Funny story, so when I left Google I was thinking, I am going to take a break, maybe take the summer off, recharge the batteries, Etc. My wife says "Well we are in a recession and who knows if there even are jobs out there? At least let your network know you're available." And I did, and that was how I met Rich Skrenta and got to talk with him about his amazing insight into the problems of search and why those problems were killing Google's product and what we could do to capitalize on the post-exponential growth world of the web.

So I find myself agreeing with both the 'take time off' and 'let people know' advice. Opportunities flick in and out of existence all the time, so letting people know is good, taking time off really helps you restore balance if you can afford it so taking a break is good too. If you have CORBA so you can keep your benefits uninterrupted, then recharging has a lot to offer.

s/CORBA/COBRA/

Or, "you know you're a programmer who was alive in the early 2000's when...."

Both are equally daunting and ultimately expensive.

... I make that mistake all the time. I thought I was the only one.

Wow. You called it exactly. Just showed my wife all the emails and it cheered her up. Thanks everyone!

This is not my first rodeo. Take the advice about keeping spending lean and building a cushion. Keep an eye on her stress, and what you're doing to push _her_ dreams forward. Remember nonverbal signals are frequently more important than verbal.

If any of those dimensions are in deficit for any sustained period of time, make adjustments up to and including a "real" job.

Do this. I know things.

I get the feeling this is the most valuable advice I'll get this year. Thanks!

All values are relative. But by my lights, yeah, I paid a pretty high price for it.

Listen to this guy. He does know things. As someone who has been down this road many times, take his advice.

My thoughts exactly. I think the fact that we're in holiday season makes the worry that much more acute, since it contrasts so sharply with the happiness and comfort that we're supposed to be feeling.

edit: forwarded this link to friends who work at startups where a significant part of their team is remote.

And start-ups can feel that much more volatile. They aren't, really, I was once laid off by a huge bank two weeks after Christmas, and that with my wife on bedrest for complications in her pregnancy.

I'm at early days with consulting but I feel a lot more secure with my skill set than I ever did at some large company.

But the advice elsewhere about getting to six month's expenses is realllll good advice. I'd keep the spending thin until hitting at least that point -- and yeah, that can take a while.