There's so much so say. I hardly know where to even start.

First thing is this: I'm getting a graphic novel published. For real. It's called "Maglenda's Errand-Girls," and it's a lighthearted all-ages fantasy adventure about two girls running errands for a witch. I conceptualized the story and wrote the scripts, but it won't be drawn by me. (You can see some of my own drawings of it in my gallery.) My artist is "Joeydangerous." You can see some drawings of it in his gallery, too.

The graphic novel will run around 168 pages long, and will be published in sometime in 2010 by Alterna Comics.

Man, I can still remember what it was like. I'd been through the submission process before, but with novels. First, you research the publishers, see who publishes what, (for instance, if you're writing sci-fi epics, don't send them to a publisher specializing in autobiographies.) Then you mail the publishers, introducing yourself, and summarizing what your project is, and see if they're interested. Usually, I just send my submission packets to all the best potential publishers on a list, and cross my fingers.

Alterna's submission process was different from a lot of the other publishers. For one, it was online. I was more used to sending things through snail mail. Second, they weren't interested in seeing the actual artwork. They wanted the summary first.

So I typed up the summary on their online form, sent it out, and put it out of my mind, moving onto the next publisher. A few days later, though, this guy wrote back, saying that the story sounded interesting, but what were the pictures like? I showed him the pictures.

The next day, during my lunch break at work, I found he'd left a publishing contract waiting in my e-mail inbox. I checked it at a Kinko's. I was so happy, I crowed out loud, startling the two employees there. I explained what had happened, and also that I had been working towards an opportunity like this for practically all of my life. To be a published author!

To celebrate, I went to a Subway and bought one of every kind of cookie they had. Then I went to the Starbucks and bought myself the fanciest frappicino they had. Returning to my normal job gradually killed the mood, but it took a while, and it returned full-force once work was over.

What an incredible day that was!

I absolute loved Abridged anime series on Youtube.

I started watching Berserk Abrdiged, then went onto Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged. I happened to discover Yu Yu Hakusho Abridged... and stuck with those three, because actually finding other top quality abridged series got hard after that.

Recently, I've gotten into a new Abridged Series, though - Lupin III Abridged. I loved the latest one he did with Banana Phone. And I love what an ass Zenigata is.

Something fairly nice (and rather surprising) happened to me recently.

So I'm just going around town, handing back job applications I've filled out. I go into my local Jimmy John's.

Now, I don't know how well-established the Jimmy John's franchise is, nationwide. For those of you unfamiliar with it, Jimmy John's specializes in sandwichs, (not just in terms of deliciousness, but SPEED.)

I go in, and I hand my application to the cashier, (since the manager's out, at that time.) The cashier looks like a smart-alecky-looking kid, and so are his two friends.

They glance at my application, and then hand me a copy of the Jimmy Johns' menu. "Come by in three days and have that memorized." They tell me, smiling. "We definitely have a spot open for you there.

I smile, laugh, and agree, "Sure. I'll have it memorized," just to be polite. Inside, I'm skeptical. I live in a neighborhood where hiring managers *dawdle* before even giving applications a look, and these are just *cashiers.*

The whole thing smacks of a pratical joke.

Three days later, (today,) I get a call on my cell phone. It's the hiring manager from that Jimmy Johns'. They've read over my application, see some promise... but have I got the menu memorized?

There's a wonderful British term called "gobsmacked," which pretty much summed up the moment for me, then.

Fortunately, I'm able to talk her into giving me a two-day extension... they're going to actually have a written *test* and make sure I'm familiar with all the ingredients that go into each individual sandwich.

For me, this is a big deal. After a long stretch of NOTHING, someone's given me a lead! THANK YOU, JIMMY JOHNS!

Of course, I still have to memorize all their sandwichs, but I know I can do it!

God, my life is wonderfully weird!

I am so tired of applications.

Online, offline, every which way!

I have been trying to hunt down a job since January 2. It is now January 20th.

My parents want me to have a job lined up NOW. RIGHT NOW. I am actually perfectly fine with that. It'll help support me while I try to write and draw. I am hungry for work. I have no cash to my name.

The problem is there are no employers in Michigan that seem willing to hire me. I mean, it's one thing, if it were a prestigious job, but I cannot get a job at STARBUCKS or Pizza Hut, and I know I am a good worker! Every time I had an application in, they always accept it, but say they're "not hiring now," but they're going to "keep it on file."

What gives?