It's About Time I Have TIme

So...I've been debating on going public with this, but some of you may already know that I lost my job last week.  It was unexpected, and a tad traumatic for me.  My entire department was shut down, due to some financial hardship within the company.  Although I would like to say that I have handled this with dignity, grace and faith, it has been more like panic, doubt and self pity.  However, I am here to say that I think I may have mastered some methods for staying busy, positive and productive throughout this period, and I would like to share them with you.

That's right people, another top 10 list.

"An Unemployed New Yorker's Guide to Maintaining Sanity"

10. Brush up on your martial arts.
9. Cash in on those old Groupons.
8. Philadelphia or Bust
7. Reality Television, and I don't mean watch it.
6. Cat sit. Or better yet, pet a puppy.
5. Promote the theater in Times Square as a drag queen.
4. Window Modeling
3. Volunteer
2. Babysit
1. Bravo. Lots and lots of Bravo.

Martial arts can be exciting, especially when it is Krav Maga (at least I am considering it a martial art-Israeli army self defense methods).  There is nothing more therapeutic than being encouraged to beat the crap out of a punching bag.  I will have classes 2 and 3 over the next two weeks.

Groupons have saved my life during this transition.  Since they have already been paid for, and I now have time to use them, they are my outlet for interaction with the outside world.  Last weekend, I painted a Picasso.  Next weekend, I shall shoot arrows at a target.  The month of June will be filled with the excitement of an early morning boot camp.  Thank goodness for the G's!

Did you know that you can travel to Philly from New York for just $15 round trip?  Since I clearly love to leave the city, I plan to do this next week.  I've never been, and you can't even eat a decent lunch here for that.  Behold...the power of the Bolt Bus.

So I got a phone call on Friday night from a casting company wanting to "interview" me for a new reality show on one of the major networks.  The show is basically about girls who want to get married, and are not yet.  Great, just great.  The questions were as follows:
                Interviewer: Do you already have your wedding planned out?
                              Me: Yes, of course.  Since I was five.
                Interviewer: Do you already have a venue reserved and a dress purchased?
                              Me: No comment
                Interviewer: Do you have a time limit for yourself?
                              Me: I cannot disclose that information.  But yes.
                Interviewer: Are you currently dating?
                              Me: Hahaha

Cat-sitting is all the rage here.  Actually, I just agreed to do it for a couple at church so they can go visit family in another state.  I grew up with a cat, so I'm pretty familiar with their behavior.  But this cat can open doors and knows how to shake.  I may be way out of my league here.  I did get to play with a random stranger's puppy at a restaurant last weekend, and that just warmed my heart right up.

When I was asked to do promotions in Times Square for a Broadway play last weekend, I did not think that would include dressing up like a drag queen.  It was pitched to me with the promise of getting to wear a pretty bedazzled dress.  I should have known that when they told me I was working on "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" that this was no ordinary costume.  Thankfully, they gave in and let me wear jeans and their T-shirt.  And by "promotions", I mean pass out discount coupons to tourists.  Take those coupons...those people work hard!!!

My favorite side job yet has been window modeling.  Casting Networks came through for me again, and I was asked to work in a restaurant called Azya in the West Village.  Basically they pay me (per hour) to come to their restaurant between 4:30 and 6:30 any day I want, bring as many friends as I want, and eat and drink for free.  I may have found my calling in life.

Today I was able to volunteer at a church camp upstate, called Camp Shiloh.  It takes about two hours to get there, we spent about two hours eating, and then four hours staining decks and cleaning out pools.  There was still a lot of work to be done when we left, but it was a very rewarding (and exhausting) day.

When you are feeling blue, there is not a lot that can make you feel as good as a precious one and a half year old baby girl, with blonde curls and big green eyes.  I was able to babysit last night for a couple in Hoboken, New Jersey and it was the best four hours I've had in a while.  Not only was she perfectly pleasant when it came to dinner, bath and bedtime, but she giggled most every minute in between as well.  My favorite part was the fact that she laughed at herself every time she passed gas...which was a lot.

Finally folks, if you find yourself at home on a regular basis during the day and wishing you were at work, just turn on the nearest television to Bravo and sit back.  You are sure to be entertained, as well as comforted.

On a serious note, I believe that this has the potential to be a pivotal period in my life.  I have no idea what I want to do.  I have no idea what I would be great at, and passionate about at the same time.  I will be 30 years old in just a few months and I have no idea even where to begin with a dream job.  I had like five growing up, and I am certainly no doctor, lawyer, meteorologist, teacher or rockstar.  But thanks to this list, I may have a future in window modeling or as a solider in the Israeli army.