The one in which I get the axe.

So I wrote in a previous post that I had earth-shattering news. Well, this is it.

As the global economy spirals ever deeper into a precipitous recession, I received my "thank you" note and a little severance package.

Am I angry like the imp? No. A little annoyed, yes, but angry, not so much. For now I must verily hit the streets with my napkin-tied-up-on-the-end-of-a-stick and my portfolio and beg for work.

Or I could sit at home for a few months and claim unemployment because I haven't taken a vacation in four bloody years!

yes, I think I'll do that. The latter. I can sleep in late. Watch TV with my feet up while eating bags of ships and jelly beans. I can sit out on the porch and mock people as they climb into their cars and head off for work. I can spend time online looking at useless websites and reading everyone else's postings on blogspot.

This is going to be splendid.

And then I heard Frank

No diligent blog postings for a while because I have been a busy little bee. I've been a busy little bee trying to drum up some work for the home hive. And I've been doing this is the greatest city in the world.

Frank once told us to start spreading the news. And spread the news we did. Hardly a front page ad on the New York Times because that would take muchas mulla that I don't have, but I went to New York with D&C. Fun times.

Four job interviews in three days. And a bit of sightseeing in between.

And some crazy woman wearing a bikini in Times Square in weather cold enough to make a squirrel's nuts shrivel.

More Spokane. Seriously.

Not many people get to make a trip out to places like Spokane, Washington.

Paris, yes. New York, almost always. London, if you're feeling rich. But Spokane? Not so much. So here are few more pics I took while I was there this past weekend.

And check in tomorrow for a very interesting post. Major life changes happening right here.

Spokane? Seriously?

Yes, seriously. Here I am in Spokane, Washington. I arrived on Friday to judge their local ADDY Awards.

Three connecting flights later, and here I am.

It's small. Definitely smaller than what I am used to, but wow is it beautiful out here in the Pacific northwest! Fir trees, snow, clean air. Oh, the ads that needed to be judged were also pretty good.

Funny story: I thought my flight back was at 10am so I booked a ride to the airport early, only to realize my flight actually leaves just after noon. Which gives me more time to run around like a silly tourist and take photos of this quaint little city by the river.

And just for clarification, it's pronounced SPO-KAN. Yup, Spokane. Near nature, near perfect.

Maybe it's time to just disappear

You know, like disappear. Be a recluse. Vanish from civilization where no one can bother me. Where the economy wouldn't reach me because I could grow my own fruits and vegetables and raise a few chickens for my Sunday roast.

Wouldn't that be nice? My own haven. Away from everyone, and everything. Where I would have no one to answer to. No responsibilities, no worries about looming unemployment, no phone bills, no emails to reply to, and no stress of modern day life. Wouldn't that be nice?

I could eat peanut butter sandwiches for dinner, and drink Coke right before bed. I could stay up all night just listening to the sounds around me, or keeping up to date with the eternal chaos of the outside world by reading the occasional newspaper.

I could wake up late. Every day. Go swimming right after lunch. And then take a nap. I want to live like this, without a care in the world. Even if just for a while.

I wonder if my doctor could give me a seclusion prescription.

"Six more weeks of winter," says the Rodent

Back in the day, people would be burned alive (or drowned, whichever seemed more convenient) for acts of witchcraft. But here in Pennsylvania, we have a large rodent that predicts the weather. Yes, you heard me right.

The legend of Punxsutawney Phil goes back 123 years. Each year, on the 2nd of February, this large brown rat-like beast emerges from the earth (or is pulled out of a box) on Gobbler's Knob and if he can see his shadow, then that means we're in for six more weeks of winter.

According to the Groundhog Club (please, don't even ask!!), the celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earliest settlers. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May...".

And it's said that this furry little beast was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog. Now there's a mouthful.

So don't pack away your winter coats just yet. The earth rat has, er, spoken.