I have four part-time jobs that bring in money. Thus I work almost every day, but rarely do I put in 8-10 continuous hours each day. I have set a minimum amount of money I need to bring in each day to meet the budget.

What will be my challenges in 2011? I feel confident. Should I be?

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 4,000 times in 2010. That’s about 10 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 26 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 469 posts.

The busiest day of the year was March 2nd with 37 views. The most popular post that day was Dilbert Makes Me Glad That I Got Laid Off.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were en.wordpress.com, blogcatalog.com, mapoftheunitedstates.wordpress.com, planettrash.wordpress.com, and statistics.bestproceed.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for dilbert layoffs, dilbert excel, dilbert layoff, bean counter, and dilbert budget cartoon.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Dilbert Makes Me Glad That I Got Laid Off April 2009

Notice from Barry Jackson of AARP August 2009
6 comments

Unemployment Check Still Missing for Me December 2008
5 comments

Bike group retraces Trail of Tears July 2009

Applying for Unemployment in the state of Tennessee November 2008
1 comment

I’m amused by the Republicans who want to extend the Bush tax cuts to those making more than $250,000 because these are the people who will be hiring. If so, why aren’t they hiring now. They have not been hiring for the past three years with the tax cuts. Why would 2011 be any different?

Meanwhile, I start another part-time job next week. I now work four part-time jobs. Otherwise, I would be included in the unemployment stat. Again.

I cringe when I hear the Republicans talk about cutting the budget. The budget for whom? For the past two years, my family has cut all the fun out of our budget. We no longer eat out, go out to movies or travel. I just saw Avatar last week, and it was a huge disappointment. While we were largely dependent upon unemployment benefits, we have graduated to working part-time and temporary jobs. We make less than we did on the unemployment benefits when we subtract gasoline, tires, car repair, dry cleaning and other work related expenses.

One of my jobs is interviewing people for a medical study at Vanderbilt. I travel around Davidson County and live in my car some days. I have to stop at gas stations, coffee shops and restaurants for bathroom breaks. Thus, I have to purchase something. This is a work related expense that I did not expect. Only part of my mileage is reimbursed.

So what am I thankful for this day? I’m thankful that Obama is president. I’m thankful for my family which includes my two cats. Because I work part-time for a pet food company, the cats are eating well with the discounted premium food I now feed them. The cats are fat.

I’m thankful for my health which seems to be good. Since I have a high $10,000 deductible on my private insurance plan, I may look at other plans. My current plan pays for well visits, but if I get sick, too bad.

I’m thankful for my freedom, both that nationwide and personal. While I miss travel and other amenities of making a large income, I’m content with my life in the age of austerity.

On the anniversary of my being laid off, I dreamed that the owner of the company where I worked was killed by a brick which flew from an exploding building. I ducked; the brick went through the small business owner cleanly. His guts were on the other side of the brick. A rectangular hole was in his chest. He knew that he was dying.

In this dream, I drove away from the mayhem. I’m not sure if war or Armageddon was happening. I was driving in a heavy rainstorm without any working windshield wipers. Maybe it was nighttime. It did not matter. I kept driving although I could not see where I was going. Easily that is a metaphor for the past two years. I’m moving, but I cannot see where I am going. I do not know where I am going.

I have no direction right now in my life. Juggling three part time/temporary jobs is not working for me.

I have temporary employment again. This time, I’m working for Vanderbilt University in the sociology department. I love the job, although I work only a few hours a day, as I have to work when most people are home. But it’s only temporary. And as the professor in charge of the project agreed, “All of you who were hired are grossly overqualified and underpaid.”

Although my situation is not dire since I have savings (retirement), I long for security. I’m not underwater on my mortgage, and I’d love to refinance to a more reasonable payment for my reduced income.

I feel helpless because I know that part of the reason I have not found full employment is my age and experience. I was asked last week if I would be happy working in a support role, after having a management position for years. I do not know. I did not get the chance, as apparently the employer did not want to find out.

Last week, I worked one day (14.5 hours) on a TV set. Because I worked 22.5 hours last week, I was kicked out of unemployment. I’m not sure if I will ever get my money for the five weeks that I was qualified for unemployment benefits.

This week, I have started working temporarily for Vanderbilt University. I’ve been trying to get on with Vanderbilt for two years, since I lost my regular job. I’m a research data collector in the sociology department. The professor, whose project employs me, apologized to those of us he hired because he cannot pay us more. He told us that we are all overqualified for the position (and we are). He realizes that we are there because of the economy.

Professor, I’m just glad to be there. It’s something. Unemployment benefits have let me down. I did not get what I deserved from the state of Tennessee. I’d rather be working, even temporarily.

America, do not be deceived by the “unemployment” rate. There are just as many of us working part-time or at temporary jobs to survive. Unemployment benefits are being withheld from many who deserve it.

I’m job searching this Labor Day. This is the same thing I did last Labor Day.

Is this the New America?

I’m using retirement savings to pay my monthly mortgage. I’m glad that I saved over the years.

I’m amazed at how well I can live on one-fifth of the income I had two years ago. I miss only vacations, and I’m researching how to travel for nothing. And, well, I cannot maintain a road bike on my current income.

In some ways, I like the New America, but I don’t like the pain suffered by my friends for their losses. That hurts.

I enjoy the freedom from the burden of full time employment – that 24/7 on call life style that only America lives. I love working. I have much to offer. I love being so involved in my work that I am not aware of time passing. But the old American workload was killing me.

My goal is to take the best of the old America and make it in the New America.

We have not been able to afford our usual landscaper to maintain our greenery since our job losses almost two years ago.

I purchased a 17″ hedge trimmer from Home Depot for $30. I feared buying a larger trimmer as I might lose control and cut through a leg, arm or hand. I’m clumsy sometimes.

I loved working in the yard this week. I cannot work for more than 2-3 hours at a time without exhausting myself, but I love the physical labor. I love being able to see the results of my work almost immediately.

I sweated profusely, although the weather has been quite pleasant this week. I often changed my gloves and socks midway through my morning routine. I hacked away over two years of overgrowth. I cut. I pruned. I sculpted as best I could.

Likewise, I have also been downsizing our possessions throughout the summer. We have found that many of our household goods cannot be given away. No one wants used stuff. We have learned the value of possessions, which is usually very little once they leave the store. Except for my $30 hedge trimmer, I have obtained much pleasure from trimming away that which is no longer necessary in my life.