Wow. Apart from a brief bit about a Husker Du song, it’s been a couple weeks, I think, since I wrote a proper blog post regarding what’s going on in my ever exciting life.

Longer, maybe.

Back on the 21st of March, I took a step away from my freelancer lifestyle (which wasn’t much of a lifestyle, actually) and returned to the last place I held a real job, Borders. I took the Training Supervisor position at the Rancho Cucamonga store. Sure, it had been fifteen months since I’d worked for Borders, but I have over a freakin’ decade of time with that company. I was a little rusty, but I can teach people how to sell books.

I took this job with a good (outward) attitude but a real (inward) feeling of stepping backwards. However, it was time… my wife has been essentially supporting the both of us, our cats, our dog, our turtle, etc. since December of 2006. Time to take the pressure off. And indeed, I fully expected to take on a salaried manager role at the store in a couple of months, meaning more money and very, very familiar territory. Do-job-in-sleep territory.

Happy to be back at Borders? Bittersweet. I liken it to moving back in with mom. You love your mother, but…

And then.

A friend of mine — a colleague, someone with whom I work on a mutual ongoing labor-of-love project — announced he’d be visiting California to meet with his new bosses. We agreed to meet for dinner one night while he was out here. Very pleased to meet face-to-face for the first time, and excited to break my routine, I very willingly made the ninety mile trek down to Los Angeles and met him and another mutual friend of ours. We went to dinner. Chatted about what was up in our lives.

My friends, it turns out, were working together on the same project. They were very excited about it, but since it wasn’t public yet, couldn’t really talk about it. Much. I think my own slightly glum attitude about my own state of affairs might have swayed them into revealing a bit more.

Before the night was over, I had a job offer with a new start up with solid backing and a lot of very familiar, very respected and like-minded people involved. In two days, I had a phone interview with one of the principles. It was a good chat — we share a commitment to the importance of service, and, I think, a desire to make an impact on the world. While no offer was made, he said he looked forward to working with me.

The offer came in another phone call fifteen minutes later. Boom.

I gave my boss at Borders a week’s notice. Short, yes — two weeks would have been better — but at that point, I hadn’t even worked there for two weeks. Frankly, I felt more of an obligation to not be an ass to my boss than I did to keep my good will with Borders. So they got a week. My boss understood. He might even be envious.

So. A day and a half left at Borders. After this, I’m never going back there. It is the past — a valuable piece of my development, and a huge chunk of my personal history… some of the most soap-operatic, to be sure. But it’s the past.

I start at the start-up-that-cannot-be-named on Monday the 16th. Eventually, I reckon I’ll be able to tell you more. Like when I know more, for example. And when I have permission to speak.

Meanwhile… all of this (a full time gig, a commute from Hesperia to Santa Monica) means that I will be cutting way, way back on my availability as a freelancer. My time is about to become very precious, and I still want to write another book one of these days, y’know? Not to mention the three podcasts… and a new one… one I’m very excited about.

Writers Talking debuts on April 21st. Check out the site; all the details are there. It’s new territory for me in several ways:

• The initial recording is live, in real time, with guests and phone-ins
• The podcast is monetized.
• Half the proceeds will go toward just about the bestest non-profit ever.

I really hope it turns into something amazing.

Then there’s con season. It’s creeping up mighty fast… in fact, Balticon 41 is just a month away. DragonCon is in August. New Media Expo is in September. I’m on panels at all of them, pretty much. Three weeks of time away from home (and away from the new job) in the next five months. Exciting… but will I be able to keep this pace next year? Hard to say. Hell, maybe I’ll have a new book to pimp next year. (said that last year….)

Hm. Time to go back to work. For another three and a half hours, and another seven hours tomorrow. Then, no more. Soon, new, new new stuff.

Oh… and I’m on Twitter now, ‘cuz I wanna be cool and I’m a sucker for the time sink. Be my friend. Follow me and I’ll follow you. (No more Phil Collins / Genesis quotes… probably ever… I promise.)

Possibly related posts:

1. Don’t Mind My Musing
2. Paradigm Shifts In Real Time!
3. Lifted
4. Gainful Employment.
5. 2006 Income and Expenses