At Home Remedies

If you are unemployed chances are that you are uninsured. This week my "boyfriend" gave me a major sinus infection.  Since I am too broke to stock up on generic drug store brand medication, and since I know his promise of getting some for me will not come through.... here are some handy dandy home remedies.

1. Inhale steam vapors. So go take that hot bath, shower, or sauna! Inhale deeply over your cup of reused teabag tea!
   
2. Consumption of garlic, or garlic juice. Gross? Maybe. Garlic is a natural anti-biotic and anti-fungal. My friend Dave used to swear by eating garlic. Every year when the college campus came down with the plague, David would be eating garlic by the cloves. He was the last one to get the plague and generally never down for long. I think I will stick with garlic pasta.
   
3. Stay away from dairy. The consumption of dairy leads to the production of mucus. Just ask any singer.
4. Nasal irrigation. NETTY POT! I love and swear by my netty pot. When I have one near by and start to get congested I just break out the netty pot. If you don't know what a netty pot is, then you are missing out.  It looks like a small genie lamp or tea kettle. You use it to wash out your sinuses by mixing a saline solution and then pouring the contents in one nostril. If you have your head angled right the saline will come out the other nostril, washing away mucus and other gross stuff with it. 
5. Consuming an obscene amount of fluids. Now don't drink yourself to death. If you're not one to grab a glass of water or drink a cup of tea, now maybe the time to start doing so.

Considering second-hand underpants

I think this video sums up a lot about what I am talking about:

Ways to re-organize your life.

I came back to Florida on Saturday. Reality decided to immediately fuck me over. I found out that my boyfriend has moved on with his life. His family is selling the condo that he told me he owned. His mother is paying for all the bills he said he was paying.  In the greater scheme of things this really only matters because he lied about it. That and I don't want to be that girlfriend... you know, the one that takes complete advantage of the whole family.

Now I am getting my life together. While I am applying for jobs here, I am shipping about 95% of what I own back to MN. It shall be stored for "free" (I am not paying the heating bills, my dad is) in a spare bedroom at my father's house. For everyone's information: UPS has the cheapest shipping rates if you choose UPS Ground. Thankfully, this has made me throw out quite a bit of stuff that should have gone when I moved in back in May.  I am three garbage bags full and only 10% done.

I am in the air over whether or not I will be moving back.  Okay, I know I am going to have to move back. I just don't want to admit to it. I want to believe that I can make this work, however that is a dream. It's like clapping for Tinker Bell. Seeing as how he is about to move back in with his parents and that he is planning on staying in Florida, it's not going to work. It would have worked out if I wasn't from MN. If I chose to stay in Florida for more than the next year or two. If only I had a job.  That's really what it boils down to: if only I had a job and didn't need to live at my parents.

The unfortunate upside to living at my parents is that I can pay down on my credit cards instead of paying rent. I can also get my CNA certification again, for free. If I became re-certified in Florida it would cost about $1,000. CNA certification is like Jesus teaching you to fish. You will always be able to find a job. If I am back in Minnesota, I can work on my credit rating (which tanked after graduate school). I can work on paying off my debts. AND most importantly I can work on what's going to happen next.

I am not upset or even bothered by the fact that he lives at home. I kind of want to live at home. The problem is that I didn't invite someone to come stay with me. That I didn't mislead about my situation. The moral of the story is this: BE HONEST. Tell your significant other that you're in a tough spot. That you can't help them out. Being honest is a better resolution than finding out later that UPS Ground is the best way to ship your life somewhere.

For all those considering applying for unemployment.

For those considering applying for unemployment, consider this first. The application process is confusing, frustrating, and does not take into consideration any employment such as assistantships, fellowships, work-study, or conference related payments.  The unemployment system is not up-to-date for the vast population of twenty-somethings. Be prepared if you are considering applying.

While the benefits are great, be prepared.  Read any information regarding your state's unemployment rules and regulations. My personal experience is with the state of Minnesota's unemployment.  Minnesota allows seasonal workers and people with out-of-state work experience to apply.  The catch-22 is you have had to earn $1,000 in the past three quarters, and only $250 in the current quarter. This is information blatantly posted on their website, in their brochures, and even part of their automated telephone system.   What they do not explain is what a quarter consists of (3 months make up every quarter).  Since they do not consider any employment that was gained as a student, this automatically disenfranchises anyone who recently went to school.

The other catch-22 is that you can very easily disqualify yourself by traveling out of state. In fact, you can even disqualify yourself by traveling out of your commuting area.  The state of Minnesota defines the commuting area within 25 miles of your home.  I recently applied for unemployment, however I left for Florida.  According to the completely annoyed service representative, I need to continue looking for work. "Looking for work" means that you list every employer's address and contact information for every place that you apply and interview at. You must apply to at least five positions a week.  The larger issue is that if the state of MN does not believe that I actually applied, they can deny my unemployment. Seeing as how I am not eligible for the benefits to begin with, I am not too bothered by this. Personally, this means I must apply for forbearance on my student loans instead of deferment.

If you are going to apply you should have the following prepared.

1. Find out if you need to go into an unemployment office or if you need to apply online or via telephone.
   
2. Have your driving license ready.
   
3. Your last paystubs for any job that you had within the past 18 months. Make sure you have addresses, names, or any other contact information your state may require. 
4. Make sure you know specific date of employment and the date you were laid off.
   
5. Be prepared that you may have to wait up to a week before you can start receiving benefits. In some states you may need to wait until the next quarter. For example if you were laid off in January, you may not receive payments until April. 
6. Call your student loans as soon as you have found out that you are eligible or not. Unlike credit cards, student loans are willing to work with you to pay your bills.
   
7. Whatever happens do not feel intimidated.  It happens to everyone. Now is the time to make finding a new job your job.