When I was your age...

I went to the dentist today for my 6-month checkup. In the pouring rain no less, but that's really neither here nor there. I just thought I'd share since I got soaked on my way home despite that the monsooning thankfully occurred while I was in the dentist chair. Listening to thunder. But I digress.

My dentist's office is small, as it's Manhattan and office space costs an arm and a leg. And from what I've seen, these dentists get totally gypped by the insurance companies. So there's a small partition separating the 2 chairs, and a third in another location, though I don't exactly know why. But the 2 separated by a partition are where I've always been. It definitely took some getting used to hearing someone get a root canal or a cavity filled while I had my teeth cleaned, but I've gotten over that. And today, was entertained.

A kid, probably about 11 years old, was getting his first cavity filled. Apparently it was small (yes, I shouldn't listen, but seriously, what else am I supposed to be doing when the hygienist is squirting water between my teeth?) and the dentist told him all of the things he was going to do, and then offered him the option of having novacaine or not. Ok, maybe things are different, but when I was that age, I had already had my fair share of fillings done. Five to be exact, but what do you expect from a candy eater.

Anyway, my dentist growing up would never have DREAMED to ask me whether or not I wanted novacaine. Apparently my dad has this offer on occasion because my dentist knew his aversion to being numb afterwards, but me - never. I had a lot of teeth pulled when I was younger and did some of that without novacaine, but I was under the influence of laughing gas. I.e. SLEEPING. Granted it took a lot to get me that way, but once I was sleeping, that was enough.

After he had finished the filling, my dentist came over to me to check out my teeth before sending me on my merry way. No cavities, thank you very much. But I said that I couldn't help but overhear, and that you couldn't pay me enough to get a cavity filled novacaine-less. My dentist actually said he never would either. I found that interesting. But he was also shocked that I said I had multiple teeth pulled without being numb. To each their own I guess.

Two things

So I went out again last night with the Musician that I mentioned in my last post, but I'm still entirely unsure of how I feel about the situation. He took me to one of the most expensive kosher restaurants in Manhattan, but it felt odd instead of indulgent. Perhaps because I get this feeling that his parents are contributing towards these dates in some way. Which might be ok if you were younger, but when you're 37? Really?

He knows the chefs at the restaurant so we got a free appetizer after we'd finished the ones we had ordered. Yay free food - and it was amazing. But that wasn't surprising. Everything at this restaurant is amazing. But when the chef came over to give us the free appetizer - gnocchi with duck, yum! - and my date introduced me, he said that he already knew me. I don't know if he thinks I'm someone else, but I've NEVER met this guy. And the chefs at this restaurant, who do frequently visit diner's tables, have never come to a table I've been at. It was very unsettling and I told the Musician as much.

On a side note. I got an email yesterday at 10am regarding a job I'd applied for, asking me for writing samples and if I was available for an interview yesterday or today. I wasn't free yesterday afternoon, so I said I had time today. I was asked if 3pm was ok, I said yes. Today, after getting home from another interview, I emailed to confirm. I'm told, 25 hours after initial contact, that they've already hired someone else. Is it just me, or is that crazy?

Hello...

So, blogging. You know, that thing that I used to do several times a week, that turned into several times a month, and now, what a few times a year? Yes, I know, I'm a slacker. I mean, it's not like I can use work as an excuse for being too busy to post. In my last post, what almost 3 months ago, I shared that I'm unemployed. Or perhaps I haven't shared since I doubt I really have more than one or two readers left at this point.

Unemployment is weird. Now, as someone who was working from home for close to 2 years prior to the layoff, being home all day isn't a new concept. Making sure that I leave at some time during the day is still important, and probably even more so now that I'm not emailing, IM-ing or calling coworkers. I still go to the gym, but since I had the freedom of going during the day once I began the work-at-home stint, I'm still going to the same classes. Well, except one which was on Sundays anyway.

A week hasn't gone by in the last couple of months where I haven't heard of more friends getting laid off from work. My brother, my best friend's brother, several good friends - all in the last few weeks. We're all trying to spin it and brag to the working folk that we have the advantage - I mean, we got to sit and watch all the NCAA action last week, and didn't have to sneak off to a corner at work or call in sick.

Anyway, since there aren't work stories to tell, and I've told most of the gym stories that simply repeat themselves (um, hello, wear a sports bra), there's not much left. At some point I realized this blog had turned into mostly a dating update for me. But there wasn't really even that to share. Granted, I've gone on a couple of dates with a guy in the last week or so, but I have a feeling it's not going anywhere anyway, and there wasn't really anything quippy or exciting to share. He's 37, seems to have no direction in his life and his parents still pay for stuff for him. Oh well.

