State of the Hopper

Have an interview tomorrow morning. That's the tenth one this year. Four separate meetings with recruiters, four interviews with employers (the fifth was a second interview for the job I had over the summer). I'm getting to be a pro at this, and none the richer for it.

Anyway, don't know much about the job. Got cold called after sending out unsolicited Hopper care packages consisting of a "Hi-ya!" intro letter, my resume, and a letter of recommendation. We'll see in twenty hours or so whether or not my financial situation is going to change. (Change means "swings positive".)

I picked my Halloween reading. As you may know, I like to read something spooky this time of year. In recent Octobers past I've read Poe and Lovecraft. Staring at my back on the bookshelf is a Lin Carter bio of Lovecraft and an omnibus of August Derleth Cthulhu Mythos stories. After hemming and hawwing, I decided against both. They'll have to wait for another Hunter's Moon. What I selected is -

The Amityville Horror, by Jay Anson.

The book scared the daylights out of me as a kid of a dozen years, and I remember reading it mostly on my porch during summer afternoons! So I wanna give it another read, first one in three decades or so, to see if there is any lingering power.

By the way, a memory just came back to me: reading Whitley Streiber's Transformation about twenty years ago. It's about alien abduction, his follow-up to Communion, and I remember (I think) a scene where he's sitting alone in his cabin (I was alone in my apartment reading this).  Streiber hears a loud smack against the side of the house from the outside. Then again. Again. Non-rhythmical, almost as if something was trying to get his attention and daring him to exit.

Scared the _ _ _ _ outta me!

Finished reading a bunch of stuff that I want to review, or at least note, in the upcoming days. The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco's medieval tale of murder and mystical mysteries. Killing Lincoln, Bill O'Reilly's fast-paced and highly moving introductory to the slaying of our 16th president. Red Badge of Courage, that Stephen Crane Civil War coming-of-age tale you had to read in high school. So much to write, so little time.

I have to clean the house now, then feed the little ones, and then get the big Little One over to soccer practice. Then get them home, washed, put to bed. Then an hour refreshing my interview skills. Then a little Big Bang Theory and maybe Parks and Rec. Then bed, hopefully. Busy and important day tomorrow.