Adam Oster's Blog, page 39

Book Review: My Name is Not Alice by Angelika Rust

(it’s been a bit since I’ve posted any book reviews….got a couple to catch up on in the next few weeks)

I love Angelika Rust, simply stated.  Just look at all the love I’ve given her books on this blog over the past couple years and it’s pretty obvious.  So, I’ll understand if you’ll ignore this post as yet another rant of love for her…but you shouldn’t ignore this post, or this book, because My Name is Not Alice is not your standard Rust book.

Sure, it’s a quirky look at a rather standard subject.  Sure, it’s got oddball characters being put into even further oddball situations.  Yes, it’s glorious prose will have you imagining things you never thought you’d imagine before (okay, yeah, that might be just a little over the top…I couldn’t think of a third thing to put in with my rather limited time set aside to write here).

But it’s different.

And in a fantastic way.

You know all those stories where a kid finds out that they are part of a grand tradition of magic and whatever?  Yeah, your Harry Potters, Star Wars’s, and (sheesh, my rule of three is failing me today!).  At a very simple glance, this would fall into that category.  Yet, the world of magic is wonderland, and the character in question is named Alice…although she seems to not want you to know that.

Well, this is where things quickly separate from the norm.  Because things aren’t easy in the world of Wonderland.  There aren’t happy stories to arise for these characters.  It seems that everywhere they look there is really only a great deal of trial and tribulation…although one of the central characters does come up with a rather unique weightloss technique.

Anyways, I really can’t do this book justice with just a few words in a review…it’s great, it’s fun, and it really deserves a read.  So do it already!

Buy it now!

Fat Mogul vs. 2016 (already!)

It’s only been a month since I posted my retrospective on 2015, but I’m already ready for 2016 to be done.

Or given a mulligan…

Or anything really, because the past month has been rough.

So, when I last posted, I mentioned how I was starting the job hunt.  During those ~30 days, I actually landed a job, the job I had been trying to get for about 4 years.  Quit my job as a mailman, spent a lot of time and money and effort getting a new office together to work my new job in, only to have it pulled out from under me due to a paperwork snafu.

In other words, I’m back on the job hunt again, but this time, unemployed.

I guess I shouldn’t say the past month has been all that rough.  I mean, to be fair, I spent the majority of it being quite excited about starting my new job and all the opportunities it would allow for me and my family.  It’s really only been the past week that’s been all that terrible as I’ve worked to try and figure out if there were any way past the issue, only to find out that the only option might be for my would-be boss to fight for me…but not really being able to know how to even convince him that he should, or could.

So, here I sit, again looking for jobs, while again hanging out at home with an infant, thinking of how far I’ve come from where I was a few months ago, only to be sitting right back exactly in the same spot (same office too, seeing as I hadn’t yet paid for the carpet in the new one and figure I should wait until I get some money rolling in again before doing so).

On the other side of the coin, I do have a story included in an anthology that’s coming out at some point this month (possibly as early as next week, from what I hear).  I’ve been working on ideas for a parenting blog, which involves some video work, which means I’ll be behind a camera again for the first time in almost a decade.

And…well, I’m actually not too bad off.  I mean, there are some things that are still up in the air as I work to try and scramble for employment, like my upcoming trip overseas, but it’s not terrible.

Just not as awesome as I had planned on it being.

Which ultimately sucks.

But at least I’ve got an infant to keep me from sitting still too long and gaining back all my pre-mailman weight.

Alright, back to the job hunt.

Have fun out there!

Fat Mogul vs. 2015

With the couple minutes before I need to leave for work this morning, I thought now might be as good of a time as any to sit back and reflect on the past year.  It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, to say the least.

In the personal realm, I left my job of nearly 8 years somewhat unexpectedly, and spent the following 8 months or so playing the role of Mr. Mom.  It was fantastic, but ultimately, could only be short-lived, due  to the whole need to, you know, pay bills and whatever.  And finally, after years of being incapable of landing a single new job, I finally got offered several jobs all at the same time…all for the same place.  The United States Postal Office, a place where the childhood version of myself had long dreamed of working….and the adult version of myself as well, to be honest.

And I’ve loved it.  The work is hard, the days can get pretty long (especially during the Christmas season…which is still occurring apparently), but it’s actually a job that if it weren’t for the organizational issues, would be considered quite perfect for me.  Well…that and the whole not being around for Christmas with the family thing, but we’ll get to that in a moment. Heck, I’ve lost ten pounds in the couple months since I started there, meaning I’m seeing muscles I haven’t seen since high school…not to mention numbers on the scale that are actually lower than those days.

