This cartoon sure hits the mark. Makes you realize what all we take for granted, doesn’t it?
Sigh.
And on the home front, time marches forward and I continue to submit my resume for various jobs out there. There sure aren’t very many to respond to, unless I’d be willing to accept minimum wage. (Uhm, no.) A recent one sure sounds interesting and I’m totally qualified; just waiting to see if I hear back. I’ve noticed that many firms are paying very low wages for a high level of responsibility. In this climate, I suppose it’s because they can. (Sure haven’t noticed prices going down, though…)
Speaking of which, I’m pretty much astounded at how much money I’m saving by not working! Yes, I receive unemployment benefits (and when that runs out I’ll be in a world of hurt if something doesn’t happen), but in the meantime, I’ve never put so much away. The savings in gas, clothes, morning lattes, lunch out, a cleaning lady, and just not doing much “shopping” has made a HUGE difference. I will also have to pay income tax on the unemployment (such a bummer), so a chunk of what I’ve been saving will likely go toward that. Meh.
I did purchase a few items at Christmas time through Shutterfly, including the annual Harstine Island calendar, a deck of playing cards for Nate with his Navy picture on the front, and some photo notecards. (I ♥ Shutterfly!) The other day they asked me to complete a survey based on my recent purchases, which I did. I was a little put off about how lengthy and involved the survey was, but I completed it anyway. Then, the following day they sent me an invitation to create one of their photo books — for free! (Normally around $30!) So, the last few days I’ve been working on that! By last night my eyes felt like they were going to slide down my face and dribble off my chin. I took the “long route” which means that I pretty much customized it myself instead of having Shutterfly design it for me. (If you ever want to do this, don’t be put off! They guide you every step of the way and it’s really quite easy. The hardest part is deciding which pictures to use where!)
Here is the link where you can see an animated version of the final photo book! Just click on the cover picture when it pops up, and then click on “Full Page” to get the largest view. Then click “Play.” (It’s quick; some pretty pictures from Harstine, most of which you’ve probably seen here on my blog!)
