Unemployment in Sydney. Interestingly, the area where I live (the inner suburbs) has relatively low unemployment, whereas in the distant suburbs it’s climbing. Presumably that has to do with the cost of living in the inner city. I guess if you can afford to live here at all, the chances are you’re in a more stable industry and you can get rehired easily. Seems pretty pathetic to pin your optimism on some dubious government statistics, but I’ll take it.

Lessons Learned in the Past 24 Hours

1. If/when you get laid off, resist the urge to drown your sorrows for at least a few hours. Get to a computer, dust off your CV, and start sending emails.
2. When you do go to drown your sorrows, get other people to pay. Note: Everybody is really, really nice to you when you’ve just been laid off.
3. Always wait til the last minute to buy expensive hats and wigs for your company Christmas party, because if you buy them and get retrenched the very next day, inevitably the stupid shop will refuse to give you a refund. (Bastards.)
4. Don’t underestimate the power of spite. Get angry at the idiots who let you go. (Don’t they know how awesome you are?!) Use that as motivation to get cracking right away.
5. Don’t be proud. Tell everyone you know that you’re looking for work. You never know where a lead is going to come from.
6. People are amazing. I had no idea how many folks would be willing to help me out, even “Internet-friends” that I’ve never met. (Sample email I received today: “You don’t know me, but my wife knows you from some knitting site and said I should email you my company’s open positions…”) Maybe there’s something to karma after all.
7. I am so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful friends. When I moved here seven years ago, I didn’t know anybody other than the Snook, his family, and a couple of his college buddies. The outpouring of support I’ve had in the past 24 hours has been really gratifying and humbling. Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you to those of you that poured sangria down my throat; thank you to those who sobered me up; thank you to those who sent job leads and tips; thank you to those who offered kind words and encouragement.

It’ll be good. I actually had an interview today, about 25 hours after I got the axe (which must be some kind of record, right?). Regardless of whether it works out or not – pleasepleasepleaseplease – it was good to have some immediate positive reinforcement. Things aren’t dire yet. The sun is still shining, and I’ve got a path ahead of me. It’ll be good.

Laid off
Well, at least you can all officially say that you now know someone who was a victim of the economic down-turn. Anybody have any good job leads?

The Barefoot Contessa’s Ultimate Ginger Cookies

I was flicking through my news feeds yesterday when this recipe started shouting at me. (No, really.) I’ve had some crystallized ginger in the pantry for ages, so I thought it might be a good way to use it up. Plus Rodd likes ginger a lot. I’m categorize myself as ginger-ambivalent, in that I like it as long as it’s not too strong (when I tend to find it sort of medicinal). So I wasn’t expecting to like these cookies. I WAS TOTALLY WRONG. I could tell as soon as I pulled them out of the oven that these were made of WIN. I handed one, still warm, over to the Snook. “These taste like Christmas!” he said. They sure do. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, with all the spiciness and aroma of the best gingerbread you’ve ever had. Highly, highly recommended. (Recipe here. I substituted treacle for the molasses since I already had some in the cupboard.)

Why the heck am I getting a Depo-Provera shot every three months when I could just play the didgeridoo? (Look, I’m all for respecting traditional culture. But I walked through Circular Quay Sunday morning and a crowd of tourists was gathered around a 12-year-old white girl playing a didge, and I didn’t see any tribal leaders standing there cursing her to a life of barrenness. Leave Nicole alone.)

Best. Movie Tie-in. Ever. Now I just have to trick the Snook into wearing it! (Link courtesy of Jenny, who is a crazy Twi-hard no matter how much she tries to deny it.)