free)

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 ($12.53)

  • 6:41 p.m. Subway - $6.04.  I was getting nothing accomplished sitting around the condo so I had to get out into the fresh air and enjoy my last full week in Woodbridge.
  • 6:58 p.m. Walgreens - $6.49.  Hoping that I wouldn't have to go there at all on the weekend, I made all my necessary purchases early.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10 ($14.15)

  • 7:05 p.m. zpizza - $10.15.  Even though I had only gone there once during the time I lived in Woodbridge, I wanted to go one more time.  It was every bit as good and every bit as expensive as I remember.
  • 7:25 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  I felt bad not stopping by this Starbucks more while I lived nearby.  The baristas here are the friendliest of any location I frequented.  I told them I'd stop by one more time as well.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 ($18.05)

  • 11:55 a.m. Chipotle Mexican Grill - $7.00.  Planning on blogging before I watched the U.S. soccer match, I felt the need to carb up.  Despite my late start to the day.
  • 12:27 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  When WordPress ate my blog, I was ready to cry.  But at least I had Starbucks warm apple juice to kill the pain a bit.
  • 3:29 p.m. Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant - Free.  I ended up not ordering anything to drink during the U.S. game since I was never offered.  I actually left before the end of the second half.
  • 5:34 p.m. Washington Sports Club - Free.  As soon as I got to the gym, France had scored.  Though leaving the bar early and missing this and gave me time for a full workout.
  • 6:06 p.m. Union Station - $7.05.  Even though there was no VRE home, I went to Union Station by mistake and ended up getting Taco Bell for the long trip home.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12 (Free)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13 ($32.03)

  • 12:01 p.m. IHOP - $5.65.  I had never seen this IHOP this busy since I had always gone at dinner time.  Actually having a Sunday brunch, in general, has become weird to me.
  • 12:54 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  Visiting my favorite baristas one more time, I didn't even bother to do anything besides apply for a job.
  • 3:56 p.m. Great Clips - $17.00.  Knowing that I was going to be networking for the next few days, I decided to get a haircut.
  • 8:07 p.m. 7-Eleven - $5.38.  Getting a last Sunday Night Football was actually the saddest part of leaving Woodbridge.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14 ($204.41)

  • 8:15 a.m. Kellogg Conference Center - $199.00.  While I've gotten more out of other seminars, this one was pretty intensive and had some major players in the social media world.
  • 5:21 p.m. Union Station - $5.41.  Waking up as early as I did made me not enjoy life by the end of the day.  But at least there was Taco Bell to make me happy.

So that's $281.17.  But most of that was the conference.  And while I was at the conference I met people in the industry.  It was mainly for people in small business who were looking to do their own social media but I didn't hock my services.  I guess I was happy with the amount of interview offers that I received via e-mail.  My total money spent since I've been unemployed is $9337.50.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

How I Spent The Forty-Fourth Week Of The Rest Of My Life

It seems like I should spend every week of my life with a fever and sick in bed.  This week I had three phone interviews.  None were for a full-time job but two were for temp agencies and one for a freelance position.  The freelance position is the most exciting since I'll be working in a position which I could actually put on my resume as community management. I'm competing against a couple of other people and the place usually doesn't hire people who are looking for full-time work.  But it's not like I'm going to actually find full-time work in the month that this position runs.

I actually think the phone interview went pretty well.  Oddly enough, I only kept Borders on my resume for this position to keep the thing a full page. The person who was interviewing me actually worked at Borders at at the same time (though she was doing it as a college job instead of a post-college job). She was the lead clerk in the cafe while I was lead clerk of music.  We discussed how it was both of our first tastes of marketing through merchandising our respective departments.  She said she usually keeps phone interviews short so it was good that this one went pretty long due to this connection.

They hire for various freelance projects all the time so hopefully she'll keep me in mind for other projects even  if this one falls through.  I haven't been able to network much out in Woodbridge so I need all of the people keeping me in mind as possible.


The start of next week, however, is going to be spent networking to an extent so who knows.  I have a conference on Monday and Tuesday.  With all sorts of social media people.  And on Wednesday, I'm going to a Social Media Club of D.C. meeting. I was hoping by the next time I did this that I would be fully employed.  But maybe I'll have an offer from one of the temporary gigs.

If not, I'll probably be in good company there with the many people not working in my sector.

Once I settle in Rockville, I'm probably just going to start applying at part-time retail type stuff close to my new apartment (and there's a lot of it).  That will let me both freelance and will give me some money for taking a class at American University to get back into the swing of things.  It seems like there are tons of internships available at all times around here.  But most require you to be in school.  I can do that.

