Joining the ranks of the unemployed

I quit my job at the airport bookstore last week after nearly three long years there. 

The decision to leave was a long time coming. It was the type of customer-service job where I could feel my sanity slowly slipping away from me with each passing day (as is all retail, I suppose), but doubly so because airport travelers are, let's just say, a special crowd a lot of the time. I'm ecstatic to be out of the place, and I'm looking forward to having a (relatively) firm grip on my sanity once again.

The bad news is that I'm now unemployed, of course. I've saved up enough money during my time at the bookstore to where I should be okay for a while if it takes longer than I'm planning to find another job. And while I'm nervous about not working for the time being, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to the do-nothing days I'll finally have to myself in the near future. So that's what's going on with me.

But other than the fact that I'll have to cut back my hobby spending, what does any of this have to do with baseball cards?

Well, one thing I can't complain about as far as the bookstore is concerned is the people I worked with -- for proof, my manager gave me a 2018 Topps blaster as a going-away present.

My manager's a great guy (which I feel lucky about given some of the retail management stories I've heard in the past), a baseball fan, and a former card collector himself -- I probably crossed paths with him at a few card shows during my youth, in fact.

And while I don't have a ton of needs from 2018 Topps left at this point, I was still happy to receive this blaster as a token of appreciation from my manager -- it ended my often frustrating time at the airport on a high note.

But even though most of the blaster consisted of dupes and/or cards I didn't need, I was able to knock out a few insert wants with everything you've seen in this post thus far.

Among the gets were these two '83 legends (though it's a bit jarring to see a different photo of Wade Boggs on the design given how iconic his actual '83 Topps rookie is).

Somehow I even pulled a few base cards I didn't have -- the gremlins must've gotten 'em, because I thought I'd long since polished off my base needs from 2018 Topps.

And hey, I even pulled a photo SP of a dude I collect with Adam Wainwright here, which was far and away the highlight of the blaster for me.

I guess for now all I can say is wish me luck on the job search. I'm nervous about the weeks/months ahead but I don't feel a shred of regret about leaving the airport bookstore. In fact, I'd love another bookstore job -- I got paid to sort and organize! -- just not one where I have to deal with people in transit. But either way I'm hoping to find something soon (the bookstore was good for experience, if nothing else).

In the meantime, I'll be in my room, enjoying my this wonderful farewell present from my boss and spending some long overdue time with my baseball cards.