Productive stuff I'd like to accomplish while I'm unemployed:

• BE MORE SOCIAL
  The period leading up to a new job is uniquely useful. It's one of the few periods that 1) I know I have money, and 2) I actually have some free time available. (eg. it's not the end of the world if I stay out really late and have to sleep in. I don't have to fret over leaving work early to get to a social function inside Chicago)
  • Touch base with Bec.
• organize my house enough that I don't misplace and buy duplicates (triplicates, etc) of EVERY SINGLE thing
• Find out if my landlord is financially stable enough to stay at this apartment.
  MAKE A CHOICE — either plan to move elsewhere (with a pre-existing roommate; or eventually find a roommate after I move in), OR decide that the current place is secure enough that I don't feel morally wrong to invite a roommate here with the problems that I know already exist.
• get my two bedrooms cleaned; finish unpacking from the move
• establish habits that I haven't ingrained in myself yet. In particular, routinely scan my house and make sure these tasks aren't unfinished:
  • there should be no unprocessed/unopened mail
  • there should be no dirty dishes
• fix the problem with the smell in my house
  Bekki might have been the one who created the problem and left it here for me to fix, but I'm the only one who can fix it now.

"Recreational" things I'd like to accomplish while unemployed:

• Go to the library, read a LOT more about trans/queer issues. Goal: I don't have many people's narratives to give me a heads-up about what's coming over the horizon. Also, I have very few role models, so I don't have much of an idea of what my own gender expression "should be".
  Checking library books out doesn't really work for me — too many library fines. Neither does ordering them from Amazon — not frugal enough. The best way (short of getting enough self-discipline to avoid the fines) is to read them in the confines of the library.

  I have very specific needs regarding what I want to explore, and it involves browsing through a LARGE number of books, so buying tons of books from Amazon isn't really the right solution anyway.

  Also, once I'm freed from the limitation of only visiting places that I can check out from — that lets me visit SO MANY more REALLY top-notch libraries, in the various colleges around the city. (and these libraries tend to be open much later, especially on Sunday and weekday nights!)

• get some experience shopping at thrift stores — get over my fear/aversion/lack-of-knowledge about them
  Sure, I shouldn't include "encourage myself to be in situations where I can spend money" as an unemployment activity. However, I've been doing a LOT more shopping lately, and I've been spending too much money at non-frugal stores. This is yet another thing that I need to learn as part of the whole transfeminine thing.
• spend time at Working Bikes, learn (incidentally) how to maintain my own bike
  Maintaining my own bike is very important 1) to frugally commute to work, but 2) even more importantly, to GET REAL EXERCIZE. Working Bikes is a very cheap way to learn how to maintain my bike.

Service to others I'd like to accomplish while unemployed:

• Become "Chief Space-Organizing Officer" at FreeGeek
  • spend enough time to make real progress on this, personally
  • institute enough organizational policies that my ideas will continue to live on
    Mainly so my efforts can scale, but also because I won't always be able to contribute so much time.