The perks of being unemployed

For weeks, I've been complaining lamenting about being unemployed -- the boredom, the isolation, the lack of funds, the dwindling confidence and self-worth, etc.  It truly isn't the best time of my life.

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Today, I'm attempting to find the silver lining of my predicament. I decided to highlight a few good things about unemployment.

::  I can stay up late and sleep in all I want.
Nowhere to be and nothing to do means I can make my own daily schedule.  It usually looks something like this -- wake up at 9 a.m., make coffee, watch one of the many morning shows, check Twitter/Facebook/E-mail, have breakfast/coffee, do a little job search, apply for a few openings (and that's on a good day), get more coffee, read blogs, update/publish my blog, more Twitter/Facebook, lunch, TV, more Twitter/Facebook/E-mail, work out, shower, more Internets, dinner, watch Rangers baseball (or TV if it's an off night), write baseball blog post, more Internets, go to bed around midnight.

:: I don't have to deal with real people if I don't want to.
Most days, my social interaction is done solely through texts, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging.  This means I only have to deal with the people I want to.  Pretty awesome, right? 

:: I can watch entire TV show runs in days.
I breezed through "Scandal" in two weeks and "Parenthood" in eight days.  I'm contemplating starting "Nashville" and "Pretty Little Liars" next.  Or I may re-start "Felicity" or "October Road." Decisions, decisions. 

:: I can go to matinee movies in the middle of the week.
A theater near me has a great special on Tuesdays.  $4 tickets and $2 popcorn and soda.  Do I need to say more?

:: I can avoid crowds at stores.
I absolutely hate grocery shopping when stores are crowded (especially with rude people and obnoxious children).  Since my days are wide open, I can go anytime of day.  I've found that mid-afternoon is pretty good.

:: I can watch "Ellen" every day.
She hosts the best talk show on TV.  Come on, I mean, there's a little dance party, lots of laughs, and some great interviews.  Love her.

:: I don't have to merely listen to daytime baseball.
As much as I love Rangers radio guy Eric Nadel (who is currently suffering from laryngitis, as bad luck would have it), I much prefer to see the action on the field. Thanks to being jobless, I can do just that.

:: Most of my laundry is workout clothes.
During the day, I mostly just wear t-shirts around my place.  Read - no pants.  The only time I get fully dressed on a regular basis is to go for a run or to the gym.  I can count on one hand the number of times I've worn jeans in the last two months, and I've only really done full makeup on a dozen occasions.

:: No need to fill the gas tank every week or so.
I probably drive no more than 30 miles a week right now. I guess that means I'm saving a ton on gas money, which is a good thing since I'm not making much money at the moment.

Hey.  It's all about perception, right?  Or is it perspective?  Maybe both?

As fun as all of that is, I'd trade it all for a reason to get up in the mornings, a sense of purpose, and a regular paycheck.  

While we're on the topic of unemployment, jump over to GoGirl Finance to read my guest post:

Women, Jobs, and Money: How to Survive Unemployment