Well, if we stop eating, and stop driving, we can last until June without liquidating any assets. Of course, it will be an uncomfortable time, devoid of creature comforts and entertainment of any description. Gone are the meals out, movie nights, and shopping trips. Shopping should now be limited to bare essentials at the grocery store. I called my accountant today. The provision for "income averaging" (which was a tax break the government gave you if you went from a high income one year to a low income the next year) has been removed from the tax code (who knew?). If we sell our home, we'll have enough equity to pay off all our debts, and even have a bit left over to put a deposit on a smaller house (we surely don't need 5 bedrooms anymore). The trick will be paying the new mortgage (or even qualifying for it) on a secretary's salary alone. It seems crystal clear that I have to have a new job! And I can't start looking in earnest until I don't have a current job.

People look for new jobs all the time while they're still employed. Why should my situation be so different? Well, the most annoying aspect of searching for a new job in this economy is that there aren't any suited to my skills. Next, and just as important, is that my visa status is contingent with keeping my current position. Without a green card, I am not free to merely wander the streets looking for a legal job. Finally, if by some miracle I find someone willing to hire a 50 year old, they won't be offering a pay package anything like what I have grown accustomed to having.

I guess I'm still feeling sorry for myself, but the feeling of helplessness is not as intense as it was yesterday (or even this morning). As I did during the previous recession, I will have to take a big cut in pay to get back into the work force...