Sunday, May 29, 2011

How I Spent The Twentieth Week Of The Rest Of My Life

It has been a really busy couple of weeks it would seem.

Where to even begin.  I'm still unemployed, so I didn't just drop the blog for any good reason.  But I did kick the job search into high gear last Saturday night.  Yes, Saturday night.  One of the jobs I applied for at the Department of Health and Human Services had me take an assessment.  I figured when they said that it usually took about 90 minutes but could take up to three hours, that I'd fall on the low end as usual.  I actually took over three hours because I had to stop when my brain hurt.

It was way harder than the General Service Exam I took after college.  Either that, or I've gotten dumb.

The first section was based on logical aptitude.  Only one question out of the 35 or so proved impossible to solve.  They were mostly based on potential scheduling issues.  I liked that it was real world for an administrative person, but in 11 years of scheduling meetings, I never came across a group of people with so many conflicts.  I used to be good at that sort of thing on the real job.  But I had more than 5:00 to figure out logistical issues.

The next section was on decision making.  It had you listen to scenarios and choose the best and worst possible solution to a problem.  I assumed they were looking for independence, so I usually chose "tell your supervisor" as the worst solution to a problem.  But it didn't feel very real world as the people involved in the personality dispute's attitudes were never fleshed out.

The third section was a giant personality test about your attitudes on work.  There were no right or wrong answers, and I was honsest, but I worry this might weigh me down more than the other three sections.  I kept wanting to say, "I don't like working with others, but I'm amazing at it when I have to."

The final section was reading comprehension.  I actually learned a lot from this section if the theoretical reports in it were true.  I hope my eyes crossing by the time I took it didn't effect my score.

After this, I've pretty much been applying for any job that remotely interests me every evening.  One of these was for the Federal Bureau of Investigations.  The irony was that they turned around and said they were reviewing my applications more quickly than any other agency that I've applied for.  I'm not sure I'm exactly qualified for the job (they're administrative analysis positions), but, hey, I'm not about to complain about speed.

My days have been spent trying to keep busy.  And sleeping a lot.

Here's how I "spent" last week:

TUESDAY, MAY 17 ($39.30)

  • 12:33 p.m. Tegeste - $16.00.  I was almost ashamed that it took me over over two weeks to get to my first Ethiopian restaurant in Washington D.C.  The city is famous for this cuisine.  It was worth the wait though.  I probably shouldn't have gotten a veggie combo big enough for two people, but I finished it.
  • 2:11 p.m. Lucky Bar - $18.00.  The real reason I was in the city was to watch the last weekday match of the EPL season since I couldn't get downtown on the weekend.  I was hoping to find something closer to where I was, but this bar in Dupont Circle did just fine.  There were quite a few Manchester City fans there.  And that bill included no food.
  • 5:20 p.m. Union Station - $5.30.  Taco Bell was just fine for dinner after all of the money I spent.  It was kind of fun to wander around Union Station drunk while most other people were doing so to get home from work.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 (Free)

THURSDAY, MAY 19 ($10.00)

  • 9:46 a.m. Highlands Cafe - $6.00.  I enjoyed the dinner that I ate here using the Groupon so much that I came back for breakfast.  I just wanted to see if I could get into the city at a normal person time.  And I succeeded.  Though I just got eggs since I made lunch plans on the bus ride to 16th Street Heights.
  • 11:50 a.m. Rock Creek Park - Free.  After breakfast, I wasn't hungry for a bit as I explored some more neighborhoods.  I entered Rock Creek Park off of the 18th and proceeded to work myself pretty deep onto the trails.  It was a good time killer even if I was scared I wouldn't get back out in time for lunch.
  • 1:19 p.m. Mi Rancho - Free.  I met my friend from college near his work in Silver Spring.  I told him to choose a restaurant that would make me want to live there.  I didn't particular like this one that much, but I did enjoy hanging out with him.
  • 3:58 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  Not surprisingly, when I couldn't figure out what else to do with the rest of my afternoon, I ended up back at the Starbucks in Columbia Heights.  Maybe if I become a regular, something good will come out of it.

FRIDAY, MAY 20 ($20.97)

  • 2:09 p.m. Qdoba - $6.20.  While I didn't believe the Rapture was actually happening the next day, I did play along.  I figured if the world realy were ending, I'd definitely want one of my last meals to be a Qdoba burrito.  And it was great!
  • 2:19 p.m. Aldi - $14.77.  The freezer was pretty empty of my stuff so I made a trip to Manassas to replenish it.  This was my first time at this smaller location.  It has less stuff than the one in Woodbridge, but it is next to a Qdoba.

SATURDAY, MAY 21 ($12.00)

  • 7:33 p.m. Amici's Restaurante - $12.00.  When the Rapture didn't happen, I figured I might as well get dinner.  This place has a pretty decent cheap Italian buffet.  The sauce on the noodles was pretty amazing.  And the pizza was way above average.  Plus I was carb loaded if the Rapture happened at the last second.

SUNDAY, MAY 22 (Free)

MONDAY, MAY 23 ($14.49)

  • 9:37 a.m. Potomac Mills Mall - $1.50.  The warm weather was finally hitting the Washington D.C. area in full force and I was glad the mall had indoor waiting.  I was also glad that I had singles for the bottled water machine.
  • 11:43 a.m. Lincoln Park - Free.  After being a stick in the mud about considering Capitol Hill as a neighborhood option, I finally decided to give it a try.  I kind of liked it.  Especially the area just north of the park.  The one thing about this park is there isn't that much shade in it.
  • 1:40 p.m. Chipotle - $6.10.  When I was supposed to meet up with my friend visiting from Texas and her brother in Dupont Circle, I feared for my wallet.  Thankfully, they chose the one place in the area that I could definitely afford.
  • 2:42 p.m. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - Free.  It only took three weeks for me to become the D.C. "local" who only goes to museums when a visitor is in town.  I really should make a point of it to go to at least one Smithsonian a week.  I've just been exploring neighborhoods instead.
  • 3:49 p.m. Smithsonian National Museum of American History - Free.  Since we were in the area, we stopped by my favorite Smithsonian.  It's always amazing to see the Star Spangled Banner.  And, of course, Kermit.
  • 5:22 p.m. Union Station - $6.89.  Someone mentioned Taco Bell at lunch.  I don't think that I even had any choice but to go to the Union Station one for dinner after that happened.

