I appreciate the advice that CHH laid down on matters of staying busy. I've been laid off twice this year: once in February from a Boulder startup where I worked myself blind. A few months later I picked up a contract job that turned into a FT job offer that turned into a layoff within a 10-week cycle. I am now semi-employed: I keep a part-time retail job at the local mall in my hip pocket. The wages are laughable, but it does keep some income coming in and gives me a reason to shower at least four times a week.