But…it’s not a perfect world, unfortunately.  Not only is it difficult not knowing when I’ll be home on a regular basis, or which days I’ll have off, or, well, a whole host of other things, but the past two months have involved very few days of actually being home with my family during the time my kids are awake.  Christmas Eve, most notably, meant that I missed all of the festivities that occur at my house with the in-laws (which I suppose could be considered both good and bad ;-) ).  My kids, who were ecstatic over the idea of me being a mailman when I got the job, have taken to regularly telling me that I need a new job because of how much they miss seeing me.  And my wife, although being incredibly awesome about keeping up the house in my absence (as well as taking care of all of the kids’ needs, which seem to be neverending), is definitely yearning for the days when I can take back some of the Mr. Mom roles.  She’s been awesome about it, but I can tell she’s ready for things to get back to where they were once again.

Which means I’m back on the job hunt again…something that I don’t incredibly enjoy, but something I’m hoping will go better than the last time, considering how long it took for me to finally land any position.

In the world of writing, however, it’s been a banner year as well.  Not only did I release two books, The Long Chron AND The Agora Files – Part 2, but I also got included in my first Anthology, Gifts from the Dark, and have a play that I wrote (with the assistance of some very clever folks) being put on at the Eau Claire Children’s Theater this very month (I suppose that could be considered a 2016 win, but since it got put on the schedule during the course of 2015, I giving it to the previous year).  Include in this the fact that The Legend of Buddy Hero was included in the #SuperBundle over at storybundle.com, meaning I sold more books in the course of 30 days that I have collectively over the past 3 years and, well, I think you can see how exciting 2015 was as a writer.

Of course, the past two months have meant that I’ve done almost no writing whatsoever, which is rather disappointing, but I have high hopes that the coming months will bring back a regular writing schedule as soon as I adjust to life’s changes once again.  I sincerely hope so anyways, because I’ve got some fun books lined up for writing next, including my intention to complete the Agora Files saga this year…fingers crossed.

There were so many things that made me smile over the course of the past year.  Just getting to spend the summer with my kids outside and all the time was very much a highlight.  I know that this past summer has made it all the more difficult for them to acclimate to my current lack of being around.  But even though I hadn’t intended to spend the majority of this year unemployed, I wouldn’t give it up for anything.

In summation: 2015 was a year of a lot of change, change which I think, once the dust finally settles (hopefully early here in 2016) will end up being for the better.  It’s been a long and tiring year, but one that I think has been very good for me personally, and hopefully for my family as well…or at least will have been when the look back upon it.  Sure, there are things I would have changed, but ultimately, it was a good year.  And I’m pretty happy about that.

Here’s to the coming year and all the new surprises it may bring!

Have fun out there!

 

Fat Mogul vs. Star Wars 7

I feel bad even getting on here to write this.  I mean, it’s been months since I’ve written a single word, and I have tons to write about, including several book reviews that I need to get out.  Besides, I don’t have time for this, I’ve got a whole ton of stuff to do during these very limited moments of free time before Christmas is upon us…

But I watched the new Star Wars last night…and I just can’t get it out of my head.

Before I go any further, I do not promise this will be a spoiler-free post.  If you’re sensitive about such things, you should probably go ahead and watch the movie already, you know, like the entire rest of the world, based on box office records being smashed left and right.  Or…you know, just don’t read any further.  But, really…you’ll find that the movie has already been spoiled for you, because you’ve already seen it.

What? you may ask.  That’s right, because Star Wars 7 is, in actuality, Star Wars: A New Hope, Super-Special Edition.

Okay, so, another disclaimer before I go any further, I both loved and was severely disappointed by this movie.  I absolutely don’t think it needed to be made (unless Episode 8 uses the remake and does something actually fresh and new with it), but it’s a really fun look at the world of Star Wars, a really great way to see how the movie would have looked if it were made today….which, I suppose it was.

Let’s get down to the synopsis for A New Hope:

An evil empire, filled with Storm Troopers, attacks a group of rebels.  During this attack, a member of this rebellion hides important information within a little droid who only speaks in bleeps and bloops.  This droid makes it down to a desert planet where it meets up with a plucky orphan with a severe interest in mechanical parts (that may or may not come from Tosche Station).  They’re quickly found out and are on the run from the previously mentioned evil empire, so they find the Millennium Falcon to escape the desert planet, aided by a dude with a questionable history and an issue with shooting first.