So for now, I'm just going to make an attempt at blogging again. Because really, you can't look for jobs all day long.

On Wednesday, December 17th I got a phone call late in the afternoon informing me that my company had not received the payment for funding it was expecting, and unless they could find more, we were ALL out of at job at the end of the year. Needless to say, in the current crapshoot economy, funding hasn't been found. So, I'm unemployed.

When I found out, I already knew what unemployment benefits were in NY. I have a LOT of friends who are currently out of work. Some for more than a year, others who were laid off a week or two before me. So while I look for another job, I planned to file for unemployment. But clearly it's never that simple. When I tried to file for unemployment yesterday, they told me I wasn't allowed to file in NY. WTF?

I've worked in NY, at home, in my living room, for a Florida based company. I pay NY taxes. I pay city taxes. I don't pay Florida anything, because I'm not there, don't work there, and frankly, the two 2-day visits I've taken in the 2 years I worked for the company don't mean anything. My company paid NY state, city and UNEMPLOYMENT taxes. Apparently NY State was in a fight with my company for some kind of payment, and this made the woman I spoke to on the phone yesterday, as well as her supervisor, deny my claim.

After having my NY claim denied, I picked up the phone to call Florida. Now, I understand that times are tough and a lot of people have lost their jobs. But why is it that when I called the NY office, I waited on hold for 15 minutes, and in Florida, hung up after an HOUR and 45 MINUTES with no end in sight?! I mean, who has the patience to sit on hold for 3 hours? I filed online, but was still trying to talk to someone. I gave up.

You would think, hey, no big deal, you file in one state instead of the other. And yet, you'd be wrong. Besides not being comfortable filing in a state that requires a flight to visit, when they tell you there are some times when you need to go to the local office for seminars, meeting with people, etc, I'm not exactly in a financial position to hop the next flight to Florida. On top of that, the maximum benefit rate is more than $100 less PER WEEK than in NY. I mean, yeah, cost of living is cheaper, but seriously? The amount they were willing to pay versus NY would have covered 3/4 of my rent. NY's benefits at least covered that so I didn't have to worry about being homeless.

I called my old office yesterday to find out what the hell was going on, and was told I'd get all various info by this morning with which to arm myself and call NY again. And without even needing to pull one piece of this info, they approved my claim. No muss, no fuss. And with a 20 minute wait time to boot. Brilliant - because clearly I needed to spend close to 4 hours trying to figure out what the hell happened, instead of oh, I don't know, looking for a NEW job so these people wouldn't have to pay me at all. Now I just have to mail my cancellation request to Florida and I'm set.

Apparently you need to be wiley and creative to get unemployment these days...

Happy 2009

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Hmm, get laid off?

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t think I had any. Right now it's find a job.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my friend B. Her daughter is amazing!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My uncle's dad, but thankfully no one closer.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just Israel.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Ok, I'll be a girl. How about a boyfriend? I lacked one in 2007, 2006, and 2005 also.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I don't think there were any in particular.

8. What was your biggest failure of the year?
I don't really know.

9. What was your biggest achievement?
Giving a speech in front of 300 people.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I've had a couple of really bad colds, and a bit of whiplash from skiing, but nothing too bad.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A couple of new dresses.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My parents - they said they would help me out now that I'm unemployed.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
That didn't really happen.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Hmm. my friend's baby?

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
I Kissed a Girl (and I liked it)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? Same
c) richer or poorer? Poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Working out.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Sitting at home.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
On the couch. I was sick.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Nope.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Mad Men, Lost, Project Runway

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Yup. My roommate's fiance. He's a tool.

24. What was the best book you read?
A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don’t know.

26. What did you want and get?
Sadly, nothing.

27. What did you want and not get?
A boyfriend?

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
I don't know that I had one. I didn't see that many.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Cooked, spent time with friends. I turned 28.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I can't really think of anything.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Classic

32. What kept you sane?
Friends and the gym.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't really ever have celebrity crushes.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election…this whole idea of it being the revolutionary vs. the old guy when it was really just marketed as the revolutionary vs. the old guy. I'd rather see people form opinions based on fact.

35. Who did you miss?
No one, really.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
My new roommate.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Public speaking isn't so bad when you're drunk.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I can't really think of one.

Because

I'm drawing a blank. So in the meantime, mindless answers.