Here's how I "spent" last week:

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 ($16.05)

  • 9:52 a.m. Roti Mediterranean Grill - $2.75.  I had planned on going to the gym before leaving for New York City but decided just to get breakfast instead.  It was a good thing that I did since the bus didn't stop for lunch.
  • 10:22 a.m. Tynan Coffee & Tea - $4.00.  Since I was still feeling pretty tired and the bus wasn't for another hour.  I drank some of my tea and the rest spilled all over me on the bus.
  • 5:07 p.m. Karim & Sons - $4.00.  My first order of business in New York City was getting the keys to the apartment where I was staying near Zuccotti Park.  But I didn't go in.  Only got two knishes across the street.
  • 7:35 p.m. Uptown 2 Deli - $5.30.  Getting to Harlem after dark worried me a little.  But I was staying in a safe neighborhood.  And it had a delicious bodega.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 ($46.40)

  • 9:45 a.m. New York Sports Club - Free. One of the reasons that I joined Washington Sports Club was that I knew I would be going to New York City at least a few times.  The sister club deal came in handy.
  • 11:22 a.m. City One Chinese Restaurants - $6.40.  Just like at home, I got cheap Chinese across the street from the gym.
  • 11:56 a.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  One thing I couldn't take a vacation from was applying for jobs.  I had to meet my quota to get unemployment.  I applied for two jobs at this Starbucks in Harlem.
  • 3:48 p.m. Occupy Wall Street - $2.00.  It's definitely smelly and disorganized but it hardly seemed like Calcutta.  I prefer Occupy D.C.'s order immensely.  Though I still bought a button.
  • 4:30 p.m. Karim & Sons - $4.00.  Knowing that I was about to embark on some drinking, I knew I needed a bit of food to tide me over.
  • 5:26 p.m. Motor City Bar - $8.00.  The fact that I managed to spend that much when it was buy one, get one free happy hour at New York City's Detroit bar should say I was a little tipsy.
  • 8:03 p.m. Odessa - $22.00.  After eating at Veselka before, which New Yorkers claim is better than any Ukrainian place in Chicago, and being disappointed, I didn't figure this would live up to similar billing.  But it definitely did.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3 ($174.49)

  • 10:12 a.m. High Line Park - Free.  I figured I had at least one day to play tourist in New York City so I finally tried out the High Line.  It was nice but too close to the East River.  I was pretty cold.
  • 11:21 a.m. Target - $109.99.  Right after I had left Woodbridge, I realized that I had forgotten my bathing suit.  Target didn't have any, but I did buy workout shorts.  And my meds.
  • 1:24 p.m. Pizza Bagel Burger - $5.50.  If I lived in New York City, I would probably eat at nothing but bodegas.  It seems like a really quick and easy way to eat there.  This one was across from the spa.
  • 1:46 p.m. Sandoony USA - $15.00.  This was my vacation.  I didn't really understand how to correctly use the spa like many of the Russians there, but I was so relaxed by the time I left that I could barely move my legs.  This Groupon was well worth it.
  • 4:50 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  I should have known that a Starbucks near NYU would be too full to do anything.  But I did get to play on the internet for a bit.
  • 6:56 p.m. Bambaleo - $40.00.  A dinner to thank my friends who let me stay for free was the least I could do.  And this turned out to be a really good Mexican restaurant.  Probably the best I had ever had in New York City.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4 ($55.39)

  • 10:17 a.m. Cloud 9 - $12.00.  Even though all of the bars in Hell's Kitchen seemed to be open as I walked to my bus, I decided to be a good kid and just get breakfast instead.
  • 11:46 a.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  It had gotten a bit chilly in New York City so I didn't want to wait outside for the bus.  There was nowhere to sit in this closest Starbucks to Penn Station though.  And, even worse, there wasn't a bathroom!
  • 5:12 p.m. Union Station - $39.39.  Most of this cost was the round trip bus ticket.  But it was also Taco Bell.  I couldn't believe the bus got me back on time to eat dinner and go to sleep when I got home.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5 (Free)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6 ($5.51)

  • 8:20 p.m. 7-Eleven - $5.51.  After an entire weekend of laying in bed exhausted, I figured I just needed to get out and about and get some burritos.  After New York City, Woodbridge seemed so quiet.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 ($28.18)

  • 11:33 a.m. AMC Potomac Mills 18 & IMAX - $10.00.  I almost stopped by Potomac Mills Mall on the way home from New York City to see A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas on its opening night.  But I showed restraint and saw it in its first showing on Monday.
  • 1:49 p.m. Potomac Mills Mall - $8.18.  After the movie, I decided to just stay at the mall and go to the food court.  Going home, I knew, would mean that I didn't accomplish much.
  • 2:34 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  I applied for a job while sitting in this relatively quiet Starbucks.  It felt especially fulfilling after seeing Harold & Kumar.  Though one of them has a very good job.

