How I Spent The Twenty-First Week Of The Rest Of My Life

As I sit here, I'm trying to figure out when the best time would be to take a typing test.  I have figured out that part of my problem was that while I wrote that I can type 45 words per minute on my resume, a lot of the government agencies that I'm applying to for the more clerical of the jobs I'm applying for (which don't pay what I want but are a pretty good in) keep mentioning a typing certificate.

So I went online to ExpertRating Solutions (http://www.expertrating.com/) and sign up (and paid $9.99) for a typing test.  On the 10-minute practice test, I actually scored 48 WPM.  50 WPM with a 96% accuracy rate which brought it down.  But since I did it after a long day of walking around the city, I figured my brain was a little tired so I could bring both scores up.  So now I'm thinking I should do it bright and early tomorrow morning.

I think that shows the kind of initiative that maybe these potential government employers might think I'm lacking.  It's not like I intentionally apply to these jobs at the last minute.  It's just that there's so many that they're kind of overwhelming.  So I usually apply for them on the day they're due to narrow them down.  Though I should really apply for them during the day.  At a Starbucks.  Like a normal unemployed person.

Though I am happy to say that I'm back on a somewhat normal employed person schedule.  So that's a start. Of course I'm doing this by spending a lot of money going into the city and being a tourist each day.  I'm just approaching 1776 check-ins on Foursquare so it will be cool if that happens in Washington D.C.

That won't reflect here sine I'm still a week behind though.

Here's how I "spent" last week:

TUESDAY, MAY 24 (Free)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 ($25.01)

• 11:55 a.m. County Center Owner's Association Clubhouse - Free.  Part of the reason I've been feeling run down, I think, is that I hadn't been going to the gym.  This has been remedied by finally using the condo complex's fitness center.  It's not as nice as a YMCA but it is totally free.
• 2:36 p.m. Walgreens - $5.88.  I ran out of razors again.  So I made the walk back to the local Walgreens since laziness had broken out all over my face in the form of a beard.
• 3:03 p.m. Subway - $5.63.  Since I was already nearby, I thought about giving Amici's a second try.  But they were expensive without their buffet and this was the day before unemployed pay day, I just went to Subway.
• 3:38 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  It was pretty hot and I didn't want to walk all the way back to the bus stop and wait.  So I killed some time at the nearest Starbucks.  This one was surprisingly college student filled.  I didn't know there were so many in Manassas.
• 5:03 p.m. Manassas 4 Movie Theater - $9.50.  The newspaper said that the 5:00 p.m. showing of Bridesmaids was still a matinee. It wasn't.  I almost decided not to go, but paid for it and enjoyed it.  Since I was alone in the movie theater, no one had to know that I saw it, but I'm revealing that fact now.

THURSDAY, MAY 26 ($27.15)

• 12:39 p.m. Amsterdam Falafel Shop - $8.78.  This was my day of trying out D.C. most visited restaurants.  I kind of loved this place's simplicity only selling two items.  Though they have an extensive salad bar to put on top of the falafel.  And it was all good!  Though the neighborhood, Adams Morgan, annoyed me.
• 1:11 p.m. Rabaut Park - Free.  I had to see Mount Pleasant for myself so I walked up 16th Street.  It was getting hot so the majority of my time was spent in this park.  But it does seem like a neighborhood I'd like to live in.
• 1:59 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  In a retreat from the heat, I ended up in my favorite Starbucks in D.C. so far, the one in Columbia Heights.  It's really close to Mount Pleasant.
• 3:39 p.m. Lincoln Park - Free.  After exploring the eastern part of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, which seems to be kind of devoid of trees, I ended up back in the one place I knew I'd find shade.  And not spend money like at another Starbucks.
• 5:23 p.m. Georgetown Cupcakes - $7.98.  After all the negative reviews I had been seeing on Yelp, I had to try this place for myself.  It wasn't bad.  The cupcakes are just really small and expensive.  And there was a line out the door.
• 8:10 p.m. Taco Bell - $3.89.  In an odd twist, I stopped at the Taco Bell that was the first place I ever checked in within my new area again when I missed the Crossed Country Connector.  I now know exactly where it is.  I'm learning the area.
• 8:50 p.m. Starbucks - $2.50.  I must be getting suburban, because this was my second Starbucks of the day. This time I just got a water.  And, amazingly, I used it to apply for jobs.

FRIDAY, MAY 27 ($55.16)

• 1:06 p.m. Hour Eyes - Free.  My glasses came in.  And they look better than I remember them looking on the day that I bought them.  I could actually see things in the distance now.  It was pretty spectacular.
• 1:39 p.m. Hot Topic - Free.  It felt like giving up on life a little to shop here for the first time since college, but they had Converse All-Stars on sale.  Unfortunately, not in my size.  But they were really friendly and the next time there's a sale, I'll probably return.  Embarassingly.
• 1:57 p.m. Potomac Mills Mall - $3.77.  I had been craving sushi and Nori in the food court was a bad choice.  But at least it killed my cravings for sushi.
• 2:25 p.m. Dickie's Retail Store #20 - $5.60.  This store was going out of business so they had shorts on sale for $5.00.  I bought a pair.  Unfortunately, when I got home, they didn't fit.  Oh well, at least I didn't waste a lot of money.
• 2:51 p.m. Robert Wayne Footwear - $37.79.  I found my All-Stars for under $40.00 in my size!  I got a pair of plaid low tops.  They had one for $29.99 but they were not in my size.  I still refuse to believe there are no bargain shoe stores in D.C. though.
• 4:50 p.m. Los Toltecos - $8.00.  In all of the facts she had thrown at me, I thought my roommate said this was a good Mexican restaurant.  She said it was a bad one.  D'oh.  But I did find out where they showed soccer.  It's a good thing I didn't walk out on the bill.

SATURDAY, MAY 28 (Free)

SUNDAY, MAY 29 ($17.54)

• 3:04 p.m. Walgreens - $11.91.  Since the buses were not running the next day, I just ran the one errand that was unavoidable.
• 3:34 p.m. Subway - $5.63.  Nothing says a pride in the United States like going to Subway after seeing commercials for them all Memorial Day weekend.

MONDAY, MAY 30 ($79.82)

• 10:51 a.m. County Center Owner's Association Clubhouse - Free.  The fitness center was actually really full on this day.  It's a small fitness center so five people filled it up.  But now I know to go when normal people are working.
• 2:57 p.m. Banana Republic - $56.68.  Yet another store that I hadn't shopped at in a long time.  This one since high school.  But they were having a big Memorial Day sale so I couldn't help it.  I got two pairs of plaid shorts that are pretty amazing.
• 3:34 p.m. Off-Broadway Shoes - Free.  They also had All-Stars, which I didn't know before.  But they were regular priced.  Well over my $35 or so limit.
• 4:12 p.m. Target (Woodbridge) - $7.60.  I did a little of my grocery shopping and went to Starbucks.  That is a lot of Starbucks in one week.  I might be getting addicted.
• 5:10 p.m. Bloom - $15.54.  While it looks like my total at Aldi, I didn't get nearly as much as I would have at Aldi. But eating products with names on them for a first time in a while might be a welcome change.

So that's $204.68.  But I got a lot of clothes that are necessary for surviving in the weather here with that, so I don't feel too bad about it.  I'm saying it will make me less tired at the end of long days of walking.  Or something like that.  My total money spent since I've been unemployed is $4472.34.