So that's $96.76.  At least it looks like I'm mostly keeping myself out of trouble and staying on a good schedule for going into the city and actually spending money.  Though I'm really hoping that my increased amount of work on my job search results in an increased amount of reasons to go into the city for official purposes at official times.  I think I'm almost out of neighborhoods to explore.  I'll have to start on museums.  My total money spent since I've been unemployed is $4267.66.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

How I Spent The Nineteenth Week Of The Rest Of My Life

Since the Rapture is happening on Saturday (this rumor has really caught on in Washington D.C., I don't know about Chicago), it shouldn't really bother me that my bank account is getting kind of low.  But since I think that trying to pin it down to a date (and a time if the joke Twitter account @May21Rapture is to be believed - 6:00 p.m.) is silly, I'm going with I need to start doing free things again in the city.

On Monday, I ran a test.  I applied for a job at Health & Human Services that I'm not even slightly qualified for.  They're looking for someone with blood drawing experience and medical research training at a university level (which I'm not sure actually exists except in nursing majors) I'm hoping that I get a rejection letter so I know that I'm not just getting these rejection letters saying I'm "eligible" as a put off.

The government job search seems to be at a slight standstill.  I haven't gotten any more rejection letters, but I still haven't gotten an interview.

These two factors combined means that I'm going to start looking at the not-for-profit route.  That was going to start today, but I was hungover from discovering a great soccer bar in Dupont Circle yesterday and I slept most of the day.

My host sent me a link for TheNonProfitTimes' website and I'm going to check it out tonight at http://www.nonprofitjobseeker.com/.   I did a brief perusal a couple of weeks ago and the jobs looked good. Then again, it's getting to the point where I'm lowering my standards anyhow.  Soon, I might even look in the for profit sector!

How I got to this point was that I finally broke down and got glasses.  I think I forgot how expensive they were going in.  I ended up only spending a little over $200.00 for them since I went to a discount place.  The sad thing is, I won't even get them for about 10 days since they don't have the frames in stock.  But, hopefully, being able to see better will help me get a job.  So, I think it's an investment.  And, of course, I also did other stuff.

Here's how I "spent" last week:

TUESDAY, MAY 10 ($116.13)

  • 10:23 a.m. PRTC Transit Center - $5.00.  It didn't even take a week for me to get fed up with the bus drivers around here.  So I decided to purchase a refillable transit card so I wouldn't have to talk to them anymore.  Plus it also works for the Metro in D.C.
  • 12:12 p.m. Waffle House - $7.00.  Nothing was going right for me with the buses.  I had planned on going to Washington D.C., but I missed the last train.  So I just decided to catch the Route 1 bus down to Dumfries and eat at the closest Waffle House to Washington D.C.  Not gonna lie.  It was really disappointing.  But at least I have a Waffle House 9 miles away from me.
  • 2:25 p.m. Target (Woodbridge) - $104.13.  When I took the bus (another long trip) to pick up the medicine this location didn't have in stock the day before, I also picked up Benadryl.  It has let me sleep at night.  Best extra $4.00 ever!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 ($30.00)

  • 1:18 p.m. Nanny O'Brien's Irish Pub - $11.00.  To finally make it in D.C. this week was like a weight off my shoulders.  I decided to explore the Red Line and by the time I got to Cleveland Park (I started in Tenleytown), I was hungry.  So I stopped at this recommended (by Yelp) little local bar.  It was pretty incredibly.  Even if I can't afford to be a local in Cleveland Park.
  • 3:40 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  After exploring the Red Line, I decided to explore the Green Line (where the cheaper neighborhoods lie).  This Starbucks was in Columbia Heights, which is supposed to be the next big neighborhood but still pretty scary.  It just seemed like a bunch of people speaking Spanish to me.  Though further up 14th Street, it's supposed to get worse.
  • 4:57 p.m. Pho DC Vietnamese Noodle & Bar - $15.00.  People have warned me that there are no good restaurants in D.C.'s Chinatown.  And from this experience, I'm not holding out hopes to find one.  The pho here was really average.  And the surroundings were too swanky (and, therefore, pricey).  There are supposed to be better pho places around, but I've been spoiled by Chicago I think.

THURSDAY, MAY 12 ($28.00)

  • 12:00 p.m. IKEA - $9.21.  Living as close as I do to an IKEA is as dangerous as living close to a Waffle House.  I couldn't resist going to their food court while running errands.  But this money actually got me more food than any meal I could have gotten for a similar price at a stand alone restaurant.
  • 12:53 p.m. Target (Woodbridge) - $4.68.  For how out of the way this place is to get to, I'm well on my way to becoming its Mayor.  This trip was for hangers so I could keep my interview clothes fresh for when I, hopefully, have an interview.
  • 1:17 p.m. Aldi - $14.11.  I was extremely underprepared to run the errands that I had to this day.  Since I didn't bring a recyclable bag, I could only get the food that I could carry in my hands.  I bought a new bag (so I no longer have to borrow) so it seems like a normal amount.

FRIDAY, MAY 13 ($10.00)

  • 5:15 p.m. Highlands Cafe - $10.00.  At the last minute, I found out Stephen Colbert was doing a stunt in the city. So while I was kind of wandering around, I decided to use my first D.C. Groupon. (which I bought after I was unemployed).  It was kind of annoying that they used it to try out their new vegan menu, but the food was so great that I didn't really mind in the end.

