Not working is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Everyone moans and groans at me:

FB, SHUT UP..

You’re NOT working and having a great time napping and doing all of this fun stuff like staring at clouds instead of staring into some stupid co-workers bald, diseased head…

SHUT UP! I HATE MY JOB! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!

Okay. Yeah. I shut up when I heard that (for the record, I only said that ONCE and my friend went ballistic on me because her boss was riding her ass on some stupid TPS Cover Sheet, which I totally understand and switched the subject to cupcakes and her upcoming wedding.)

But not working is not all that it’s cracked up to be. It’s boring.

It’s fun for the first month or two … maybe three, but then you’re bored. What do you do all day?

If I had unlimited access to money I’d probably go out shopping, eating at nice places and just having fun in general, but I thought about it, and I don’t want to go out shopping every day.

IT GETS BORING!

I know, blasphemous for a former Shopaholic.

But seriously. Going out shopping? All the time? Eating out all the time? Horrible.

As for eating out: when I traveled a lot, I ate out at restaurants every single meal while on business. After 3 years of that, you’re sick of eating out.

You don’t want to even think about a restaurant, eating the same damn thing over and over again because you’ve sampled the entire menu in every single restaurant in the vicinity and have only found 3 things you’ve liked.

I ended up sticking to plain food from the grocery store, like fresh bread and cheese. Or some raw fish and rice.

Everyone was shocked: But you could eat ANYTHING! FOR FREE! What a dream!

Yeah. I could. And I did. And it got boring. And I got a little bit fatter as a result. Plus, you feel sluggish after some beer battered fish and chips.

I love to travel, and if I had unlimited funds, I’d go travelling all over the world, all year long. But that would get tiring and I’d long for home as well, right?

Still, that’d occupy my time for a year or five. And something I’d love to do. But alas, I am not a billionaire, and I would probably hate airline delays, waiting in the airport and getting motion sickness — what I always dread when I travel.

I also don’t have any kids or pets. So I don’t have anyone to account for, except for myself.

B-O-R-I-N-G.

I’m overly attentive to BF now, ironing his shirts happily, cooking, cleaning, doing dishes, vacuuming.. But you can only clean so many hours in a day. Like 2, max, because we have a small place.

I think he shut the door last night to get some peace from my bouncing all over the place.

Blogging? Same thing. I have 5 months of posts written now. Isn’t that nuts? 5 months!

At this rate, I’ll be done for all of 2009.

I’m keeping up with my Google Reader for once, and no one is available (because they’re all busy and working) on Twitter to keep me entertained.

I don’t have a cable TV, and I can’t even go on Hulu or Fancast (don’t have an American IP address and I tried Hotspot Shield but then it f*cked up and stopped working).

I can go cycling or for walks, but everyday? Around the same neighbourhood? Kill me.

Doing yoga daily? Check.

I could head downtown and walk, but it’s a waste of a subway ticket because there’s no purpose. I don’t need to go downtown. I don’t need to buy anything, and I end up buying things I want if I go window shopping.

So, not working? Not all it’s cracked up to be, believe it or not, because you need actual hobbies. Like a garden, or friends who also don’t work and can come over and do (cheap) crazy stuff with you.

But through it all, I am lucky that I have the option to work or not and to not be financially destitute or in debt and being lucky in that respect. Phew!

Then again, my living expenses (read: necessary living expenses) are under $1000 a month now. At $700 I believe. So I don’t need to spend much. And I DID get out of debt by really breaking my back.

I am itching to get a job stocking grocery shelves – it feels weird not to work, after working so hard during school to make ends meet.

Moving on: I get random texts meant for another girl

Kind of sad. But funny.

I get funny messages on my new cellphone from someone who was clearly a party girl. I get guys texting me all the time:

HEY GORGEOUS! Woke up thinking of you.

or

Sexxxxxxxxxy girl. Where u @ these days?

or

Remember the time we went 2 that bar? We had a wild time that nite.

This one took the cake:

[Name] …. I do not know if u will get this text. I have met someone and am going to get merried. I thought I would let u know.

Why? Because you two hooked up and she broke your heart?

And you couldn’t spell “married” yet you think you’re mature enough to commit the act?

This girl is a total heartbreaker from the texts I get.

I texted back: I am not [Insert Name]. Please Facebook her. I am a new girl.

This isn’t exactly a blog per se, but they have some seriously awesome articles on here. Think of it like a hipper, more modern Reader’s Digest. The reviews of products are not sugarcoated, and the writing is very honest and down to Earth than a lot of other sites since they are all written by people who submit articles and get paid (like Pay per post but a lot more sophisticated).

This is a really fantastic resource for all things finance. Not a single trace of personal drama in here (unlike my site!) and it’s a straight-up, all around great finance blog that has just enough of a personal twist in there to make it likable and easy to relate to as well as understand.

This guy is witty and always sharp and on point. His posts are about law (natch), but not necessarily lawyer-y to the point where those of us who aren’t lawyers can’t understand what he’s saying. If you’re a professional, you’re going to understand where he’s coming from.

Great starting posts? Using the office supply cabinet in creative ways and when all else fails, blame the associate (a post I really related to).

Angie is like my personal online stylist. She features trends (her posts are like half posts), and tells you quickly how to rock it in a stylish manner. It’s a beautifully designed site as well.

She isn’t the type to tell you to wear hideous jumpsuits or harem pants either. If the trend sucks, it really sucks and she is not afraid to let you know.

A good starting post: Are you new to YLF?

Love her or hate her, I do like that she wears affordable clothing – affordable being a relative word here as I find J.Crew to be expensive as well.

It’s just that I normally I see First Ladies turned out in designer brands and I cannot even pretend to be able to afford anything in that price range. At least with J.Crew, it’s within my financial reach.

This site basically does a photo blog of her outfits, and some of them are truly stunning. She has a thing for sheath dresses, I’ve noticed. The way I have a thing for wrap dresses, and I like the way she’s simple while being fashion forward on a budget.

Past Blog Features

• January 2009
• February 2009
• March 2009
• April 2009