A place with more jobs than people!

This morning, I discovered a magical place where they say there are more jobs than people to fill them.

It's a little town called Pinedale, Wyoming, where the county unemployment rate is a mere 2.1 percent. Let me say that again: 2.1 percent. That's almost the opposite of Michigan's 12 percent!

This mountain town of 1,412 has more jobs than people, according to ABC News, thanks to a natural gas field just south of town.

But I'm not packing up and moving from my present town of Ferndale to Pinedale just yet.

For one thing, Pinedale sounds very outdoorsy. The county Chamber of Commerce says the area's recreational opportunities are hiking, hunting, horseback riding, and other "adventure opportunities." I like hiking and horses all right (even though I rarely ride horses). But I've never hunted (for anything much except bargains at Target), and I haven't been fishing in about 20 years. My last "adventure opportunity" was driving on I-696 at night.

For another, the local paper's web sites warn potential newcomers right off that apartment and house rentals are 1. expensive and 2. hard to come by.

Lastly, my experience with natural gas is limited to paying my utility bill each month.

However, if you're an outdoorsy type who needs a job and who's always dreamed of living out west -- and who wouldn't mind working on a ranch or on the gas fields -- go for it!

Unenjoyment

During that awkward time when I was first telling people about my job loss, someone misspoke the word "unemployment" as "unenjoyment" to me. I don't remember exactly who it was. I do believe it happened at the bar, so alcohol was no doubt involved.

Since then, it's stuck with me: Unemployment, unenjoyment.

No, unemployment is not meant to be an enjoyable time in anyone's life. You're broke, and you have to go out and look for a job.

The funny thing is -- and we here at WSFAU always look for the funny thing -- unemployment can be enjoyable.

Enjoyable? Are you nuts, you say? I'm broke and I have to look for a job!

Ah, but here's the thing: You still need to find ways to enjoy life. You've got time on your hands now, and you can only job hunt for so much time during the week.

Here's some ways you can enjoy your unemployment:

• Spend a little time on your hobbies. Not too much, though: You still need to find that job.
• Don't forget your friends and family. Spend your free time with them.
• Volunteer. WSFAU does. Find a worthy nonprofit which needs you .
• Join Toastmasters and improve your public speaking skills. Again, WSFAU recommends this.
• Start your own blog.
  

Allow me to introduce myself.

I'm an unemployed person in southeastern Michigan who stayed up way, way too late the other night reading humorous (and a few serious) blogs about unemployment.

After laughing a little too loudly at posts about such things as wearing pajamas during the day, not making it out of your apartment some days, the futility of calling your state unemployment agency's telephone line, how much time we "formerly employed professionals" (ahem) spend on the Internet, (ahem) and what lengths to go to to get free restaurant meals, I checked to see where my fellow unemployed blogging Americans were blogging from.

First, I wanted to know if they were spying on me.

No. They were writing from California. Heh. Lightweights.

Not to belittle their -- or anyone's -- job losses.

Not that The Golden State is without its economic troubles. I understand its unemployment rate is now over 10 percent. That's not good.

However. We here in Michigan are #1 in the country when it comes to unemployment: 12 percent. Try jobhunting in our economy, my fellow unemployed Americans! I dare you!

It's so bad here in Michigan, Jay Leno decided to come here from California to take our minds off things for a few nights.

It's so bad, I decided the Internet needed a blogger from here in The Great Lakes State to make light of it all.

Here, I hope to examine what's so funny (and not-so-funny) about unemployment here in my home state.

After I go to a job fair later on today, though.