'Bout time

Well, finally, something might be changing for the better. It's been over three months, but I've finally got an interview with Barnes & Noble tomorrow. I wouldn't say it's glamorous work, but we've all got to make money from somewhere. I've always wanted to work at a bookstore, and B&N is one of the better places to work at. Books-A-Million never bothered to call back about my multiple applications, so it's their loss.

I've basically also been "hired" by Sea World to do something involving climbing up into rigging and controlling a spotlight...I think that's what they said I'd be doing, at least. But that's for their Summer Night shows, so it's not for a while now. I will have to cut my hair as well, even though there's no way anybody will be seeing me. It'll be night, the uniform they gave me is all black, and I'll be working big spotlights above the show that people are watching. I can understand why they want such conformity, but I certainly don't agree with their logic. I don't have piercings or tattoos anyways, and I've seen guys working there who looked way worse than I do in terms of family-friendly appearance. Just 'cause I'm a guy who grew his hair out, doesn't mean I don't meet their company image. It's probably the case that they want to be fair to the employees who do have to meet customers.

I'd honestly prefer to not work for Sea World, haircut or no, but I get the feeling I'm not going to have a choice in the matter. The very first question the interviewer asked me is if I'm scared of heights. I don't have a phobia of high places, but honestly, does anybody really want to have to work a job where that's the first criteria of the position? That just makes me nervous. Being asked that makes me start imagining falling from up in the rigging down into the big Shamu pool, and I'd rather not imagine it or experience it. Chances are I'll end up developing a fear of high places once I start working this job.
If this job with B&N falls through, there's not really a need to work for Sea World, is there? Right? Could I maybe do work that doesn't involve climbing way high up?

Maybe if I make the decision to move back to Austin, I could find a B&N branch up there I could work for. I wonder if that sort of transfer is possible. I suppose it wouldn't work out that way, though. The plan is still to find a way to get my foot back in that door with Blizzard, or possibly with NCSoft, though I bet it'll be a year or two before that's possible. I'm still amazed that the company running Lineage, City of Heroes/Villains, Tabula Rasa, Guild Wars, and Aion: Tower of Eternity, have offices in Austin. In case you don't know, all of those titles are MMOs. I believe BioWare is also in Austin. They're the folks who made Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, both of which are favorites of mine. They're also currently developing some Star Wars MMO, right from their Austin offices. That city is turning into quite the MMO gaming hub.
I know I've been set back quite a bit, but I've still got the same plans I've had since high school. They're getting more defined, since I have options to pursue only 90 minutes away.

For now, though, I'm gonna keep hoping for that B&N job, even if I end up working at their cafe, serving coffee. (And I am not a fan of coffee...)