Things are tough all over

One of the silver linings for me about this lay-off was the opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues. When you're plugging away at your 9 to 5 (or 9:30 to whatever...), you don't always stay in touch. So I've started making calls, sending emails, updating my LinkedIn profile and checking my Facebook friends - trying to network among the peeps before casting the net wider.

Some of the feelers went out just to see who was where - who's still in LA, who's happy, who's makin' it, and who's not. "Are you still selling real estate in Palm Springs"... "Congrats on your new gig"... "How are the kids". But - truth be told - some of those feelers did go out to see what chances there might be for a little work.

And there, the picture is pretty grim. No surprise - I am a victim of the recession, the same recession that's causing down-sizing and delayed spending and uncertainty. But I may not have been completely prepared for what I'm hearing. I'll adapt - I always do. But it sucks right now.

My friend Michael may've put it best: "We need a seminar on 'Business and Surviving the Recession: What the F$%^"