Hello everyone! Let’s grab a coffee and chat, shall we?

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I’m making my usual homemade coffee with my Keurig. Right now I’m enjoying the McCafe ground coffee, which I use with a reusable kcup. I do need to go to Starbucks soon for the fall drinks but I just haven’t bothered because the closest one is too much of a hassle to get to. Ah well! But let’s chat about what’s going on with life, shall we?

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If we were having coffee I’d tell you, that I’m completely and officially unemployed! I was a furloughed employee as of last April so technically I was employed even though I wasn’t, with an expected return timeframe of August. Last month I got a letter in the mail stating that I was officially terminated due to the pandemic. As I worked in the travel and events industry before, I pretty much knew this was coming, it was just a matter of when they would finally recognize it. Unfortunately, a ton of my friends also got their own letters so now we’re all off to find new jobs and careers. If you’ve followed my blog for awhile, you’ll know that I wasn’t treated too well towards the end so I’m ultimately not upset by it at all. The only thing I am sad about is that I won’t work with the friends that I did have anymore. And the oh so glamorous travel haha! (It wasn’t super glamorous actually but it was really fun and I’d get sweet hotel upgrades sometimes.) Even so, I’ll stay in touch with them and am very grateful for the opportunity to have added those good people in my life. I’m also grateful for everything I’ve learned, good and bad, and am walking away from that chapter of my life with a great sense of peace and accomplishment.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you, that I’m still puppy sitting for a bit this month! I’m LOVING having my sweet little puppy niece over and it’s so cool getting to know her better. I’ve never had a dog so it’s really interesting to learn more and see what caring for a dog is really like. She’s an easy dog and even still it’s a lot of work! Even so, it’s totally worth it and I love her so much. I’m really going to miss her when my sister picks her up! Right now she’s very pupset because I’m typing loudly and annoying her as she tries to nap.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you, I’m so obsessed with my Nintendo Switch. Specifically with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The first two weeks of having the game there was so much to do and so many changes per day to the island life. Now, things have slowed down slightly in terms of tasks to do for the game’s story but I unlocked terraforming so I’ve been changing my island like crazy! I am really enjoying the game and since I just got it but everyone else has been playing for months, I get the added benefit that my sister gifts me cool stuff as well as seeing tips and tricks online from other players.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you, job hunting is so freaking hard right now! It’s absolutely overwhelming trying to figure out what is a good opportunity and what isn’t, combined with the pressure to find a job. I, of course, have a list of requirements and desires for a new job but the only industry I have experience in is pretty much dead right now so I’m looking at different industries that I know nothing about. It’s stressful but I’m taking it one step at a time.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you, that virtual ballet is back for me! I just signed up before starting this post so it’s at the top of my mind. It’s kinda weird that the park district I take classes through is charging “non-resident” fees still considering no one is going to the building but I think it’s to make up for the taxes I don’t pay to that city (I live in a neighboring town). Now, where I live doesn’t have a huge amount of cases of COVID-19 but Illinois as a whole does have a lot of cases and is increasing too, so I totally understand the fact that we’re virtual again. In normal times I’d rather be in the studio for the benefit of actual barres and proper flooring for dance, but considering the pandemic I much prefer to be home and do it virtual.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you, how I do wish I was being more productive at home. I feel like it would have been a good time to write a book or properly learn guitar or something during the pandemic. And I know there’s still time as I’m still mostly staying home despite it not really being a “quarantine” anymore, and I’m still unemployed! But I have done cool things like bake a ton of different recipes and try new video games and have unique, new experiences like virtual dance class. So while I feel like I haven’t done enough, I’m trying not to be too hard on myself too.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you, about the pandemic in general. I’ve already mentioned how it’s affect me personally in regards to employment and dance classes after all. I’m still not going out too much except for occasional trips to get groceries at Target or TJ Maxx for a little pick-me-up (it’s dog friendly so sometimes I like the dog to get out and about). Of course I always wear a mask! Oh, and actually last month was my first experience being temperature checked! I had to pay my car insurance and my dad is a strong believer in paying in person (he’s super old school) with a check instead of online so off I went. The nice lady at the insurance office said she had to check our temperatures first which was just so funny to me because who would have ever imagined this in normal times before the pandemic! Anyway, I passed (phew!) and paid my insurance (which went down actually, thank goodness!).

If we were having coffee I’d tell you, how my “don’t be lazy” goal is going. Honestly, I’ve been a little lazy! I was doing so well but then the dog showed up and so I’ve been lazy because she loves to sleep basically all day! If I’m moving around doing stuff she doesn’t nap and then I worry she’s not getting enough rest, and it’s a struggle. I’m trying to do better though and still bake something every so often, I try to sneakily and quickly make my bed (if she sees me doing it she’ll jump up thinking it’s snuggle time), and break up tasks as much as possible. Even so, I do spend a lot of time sitting on my Switch or phone while she naps so… it’s been a few lazy weeks for me. I’ll try to do better this month once she goes home! Also, yes, I reused the same coffee photo as last month as I didn’t take a new one. Whoops.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you, about another goal of mine, “live with intention”. It’s a little hard with the pandemic but still doable. I have also been slacking on this one, not going to lie but I’m going to try to get into it more as I get more productive once the puppy is picked up.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you, about the last goal I’ve been sharing, “positivity”! I think overall I’ve been doing well. While it is weird to think about how my employment ended, I’m staying positive as I know the right opportunity will come around! Also, I’m sad that I’m unable to go out as I used to in the summers to musicals or museums in the city to hang out with my sister, but eventually it’ll be safe to do so (musicals are closed until 2021, museums are open but I don’t want to take the train to the city). And it sucks that I can’t just run to the store if I need something, I have to plan it out to make sure I’m being efficient and maximize my grocery run but I’m saving a ton of money that way (well, except for the Switch but still). There’s an upside to every down and I’m focusing on that!

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So that’s what I’d share if we were having coffee! Let me know what you’d tell me if we were having coffee together, virtually and socially distant of course!

Thanks for reading!

Pamela

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