Yeah.  Unemployed since August 7, 2009.  Husband unemployed since August 31, 2009.  We joined the “ranks” of unemployed 17 months ago now.  I’ve been looking for and applying to Admin-type jobs for 16 months with little to no success.  My mother passed away on August 25 of 2009 so although I was “looking for work” I was able to take some time to clear out her home, grieve somewhat and basically try to get my shit together.  Some say the “timing was good”.  Is that what it is?  When your mother passes away at the young age of 69 - just 2 weeks after you get laid from a job you loved – is that good timing?  Just 2 weeks before your husband gets laid off?  Well, “yes”, some say, because it “gave us time” to do what “needs to be done” in those circumstances without the “worry of work” hanging over our head.   Ok.  Whatever.

Grieving never aside, I still need a job.  A great job actually.  One like I had, that I really enjoyed at the California DOJ.  I was a contractor so not a State employee.   I even re-applied at SRA – that’s how desperate I’ve been to get back to full time work and medical benefits.

Husband, Bob, also needs an excellent job because he has excellent skills!  He was working in the Silicon Valley for the last 11 years since we moved to the Sacramento area.  Why was he still in Silicon Valley?  Duh.  Salaries are twice as high, literally, for what he does.  The problem was that he had to live there monday through friday, and came home on weekends to be with me and his son.  That sucked.  We will be married 25 years in August 2011, but we’ve only actually “lived full time” together for 14 years.  We don’t want to do that again.  However, if the job market for IT remains stagnant as time moves on, his only option for keeping our home in the Sacramento Valley may be to take a job opportunity, again,  in the Silicon Valley!  Ugh!  NO!  We want to support the economy here in ther northern Sacramento area.  We are both willing to work and be responsible, an integral support system to our community.  We will keep on keeping on til that happens!