Day One

Yesterday, January 21st 2009, was Barak Obama's first day at work as President of the United States. Incidentally, it was my last day of work. After a little under a year, me and two others were let go yesterday from the well established architecture firm in the capital city.

Our regular office meeting is held every Wednesday at noon. Yesterday it was pushed back from noon to around 3 pm; I suppose this was a sign, as was a casual conversation with one of the principals about my sister who lives in Portland, OR. At 3pm we all gathered around the conference table and were to split into three groups to discuss how the office was going to manage the next several months of slowed work. People's names were called. The first group went with the tall, male principal, the second group went with the young, female principal and whomever's name was not called stayed with the Queen principal -- to not have your name called was not a good thing it turned out. We were reassured that this was not a performance based decision and that they simply had to reduce by 3 salaries to stay financially viable.

The well established architecture firm did try to find a place for at least two of us somewhere. The goal being to bide us and them a little time after which they were hoping to be able to take us back in Austin assuming all their projects started up in the early summer as expected. We were made an offer of a 'semester abroad', which meant relocating to a firm in Oregon (including a living stipend) for three months until the well established architecture firm could take us back. This would have almost worked, except for our arrival in Oregon needed to happen by February 2nd and by the looks of the economy it seems quite possible those projects could remain on pause. In younger days I surely would have jumped at this chance. In current days, with doggie, boyfriend, mortgage and enough past experiences dropping everything to move somewhere for a short amount of time -- I just can't do it. I made a recent resolution for myself to quit jumping at opportunities that involve throwing my life into chaos. The goal was basically to tend the roots I have put down here, which I quite like, and to try and just sit still and see what happens. I've never felt 100% committed to architecture so maybe this is my chance to reevaluate.

Thus, today becomes my first day of unemployment. Though my first inclination was to keep the big news private as long as I could, that went out the window fast. I ran into a friend at my first stop, the bar down the street from the well established architecture firm. http://www.riorita.net A group of teachers done with school for the day were kicking back with a few drinks. I spilled my beans in a matter of minutes which felt good and then bad and then good again.

So the news is slowly trickling out and I'm hearing from friends who are asking around and promise to let me know if they hear of anything which is really sweet. In the meantime I will need to do some freelancing and investigate unemployment. Its amazing how instantly expensive everything has become to me. Would I have made the dinner plans on Tuesday for Thursday night if I knew what was coming on Wednesday at 3pm, I ask myself? Maybe buying the new sleeper chofa (union of chaisse + sofa) this past weekend would have been postponed? Definitely I would not have bought those expensive Swedish bathroom accessories -- oh well, recession or no recession, they certainly are pretty. http://www.smedbo.com