Back on the Funemployment train: Week 6

Sites visited: Museum of Science and Industry, Jackson Park

Movies watched: The World Without End, Avengers, A Good Woman, The Turning Point, Stuck by Lightening, Our Very Own, Adore

Books finished:  Running Hot by JAK, A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz

Monday

Filed my bi-weekly unemployment certification.  The online system wasn’t working, so I used the phone system instead.  Just as easy.  But now I need to figure out why the online system wouldn’t let me in! I like being able to save my answers as proof that I filed and WHAT I filed.

Watching the Good Wife last night, it occurred to me that NOW would be a time I wouldn’t mind being called for jury duty.  Of course, I’ve now jinxed myself, and I’ll get called as soon as I get a job. 

Several weeks back I realized that I barely remember visiting the Museum of Science and Industry; I only have a vague recollection of the big giant heart.  So I looked up the schedule and found a free admission day, so guess what day I went.    I trekked down there (El to Loop, then Metra south to Hyde Park).  My favorite parts were the simulated tornado and the Tesla electric charge (released every half hour).  I also liked watching the baby chicks hatch.

 

I tend to have a two hour limit at museums, so once I was done, I wandered through Jackson Park, which is where the museum is located.  I wandered south through a meadow, past a small harbor, a driving range, and through a soccer field—I saw a glimmering statue in the distance.  Can I say, this statue is definitely on Chicago’s list of ugly statues!

Continued the ramble around through a bird and butterfly sanctuary (lots of birds, no butterflies visible), and onto the Osaka Japanese Garden.  I’m adding this garden to my list of favorite places in Chicago.  Peaceful and picturesque—and a surprise where I wasn’t expecting it.

Tuesday

Job search.  Followed up on one or two things.

Then went on an El ramble.  I’m going to see what interesting pictures I can get of or around the Brown line El stops.  I may even work on other El lines, should this experiment be successful.  Here are a few favorite pics from this week’s ramble.

 

I watched The Turning Point today.  I’d seen bits and pieces of this movie before, but never all the way through.  Watching Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine whack each other on the ass as they fight is just too funny!  And a young Mikhail Barishnikov...yumm!

Wednesday

Had lunch and dinner with Mom and Dad.  Got a pedicure with Mom;)  First one in over a year, so much needed.  Took their dog for a walk...she’s strong for such a small beast.

Arrived home to find two emails re jobs.  One is for a second round of interviews...over lunch.  They are getting fancy schmancy!  The other appears to have a recruiter who may not understand the difference between a lawyer and paralegal—or she is a poor communicator because it sounds like she wants to talk to me about a position as general counsel (which they have posted on their website).  Maybe she meant a position to support their new general counsel (which is NOT posted on their website)?

And if you think I exaggerate about the litter situation in my ‘hood, here is what I saw today.  Wrapped meat!  Okay, it likely fell out of someone’s grocery bag, but still!

Thursday

This week’s volunteer event was sorting food for a food pantry in Lakeview.  It wasn’t hard, but harder than you’d think.  First I had to help unload the delivery of produce, meat, bread, and other more “fresh” items donated by stores.  Then sorted through to batch things by category (ex. all the apples together) and check expiration dates.  Need to find a food pantry in my neighborhood, but the two I found don’t seem to answer their phone.

Was on Twitter and randomly responded to someone’s Tweet.  That person responded back.  A third person inserted herself to ask a question—one I didn’t quite get where it was coming from—only to realize I’d been Tweeting with the author of The Outsiders. Face/desk.

Friday

Errands.

Late Wednesday I received an email from one company asking me to come back for a second interview.  Woot!  They never gave an exact date, just said “early next week.”  I responded, then waited all of Thursday to find out what day.  No response.  So by 11 am on Friday, I left a brief message just checking to make sure she’d received my response. I’m trying to balance being that over-eager applicant with the fact that it is Friday when people like to leave early—and I want to make sure they don’t think I blew them off.  She seemed a little confused as to why I left the message.  Anyway, date schedule.

Had a dowager countess moment this week.  “Weekend?  What is a weekend?”  When you aren’t on a set work schedule, the days do tend to run together.

For dinner, Little Goat with L.