So that's $326.02.  Considering that half the week was spent in New York City and a third of that was spent on medication, that actually wasn't that bad a week.  Of course, it would have been better if I had gotten some sort of interview offer.  Still I consider it time well spent before winter keeps me inside as I know that it will.  My total money spent since I've been unemployed is $9056.33.

Monday, November 7, 2011

How I Spent The Forty-Third Week Of The Rest Of My Life

Yikes.  I completely forgot to write an entry in both of my blogs last week.  New York City was a lot of fun.  I realized that I could go to New York City and do pretty much the same thing that I do in Washington D.C.  And spend about the same thing.  Not that I should make a habit of going north for a few days, but it was nice to be able to get away for a bit.  I can see how people can go between the two so seamlessly.  Though I think most people who do are a lot richer and take the ACELA.

The MegaBus wasn't bad.  I might even go back for Christmas.  Though I'm hoping that I'm temping by then and maybe won't be able to.  I applied at a not-for-profit specific temp agency both to work and be placed yesterday.  So now I'm on the books at four temp agencies.  I hope to hear from one of them soon.  At least once I move to Rockville in 10 days.

Here's how I "spent" last week:

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25 (Free)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26 ($43.67)

  • 9:29 a.m. Human Rights Campaign - Free.  It wasn't another interview (though that would have been awesome), but it was work related.  It was a seminar on what is legal to discuss on social media for various kinds of non-profits.
  • 11:15 a.m. Roti Mediterranean Grill - $8.52. Since I was in the area, even if I got lost, I couldn't avoid going to Roti.  It was so amazing.
  • 11:41 a.m. Filene's Basement - $9.53. I decided that since it was getting cold, I would buy the people at Occupy D.C. some warm socks.  I was hoping they'd be a little cheaper.
  • 12:16 p.m. Occupy D.C. - Free.  The only reason that I felt entire comfortable buying stuff for Occupy D.C. was that they tweeted that anything given them would be donated to the homeless once they were done.  Before I even dropped the socks in the "comfort station," a homeless person had claimed them.
  • 12:52 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  When I discovered that I had forgotten my power cord after using my computer to take notes, I knew I was getting nothing done.  I was tired anyhow.
  • 1:44 p.m. Washington Sports Club - Free.  At least I remembered to bring my workout clothes so I could get that done.
  • 2:49 p.m. Safeway - $15.59.  Thankfully I brought my backpack as opposed to my laptop bag so I was able to get groceries without worrying about another bag disaster.
  • 4:55 p.m. Subway - $6.03.  After bailing me out the week before, they had a customer this week as well.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27 (Free)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28 ($49.84)

  • 11:49 a.m. Truckeroo - $14.50.  As the final Truckeroo, I didn't want to miss this one.  I ended up finally eating at Basil Thyme.  And I got some cheesecake.  They charged admission (for charity) for this one, so I'm almost glad it was the last one.
  • 12:37 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  I am trying to avoid switching to hot tea for as long as possible.  But it was pretty cold on this day so it won't be much longer.
  • 3:37 p.m. Washington Sports Club - Free.  With how much I had gotten out of shape, this was the first time that I did my full workout in quite some time.
  • 4:51 p.m. Safeway - $25.98.  Unlike on Wednesday, when I was half asleep, I remembered everything.  Including my grocery bag.  So I was able to get my full compliment of groceries.
  • 5:57 p.m. Union Station - $5.36.  I decided to go back up to Union Station to get burritos so I wouldn't have to worry about dinner when I got home.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29 (Free)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30 ($6.58)

  • 8:12 p.m. IHOP - $6.58.  Even though I didn't want to walk all the way to IHOP, I wanted to get the pumpkin pancakes one more time before Halloween.  They were great.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31 ($26.62)

  • 1:10 p.m. Chipotle Mexican Grill - $7.00.  I'm not used to going to Chipotle before the gym, but I got a really late start.
  • 2:42 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  There were four jobs ads that expired on Halloween.  I had applied for one the night before.  Amazingly, I was able to apply for the other three at Starbucks.
  • 5:04 p.m. Washington Sports Club - Free.  Even though I didn't feel great after submitting three applications, I had enough mental energy left to work out.
  • 8:10 p.m. Walgreens - $9.99.  Since I had a lot of time to kill in Manassas, I decided to try and get my prescription filled.  Walgreens couldn't do it.  But I did get Benadryl.
  • 8:57 p.m. Taco Bell - $5.63.  To end the night, I rushed to Taco Bell and got some burritos to get a lot of energy before I left for New York City.

So that's $126.71.  For the next week, I'm going to try to stay at home a lot before I end up in Maryland soon.  But that's after another entry that I should do some time this week.  Hopefully, I'm have some exciting news about temping.  But I don't have anything in the pipeline.  My total money spent since I've been unemployed is $8730.31.