What a great economy to start a job search in!

There's no more reassuring feeling then to be counting down the days to your liberation from the military, and to also be counting up the number of articles about our doomed economy as they increase each day. But, I've always said that I was getting out whether I had a great job to go into, or a job as a whopper flopper at Burger King. And I meant it. And I still do.

I just got some bitter-sweet news too. At first I was frustrated, but it may actually be a good thing. My senior capstone/seminar class required in order for me to graduate and get my bachelor's will not be offered in the Spring. This is frustrating because I emailed my advisor (who has also been my instructor for three classes now) a couple of times over the summer with a list of questions, and one of them was whether or not that particular class would be offered in the Spring. In both of his responses, he answered every question but that one. He's a good guy, and a very good teacher, AND a very busy guy, but it would've been nice to have gotten an answer. I gave up asking, assuming his silence to mean, "Of course it's offered in the Spring!" I was wrong. Guess some more persistence on my part would have helped, because if I would've gotten the answer I would've taken the class this term and gotten it over with. I sent an email to the department chair asking him if there were any alternative options open to get the class taken care of in the Spring, but he responded with his apologies and a subtle "no." But, as I said, it may be a good thing. It'll give me more time to consider my graduate school options (I'm still thinking law, but I'm also considering mba, or a combo law/mba degree). I'm also open to other fields, so maybe I'll take the extra time I'll get waiting for next Fall to take a class or two in fields that I'm curious in. The downside is, obviously, I won't have a degree for another year. Which could hurt me in a job search. I'm hoping my security clearance is as valuable in the job market as everyone says it is!

I've found a couple of companies that I want to work for. I've actually found job opportunities in New York City that I want to apply for. I have also figured out the salary I will need to live comfortably there--a salary that might be easier to demand with a bachelor's, but we'll see. I've also looked in Chicago, San Francisco, and Phoenix, and I'll pursue those if nothing turns up in my dream locale. It's odd, but I'm looking forward to spending some time at home when I get out. But that may change after a month with my family. I love 'em, and they love me, but Lord knows we drive each other nuts sometimes.

I've also been checking out rottweiler puppies! There's a breeder in Phoenix with a website containing pictures and pedigrees of the dogs they breed. They're asking for $2400 per puppy, so those dogs better be shittin' gold! Or something otherwise wondrous. I'll check with them, and with other breeders, to see if they have any 'discount' puppies. I'm assuming that they ask so much for those dogs because they are show quality. But all litters have their duds, and I'll be happy to take one off their hands for a cheaper price. I'm also watching the Rottweiler rescues, so we'll see what turns up.

And the fun don't stop there--but you'll have to stay tuned for the rest.

Oh, I just watched one of my unseen dvds yesterday. It was a comedy called Scorched, and it had Alicia Silverstone, Rachel Leigh Cook, Woody Harrelson, and John Cleese in it. It's about a group of bank tellers who each, independently and unbeknownst to each other, decide to rob their own bank. Great concept, bad movie. The comedy was subtle at best, and lame for the most part. But, it did have a cool Eels song in it that I'd never heard. I'm actually downloading it right now, and I wish UTorrent would hurry up about it already!

I'm also half-way through my book "The Kite Runner" (thanks again, Erin). It's very good, but not at all what I expected. I hadn't even heard of it before, but I guess it's been on the NYT bestseller's list for 15 billion weeks now or something. Anyway, check it out if you haven't already and you're up for a good story.

I'll be home in a couple of weeks, and I can't wait. In the meantime, I hope everybody is doing well, and I hope to hear from y'all soon.

Reading: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini