Dear All Potential Employers:

I would like to know what a girl has to do to get a job around here. I possess all of those skills employers say they want in a job applicant – I’m smart, hard working, highly organized. Any skills I haven’t yet gained from previous positions, I will do my best to learn as quickly and efficiently as possible. I can work independently or I can play well with others.

As far as getting a sense for an applicant, I understand it can be difficult based on just a cover letter and resume. Let me help you out. Unlike many people who lack focus, I have an excellent work ethic and I take pride in any work I do. I’m not afraid to work overtime if needed. I may not know exactly where I want my career to go, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t work hard. I can handle a lot of tasks while keeping a sense of humor. I get along well with nearly everyone and I’ve developed many contacts over the years. Sure, there are a few people at my last job who could give a less than stellar report, but for those three, I have thirty others who could offer glowing recommendations.

Now that I’ve stated what you would be getting, let me tell you what I ask in return. I expect my coworkers to take their jobs as seriously as I take mine. I expect to earn the respect of my superiors and, in turn, give them my respect. And I expect to be fairly compensated for my time and effort. I don’t believe it’s an unfair request.


Oh yeah. So I didn’t get that job. Crap.

A beer to celebrate? Nope... pass the o.j.

First, I feel like crap. My throat hurts, my body aches and my head feels like it's about to split. Boo.

Second, I got a call from a non-profit organization in San Francisco today. I have a job interview late next week. Yay.

How's that for balance?

There's nothing a tiger won't do for a tuna sandwich.

When I was a little girl, I fell in love with a boy and his best friend, a tiger. Every day they shared their adventures - pushing the family car into a ditch, throwing snowballs at the neighbor girl, torturing the babysitter or digging in the yard.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m talking about Calvin and Hobbes. Bill Watterson’s decision to retire the comic strip in 1995 broke my heart, but I can look back and remember Calvin, Hobbes, mom, dad, Susie, Miss Wormwood, Rosalyn and even Moe fondly. Not that our relationship ever really ended with more than a dozen books published through the years. (I have at least 10 of them.)

In The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book, Watterson said he used Calvin “as an outlet for my immaturity, as a way to keep myself curious about the natural world, as a way to ridicule my own obsessions and as a way to comment on human nature.” I think many of us could relate and still do – that’s why the characters have remained so popular.

Why do I bring up the subject now? The Complete Calvin and Hobbes Hardcover is set for release Tuesday. Consider this a top priority on my Christmas list. The 1,440-page, three-volume box set includes every comic strip ever published over its 10-year run. And what would Calvin's dad tell his son if the boy complained about the 22.5-pound weight? Think of suffering as building character.