RIP Allstate Commercial

So the Allstate commercial Bob and Amanda have been collecting residuals on for the past 6 years has finally run its course. Funny. Receiving residuals is something that you can never really count on for long. This was an anomaly. It shouldn't have run that long. But after 6 years of regular "surprise checks" in the mail, receiving them stopped being a surprise. They simply factored into the budget. The sudden end to them feels a lot like losing a job. And you know what? There has been plenty of that in this house already.

The upside of being unemployed is that when you get the endless stream of calls from banks and contractors and credit card companies and newspaper subscription services trying to sell you something at 7:30 p.m. every night, all you have to say is: "I'm afraid we're not interested. You've reached a home that is collecting unemployment checks." Invariably, the response is: "I'm so sorry. Good luck to you." and then you hear the click. And then, apparently, they take you off the list. Try it, it works.

That's about it for the upside.