Side note, this evil empire, forever known as the Space Nazi’s, are being led by a dude who has an affinity for black clothing and masks that make him sound all spooky and scary.  Oh, and they have a giant device that can be used to destroy entire planets.

Anyways, back to the Millennium Falcon.  Turns out, they’re with this old dude who knows all about the mystical history of the universe that everyone had been led to believe was nothing but myth.  He tells them its all true.  All of it.

From there, the group, including Chewbacca, of course, gets together with a bunch of rebel folks who like the color orange, and set off to destroy the planet killing device, involving a need to let down the shields and bomb one very specific area.

They do.

Oh, and there’s a stand off between father and son which ends in one of them falling down an impossibly long chasm (or was that Empire? :-))  Oh, and the need to go to a planet of green to find a long lost jedi master for the purposes of training.  And an evil mastermind who is puppeteering the whole thing while looking ancient as hell and preferring to appear through holograms…And…

Look, the similarities could go on and on.  If you’ve seen the movie and haven’t noticed how much this movie strayed from homage to become a direct rip-off of the original, well, you’re obviously not paying attention.

Here’s the thing.  I was promised a NEW Star Wars movie.  One that looked and felt like the original trilogy but actually told me a new story.  This looked and felt like the original trilogy, which was instantly loved by this armchair director, but that’s mostly because it WAS the original trilogy.

I appreciate that it wasn’t like the prequels where the movie spent all its time explaining the inner workings of the magic and majesty of the originals, but I really wanted a new story, one that moved things forward, not one that rehashed the movie that I’ve already seen way too much.

Now, of course, this  could be part of the plan….Could be.  The original trilogy definitely focused on the cyclical nature of the force, and Force Awakens does a bit of that as well, noting how there is always some evil brought on by the dark side, while also requiring the heroes of the light side to come in and save the day.  There’s always and apprentice and a master and all that.  So, maybe…just maybe…this is leading to something completely fresh and new, something that won’t feel like I’ve seen it before. Something where I won’t see two people standing on a thin bridge overlooking an impossibly long chasm and know exactly how it’s going to play out.  Where the big twists and turns of the film aren’t completely obvious simply because I’ve seen the movie they are ripping off.

I hope so. There are enough differences to this flick to allow it to happen.  In fact, the differences in this film SHOULD cause episode 8 to stray quite heavily from the story told by the original trilogy.

SHOULD…

Of course, so should episode 7 in general.  I mean, seriously…couldn’t they at least come up with some other method of bringing back the bad guys without it looking exactly like the previous bad guys?  And sounding like them.

Anyways, here’s the whole gist of what I’m trying to get to here…The movie’s great.  It’s a ton of fun, it’s what I think George would have loved to have done with his special editions, while also showing a little bit of Abrams’ flare  (heh…see what I did there?).  It’s a thoroughly enjoyable flick. As well as it should be, considering how enjoyable the original movie it is remaking was/is.  But in the end, it still is a remake…and I’m tired of remakes.  I’m already a little worn out on the sequels themselves, but if you make a remake and pretend it’s a sequel…well…sheesh Hollywood.

I still have high hopes for where the series is headed.  I think it could still tell a fresh story that delves deeper into the action and adventure that Jedis don’t seek.  But I don’t need remakes of the original trilogy.  Those movies are brilliant, and just Lucas shouldn’t have made the special editions to try to make them better, neither should anyone else.  They’re brilliant.  Leave them alone.  Tell a new story!

But still…you should probably see it, if not for any other reason than to see a truly kick ass female lead.  And, to be completely fair…the movie stands well on its own.  If I hadn’t ever seen A New Hope, I’m sure it would have done what that movie did to me way back when.  And it was still great to delve back into that world with a palate cleanser like this (considering how fresh the prequels still are in my mind).  And I still wanted to cheer and figure out the unanswered secrets, and blab incessantly to my wife about all the background information that was being alluded to and…Look, I geeked out.  As a Star Wars fan, this was a great little reminder of what makes them so great, and that it’s still possible to make a great Star Wars film.  As a lover of fresh and unique stories, I was quite disappointed that they didn’t really go anywhere with it that hasn’t already been done.

Luckily Rogue One and the Han Solo solo-flicks are some pretty fresh territory…so here’s hoping they keep the look, but move forward with the story.

Final answer:  You should see the movie, in the theater.  It’s beautiful, brilliant, and will make you incredibly happy.

Then you should watch the originals and remember that they’re still the best.

