Tumbleweeds

(You sorta expect to see the digital version blowing through here, no?)

Sorry, I've been away so long. I can't decide if I had nothing to say or just didn't feel like saying...

So, to briefly summarize my world since last we had a chance to chat...

In early February, MLW and I went to check out Chinese New Year in Chinatown (I suppose that's self-evident, but...)

The following weekend, we had a few close friends over to help me celebrate the 35th anniversary of my presence on this fine planet of ours, but mostly people ate pizza and watched the Winter Olympics (I could not be less interested...) I got them back by breathing all over the cake...

Later that same weekend, MLW and I played tourist for Valentine's Day (she does so love an excuse to take off of work...)

Later still in February my genetic source material (i.e., my parents) came down to wish me a Happy Birthday. Now, it should be noted that we don't have a good track record for visits during the years where Winter Olympics are being played. Last time they came down our hot water heater broke and we had to shuttle back and forth to MDFA's place (she was fortuitously on vacation) to shower. Also, I was deathly ill. This time, however, it was they who got deathly ill. But somewhere in there my dad managed to install some fixtures and we got out to a movie and to a restaurant or two. But I think they are banned from any further visits during Winter Olympics, just for safety's sake.

Somewhere in here, I learned this very important information regarding the latest James Bond movie. (Mmmm... Eva Green...)

After that, on the job front (yeah, remember that?) -- I had a series of interviews for a government gig I was pretty excited about. More on that in a moment.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that we held a special Mardi Gras edition of our monthly Poker Nite to round out the Month o' February. It was sparsely attended, but wildly exciting for those that were there.

As we rolled around into March (I don't recall whether it was like a lion or a lamb... or a fox or an ostrich for that matter...), I got some bad news regarding the aforementioned (and previously alluded to in other posts) government gig. Which was disappointing. Which is an understatement. (I think, "soul-crushing despair" was how I referred to it.) Which was probably an overstatement. But it was the first time I had a sort of goal and it didn't pan out. Fortunately, they make a sign for that.

Moving right along -- or rather after I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity for a few days -- I got back on the horse (or perhaps that's pony...) and went to my first job fair. Not really knowing what to expect, I can't say that it was good or bad. But it didn't take as long as I thought it would, so that's a plus. (Naturally, the jobs I closely matched well, they were up in Baltimore, though the one fellow did mention the company moving down here in either April or July... or perhaps that was between April and July... I wasn't clear...)

Um, then what? I know I started hitting Monster.com a lot harder than usual. The problem with all the jobs sites is that daily updates aren't really useful. That is, out of all the jobs they send one daily, really checking once a week is enough to find the few that one... okay, I, me, myself... is qualified for. But anyway, the search proceeds a pace.

I've had some phone interviews. In theory I'm scheduled for a follow-up in person interview (though I thought it was today, and apparently it's next Wednesday, so I'm a little concerned about their internal organizational ability... but then I'm not really one to talk, so...) and tomorrow I have another job fair.

Oh, and somewhere in there they discovered that Homer (the poet, not the Simpson) was the first author with a merchandising deal...

In our continuing travel series, MLW and I went to Great Falls, which is seriously demonstrating the drought conditions from which the area is suffering (I have no idea if that storm we had on Monday accomplished anything or not).

Then I found out more on the next Bond movie.

And then I think we rolled around into April with me not hearing of any major April Fool's pranks, internet or otherwise. (But I may simply have been not paying enough attention...)

And that more or less brings us up to date. At least with all I can remember right now.

I'm still grossly negligent in my personal correspondence and need to get back to that. And I'm sure I've forgotten one or two (no doubt equally scintillating) details. But I will endeavor to be more forthcoming, or at least consistent in the future...