SATURDAY, MAY 14 ($15.88)

  • 7:31 p.m. Walgreens - $1.88.  I just run out of soap too quickly no matter where I live.  Since I wanted to get out of the condo, I decided to make a run for soap.  I wore a Chicago Fire shirt since they were playing and the clerk told me they sucked.  They take D.C. United seriously around here.  It's kind of nice.
  • 7:49 p.m. zpizza - $14.00.  Both of my hosts absolutely love this place and recommended it.  I now love it too.  The ingredients taste really amazing and they're organic.  I got the Greek pizza and it was as good as anything I've had in my life.  At least thin crust.

SUNDAY, MAY 15 (Free)

MONDAY, MAY 16 ($245.45)

  • 3:09 p.m. Potomac Mills Mall - $7.00.  Even though I managed to avoid the inside of the mall for over a week, I finally had to go back since that's where all of the eye care places are.  I decided to try the Mexican place in the food court.  It was just as average as the Mediterranean place.
  • 3:56 p.m. Hour Eyes - $238.45.  I should have just gotten the first pair of glasses that I picked out.  The problem was after the exam I wanted to forgo a further expense until my next unemployment check.  When I came back, I got a different clerk and couldn't find the first pair of glasses.  I liked the second ones as well, but not as much as the first.  Plus I have to wait two weeks for them.

So that's $445.46.  I think, and I mean it this time, that that's the glasses are the last major expense that is 100% necessary.  So I'm going to try not to come up with any others and do everything I need to do with what I already have.  Hopefully my security deposit will come soon.  That will relieve a lot of financial stress.  But it's probably good that I have it.  It means I'll keep looking for jobs wholeheartedly.  My total money spent since I've been unemployed is $4170.90.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

How I Spent The Eighteenth Week Of The Rest Of My Life

Like many of these entries, this might be entitled how I "should" have spent the week.  I did get a ton accomplished in my first full week in Woodbridge (which will actually be reflected in the next entry).  But until Thursday, I hadn't really sat down and done what I *needed* to do.  Mainly work on my resume so that I could start resume bombing (maybe that's a horrible word to use) government agencies.

On that day, I sat down with my host's Federal Resume Guidebook and re-designed my past.

It turns out that the government wants exactly the opposite of what a screener in the private sector wants.  My concise resume was completely wrong for what I was applying for.  The government wants each job description to be expounded in great detail.  Not only what you did at the job (at least what can not be inferred from the job title) but what you accomplished and what you were considered an expert at.  Any awards or special project case studies are a bonus.

That was not in my old resume.

This might be why I've been rejected for all but two of the jobs I've applied for as simply "qualified" and not a higher category which they could pass on to the departments.  The screeners at the Office of Personnel Managment are not allowed (sometimes by law) to extrapolate experience.  It has to be spelled out.

Some might say this is another example of government inefficiency versus the private sector.  But I like it.  What's the point of calling someone in for an interview for a position they're not qualified for when you can pre-interview someone based on a resume?  My resume is now between three and five pages, which is what they're looking for.

And it should basically be called "I'm a hard ass."  I think I use the word "compliance" a bit too much, but most of the jobs I'm applying for are compliance type jobs.  I made chapters comply.  I made instructors comply.  I made residence hall governments comply.  And, hopefully, Uncle Sam will see that I can make pretty much anyone comply.  Starting Monday that is.  I did submit one application with my new resume so fr, but it can probably use some tweeking before I submit more.

As for the rest of the week, I didn't goof off, but I did all of the things needed to change into Virginia mode from Illinois mode.  Hopefully, I can complete all of those before turning into Maryland or D.C. mode.

Here's how I "spent" last week:

TUESDAY, MAY 3 (Free)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4 ($31.25)

  • 10:54 a.m. Walgreens - $4.69.  This was my first experience in getting around Woodbridge without a car.  I was so exhausted on my first day here that I didn't get out of bed.  The half a mile to Walgreens wasn't bad and I bought shaving cream (which I was out of) so I felt more human and ready to begin a new life.
  • 12:04 p.m. Potomac Mills Mall - $9.74.  I hopped my first Cross County Connector after Walgreens.  It was an experience to be sure.  Any bus that was in Chicago, this was twice as loud.  But there's a reason.  It goes to the Mall.  I got some grape leaves from a Mediterranean stand in the food court.  They were pretty awful.  But not as awful as the videos playing in the food court.  I don't think I much like the mall.
  • 7:22 p.m. Aldi - $16.82.  Since there was construction in front of my stop, I ended up riding the bus into Manassas.  But I did spy an Aldi along the way.  It turned out, looking at the web, that there's one in Woodbridge as well.  My host drove me there.  She had been nice enough to buy some microwave burritos for me, but I figured that I had to eat more than that.
THURSDAY, MAY 5 ($14.00)

  • 11:26 a.m. Capital One Bank - Free.  Even though I should have really opened a bank account on the first three days that I was in town, I couldn't decide on a bank to open one at.  Since I already had two credit cards (and the majority of my debt load) through them, I decided just to go with them.  This branch used to be a Chevy Chase Bank and they're based in McLean, so they're kind of local.
  • 4:04 p.m. Ben's Chili Bowl - $14.00.  I knew that if I didn't get into the city sooner rather than later, the suburbs would probably sap me of all desire to live in the Washington D.C. area.  So I hopped two buses and a train (and went to D.C. most Yelp reviewed restaurant.  It was fun, but the food was not spectacular.  Still, it's got character and I'll be back.
  • 4:30 p.m. Logan Circle - Free.  As long as I was in the neighborhood, I had to see what this park was like.  It's kind of yuppie around it, but the area between it and U Street are kind of amazing.  Too bad I can't afford to end up here and stay Logan forever!
FRIDAY, MAY 6 (Free)

SATURDAY, MAY 7 ($20.26)

  • 12:41 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  I made a promise to myself that I would only go into the city once a week until I find a job.  But I got a bonus since my host wanted to go into the city for her birthday.  There was the slight problem, however, that I was still a little bit sick.  This stop was as much to take care of that as to get a lemonade ice tea.
  • 1:53 p.m. National Building Museum - $5.00.  It's kind of an amazing museum and it's free (one great thing about D.C.'s public museums).  The $5.00 was for a special exhibit recreating famous skyscrapers (a lot from Chicago) out of Lego.  They also had an amazing gift shop and bookstore that I could have spent a ton more money at.  But I was good.
  • 2:43 p.m. Union Station - $8.00.  The Union Station in Washington D.C. has a positively gigantic food court. Bigger than Ogilivie in Chicago.  But I didn't know if I could handle anything more than pasta, so I just went for that.  It was expensive spaghetti.  Not surprising with downtown prices.  We had gone there for National Train Day and it was pretty cool.
  • 3:53 p.m. CVS - Connecticut & L - $3.26.  While we were close to a convenience store downtown, I was determined to make my stomach behave.  Or, well, my host was more determined that I was.  So we stopped.
SUNDAY, MAY 8 (Free)

MONDAY, MAY 9 ($31.00)

  • 1:04 p.m. Target (Woodbridge) - $4.00.  The Target in Manassas is much more convenient to the bus, but the one in Woodbridge is far closer.  They were out of my meds but they do have a Starbucks.  I had to buy an ice tea lemonades.  The suburbs are turning me into a Starbucks addict.
  • 5:41 p.m. Great Clips - $18.00.  I never did get one last haircut at the Supercuts on Fullerton so my hair was as long as it's been in ages.  I figured I couldn't complete my transformation back to a job hunter until I took care of that.  This is quite a busy little salon.
  • 6:12 p.m. IHOP - $9.00.  All of the television commercials for IHOP made me crave pancakes.  There are actually quite a few good looking local restaurants in this plaza, but nothing could calm this urge short of mediocre pancakes!

So that's $96.51.  Even though I don't have a monthly pass here, if I limit myself to once or twice in the city a week (the local bus is only $2.40 round trip), transportation is going to come out to about the same as it did in Chicago so I'm not going to add that in.  The fact that it takes almost two hours to get into the city also helps my urge not to spend a lot of money there (even if the time is basically free since there are so many free museums).  After all of the craziness, it's almost good to be locked in a condo.  And I have to keep on applying for jobs.  The sooner I get one, the sooner I can get out of Virginia!  My total money spent since I've been unemployed is $3725.44.

Monday, May 9, 2011

I Hate Hipsters, But I Seem To Love Their Neighborhoods

After one week in the Washington D.C. area, I am no closer to finding a job than I was when I first stepped foot  tiredly onto Virginia ground.  This timeline is far behind me getting my first job in Chicago.  By a week in, I had already had two interviews and a start date at the job I eventually had all but the last few months that I was in Chicago.  Sure that wasn't the greatest career trajectory, but it was something.

Of course it would help if I had applied anywhere in the past week.  I did change the address on my resume to the temporary one in Virginia, so I hope that helps.

What I've been doing more of is learning the lay of the land.  I now think I know what I'm doing with the local bus system (though there's always a new angle that catches me off guard).  And I'm beginning to sense a rhyme and reason to the grid system in Washington D.C.  I haven't yet placed the Metro stops with the streets, but I'm starting to learn names of neighborhoods that I've never been to.

And, in doing so, I'm learning that, despite my initial wonderment of how anyone can afford to live in the city, there are neighborhoods that people without six figure salaries can afford to live in within the confines of the District.  And some of them are nicer.  Well, not Lakeview nice (though I don't want to make that mistake twice), but like Humboldt Park nice.  And on train lines to boot.

Though it would seem that these neighborhoods are inhabited by hipsters (at least according to Washington D.C. Not For Tourists).  I moved here partially to get away from them.  But I guess they are the first wave of gentrification and I do have a thing or two in common with them so they're inescapable.

I'm thinking if I do live in the city, it's going to be in Columbia Heights, Petworth, or Cleveland Park.  With an outside chance at Tenleytown.  And, if I win the lottery as well as get a job, maybe Logan Circle.

I made the mistake of wandering around that neighborhood just south of the Black Cat and falling in love with it.  Then I made a mistake of reading in the park itself.  And since I love Logan Square (which is, by everything I read, more like Petworth), how could I not fall in love with Logan Circle?  Well, there is one reason...

The cheapest studio I found in Logan Circle was $1295 a month.

Yes, Chicago people reading this, that's a studio.  That's seems to be about the low end for a one bedroom in most of the other neighborhoods that I listed.

Tomorrow I'm going to scope out those other neighborhoods - which are all off the Red Line or Green Line - as well as the Maryland suburbs which are further down those lines.  Ironically (or not), I'm going to need to find a job before I even know where I should be living in Washington D.C. or its environs.  But, maybe that's for the best.  I'm not going to look at any properties, but at least it's something to do.

Something to keep me going as I fill out more applications online and continue to work on my resume.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

How I Spent The Seventeenth Week Of The Rest Of My Life

While I have yet to actually set foot in Washington D.C., I am here.  My credit cards are changed over to my temporary Virginia address - even if I haven't yet set up a bank account to pay them.  I spent today learning the bus system in the area.  At least what there is of it.  There is one bus line that takes me to pretty much where I need to go (including the highlight of suburban existence - the mall) down Prince William Parkway.  I haven't explored how to get into the city yet.  I'm leaving that until tomorrow.

My adjustment period has been slightly hampered by the fact that Chicago gave me a going away present of some sort of sickness.  I was pretty much confined to bed all day yesterday.  But since I was sleeping all day, I didn't get my weekly wrap-up of expenses done.  So before I get too far behind, I'm just going to write it now.

Even if this blog entry is going to be pretty much nothing but this.

