Updates or lack thereof!

No news on the work visa since the RFE. I am desperately hoping it gets approved soon! Since I can't stop life from happening while waiting to start work, here are some updates:

1. I went to Atlantic city last weekend. I got a good deal on one of the boardwalk hotels. I lost the free voucher that came with the Greyhound ticket. I didn't win anything playing slots. Well, $20 doesn't really get too far. LOL. But I don't go there to gamble. I just like walking on the boardwalk, browsing at the nearby Outlet stores, eating Rita's custard, staring at the ocean waves, and generally whiling the time away from NYC. I had a great time with friends! They went straight to work on Monday morning. I of course got to stay behind until Monday afternoon because I have no work to go to.

2. I lost my old business card in Atlantic city or most probably in the bus back to NYC. I had one tucked into my Ipod case and it fell...somewhere. So if anyone finds it, please don't call or email me. I don't work there anymore!

3. My old boss emailed me yesterday. He asked how I am doing and where I am now. He also asked something about my taxes. For a while, I contemplated if I should just say I am still in NY and leave it at that. But I know better, that when my boss asks "where are you now" he means, what are you up to? Did you move to California?

4. I told my old boss the Los Angeles job didn't pan out. He knows about it since the LA firm contacted him for a reference. Although the LA firm offered me a job, they wanted to place me somewhere else on the east coast and low balled me on salary. No, thank you. Anyway, I told my boss I accepted a job in a NY firm.

5. My old boss emailed again. He wanted to know where I am working now. I emailed back to give him the firm name, but said I have yet to start as I need my new work visa. Didn't hear back from him after that.

6. When I resigned from my old job, my boss only wanted to give me time off. It even slipped that if I resigned, then he would have to do another work petition to hire me back. Perhaps he planned on hiring me back. He even invited me to dinner earlier this year and asked if I missed work. I did not give any indication that I wanted my old job back. May be if I did, I would already be employed by now. It's not that he was a bad boss. I just needed growth. (Since I am being brutally honest here, increased salary and benefits would also have been nice.)

7. I talked to my mom the other day to tell her that my work visa petition had some issues. She asked if I still have money. I mumbled something and said, "yeah, I am okay."

8. Honestly, I don't even know how I am going to pay next month's rent! I did tell my sister that I am nearing bankruptcy and I would need to be bailed out soon. I made her promise not to tell our parents. I already owe them soooo much! My sister said she won't tell, and she'd send me money, I need only ask. I can't make myself ask though.

9. May be I should sell some of my stuff after all. I had my TV and guitar for sale a while back, in case I ended up going home, at least I would have already disposed of my things. But then I received a job offer, so I removed my 'for sale' ad.

10. I've had my cable TV disconnected since June. Although I am not a big TV watcher, I do miss having some white noise sometimes. Besides, I love Jeopardy, and now I don't even get to watch that. I'd miss not having cable even more this Fall, what with all the new shows and Grey's Anatomy. May be I could get an indoor antenna?! Then again, I need to sell the TV to raise some cash for rent. Oh this sucks!

11. Only my immediate family knows that I quit my job and that I've been unemployed for over half a year now. Well, them and two of my closest friends. This means that the rest of my family (aunts, uncles, cousins) and other friends think I am still employed and busy. I have limited any contact with them since they might ask how work is going. I hate lying. I squirm. If I told them I quit, there'd be more questions. I am not ready to explain now or ever. I also feel that some of them (at least my extended family here in the US) will judge me for quitting my job in a tough economy and for not finding a new job immediately. Oh the irony!