Playing the Pro and Cons Game

If you are thinking that I'm posting this in the morning because I had another headache last night, you are correct, unfortunately. I am knocking dents into wood as I say that right now, I don't have a headache. Oh, please...

The way that I started Monday's post made me think some more about the pros and cons of being laid off.

Cons:

• Insecurity (fiscal, mostly). I'll get severance pay for a little while, and I signed up for unemployment benefits. The severance should kick in more or less right away (should), the unemployment takes a few weeks to get started. In other words, I don't know when the next money will go into my bank account. Since the bills keep coming in regardless, I get...
  
• Headaches. Stress is one of my headache triggers. Therefore, I have been having more headaches. This sucks so much.
• I liked my co-workers. We'll get together once in a while, but it isn't the same.
• There are some noisy kids in this neighborhood! I know it's related to the headache issue, but they've seemed really, really loud some days, with the bike wheels rattling and skateboards rustling, running and yelling and bouncing basketballs. Loud. Outside my bedroom.
  
• My garden. It's been hard to go from seeing it five days a week to needing to schedule a 40-mile round-trip to see it.
  

Pros:

• More sleep. I've been staying up a little later than I do on a working schedule, and usually sleeping quite a lot later. This is very nice. I could get used to this. I'd better not...
• More time to get stuff done around the house. Not that I'm getting everything done, but I have more time... to... not do it. Hmm, that sounded more like a plus in my head than it looks in print.
  
• Visiting my parents. Somewhere in his writing, Dave Barry started a sentence with, "If you are, like so many of us, getting older...", and ever since then, I've hesitated before saying things like, "Well, they are getting older" since, yes, we all are. Let's just say that it's good to have time to go see them again.
• I'm saving a lot of money on gas.
• Not having to wear grown-up clothes. Hello, sweatpants, hello t-shirts!
• Not being in a freezing cold office.
• I can shop during the day, avoiding much of crowdedness in the stores and on the roads. I am, in fact, experiencing a disinclination to go out after about 4.
  
• Kitty time. I would enjoy spending more time with the cats in any event, but given the uncertainty of Pan's condition, it's a blessing to be able to hang out with him more.

Speaking of which, it's time for another rousing game of "How many cats do you see in this picture?"


Also, this LOL is appropriate for today, when I will be packing:



P.S. Happy birthday, my friend!