Here's how I "spent" last week:

TUESDAY, APRIL 26 ($49.90)

  • 9:14 a.m. Firekeeper's Casino - $5.00.  Since I didn't go to the casino in Wisconsin Dells and this shiny new casino had beckoned to me from the side of I-94 more than once, I decided to stop.  Right from the start, I made the mistake of playing video blackjack and lost a bunch.  Then I made up a little playing video poker before I pretty much blew the last of it.  It's not like I was trying to make any money.
  • 10:42 a.m. Waffle House Of America - $8.00.  Another place that I had built up in my mind on many travels between Detroit and Chicago.  This one did not turn out to be even slightly good.  The portion was tiny and it wasn't cheap.  There used to be two of them but the other not-Waffle House closed.  I'm not surprised.
  • 11:31 a.m. Steel City - $25.89.  I had forgotten that my favorite Taco Bell on the way home (I was still hungry, the portions at the not-Waffle House were that small) was attached to a BP.  I ended up going across the street.  It took going to two pumps since one pump was completely broken.
  • 1:55 p.m. Best Buy - Free.  Returning the incorrectly bought power cord for a laptop turned out to be relatively painless.  And I got paid back in cash which was an extra bonus.
  • 2:07 p.m. Valero - $5.00.  When I saw how much gas prices were in the city, I was glad that I only had to top my tank up and was not using the car to drive around (though I wish I had ran a couple of more errands). This was barely over a gallon.
  • 2:15 p.m. Taco Bell - $6.01.  My road habits died hard and I needed to get some "road fuel" one last time.  It was about all I could do to keep going as my driving was finally beginning to catch up to me.
  • 3:11 p.m. Alamo Car Rental - Free.  Thank goodness for CDW insurance.  All I know is that they didn't even look at the police report from when I skimmed the deer.  I think the employee threw it out.  After dropping off the car, I went home, went to sleep, and woke up the next morning.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 ($33.00)

  • 9:44 a.m. El Charro - $5.00.  When I woke up from my long nap, the first thing I took to doing was throwing out heavy objects.  This was not a great idea on an empty stomach so I decided to get some breakfast at my old standby.  It's a good thing I didn't realize it would be my last time.  That would have been sad.
  • 1:01 p.m. North Community Bank - Free.  The balance on my checking account was fluctuating.  When I went to withdraw money for my birthday week, I decided to check it out.  It turns out that many gas stations authorize $100.00 on the account.  This made my balance scary low.
  • 1:49 p.m. McCormick Tribune YMCA - Free.  This was my 99th visit to the gym and it came the day before my birthday.  It might be the only day that I'm aware of that I went to the gym both years that I was a member.  It feels like it should be a yearly tradition.
  • 3:31 p.m. Atlas Cafe - $3.00.  Clint Dempsey scored two goals in the Fulham match while I was at the gym so I decided to grab a tea and watch him go for his hat trick at the cafe.  He didn't end up getting it and I couldn't get their wi-fi to work properly anyway.
  • 7:12 p.m. La Bocca Della Verita - $25.00.  Since I already had plans on my birthday dinner, I decided to treat myself to the #1 restaurant on my Chicago Restaurant Bucket List.  It turned out to be a disappointment as they made authentic gnocchi.  I loved the sauce, but I would have loved more flavor from the potatoes for the price.

THURSDAY, APRIL 28 ($16.35)

  • 9:49 a.m. Wormhole Coffee - $4.35.  Somehow I lost my modem in the rental car and I was getting behind on birthday e-mails.  So I went to the place with the fastest wi-fi that I knew of in Chicago.  I probably could have stayed there all day, but I still had cleaning to do.
  • 11:59 a.m. Cumin - $12.00.  I hadn't planned on staying at Wormhole as long as I did.  But it ended up spilling right into the time of this Indian place that I've always wanted to try's lunch buffet.  And it was pretty incredible!  Unlike Bocca, it was totally worth the wait.
  • 4:59 p.m. McCormick Tribune YMCA - Free.  While I didn't get a free water bottle offer like last year (I don't know what I would have done with it), I went to the gym for the 100th time on my birthday, so I did get a present.  Foursquare's Century Club badge.
  • 7:28 p.m. Real Tenochtitlan - Free.  This was truly one of my more forgettable birthdays.  I was glad at everyone who showed up, but after my going away shindig two weeks before, it was kind of anticlimactic.  But it was very tasty and productive as people took so much of the stuff that I was giving away that I barely had to throw anything out.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 ($20.00)

  • 1:08 p.m. Ay Ay Picante - $20.00.  While I never made it up to Taste of Peru while I lived in Chicago, I did get to try this Peruvian restaurant which had a more extensive vegetarian menu (and specialized in seafood).  I got their potato salad inside an avocado and it was amazing.
  • 11:24 p.m. Archie's Iowa And Rockwell Tavern - Free.  My sister had a potluck at her apartment for her half of our shared birthday.  It moved on to the bar near her place but I was too tired and worried about moving heavy things the next day to stay long.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 ($101.10)

  • 1:37 p.m. KFC - $5.91.  I had wanted to get my rental car and run my final errands before lunch but since my landlady wanted me to go through the cleaning that just gets done over by a professional by Chicago ordinance, I was ready to pass out by the time I was done.  The fact that this is the slowest KFC in the world did not help matters.
  • 3:18 p.m. Alamo National Car Rental - $89.19.  While I probably could have rented it for one day, it just seemed easier to rent it for two, run my final errands, and then drive myself to the airport.  And it definitely was.  I was even able to drive one of my peeps home from work and he helped me move my T.V.!
  • 5:47 p.m. Maiz Anojitos Y Bebidas - $6.00.  This had been told to me as the best Mexican place in Chicago by multiple people and it was definitely good.  Especially since they use cactus.  It's one of the few places I've found in Chicago that does.
  • 8:55 p.m. Congress Theater - Free.  It turned out that not only did I save money on airfare by staying in Chicago two extra days, but I also saved money on a concert.  Buffalo Tom in Washington D.C. would have been full price but someone had a free pass for Dead Milkmen.  It was a great show, but I felt like I had forgotten a lot of their songs.

