Happily Ever Laughter: December 2013

This isn't my first time around the unemployment block. You could pretty much invite me to come speak at your child's Career Day: Dream Crushers Edition. I promise I would keep their crying to a minimum.

But I was determined to make this round a better one. Last time I found myself in this situation, A&E probably would have filmed an episode about me if they had known of my existence. My t-shirts contained remnants of the day's meals--sandwich crust here, popcorn kernel there. Occasionally the end of the day would see a half-Dorito fall out of my bra (It happens, people).

So this time, I made some rules.

1. Go somewhere at least once a day--and look forward to it. Barnes and Noble never looked so much like Disney World, ya'll. Glasses-check. Overpriced mediocre coffee-check. Walk through the biography section- check. I felt so cool. Total day booster.

2. Focus on one aspect of cleaning a day. Prior to this newly enacted rule, my house looked like the the mop scene in Fantasia post-apocalypse. You were likely to see two wet rags mid-swipe on the kitchen counter, abandoned because I remembered how nasty the bathroom is. I would mop the floor and then walk across it-- my mind wandering to the laundry piles.

So I got on Pinterest. And I printed out a cleaning schedule from a "weird neat freak" that I previously made fun of and swore never to be. But here we are. And so far, it has helped me fight the Lysol ADD monster.

3. Read between every Netflix show. I sometimes stretch this rule if there is a cliffhanger ending. So sue me. But for every brain cell that dies while watching another ABC Family drama, more must be revived by a thoughtful book. Currently reading "7" by Jen Hatmaker.

4. Shower every day--even if you're not going anywhere important. This seems to be a given for most normal humans. But that whole I-hate-bathtime childhood stage never really went away for me. Just ask my lifelong friends. They know. But there is something about a shower that boosts the 'ol self-esteem. It's the simplest way of saying, "I haven't given up on myself. See? Smell."

5. Make small strides every day. Say you walk up to your boss and report what you did that day. And you say, "I went to a few bookstores and wrote down publishers for books that are similar to what I wish to create." You're likely to be met with a dumbfounded look or a "That's all?"

But when you're unemployed, trying to make tiny steps to a potential dream--that's something. I may not be able to rattle off a million things I got done in one day, but I always try to have some progress to report.

Every day hasn't seen me as this gung-ho, refreshed girl on a mission. Sometimes I want to eat Cheetos off my sweatshirt and call it a day. Sometimes I am as uninspired as the dog poop drying in Minnie's secret crap corner.

But I'm trying to look at this round as a blessing; as a time to just be a wife; to just be a creative; to just be me.

And hopefully one day I'll be able to share it all with you.

Must.take.shower.now.