 

Book Release: The Agora Files – Part II

Hey folks,

There were a few delays, but in the dark night before midnight yesterday, The Agora Files – Part II showed up on Amazon, as promised.

And it’s still there even!

Go get yourself a copy.  If not for any other reason than to own some version of this gorgeous cover!

Buy it now!

Fat Mogul vs. Revealing Details

Hey again,

Been a busy couple weeks since the last reveal of information about my current occupational status.  And although officially I haven’t been told anything different than the last message of “Don’t quit your current job yet”, I’ve been working at my new job.  Well…working is a term I use loosely.  I’ve been getting trained…which is also a loosely used term.  I’ve been watching videos in a dark room whilst doodling so I don’t fall asleep.  There…accuracy is key, folks.

Anyways, I believe it’s now safe enough to give the official blog reveal of my newest career.  I’m a mailman!  You know.  Those guys who walk around town with the cool messenger bags wearing Han Solo pants?  Yeah, that’s me.  No…not the Mormons!

So…yeah.  That’s what I’m going to be doing for the rest of my life.  Or at least for the next month or so through the holidays until I get completely exhausted of being out of the house for 10 hours a day six days a week.

On the bright side, I get to travel for work for the first time ever.  Well, I think it’s the first time ever.  There was that one time where me and the lady both got sent somewhere for a basketball game, but I believe history has shown that trip was more about her than me.

A couple nights in a hotel without the wife and kids.  It’s honestly a little scary.  Who is going to tell me what I want to eat for dinner?  Or that I should go to sleep?  Or act as my alarm clock in the morning?

I guess it’s a good thing that my hotel room is just a couple blocks away from where I’ll be sitting in a dark room watching videos, meaning the commute won’t be much worse than it has been for the last 7 years.

Anyhoo, seeing as this is my profession now, I’m going to probably keep pretty mum about it on here, you know, with the whole everyone is watching mentality that we’re supposed to have.  I’d hate to have my boss misinterpret something I type on here and think that it means that I’m a terrible employee.  Which I’m not.  I’m actually quite eager to begin a job that will actually have me working hard during the entire time I’m on the clock.  I’m also quite eager for that to finally happen, as these trainings I’m doing are getting quite long…no offense boss-person who is possibly reading this.  Seriously, don’t fire me.

So, yeah, that’s the scoop for those of you who have been awaiting the official news.  I’m guessing I’ll be out on the road as early as Monday of next week…but as of this point, the scheduling has been rather last minute on everything.

Speaking of last minute, I’ve got a ton of things to get done around the house before I become a working man again.  Got the Christmas lights up outside already…which seems rather wrong.  Now time to finally finish cleaning out that basement which has been begging for it since we moved in 8 or so years ago…

Have fun out there!

Book Release Announcement: Gifts from the Dark: A Miscellany of Dread by Cake and Quill

Hey folks,

I know things have been quiet on here for a while and I’ve done very little to prep all of you about this, but guess what?  I’ve got a new book out!  Today!  That’s right, at this very second, folks!

Well, to be completely honest, my involvement in this anthology was quite a lot smaller than I would have liked back when I initially signed up, but hiding within the covers of this gem of a book is easily the weirdest story I’ve written to date.

But, if weirdo stories by me don’t get you one-clicking, let me tell you, the other works in this book are fantastic!  Well, not all of them, let’s be honest.  If any anthology was a complete grand slam, well, I’d guess that someone made a deal with someone to make that happen.  But I’d say that easily over half of them are stories you simply MUST read.  Probably 2/3rds.  Or even 4/5ths.  Really, just get the book and read it already, because you know you want to.

Fine, you need another reason to buy the book, howabout this:  All proceeds go to charity.  To a group called Step up on Second.  They help folks with mental illnesses do things like, you know, have a house to live in. 

So, just think, not only can you get a book featuring the work of some of my favorite authors writing today, but you can also consider it a write-off on your taxes (I am not a tax lawyer, but I’m fairly certain this is entirely inaccurate).

Seriously, if you’re looking for something dark to read on All Hallow’s Eve this evening, or, even in the coming months….or whenever, pick up Gift from the Dark.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Buy it now!

Book Review: The Wilton Bay Chronicles by Ian MacRae

Let’s get the disclaimer out of the way first:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly had no idea what to expect going into the reading The Wilton Bay Chronicles by Ian MacRae.  It was offered to me due to my appreciation of Hell’s Super by Mark Cain, so I went in expecting something a bit more overtly comedic.  This wasn’t the case.