SUNDAY, MAY 1 ($21.63)

  • 1:55 p.m. Mitsuwa Marketplace - $15.63.  The one place that I had researched how to get to by public transportation that I could never figure out was this one in Arlington Heights.  Finally having a car again, I enjoyed ramen, Pastry House Hippo, and bubble tea.  This place is nuts though.  It reminds me why I don't want to go to Asia.  Sensory overload!
  • 3:51 p.m. McCormick Tribune YMCA - Free.  It was almost sad to be done with my membership here.  While there have been some disgusting run-ins with nudists and people leaving things in lockers without locks, it was generally a good run.
  • 5:33 p.m. Jewel-Osco - Free.  After running my other errands, I had completely run out of things to do before dropping off my table in Lakeview.  Thankfully Coinstar takes forever so I was able to kill the last of the waiting time.  After this, my car was empty of all but my last few boxes.
  • 7:35 p.m. Bombay Kebab - $6.00.  While it doesn't look like I spent much using this Groupon, an extra $100.00 will need to be tacked on because I got pulled over for looking at my GPS on the way there.  Now I deserve a distracted driving ticket out of karma for all the actual time I've done it, but this pissed me off.  Oh well, parting present to Chicago's coffer for stripping myself from their tax base, I guess.

MONDAY, MAY 2 ($315.53)

  • 10:09 a.m. U.S. Post Office - Clemente Branch - $23.01.  Try as I might, there were just certain things that I could not fit in my luggage and that I didn't want to get rid of.  While most of it will go immediately into storage, I had to ship it anyway.  Thankfully it was most soft and fluffy things that are light.
  • 10:54 a.m. North Community Bank - Free.  After the huge lines at the post office, I was amazed how quickly my wrapping up at the bank was.  Though I was met with a bit of bad news.  CTA had taken my monthly pass out that morning even though I hadn't used my card.  So I have to wait for a check from them in the mail and was $86 less in my bank account.
  • 11:33 a.m. Hot Doug's - Free.  My sister treated me to a last meal in Chicago and my friend showed up as well.  I got my usual three veggie dogs.  I'm going to miss this place a lot.  I need to figure out where the equivalent place is around my new digs.
  • 12:22 p.m. Chicago Public Library - Logan Square Branch - Free.  I returned the book that I had meant to read for One Book, One Chicago but barely started.  It's ironic that I will read more of it far away from Chicago than I ever read there.
  • 1:11 p.m. Midway Citgo - $31.82.  Somehow I think I returned my car with more gas than was given to me based on how quickly it had dropped to 3/4 of a tank.  Still, even though there were no cheap gas stations around Midway, I filled it up.  Better than in the city.
  • 1:33 p.m. Alamo National Car Rental - Free.  Again there were no additional charges since I paid for CDW. Though I didn't do anything bad to any car or any deer this time.
  • 1:56 p.m. Chicago Midway International Airport - $224.70.  I had forgotten how much less of a pain that Midway was than O'Hare.  Security was easy.  There was no huge distances to the gate.  If I hadn't left my driver's license inside security, it would have been painless.  They found it right before my plane was scheduled to lift off though.
  • 5:20 p.m. Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall Airport - Free.  The greatest thing was that I found the shuttle to the Amtrak station extremely easily.  Though I didn't really have time to do anything else since my plane landed about 30 minutes before the train was scheduled to leave.
  • 6:05 p.m. BWI Amtrak/MARC Station - $36.00.  I took what I thought was the direct route by taking the Amtrak.  What I didn't know was that there was a 30 minute layover at Union Station.  So I paid twice as much to save about 30 minutes and a transfer.  Oh well.  I am new here.
  • 7:54 p.m. Woodbridge Amtrak - Free.  While it doesn't feel like home yet, this was officially when I arrived with three heavy bags of luggage.  Hopefully I won't leave with that much.  Or on a train.  I am really going to need a car before I move again.

So that's $557.51.  But with that huge number, all of my moving fees are done.  I can't foresee a week costing nearly that much until after I have a job.  Well, I guess if I buy a car with a huge down payment.  Even then, I'll need a job to get financing.  I guess I'll be living on the cheap here in suburban Virginia.  Since there's not very many places I can get with the bus, I won't be able to get in too much trouble anyhow.  My total money spent since I've been unemployed is $3628.93.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

How I Spent The Sixteenth Week Of The Rest Of My Life

Even though I'm typing this from my sister's place in Humboldt Park, I am no longer a resident of Chicago.  At midnight, my Chicago address is no longer associated to me.  I'm down to two Groupons (Cafe LaGuardia and Bombay Kebab) that I can realistically use and three more that I'll have to sell (shakes fist at Fireside Bowl).

Not that this means that I don't have a crapload to do before I board the plane tomorrow.  I actually rented a car yesterday and today since there was no way I could lug all of the stuff that I need to donate around otherwise (it's going to be hard enough to deal with two backpacks and a suitcase).  And I still have to do things like cancel my bank account (that's one way to put my loans on deferment) and gym membership (I made the hundred visits with a few days to spare on my birthday).

Still, since I'm a week behind again, I thought I might as well type out my expenses for moving to Washington D.C.  It honestly feels like a month ago after wrestling a futon down three flights of stairs yesterday.  It will be good to get these receipts out of my wallet finally regardless.  I've probably had an hour to spare before this but I left my modem in my last rental car.  That's one more thing to cancel.

