Highs and Lows...

So the up side of being Unemployed is that I have finally had the time to get enough work completed that I have my first NYC show coming up next month. Ok, Ok, that's a slight exaggeration, it's actually in Jersey City, but it's a start and I'm really excited about it. The down side is that like the thousand of other Unemployed people in NYC I got called down to the Unemployment office today, which I can only classify as a 3 hrs journey into hell. I think for most people this mandatory workshop/interview is nothing more then a mild inconvenience, but since my previous employment did not fall neatly into their pre-set job categories. It was sheer hell.

I received an hr long lecture on how I needed to change my career, that I was not qualified for any job that would be hiring anytime soon, and that I needed to go to workshops to gain skills that could help me gain skills for real world employment. Although he was looking to help me gain employment, the whole experience was very insulting. He didn't pay attention to my work experience, and told me that my time as a Assistant Director (a very coveted job here in NYC, by the way) was essentially a Secretary job. But more insulting was the fact that he told me that despite my two degrees, from very well known Universities, that I didn't have any real world skills and most importantly that it was foolish for me to be pursuing a career in my field. I'd like to say I took the high road and kept graciously quite, but sadly I did not. I concluded the meeting by telling that I thanked him for his time, but that the 100 plus grand that I spend to educated myself, would not be tossed a side to take a job that I was over qualified for.

Although it sounds as though it were a very tense meeting it wasn't it was just insulting on my part.

On an up note though, there is was an amazing fare sale on airline tickets, so next week I'm jetting off to exotic Northern Alabama to get some much needed Landscape work done. For most this is an odd visit to be excited for but none the less I really am. New York is where my heart is and I couldn't imagine living anywhere else, but Alabama is where my soul lives. Alabama is so inspiring for me. It's been over a year since I've been and I'm itching to get in a car a just see what beautiful landscape I am lead down on those winding country roads.
















I'm so excited to re-discover all my favorite haunts of northern Alabama. I can't wait!