Not to say that this book isn’t humorous, it’s just not entirely upfront about it.

This book takes a sideways glance at religion in the world today.  It’s mostly honest, mostly fair, but ultimately shows how absolutely ridiculous the world surrounding our spiritual health really can be.  And MacRae seems to leave no stone unturned in his novel about the town of Wilton Bay.  We get Catholics, Wiccans, Muslims, and even a brief glimpse at some Hare Krishnas.  Okay, well, obviously not everyone gets in there.  There aren’t any Baha’is or Hindus or really much of real Eastern religious groups shown (although Doc Rock encapsulates a few of these ideas). But that’s probably the point.

You see, MacRae gets right down to the nitty gritty of what’s wrong with western religion of today, in that it’s a competition.  Revolving the story around two competing radio stations, we get a good idea of how religion has become big business and that they operate very similar to any corporation that needs to please its stockholders.

Yet, with all this commentary, at its heart, The Wilton Bay Chronicles is more of a coming of age story for an entire town.  Sure, by the end things aren’t really all that much better, but you get the idea that at least a few people learned something.

I wouldn’t say that this is a fast read.  Like talk radio itself, this book seems to spend most of its time simmering, causing the reader to wonder what the point is, although the read itself may be enjoyable.  And outside of the commentary, I’m not sure there is much of a point.  It seems to be a funny slice of life piece, showcasing what the world of religion can really be like when it truly collides.

And that’s what’s really great about it.  That simmering quality means that you can keep coming back to it, no matter how slowly you read, and still immediately get back into the right mindset of the folks of Wilton Bay, almost like the ongoing tales of Lake Woebegon.

If you’re looking for a light easy read that will make you think, this is definitely a worthwhile one for you.

Buy it now!

Gifts from the Dark: A Miscellany of Dread

COMING OCTOBER 31st, 2015!

A stalker, leaving a trail of paper roses. A recurring nightmare, suddenly real. A young mother, fleeing those who want to take her child. An old lady, left alone in a strange land. A man, driving to see his girlfriend, on a road where a serial killer roams. A woman, striking a deal with the king of hell to save her soul.

A collection of stories & poems, each a small gift from the dark place where fear and dread dwell.

compiled by Angelika Rust / Cake & Quill

edited by Catherine Lenderi

cover design by Charlotte Stirling

All the proceeds of this book will go to a charity which provides clinical support to mentally ill homeless people in the LA area, as well as advocacy and other services. Amazon takes 30% for their overhead, so 70% of your purchase goes directly to help those in need.

For more information, and to learn about the author coalition responsible for this anthology head on out to cakeandquill.wordpress.com

Fat Mogul vs. Landing the Job

Approximately five years ago, I took a new job.  It was a good job.  A job I really liked.  A job I felt I could grow in.  But I got impatient.  Mighty impatient.  And I found myself growing frustrated at the fact that I wasn’t able to move up in the position as quickly as I had wanted.  Which was dumb, to be honest, because I was already on a pretty fast rise.

And about four years ago, I made a really dumb decision…an incredibly stupid one.

I went back to the job I had before that one.

I left the department of my company which was making all sorts of plans in how they were going to use me, and went to the department of the company which I knew had no use for me and would abuse me.

And abuse me they did.

Or, rather…more accurately, they forgot about me.

Pretty quickly I realized how much of an utter mistake I had made, but I was stuck.  I couldn’t take it back.  I only had to move forward.

So, I began the job hunt.  A job hunt that consisted of applying for easily over a hundred jobs over the course of four years and probably not to far away from 50 interviews.

A job hunt that I quickly realized must be cursed.

I mean, seriously!  Prior to this hunt, I had been turned down for employment from maybe a handful of jobs I actually applied for.  If I had interviewed, I think the number of jobs I didn’t get went down to one or two.  Suddenly, I couldn’t land any job. No matter how excited they seemed in the interview to hire me, no matter how perfectly qualified I was for the position, no matter how desperate they were in needing to get someone there.

So I continued to expand my horizons, seeking out further and further for job ideas in order to find something that might take me.  And my actual job kept getting worse.

For three years I sat on this hunt until my employer finally made me have to take drastic measures.  I’m not going into the nitty gritty details, but it finally became dreadfully obvious that they weren’t going to do anything to try to make my employed life any better.  And I had to make a stand.

