The Daily Grind

I have developed something of a ritual during the day.  My pre-layoff schedule (up at 8:00, at work by 9:30, lunch at 12:00, home by 6:30 - hopefully - eat dinner, go to bed around midnight) was none too taxing.   Since I've been unemployed, I've adopted a new regime, including a difficult sport: power-sleeping.  Yes, I sleep at least 10 hours every day.  None of this "most adults don't get enough sleep" business for me.  No sir.  I am in training as a power sleeper.  I currently average about 11 hours of sleep per night (sometimes more, if I'm "in the zone.")  I've found that - in addition to increasing my sleeping stamina - power sleeping helps me fill the time during the day in a cost-effective way, as well.

Typically, I get out of bed around 10 or 11, and immediately turn on the computer.  I log into my computer, and then ignore it for the next hour while I get dressed.  Getting dressed as soon as I'm up is a habit I haven't managed to break, yet.  After I'm dressed, I check my email, my Facebook profile, and, typically, visit boingboing.net to see what wonderful things they've posted while I've been sleeping.  I look for job postings on CareerBuilder, Craigslist, the Texas Workforce Commission website, and the AIA website, enter that in the log I keep for the TWC, and then go forage for food in the wilderness that is Dallas.  Usually, I get a sandwich or something from Chik-Fil-A, although, occasionally, I venture into something different, like pizza.

I return home, tired from my hunting and gathering, and read the all important comics pages.  Then, I go upstairs, resume my yoga-like position in front of the computer, and work the daily crossword puzzles for the Dallas Morning News and the Houston Chronicle online.  At some point during the day, I blog.  Obviously.

What have I learned from my daily ritual?  I WOULD RATHER BE EMPLOYED.  Trying to figure out something to do during the day, now that all my grad school applications have been sent off with their attendant paperwork and portfolios, and seeing as there are NO JOBS IN ARCHITECTURE right now, there's not a whole lot to do.  I would far rather be spending ten hours per day sitting in my cubicle, making revisions to drawings or replying to commands barked at me by a client than working the daily crossword and trying to find something to do to fill my time.