Beer of Delight. Socks of Quality.

This basically describes my Friday. Putting on my big socks, the thick ones that fit like a hug, and then buying over-priced beer with the painted-on labels. Happiness ensues.So I had a job interview on Thursday, trying to write a book column for one of the local papers. I had told a friend before I went that if it was informal, and we discussed books and ideas, then things would work out....but if it ended up being more of a straight-forward job interview then I probably would not get the job. I was optimistic beforehand because the editor suggested that we meet for coffee: sounds informal. But, once there, she pulled out a notebook and began asking job-interview type questions. What's your experience? Your education? Your strengths? I answered each question but a word looped endlessly through my mind: "crap".

We did talk about books, but I'm afraid the other stuff will ultimately be what influences the decision. I really have very little publishing experience, and more importanly, my education is in psychology, not journalism. For a columnist it's okay to have a background outside of journalism, but to the editor I must have seemed a bit underqualified, which is understandable. These are just my impressions though, the meeting itself went fine, I really couldn't tell either way what the editor was thinking. I should hear the verdict by the end of next week.If I hear "not interested", I'll be disapointed but not overly so. This was actually something I set up (I mailed in an unsolicited query with a sample review), so you really can't do this sort of thing out of the blue and have too much of a shot. It's an experiment, I suppose.

As of this week the search for weapons of mass destruction has ended in Iraq, the search team has been officially called off. No word yet on whether or not the search for a retroactive justification for the war has also been discontinued. I've got my money on, "Um...Hussein was really bad."

I've gotten into this therapy show called Starting Over....it's a reality show where women live in a house and undergo intensive therapy in front of the cameras. I like to put on my slippers and eat wheat thins while watching it. In other words: I may need a hobby.Also, no one at work knows this, but I have a hidden pair of slippers concealed behind a wooden panel underneath a dresser in the staff room. I work alone most of the time and once the other staff has left...I lift the panel and work in slippers the rest of the shift. This is pretty much the story of my life, finding secret ways of being perpetually lazy. Hi.