Here's how I "spent" last week:

TUESDAY, APRIL 19 ($108.34)

  • 6:46 a.m. Walgreens - $10.61.  I couldn't believe that after the night of bowling before, I was able to wake up so early and pack my remaining stuff in the car.  But one thing that did was make me thirsty.  I needed to buy water.  While I was there I also purchased travel sized shampoo and Q-Tips.  And kleenex.  I left stocked.
  • 10:32 a.m. Gas America - $44.09.  With all the talk of gas prices, I was worried at what it would cost to fill up my little Nissan Versa rental.  It turned out to be not that bad at all.  Well, I mean, in comparison to what I thought it would be.  That is a little costly for gas.
  • 12:53 p.m. Indianapolis Art Center - Free.  While it was a lot like Lillistreet in Chicago but with a gallery attached, their sculpture garden, Artpark was amazing.  I stopped there to see the famous crooked house.  It took a while to find, but this was my most worthwhile detour.
  • 1:54 p.m. Waffle House - $6.00.  The entire time I was planning my adventures in moving, one destination stuck in my mind.  I needed to go to the closest Waffle House to Chicago.  That's actually on the other side of Indianapolis from this one.  But the first one I reached was good enough.  And the grits and cheap price reminded me why I love this chain so much.
  • 7:22 p.m. Taco Bell - $6.27.  While I stopped at a couple of rest stops along the way (which really don't even have details with which to bore people), my car seemed to have infinite amounts of gas.  I, however, did not.  So my favorite bit of road food absolutely hit the spot in southeastern Ohio.
  • 8:00 p.m. Love's Travel Stop - $41.37.  Gas prices were surprisingly cheap heading into the mountains.  This station was in Zanesville, Ohio.  That's pretty much the edge of civilization.  The stops were getting to be 5 and 10 miles apart and most of them had BPs.  I was trying to avoid chain gas stations (and especially BPs).  But my car was running on fumes by this point.
  • 10:06 p.m. I-70 Rest Area - Free.  I only mention this rest stop because it was where I slept.  I hadn't intended it to be.  I was just going to take a nap in far western Pennsylvania before pushing on south to get a cheap hotel.  But when I woke up at 2:15 p.m., I just decided to go back to sleep.  It wasn't too bad.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20 ($67.64)

  • 9:57 a.m. Ruff Creek General Store - $2.38.  Instead of getting my daily water at a Walgreens (or any other chain store), I got it at this store that's been operating continuously since 1925.  Sleeping at the Pennsylvania Welcome Center did give me a chance to pick up a cool brochure on all of these general stores.  I only hit up this one though - even though I had some time to kill.
  • 11:17 a.m. Poky Dot - $15.00.  The portions at this famous (at least in northern West Viriginia) diner are legendarily gigantic.  They have a He-Man Breakfast that has about 10 items.  I settled for a smaller skillet since I wasn't that hungry.  It was still enormous.
  • 11:49 a.m. Coal Country Miniature Golf - $5.30.  This was the one tourist trap that I did not want to miss on my journey, so it was helpful that they opened slightly early.  It was everything that I had hoped for in this course.  It was challenging and slightly kitschy.  And I was a minor celebrity.  Since I had posted on Facebook in advance that I was coming, they had a little sign out for me.
  • 3:54 p.m. Weller's Service And Lube Center - $40.00.  The fact that I only had to get one tank of gas between Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. (and I didn't even top it off since I paid cash) astounded me.  Gas turned out to be relatively cheap in Maryland as well.
  • 6:15 p.m. Taco Bell - $4.96.  I dillied and dallied a bit (but the mini-golf was worth it) which caused me to hit the D.C. area right about the time of rush hour.  GPS took me on a strange route which took me directly from western Maryland to metropolitan Virginia.  I had to stop at this Bell in Manassas because I was going to pass out otherwise.  The bad thing was that I missed the storage place's office closing by about 30 minutes.

 THURSDAY, APRIL 21 ($151.34)

  • 11:44 a.m. Extra Space Storage - $82.34.  One expense that I forgot to account for was my storage's first month's fees.  And this trip took far longer than I thought it would with signing contracts and such.  The actual moving in only took about 20 minutes.  Still, since no one was home in New York City to let me in, it was probably good that I got there late.
  • 3:03 p.m. Maryland I-95 North Welcome Center - $2.00.  The one bad thing about getting a late start was that I had planned on eating lunch before I left Virginia.  This was curtailed by the fact that by the time I was done, I really just wanted to get going.  I hit the worst traffic I had ever seen between Washington D.C. and Baltimore and before I realized it, it was almost dinner time.  I needed these snacks to avoid passing out.
  • 4:59 p.m. Waffle House - Elkton - $7.00.  After hitting the Waffle House closest to Chicago, I hit the one closest to New York City.  At least by my unofficial calculations.  It's definitely the last one on I-95 North just before the Delaware border.
  • 6:03 p.m. Pilot Travel Center - $47.50.  I took the bridge to bypass Philadelphia which meant that, ironically, even though the plates on my car were Delaware, it was the only state I didn't set foot in.  I also did not get out of the car in Washington D.C.  This station was in far southern New Jersey.  Since I was so tired I couldn't move when I got to New York City, this was actually my last real stop of the night.
  • 7:40 p.m. Grover Cleveland Service Center - $12.50.  I didn't actually spend any money inside the center.  This was for the tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike and bridges into New York City.  This place is on the 100 worst places in the world, but it didn't seem that bad to me.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22 ($103.50)

  • 10:16 a.m. Bronx Zoo - $22.50.  The zoo admission was $16.00, but when I saw that it would take almost two hours to get there by train, I drove.  I street parked for free to make up for it.  Sort of.  The zoo was absolutely amazing.  I had never seen such active animals.  Although the famous cobra that escaped was a bit sleepy.
  • 1:54 p.m. Emilia's Restaurant - $16.00.  Of all the places I could have chose along Arthur Avenue in The Bronx (that borough's Little Italy), I chose this kind of iffy one because it had lunch specials.  There was absolutely nothing special about my gnocchi.
  • 5:09 p.m. Caffe Muzio - $33.00.  The actual meal was $20.00, but getting there was the expense.  I ended up using a parking meter and putting $10.00 on a MTA card when I had to park in the East Village after circling the West Village for a while.  Since we knew the chef, however, there were some good freebies.  Our amazing spread probably would have been about that for normal people.
  • 9:41 p.m. The Bell House - $26.00.  I had bought my ticket to the Seaweed reunion a while before.  But still within my time of unemployment so it counts.  It was not that odd that my most expensive day of the trip (without moving expenses) was my vacation day in New York City.
  • 1:06 a.m. Commonwealth - $6.00.  This is supposed to be one of Brooklyn's best bars.  I was so beat that it just seemed like any other place to me.  My loss I think.