I don’t know how many people actually remember much for specifics from The Drew Carey Show.  I wasn’t even a regular viewer.  But I remember one specific episode where Drew was expecting a promotion.  He knew he was the one who should get it.  He had been in his positon for ten years or something and he was a hard worker, and he was definitely the right person for the job.  Only for them to hire someone completely different, completely unqualified, and ultimately, not him.

I didn’t want to be that guy.  I couldn’t be that guy.  I was (and am) an incredibly hard worker, always putting my best foot forward and almost always succeeding at the tasks given to me, no matter how far outside of my wheelhouse they might be.

I had to quit, because I couldn’t be the guy who just continues to get shoved into the corner.

And believe me, it was a difficult decision.  Not entirely because of the money, although we had some big plans we were in the midst of which were completely changed because of this decision.  But because, it was a cushy job.  I worked from home.  I could watch Netflix all day while doing the mindless tasks they gave me.  And…I had more than enough time available to focus on writing and selling books.  In fact, I’ve spent more than enough time since this past March considering how much I probably should have just stayed in the position and focused on my writing career.

But I don’t like wasting my time.  And even if I was using my time wisely for myself, it was pointless for me to stay there.

So I quit, deciding to watch the kids in order to save money on childcare and spend some time rebooting while also attempting to figure out a new direction.

And I sent out applications everywhere.  I found some places that I didn’t even know existed which seemed perfectly suited to my background.  Places that would either ignore me completely, or somehow decide that I wasn’t a good fit after a stellar interview (explanations were never given).

I had decided this early on:  I was cursed.

I wasn’t just unemployable, I was cursed to not be able to land a job.  After years and years of incredible luck when it came down to the job hunt, time and again landing jobs that were well outside of my experience, I suddenly couldn’t get a single one, no matter how much I was the perfect employee.  I mean, in the past, people were taking chances on me, now, there was no risk involved,  I was obviously a perfect candidate for so many of these positions…but they just didn’t work out.

Now, don’t get me wrong here, I’m not complaining.  Sooner or later it became obvious that there was something at work here, some sort of deus ex machina, or curse, or who the heck knows what, which was keeping me from being able to get a job, possibly because of the stupid decision I made approximately four years ago.

But then I took a leap.  I went after a job I had thought would be a fantastic one back when I was a kid.  You know, one of those silly positions that kids look up to.  It was a bit of a plunge, as there was some travel involved in even getting an interview, but I went for it.

And applied for as many positions in that job realm as I could.

And not only did I get interviews, but I got job offers.  Four, to be exact.  All of which I couldn’t take for one reason or another…mostly because of unstated job requirements which would be reckless of me as a father of three.

To clear this up for you a bit, I got offered a job for every single one of the jobs I interviewed for…except one.  The one that didn’t have these requirements.

The curse was active.  I had finally been offered a job…four, in fact, and I couldn’t even take them.  How much more cursed can you get?

But here’s the thing, I still had one more application out there.  This one for the same position, but in my town, where the position I was denied was in a different, very nearby, town.

This was the last possible option for me.  I knew if I didn’t get this job, I was doomed.  Hopefully it was all a ruse to get me focused on writing which would someday become successful (remember: I don’t write to be successful, I write to be sane).  If I didn’t get this job, it was obvious that it was pointless to even try any longer.

Well, to make a long story short:

I interviewed Monday, yet another amazing interview.  She said she’d make decisions and I would hear whether I got the job or not on Tuesday.  I was feeling the curse was probably still hanging on, so I didn’t get my hopes up.  Five pm rolled around on Tuesday (yesterday) and I started feeling anxious that I hadn’t heard anything.

And then it happened.

I got the e-mail.

I got the job!

Well…technically it’s a conditional offer based on things like background checks and whatnot, but I’m clear on all the stuff they’re looking for.  However, since it’s conditional, I’ll keep from noting what I’ll be doing..for now.

But after four years of trying to land a job, and working very hard at it, I got one of my childhood dream jobs.  Not one that’s all that spectacular.  Not on that I’m really all that qualified for.  Not one that really should have any interest in me at all, considering my recent job history.  But one that speaks pretty darn perfectly to my sensibilities.

So, I’m happy…I think.  I mean, are artists ever truly happy?  But seriously, there is a certain weight lifted off my shoulders knowing that I was able to break the curse…at least temporarily.  And this job has a lot in the way of rewarding those who can prove themselves.  And if there’s something I believe I’m best at, it’s proving myself.

But that means I’ve got a lot of work to do in order to make sure my books get out in time…so I should get back to work.

Have fun out there!