Shir, that's awful. Nothing is too small. Like Vortex said. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who responded to my mom's death, some of them people who didn't know her, but only knew me.

Pix, don't lose hope! We've done multiple interviews to satisfy one manager when everyone else was totally happy with an early candidate whom we ended up hiring after all. Could be just one whiner insisting on playing the field a little more.

Liese, FWIW, I don't think you're crazy. I appreciate hearing even a little bit about your experiences - I like the validation from other sane people that *I'm* not crazy to believe the things I do. (I may be crazy for other reasons, but never mind that.)

oatmeal:

Hil, if I were to offer advice, which of course I never do, I'd say don't take a job that you're pretty certain will make you unhappy. I'd rather be unhappy for lack of job/money than feel trapped in a job that gives me money and takes away everything else.

On the other hand it does not hurt to wait until the last moment to turn it down. For one thing when your two other offers come in having this in hand is leverage for better contract terms.

I'd rather be unhappy for lack of job/money than feel trapped in a job that gives me money and takes away everything else.

This is what I'm thinking. And it doesn't even give all that much money.

The Georgia one said that they need to know by tomorrow whether I'll take it or not. I told that to both the other places that interviewed me, and they both said for me to email them tomorrow morning to find out my status there.

OK, time to find some breakfast, fill up the tank with gas, and drive into California!

Watch your fruits and vegetables! That Ag inspection station is out to clean up the state!

Hiya, DCJ. How's the leg doing?

Hil, I think it makes sense to follow your instincts if you can afford to do so. It's too easy to get stuck in something you don't like, somewhere you're not happy, and look up 5 years later going, "Wait, what happened to my life?"

Pix, don't lose hope! We've done multiple interviews to satisfy one manager when everyone else was totally happy with an early candidate whom we ended up hiring after all. Could be just one whiner insisting on playing the field a little more.

Thanks to everyone saying these types of sweet, comforting things. I've had a nap and dinner, which has dramatically improved my outlook (I can't imagine why). I'm not getting my hopes up, but I'm also keeping my mind open to the possibility it still might come through.

Hil, I agree you should follow your instincts if you can afford to do so.

DCJ, how are you feeling?

Shir, I'm so sorry. Love and support to you.

Hiya, DCJ. How's the leg doing?

It's a mixed bag. The doctor had his nurse wrap my leg tightly in Ace bandages form my toes to my knee. At work it was so bad I had to take a half of a Vicodin to take the edge off of the pain. And then the damn thing unraveled around my ankle under my pants.

last night it was bad enough to take a Vicodin at 11 PM and another at 3 am.

In the morning, I cried when we took off the bandage to change it.

We ended up putting some lotion on it before puttig on the bandage, and only wrapping a good part of the area around the afflicted part of my leg.

Today was better no Vicodin, just Ibu.

We've taken off the Ace now, and it's starting to hurt like a SOB as I type, tho.

Sorry to hear it, DCJ. Hope it improves quickly.

A few new Shanie pix, including a new favorite taken today: [link]

This is the part where you can start to ignore anything I have to say because, clearly, I'm crazy. But suffice it to say that we have had direct interaction with skinwalkers, in both human and animal form, as have people we know and trust, and it's not something I hope to repeat.

I don't think this is crazy. I think that there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than I can conceive of. If "normal" is all there is, then this is one boring-ass world.