SATURDAY, APRIL 23 ($83.77)

  • 12:55 p.m. Museum Of The Moving Image - $17.50.  Technically it was on my way out of the city anyhow, but I've been meaning to get to this museum in Queens.  I ended up eating lunch there to save time as I took a guided tour.  I need to come back on a free day and just explore exhibits the next time I'm in New York.
  • 5:38 p.m. Citgo - $51.00.  This was my only stop at a corporate gas station the entire trip.  Which was ironic since every restaurant in this little city, Rock Hill, in the Catskills was independent.  At least it was a Citgo and not something horrible.  This also includes the Triboro Bridge which I had to cross to get out of New York City.  I will be glad to not pay another congestion charge the rest of the way.
  • 5:45 p.m. Rock Hill Diner - $7.00.  The entire town of Rock Hill seemed to be owned by one family of hippies.  There was a pizza place across the street, but I was in a diner mood so I had an egg salad sandwich.  It was almost my last chance for New York City food.  Everyone else in the place seemed to be transplanted New York City people.
  • 6:05 p.m. Peace Love And Ice Cream - $3.00.  If the name of this place doesn't give away the mood of the town, I'm not sure what would.  I got an Italian Ice which was the other thing I forgot to do in New York.  I definitely left happy.
  • 11:43 p.m. Junius Rest Area - $2.27.  New York is far bigger than I thought it was.  Especially after I got delayed when I hit a deer.  It was apparently okay (as was my car) since the cops never found a carcass.  But I needed donuts to keep going as I was nowhere near Niagara Falls.
  • 1:41 a.m. Clarence Travel Plaza - $3.00.  Another rest stop was my hotel for the night.  This time, however, my back seat was clear so it was totally comfortable.  The odd thing was, since it was on the Thruway (the last stop before Niagara Falls), I wasn't sure if it was going to be free.  It ended up just being the usual Thruway toll.

SUNDAY, APRIL 24 ($118.50)

  • 7:01 a.m. Valero - $45.76.  I was glad that this place was self serve without being open since I got such an early start.  My car was again almost empty since I waited until I was off the Thruway (all the stations were BP) before I filled up.
  • 8:07 a.m. Whirlpool State Park - Free.  Getting to Niagara Falls before everything (except the casino) was open was weird.  I ended up just scoping out the parks for a bit.  This one had a great view of the rapids leading to the falls.
  • 8:45 a.m. Niagara Falls State Park - Free.  Parking was ordinarily $10.00 but there's one scenic turnoff by Three Sisters Islands that served my American side viewing perfectly.  I forgot that the Canadian side viewing was better and that I should have just crossed the bridge.
  • 9:55 a.m. Daredevil Museum - $5.00.  This museum is free since there's not a lot to it.  Except the displays of actual craft used to go over the falls are pretty awesome.  So I donated the change from my water (as well as rounding up with another couple of dollars) to the museum.
  • 11:08 a.m. Criminals Hall Of Fame Wax Museum - $8.40.  This museum was the one of many in Niagara Falls on the Canadian side that was recommended by Roadside America.  It was a bit disappointing except for the creepy clown serial killer.  It looked a little too real.  The Foursquare discount made it $5.40, but I've also included the bridge fare.
  • 12:20 p.m. The Flying Saucer - $11.00.  Even though both of the last two things were in Canadian money, I'm going to call them American on par.  The food here was amazing even if the alien aspect was a little understated.
  • 2:48 p.m. Highway 401 West Rest Area - $4.00.  The fee is actually the Ambassador Bridge to get back into the United States as this was my only stop the rest of the way in Canada.  I ended up taking a nap as I was really tired from the day before.
  • 7:36 p.m. Meijer Gas Station - $44.34.  I was thankful that I didn't have to deal with Canadian fuel costs (I don't understand liters).  This was my first stop in the United States and in my parent's hometown.
  • 8:23 p.m. Mr. Thai - Free.  My parents paid for dinner at a Thai place by their apartment.  I wasn't super impressed but they both really loved it, so I'm glad they found a new restaurant.

MONDAY, APRIL 25 ($17.00)

  • 1:10 p.m. Stage Deli - $17.00.  I can't believe how popular this place is since it never fails to disappoint me.  This time I got an egg salad sandwich and a knish and neither tasted very good.  Plus my waiter seemed like it was his first day on the job.
  • 3:46 p.m. Men's Warehouse - Free.  My parents bought me a sport coat for my birthday.  This was a lifesaver since I needed one badly before I interviewed in Washington D.C.  And they are not exactly cheap.
  • 5:44 p.m. Mayberry's Family Restaurant - Free.  Every Monday, my uncle and grandfather go to dinner at this diner in Farmington Hills.  It actually turned out to be one of my favorite meals of the trip.  The portions are huge.  Though how an Andy Griffith theme restaurant ended up in Metro Detroit, I will never know.

So that's $650.09.  That's about $50.00 over what I planned to spend to move (plus another $50.00 or so that I spent on Monday of this week), but pretty close to accurate (thanks to not staying in hotels).  And the cool things that I saw made it all worthwhile regardless.  Since I'm all done with driving long distances for a while, I'll even say that it saved me money in the long run.  My total money spent since I've been unemployed is $3721.91.