LAYER ONE:
* Name: Esther
* Birthday: October 19
* Birthplace: Boston
* Current location: NYC
* Eye color: Blue
* Hair color: Brown
* Height: 5'2
* Righty or lefty: Lefty -we're the only ones in our right minds heehee
* Zodiac sign: Libra

LAYER TWO:
* Your heritage: Polish/Jewish
* The shoes you wore today: None - you don't need shoes when you work at home!
* Your weakness: chocolate, my nieces and nephew
* Your fears: winding up alone
* Your perfect pizza: mozzarella, tomato and basil
* Goals you’d like to achieve: find me a boy

LAYER THREE:
* Your most overused phrase on AIM: heehee
* Your first waking thoughts: I LOVE my bed
* Your best physical feature: Eyes or Smile
* Your most missed memory: My zaydie

LAYER FOUR:
* Pepsi or Coke: Neither really, but if I had to choose, Coke
* McDonald’s or Burger King: neither
* Single or group dates: Single - I'm happy to go out in a group, but that's not a date
* Adidas or Nike: Nike
* Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Neither -- I don't drink iced tea
* Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
* Cappuccino or coffee: I don't drink either one

LAYER FIVE:
* Smoke: Never
* Cuss: Sometimes, though more often as I've gotten older
* Sing: In private
* Take a shower everyday: Absolutely without a doubt
* Do you think you’ve been in love: Yes
* Want to go to college: Already went and never want to go back
* Liked high school: It was OK
* Want to get married: yes
* Believe in yourself: Most of the time
* Get motion sickness: Maybe a little
* Think you’re attractive: Sometimes
* Think you’re a health freak: Not really, though I do work out and attempt to eat right. Not that it necessarily happens.
* Get along with your parent(s): Most of the time
* Like thunderstorms: yup
* Play an instrument: nope - I can play around on a piano, but I never took any lessons.

LAYER SIX: In the past month…
* Drank alcohol: Yes
* Smoked: Nope
* Done a drug: Nope
* Made out: Nope
* Gone on a date: Nope
* Gone to the mall: Nope
* Eaten an entire box of Oreos: No, but I have had plenty of them.
* Eaten sushi: Um, YEAH!
* Been on stage: Nope
* Been dumped: Nope
* Gone skating: Nope, but hopefully in a couple of weeks
* Made homemade cookies: No - but I did make brownies
* Gone skinny dipping: Nope
* Dyed your hair: Nope
* Stolen Anything: Well, perhaps, though I went back and paid for it - it was a bag of rolls and I walked right back to the store and bought them.

LAYER SEVEN: Ever…
* Played a game that required removal of clothing: Nope
* Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Yes - though only a few times
* Been caught “doing something”: Nope
* Been called a tease: Yes
* Gotten beaten up: Nope
* Shoplifted: Well, see above
* Changed who you were to fit in: Nope

LAYER EIGHT:
* Age you hope to be married: I can't answer that - when the time is right.
* Numbers and names of children: None
* Describe your dream wedding: With all my family and friends
* How do you want to die: Happy, Peacefully
* Where you want to go to college: I already went, and I'm not going again.
* What do you want to be when you grow up: Happy
* What country would you most like to visit: There are so many, but to name a few: Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, China, Japan...

LAYER NINE:
* Number of drugs taken illegally: 0
* Number of people I could trust with my life: at least 5
* Number of CDs that I own: about 25
* Number of piercings: One in each ear
* Number of tattoos: None and that number won't change
* Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: Once
* Number of scars on my body: 3 stand out - my chin when I fell on a diving board, my foot where I burned it, my finger where I sliced it
* Number of things in my past that I regret: Quite a few

Week in review

Right, so clearly that whole blogging every day hasn't happened. I can't even make it on the weekdays. But whatever. I'm trying.

1) Last Saturday night I was the runner up in a Bananagrams tournament. If you've never played this game and you like Scrabble and other word games, buy it. Now. You'll thank me later. People who never thought they would like the game are totally hooked. And thereby your friends host a game night with a Bananagrams tournament. Where the winner and runner up get money and the rest goes to charity. Woohoo!

2) Seriously, I never realized how tired physical therapy could make you. I mean, for 3/4 of it I'm practically l'm sitting or laying down. But I'm getting better. Slowly.

3) You realize just how much you appreciate working at home on days like Tuesday, when it was about 20 degrees outside. I meant to go shopping at Macy's for a new wool coat. Instead, I bought one online. But I DID go outside that day. To the gym. 2 blocks away. Hee hee.

4) Bowling when you're not paying. Awesome. Even when you're having a crappy bowling day.

5) Awkward - Meeting the brother of someone you went on one date with in college, and then told him not to come on the day of date number 2. Harsh, maybe, but he's the one who told me when he met me at Penn Station that I wasn't what he expected - he thought I'd have done my hair better, worn nicer clothes and worn makeup. Whatever.

6) Oksana Baiul, remember her from the Olympics? I went to a charity fashion show and she was the last model on the runway. She should stick to the ice, and tone down the self tanner.