day one

Ironically, my right wrist is killing me from carrying maybe 30 pounds of beads back from Manhattan yesterday.

A couple of friends have offered advice or said they would keep an eye out.  I talked to the NYS tax people (they levied my account about a week ago, and then released part, and I was to make payments of 10% of my gross).  I told the man that I had lost my job and offered to pay the percentage from my last two paychecks.  He was very nice and said, "Well, you might need that money."  I said I was worried about my account being levied again.  He said if I do not make the voluntary payments (that 10%), they would contact my employer. He said I should call back in a month to make sure there was no action against my account.

I'm also going to file for unemployment -- I don't think I'm eligible, but all they can say is no.  Can't file right now because I worked four days this week.  I can do it on Monday.

I finished a beautiful bracelet last night, and really enjoyed myself making it.  I haven't made as much jewelry in the past couple of years, but I find when I do it now, I'm slower and more meticulous and take more pleasure in the process.  For instance, when I was working on the bracelet, I decided that I didn't really like a three-pearl element I had used.  I used to let that kind of thing go.  But this time I removed it, and removed anything that I tried and didn't really love, so when it was done, it was exactly the way I wanted it.  Well, almost.  The clasp I had wanted to use turned out to be a bum one, wouldn't stay closed.  It was a drag, because it was a box clasp with a beautiful faceted peridot that mirrored a small portion of peridot in the bracelet.  But I ended up with a silver box clasp, which looked just fine.

I am planning a lazy day today, although I did check into the state tax situation and unemployment.  But I'm definitely going to kick back a bit, and then start the job-hunting grind tomorrow.