unemployed day 17

The day after I left Modine (Wednesday) I drove with my #3 son to Chicago to deliver a 1975 BMW R60/6 to a buyer and pocket $2,000. That was a blessing, I mean really, a gift from God to get me going into this transition in a positive manner. I had been trying to sell this bike since Sept. 2008 and it happened to finally close on that day. Even better. Along with that in the next few days I shipped a guitar amp to a customer in Texas and sold a BMW seat backrest for more than I expected to get. Then I did my taxes and found out that even though I had made adjustment to 2008 withholding so that I wouldn't get a large refund back I am still getting $3,000 in refunds; about $3,000 more than what I was expecting. Keep on tithing, baby!
I decided not to jump into the job search mode but to transition into it. I have had too much up to this point and need a new attitude.
So, some days were just getting things done around the house. One day I spent pulling the top-end off of the R100RS and delivering to Glen at Thoroughbred Cycles for rebuild. Should I be spending money right now? Just remember that I don't make car payments and my motorcycles are paid for too. If the R100RS was strong enough and got 44 mph with low compression from a worn out top end just think how good it is going to be if it is made right. Woot! I should get the parts back by the end of February and start reassembling that bike. Meanwhile Gilera the R100T will get any warm winter riding opportunities that come up. I digress.
The second week of my unemployment I spent at the outplacement classes provided by Modine through Lee Hecht Harrison and I found those to be very helpful to start getting on track for the upcoming job search campaign. and to realize that my resume needed more than updating. At the end of that week I had a stinking good resume and cover letter and beginning to develop strategy. Sunday afternoon I actually began to do some online searching.
I have been active searching this week and have been learning a lot. As always. Keep honing the strategy. I spent one afternoon at Kohl's shopping, don't laugh, I just suddenly realized that I did not have any dress shirts that were a good comfortable fit that I could wear a tie with and still breath normally during a job interview. Should I be spending money right now? Um, the shirts and dress socks are good investment but I returned the two neckties ($45 yikes) the next day. I am such a sucker for skinny neckties, I hate those wide neckties that have been in style since for ever that look like they were designed for circus clowns. Still, I could not justify the expense and will stick with the excellent ties that I have now that were rescued from thrift stores. Some guy died so that I could inherit from the thrift store his skinny necktie that he bought in 1966. Thanks dude.
I have run some networking leads into dead ends but I have right now a possibility at an interview Monday(?) with a pretty good sounding employer. The weather is finally above freezing today and this weekend. I am up right now.
I have been prayed for and counseled by some pretty awesome folk. People from my Mt. Zion church family are blessing me. I realized the other day that instead of just praying to God for new job that I want to pray for a new opportunity to be placed in a position that I can freshly be His witness and start fresh at doing His will. Scarey stuff. New opportunites at my age!!

unemployed day 14

Yep.
I was let go from Modine Manufacturing Co. Racine WI a fortnight ago. Immediately I felt RELIEF; impending and escalating doom had been creating anxiety in me since long before Christmas. Just let me know, should I stay or should I go now?*** So good to know that I was gone.
I have never been in quite this position before. I mean, of all my brothers and sisters I have been between jobs more than any of them but this is a little different. Bad: = I am older now, how is that going to play out? When I was younger this was a little exciting now it's just stressfull. Good: = I never had severence pay before. I have a 7 week buffer before state unemployement kicks in, if I get that far.

*** Am I Internet ADD? Whoa! I am plodding along in this really serious blog and then suddenly I realize that I quoted Joe Strummer of the Clash and so I start looking up stuff about the Clash and then I realize that part of the reason that I like the Clash so much is because I liked Mott the Hoople so much and that Mick Jones played guitar in both and Mott the Hoople was kind of pre-punk post-glam in the evolutionary process of it all and .... wha?
I have a potatoe in the oven which is nothing like a bun in the oven and I am going to eat it with Progresso tomato soup. I want to call Chris and talk with her. I will.

2009

I'm