Seattle

Unemployment is a strange existence. Other times I've not worked it's been because of termination or quitting. The remedy was always the same, applications and interviews. The union takes those steps out of the process. Now I just sit by the phone and wait to be told where to go to work. I still make my weekly call for unemployment compensation but that check is slightly more than half of what I was sweating to get paid.

Not that I'm not sweating. Yesterday was 2 hours of indoor soccer again. 40 young, fit and fast men (kids from my perspective) had occupied both fields at Breakaway. I started playing on the west field with all the 18-21 year olds and it was impressive as they were putting on a camp schooling each other. Besides the usual 56er's there was a pair of UW-Madison players so everyone had upped it a notch. I stuck to the basics and ran the routes I knew and kept the passes crisp and direct. This masked my lack of speed and inability to dribble. I even had two nearly perfect headers. So when the east field asked for more players later in the session I quickly trotted around the divider. This field had a base demographic more to my liking- old and slow. As I opened the gate I was met by Crash who is sporting a full face of red hair. He might be tired of being a lowland gorilla and gone back to a more genetically correct orangutan.

Since Karen and Sephie were booked on a flight to Seattle weeks ago and after a talk with the apprenticeship director I booked a trip to Seattle as well. Trading cold and snow for cold and rain may not make sense, but I need a Tully's fix. So from the 27th to the 7th I'll be near some real mountains.

I'd best get off the Mac and get started with some work. I've spent roughly $600 on tools and lumber at Home Depot in the last two days in the hope I would build a cedar lined closet in the laundry room. It won't build itself , will it?