Discount Cereal of the Week!

Being unemployed has enhanced some abilities I never knew I possessed! Things that would blow by me unnoticed two months ago are now becoming colorful and focused.

It's like I have super spider sense or something! Maybe I was bitten by a radioactive spider or hit with some nuclear waste while walking down Burnside....you know it's a possibility!

Seriously, I do feel aware of the world around me more than ever before.

I am going to guess it's the time I have to keep up on what's happening, but it could be something way cooler...you don't know!

However it's happend, I am more observant than ever. Case in point...did you know there is a volcano in Chile erupting right now. Thanks to my new super powers (and CNN) you do now!


So, during my last few trips to the store many different sales tags sparked these heightened senses of mine. You know...looking for a deal.

Then I saw it...was it real...no way, it it couldn't be...is it?

Discount Cereal of the Week! One new brand of cereal each week for only $1.99! It's like the happy hour of breakfest cereal!

And it's not that generic crap either!

Last week I devoured a box of Kid's. This week, it's all about the Golden Crisp! Next week...who knows! I can't wait though. Maybe it's Captain Crunch, Lucky Charms, Coco Puffs, or Cinnamon Toast Crunch, oh...maybe-oh-maybe Fruity Pebbles!

I am freaking out!

Before leaving the working world I was lucky to get a cup of burnt tasting Starbucks and a dry bagel before making it into the office and getting hammered with the "important" tasks of the day.

Now it's like a veil has been lifted over the morning meal time. I have been given one more chance to bask in the culinary delight of childhood cereal memories.

So Frosted Flakes with some Tony the Tiger game on the box, or Cheerios with tons of sugar!

It's all Grrrrrrrrrrrrreat!

If you've be out of work in the past 23 years you have heard of COBRA which in a nut shell it allows you to continue your medical benefits you previously had with your former employer.

The downside... You are stuck with the BILL! Depending on your former employer's benefit plan, your monthly COBRA payment could easily be $500!

So, how do you deal with this new kick in the pants? Stand up and take it!

Nice thing is you're unemployed and you've got a 60 day window were no one expects you to have all your life figured out...so, go do some research!

The first thing you should do before you sign up for anything is research other healthcare plans. If you are a spry, healthy, spring chicken-like, young adult; that can equal cheaper health care!

As part of the stimulus package just pasted, the government will assist in covering 65% of your COBRA payments! Now I am not going to go into a crazy rant about the socialization of American infrastructure like a nut-o bum screaming from the street corner that the world is ending. But if you want to check out a little more about this section of the stimulus package look up https://www.conexis.org/pdfs/COBRASubsidyParticipantFAQ.pdf.

While Conexis may not be your COBRA provider it explains things pretty well.

So with all that being said what is a broke unemployed 20 something suppose to do? Let me suggest a few things as a broke unemployed 20 something myself.....wait.

Just grab a beer and beach chair and enjoy yourself. You got 60 days my friends!

This may seem like i am indeed crazy but continue reading.

I myself was let go on December 31st, typically the last nice thing your employer will do for you is cover your health insurance for the remainder of the month. My former employer must not have received that memo, because there aren't too many days left after the 31st of any month! So January 1st came and I had no insurance. Was I worried, no way! Why? Because of that 60 day grace period. So, what should you do? Carpe Diem! Go bungee jumping, fire-walking, heli-skiing, skydiving... whatever floats your boat friend! You can rest easy during that 60 day period knowing that you can still be covered under COBRA if something goes terribly wrong. Although on second thought, if something goes terribly wrong while doing these things you may not need COBRA...hmmm.

Here's an example of something that went terribly wrong:

One of the first things I wanted to do after entering the world of unemployment was to learn how to snowboard. I have always wanted to tear down a mountain carving up the powder and hitting huge jumps. Well, really I wanted to hang out, drink a beer or two, and not spend an entire day on my back side getting snow thrown in my face by the kids from the 5 and under lessons. Anyways, after a few days I thought I had the hang of it...but gravity taught me very abruptly that I did not. On the first run of the day I had made it almost back to the end. Let me tell you, watching a 200 pound guy eat it at the bottom of a run is kinda funny, until it is you.

