unemployed again

Just as suddenly and unexpected as it started, my job ended on Sunday night around 8:30 p.m. when the president of the company called from his mobile phone to tell me not to come in on Monday. Just like that with no explaination. I asked what was going on. I knew they were busy and I had been working 12-hour days along with everyone else to keep up, especially after a hard drive containing ALL of one client's most recent files had failed and everyone was scrambling to cobble new files together for them. He said they had made an offer to a former employee, of the company who was already trained on their procedures and very familiar with their clients, who had agreed to come back to his former job. That was all. Nothing wrong with me other than no one had time to train me and he was ready to jump in with both feet. 

All this after they had phoned me out of the blue with the job offer, were VERY insistent that I leave my then-current position without notice so I could start sooner (I didn't  - I don't believe in burning bridges so I worked out my notice.) and had me drop everything in my life with the promise of company health insurance that would have started August 1st, and long-term full-time employment. Now I'm worse off than before I took the job. 

There were problems working the part-time I had gig before this latest disappointment. I couldn't count on a predictable schedule enough to take any extra work and the pay was lower than I was used to. The hours flexed between 2 days a week or 5 days a week. It killed my film extras work and my extra freelance work but at least it was a very long-term assignment and a source of pocket cash that I would probably still have now if I didn't leave for the promise of a real job - and it was a lot closer to home. I had been spending over 2 hours on the road every day to and from work (no complaints because it seemed quite worth it to have a good job with potential). 

So now I'm back to where I was two years ago, looking for anything I can possibly get. 

I have learned a few things. Freelance is not worth the pain at tax time or getting money from a bad client. In that way, although it pays a lot less, temp work is easier at the end of the year. A temp company will always make sure they get paid as well. Part time is not worth the commitment if it kills everything else - it has to be flexible and on my schedule or it has to be full-time committed hours. 
And last: Never leave anything at the office overnight or over the weekend. The last thing I want to do is return there just to pick up my leftover stuff. They can have the Pantone coffee mug, note pad, and the half-eaten bags of chips.