10.19.01 - 5:58 p.m.

Well. It went well, I think, mostly due to my sense of not giving a shit and being in robot mode after my 4 hours of sleep. And it turns out the associate editor position (which is what they think I'd be good for) is something I'd actually not mind, except for the fact that I have no real clue of what we're writing about. Details, details. Apparently the magazine is completely revamping, coming up with a new staff and everything - Elliott, the editor I talked to, has only been here for fourteen days - and we'd be basically doing a start-up with an existing concept. Hey, does Medill prepare me or WHAT? The only problem I see is my desire not to be an ace reporter for the rest of my life - I could tell Elliott was disappointed when I told him I really am a behind-the-scenes kind of girl and not the next Woodward or Bernstein.

But it's not the end of the world, and it's another interview under my belt, and I felt so brave after the interview that I called Kayleen to have lunch with her. Being the bigger person and all, don't hold a grudge, blah blah blah. As I said to Dan this afternoon, my life isn't so bad for what it's worth - I have a wonderful boyfriend, an apartment with some pretty good bang for its buck, and if I don't have a job yet, so what? Neither does she and something will happen eventually. So we went to a Ukranian diner right down the street from her apt. and I ate some pumpkin pierogis and we chatted.

I found out SHE is sharing a room in her East Village place and paying $850 for that privilege, but might have to leave around January. SHE actually interviewed, not just applied, for the RS job too and they didn't call HER to let her know it was filled either. And I get the feeling she doesn't talk to Rachel all that often. Ha ha ha. Cara's engaged, which is no surprise, but isn't getting a job in Frankfurt - living in Westchester with the rents and doing some newspaper thing. Dave is at his parents' house in Croton-on-Hudson, still jobless, and Julia is at HER parents' house in DC, still jobless and won't even commit to which city she wants to move. Suddenly I don't feel so bad.

Plus, Kayleen was lamenting the fact that she has only one friend in the city (Matthew at NYU) so wow! Suddenly I am the popular one with all the friends and the parties! I rule!

And I finally saw Bruuuuuuuuuce last night (going back to my roots) and Bon Bon Booger, which I just can't help calling him after all these years. My His Dude-ness is hard-wired. Despite the presence of annoying talking people behind us, it was a really good time, much more than I'd anticipated. I mean, I knew it would be something to see those two, but there was so much in between and Kevin Smith as surprise guest host? Yeah! Woo! And a yummy dinner at Broadway Grill beforehand with NACHOS and meeting Emily who is really cool and I think she should just go ahead and date Dave because he needs a good woman and she seems to be part nerd too...but I am no matchmaker. I am just the luckiest.

But there's something I realized while at the benefit, and I don't mean this to be unpatriotic or to take away from any of the impact or symbolism, which have been undeniable this past month, but I think the American flag suffers from poor design. Think about it! I'm NOT TALKING about what the stars and stripes stand for, but simply the visual placement of the elements on the canvas. It's awkward and unbalanced - that little square in the left is just too top-heavy for the rest of the design, and the stripes pull your eye enough to the rest of the composition. Even by bringing the stars box down and right a little, surrounding it with some stripes instead of putting it flush in the corner - oooh, that would be jazzy.

Now Alaska has a kick-ass flag design. Look at how the Big Dipper grabs you, but how your eye immediately hits the North Star first before traveling to the more intricate part of the design. Just shows you don't have to be symmetrical to be interesting.

I am such a design nerd.