8 months.

65 resumes.

Interviews with 29 people (that I can remember at the moment).

2-3 hours prep for every interview.

10 hours creating custom writing samples at the request of just one prospective employer--for a short-term contract job (that I landed).

3 "I love you, but there are others who more closely map what we're looking for."

5 "I love you! It's not quite the right fit, but I passed your resume on to someone at X company."

1 "I'm sorry--we were writing an offer but corporate decided to move the position to Dulles, VA."

1 "I want to hire you, but I really think I need someone in Pasadena full-time."

1 offer that I, literally, couldn't afford to take.

Many friends and friends of friends who channeled my resume through their networks.

Lots and lots of freelance writing projects--all sizes.

Scores of notes and calls of encouragement to counter the negativity from the

Few who assumed I just wasn't trying hard enough.

A job offer at last?

Priceless.


My friends and my family? Not enough money or love in the world to say Thank You.

But truly.

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.

AppleCare Is My New Best Friend

After five days of an involuntary vacation from my laptop, I have it back and am so happy that I had the AppleCare extended warranty.

I've had a problem with my MacBook not wanting to wake up after going down for a nap or after being shut down altogether. I finally got around to taking it to the Genius Bar, where they diagnosed the problem as a malfunctioning sleep switch (that may not be the technical name). My favorite Genius, Tae, also noted that I had taped down a bit of plastic that had peeled up from the lower right corner. I thought that the girls had been playing with it, or worse, that the dog had decided to see if the case was as tasty as socks. Turns out that the peeling plastic was caused by the "bumpers" at the top edge, above the screen. Apparently the bumper designers were under the impression that users would gently close the lid--every time. Hah. (Note: Do not use the words "design flaw" to anyone at the GeniusBar.)

I had to check it in to the MacHospital for repairs which took two and a half days. Of course when I picked it up, it started right up--twice. Less than a week later, the same problem was back, though it didn't happen as often.

Back to the GeniusBar I went and again almost passed out when Tae told me that it would take five to seven days, as they'd have to ship it out. A near-agonizing five days later, I got the call--it was ready for pick up. Happy dance ensued.

This time when I picked it up, I tested it several times, waking it up from shut down and sleep. I also restarted it a couple of times, just to be sure. Everything works, all of my data are still there, and the concierge again told me how lucky it was that I had the AppleCare. The first set of repairs would have cost $250. I didn't ask about this time and she didn't offer.

I now have a new:

1. Sleep switch
2. Main logic board
3. Frame
4. Heatpipe
5. Top case
6. Bezel

Guess all of these new parts sort of puts a damper on my plan to get a new laptop (this one is two years old, after all.) Or perhaps this mean that I SHOULD get a new one, you know, just so Tae and I don't have to keep meeting at the GeniusBar.

In Which I Confess My Lack of Qualifications for an Ambassadorship

Diplomacy is not my strong suit.

I try to assess situations fully before reacting. I am (frequently) tactful. I don’t break confidences. I can keep my mouth shut if asked or when absolutely necessary. But if I think someone has been treated unfairly, my instinct is to say so, and not necessarily quietly.

Let's say, for instance, someone loses his job. Layoffs happen, yes. I get that. I’ve been laid off before. But unless the company is going out of business all together, a layoff can be seen as “You didn’t have the skills to make it in the new organization.” Even if the person let go sees it more as an opportunity, a gift, even, there is still an element of “There’s nothing you have to offer that we value enough to keep you here.” (But perhaps, for today at least, I am neither diplomat nor natural optimist.)

Now, when I know this person to be possessed of a keen intellect; a quickness of understanding that makes it as easy for him to absorb new information and spot new connections as it is for him to learn a new language; boundless loyalty; an engaging personality; and unflagging enthusiasm and determination when it comes to improving morale and to promoting the name and reputation of his organization, I think it quite natural that I get a little, what’s the word . . . pissy, when a person of this caliber, my friend, is let go.

But of course, as stunned and irritated as I am, I am compelled to admit that this organization he is exiting is still a remarkable one with an important mission, and I am fully aware that both he and they are better off for the association. I also recognize that he was fairly compensated and that he still has good friends there who are going to miss him, so I’m trying to frame it as less “How could they not recognize what they were losing?” and more “How nice of them to let someone else benefit from his talent and abilities.”

So no ambassadorship for me, but I am trying.

He is the Very Model of a Modern . . . Golden Doodle

The new puppy, Kairos, has settled right in and is quickly proving himself a member of the family: He's very fond of gadgets and gizmos, particularly if they have lights, make noise or--most importantly--have cords. He's also taken a liking to my computer and even offered to help out with work while I'm sick, the licking and pawing of the keyboard a lovely, modern twist on "the dog ate my homework."





(My apologies for the poor quality photo--it's from my iPhone. Not bad for a phone, but not great for publishing.)

I Wish I'd Written It . . .

Normally I don't promo products here--especially when I have absolutely zero knowledge of the product or the company. But I tripped over this ad/product narrative at woot.com today and, while it might sound like I wrote it, I didn't. Dammit. So really, I'm not promo-ing a product; just the writing. The product will have to speak for itself.

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Mini Two-Gig MicroSD

Uh, hey, tech engineers, scientists, and product designers? There’s something we’ve been meaning to talk to you about. We’re thinking it's time to find another project to work on. Please don’t make our memory media any smaller than these Dane-Elec 2GB MicroSD Cards.

We understand that you’ve had a blast figuring out how to cram more and more megabytes into fewer and fewer molecules. Unfortunately, the human hand and the human eye have their limits. We’re perfectly happy to save our data 2GB at a time to these teensy little MicroSD cards. The included adapters bulk ‘em up so they’ll fit into SD card slots and be visible to the naked eye. Alas, you’ll have to use your own tweezers and loupe to get them into the adapters. We can’t imagine any possible reason for making them smaller, unless Dane-Elec decides to go after the lucrative, untapped gnome market.

Sure, it’d be theoretically awesome to save the entire recorded works of the Beatles on a grain of sand, or to load GTA IV from a single silicon atom, or to save all of your daughter’s baby pictures to one of her eyelashes. But since people aren’t getting any smaller (senior citizens and Kirstie Alley excepted), it seems to us that your prodigious talents are better spend pursuing other secrets. Like, say, teleportation. Then you could live in Bermuda and instantly commute to work in Pittsburgh. Or eternal life. That’d be useful. The point is, you needn’t concern yourself with shrinking our memory media anymore. We’ve got these Dane-Elec 2GB MicroSD Cards. We’re good.

I've Been Busy Mixxing

For the past couple of months I've been busy working on a project for a start up in Virginia. I think Mixx.com is really cool, and I've had a lot of fun with it. Fortunately the tone they wanted pretty much meshed with what I do anyway--well, unless I'm in outrage mode. That--eh, not so much.

Check it out! Sign up! Use it! You'll find my handiwork on the About, FAQ and Help pages, as well as most of the blog posts, error messages and other random text.