iffageek falls

How to search for a job:

1) find a job posting
2) realize that despite all warnings to the contrary, you have become complacent and not updated your resume within the last two years
3) panic
4) begin updating resume
5) realize that since current job (which you have held for the last 3.5 years) is for a company with a strict neutral reference policy. (for those of you that don't know, this means that representatives of the company may not provide information about current/former employees other than dates of employment and job title, etc. this is great for the company, as it reduces risk and liability, but it sucks because most potential employers want current employment references.)
6) panic
7) begin coming up with a list of former coworkers who may be willing to provide at least a personal reference.
8) as you begin contacting them, notice a link in a signature file (802.heaven), follow it to friend's blog, read while laughing uncontrollably, and think, "hey, i've been thinking of posting something again... maybe i should start one some time"
9) start searching for former web page address to use address again. fail to find. think, "hey, i bet i e-mailed it to some of my friends at some point." start searching 4+ years of e-mail archives. fail to find. furthermore, get "lost" re-reading old e-mail threads from friends you haven't talked to (despite repeated sincere promises) in months or even years. feel warm fuzzies and guilt at same time. observe how odd that particular combination is -- much like the hazy nostalgia/burning shame of your edited recollections of high school. realize you're way off track.
10) throw up hands and finish creating blog.
11) post.
12) realize that you have now wasted over 2 hours and you still have a half-finished e-mail to contact in step 8.
13) panic
14) throw up hands in disgust, write the evening off as a loss, and promise to do better tomorrow.

off to finish up steps 11-14. more soon