I flew through the air, feet over the top of my head,and landed squarely on my left shoulder. I would argue I was simply testing the density of my skeletal structure and unfortunately failed miserably. After sliding a few more feet I realized something very very bad happened. 30 mins later I was looking at an x-ray of my smashed collar bone. Even the nurse was shocked how bad it was! Before you panic, keep in mind that this is a worst case scenario situation for the uninsured, a $1000 ER visit, $500 consult with surgeon, and a $15,000 surgery to set the bone.

Thankfully I signed up for COBRA the next day, paid my premium for the month, and had the exact medical coverages I had before losing my job.

It's not cheap, but paying for the COBRA benefits is well worth it when you need it. The greatest part of this plan? If you don't go out and break your self like I did, you have the security of knowing you have health coverage available without paying a dime. Just get your ducks in a row so you know what to do at the end of that free 60 day period. I hope this helps those of you having to make this decision yourself. I am in no way an expert on medical coverage, but I did learn the hard way! Lots of healthcare institutions will give you some great free advice and if you don't know who to ask, break a bone and head over to Good Samaritan...a nice nurse can give you the coaching you need and some sweet pj's!

The Joys of Unemployment...

You’ve just be fired, laid off, downsized, forced into early retirement, whatever... First, it's perfectly acceptable for you to say "Screw them!" and perhaps utilize your freedom of speech with useful sign language.


Now that we have that out of the way, what’s next? Well of course there's self-pity, depressing sobs, expensive shrinks, copious amounts of drinking and self-help books. And when all that gets old, there is also this new fad called, "volunteering." I believe it's "volunteering" or "yollenteering," It might be a soft "v." I'm not sure, but apparently you just work...for free! It's supposed to be wild.


Ron Burgundy says, "stay classy...unemployed!"




Right now it’s time to realize this golden opportunity. Yaweh, Allah, Jesus, Buddha, Madonna, whoever you believe really, has just thrown you a bone....

Stay with me here, I know what you are thinking.


Four months ago, the world was spinning into the toilet, but at least I still had a job. Granted the worst job in the world, but a job nonetheless. So naturally I immediately commenced consuming copious amounts of alcohol with my best friend. For those who know us, this is not unordinary, but this time was different...


I myself had just finished a run-of-the-mill horrible day at work, which ended with my boss telling me all the ways I sucked, what she did and continues to do best. (Second opinion: For the record, he didn't suck at his job, he was actually pretty good at it!)

My friend's day really crushed mine though. The powers that be at his work let him know it wasn’t really going to happen, and even stooped to use the ultimate break up excuse gone bad:

"It's not us, it's you."

can you say ouch?

A couple months later, I was asked to leave my company, on New Year’s Eve no less (total douche bag move I must say).

Today we are gradually learning the ropes of the great life that can be had after one has been liberated from the chains of employment. Like Dante's Divine Comedy, I too will not miss the other layers of hell I used to refer to as my "job." And also like Dante's Divine Comedy, it's SO not funny.

In an effort to keep myself and those around me from that volaitle concoction of total boredom and pure insanity, I have started a blog to chronicling my life and situation. To those who may be suffering, bewildered or scared, I offer my wisdom on how to navigate the horrors of the unemployment office, COBRA, getting your finances in order, and how to get your friends to pay for drinks.


This blog will highlight this rare gift of freedom as much as possible, while also dealing with the practical issues of unemployment. Hopefully it can help you or someone you know work through this strange transitional period that most everyone has deal with, (at the very least, please enjoy the pretty pictures.)


Feel free to post any suggestions, rants, laundry lists, or haikus that might compell you, (please no bomb threats)