Gili's Guide to Getting Laid Off

As a structuralist, it is necessary for me to have a schedule in order to lead a productive and enjoyable life while unemployed.

My schedule is flexible in so much as I may choose to fulfill each task in whatever order works best for me. Unless the circumstances change, each task is given my complete attention for the time alloted. No task should be allowed to take up more or less time than what's been scheduled. I have added flexibility in my allotments where necessary.

Here are a list of tasks and times that I have given myself:

1-2 hours job searching, cover letter/resume writing
1-2 hours writing (current projects)
1-2 hours Aikido
30 minutes-1 hour business planning/researching

Onward

On Friday, I was laid off. I'm not going to post the details here, but if you want to know more, feel free to send me an email and I can fill you in. This feels like an opportunity to be deliberate in my choices. It's unfortunate that this happened during a recession, but I am going to be okay and I'm excited about what the future. My creative energy is bursting forth. I wish New York wasn't so unreasonably expensive and difficult, but I'm going to try to stay positive and enjoy my freedom.

Saturday, Joe and I took ten different trains.


We met up with my parents at Sarabeth's in the Whitney for brunch.


My parents and Joe talked theater. After brunch, Joe and I stuck around to see the new Jenny Holzer show. Her new work is almost traumatizing in its honesty, forcing the viewer to engage.


From the Whitney, Joe and I walked along Central Park. Then we headed to Dumbo to research our new business idea (a secret).

Then we headed back into Manhattan to attend Joe's friend's birthday party. Finally, we ended up in Astoria, where we crashed until 11 am today.

I don't know if it's flu-related, denial, or Aikido-based, but my anxiety has been at a much lower intensity level than I've experienced in a long time.

Relevant movie: We watched one of my favorite Coen brothers' movies, Hudsucker Proxy, which parallels my latest work experience in frightening and hilarious ways.

Amish Friendship Bread update: Joe's Ziploc full of starter ingredients opened in his bag and so he tossed his portion out. I gave away the other two bags. Joe made delicious French toast out of one of my loaves. I think I am finally finished with AFB for good. Next time someone tries to pass it off on me, I will refuse this evil "gift."

Shalosh pinot

To celebrate Purim and to continue with Joseph's Jewish Immersion, tonight Joe made hamentaschen while I watched.


I'm still too sick from the flu to be much help.


Joe made two different kinds of filling: fig and orange, and halva.









While all of that hamantaschen baking was going on, I whipped up two loaves of Amish Friendship bread.


And guess who got suckered into being one of my Amish friends?


I think Joe's going to look dapper in his bonnet.


Jewish? Amish? Aren't we all just people?

Finding our way back

Last night, Jen Holland had a layover from Detroit to Montreal at LaGuardia from 11:30 pm until 6:30 am. I was supposed to meet her at the airport and camp out overnight, but I was sick with the flu, so she took a cab to my house. Before last night, we hadn't seen each other in seven years.


I designed the tattoo on her arm.


Her visit feels like a feverish dream.


I was much more mellow than usual because of flu exhaustion, but we still managed to have several photo shoots.






















Jen read through some of the letters she's written me in the past seven years. She wanted to understand why I thought she sounded like a self-help book.


We did a compare-and-contrast study of the letters she sent me right after I graduated from college and was living in San Francisco versus her more current letters. Her old letters were much more about day-to-day events. Her newer letters are more focused on self-reflection.


We went up to the roof and had a look around.


And then she was gone.

sugar, sugar

While strolling through the East Village, Riva and I tried out, Butter Lane cupcakes this afternoon.


Though the server was unfriendly, the smell, taste, and ambiance were delicious.


Butter Lane offers two cupcakes: vanilla or chocolate. Then you get to choose frostings from a list of eighteen.


Best friends/cupcakes forever.


We tried chocolate with coffee frosting,


and vanilla with cream cheese frosting.


Both were light, fulfilling, and in the top five of the New York cupcake choices.


Later on, we ran into Babycakes, the vegan bakery in the Lower East Side.


We figured why not make it two for two? We both tried the spelt-flour carrot cupcakes with vanilla frosting.


Pretty yummy for vegan.










It's not obvious from this picture, but Riva was overjoyed to learn that Babycakes serves Stumptown Coffee, a Portland bean, which she cherished back in her West Coast days. She broke her two-month break from coffee to revisit this treasure.

Enter cast of characters

Friday night, I met up with Abbey and her gang for pizza and sangria at Three of Cups.


Riva and Joe joined us, too.


The lighting isn't great for taking pictures, but that didn't stop me from trying. Here are Mike and Heather.


The ghosts of Erica, Nick, and Mike.










After dinner, Joe suggested a sweet stop at 16 Handles. It was almost warm enough to sit outside.