This Makes Me Happy

Why does the image to the left make me so darned happy?

Here’s why.

Over a month or so ago, I got a call from a prospective employer that saw my resume online. She told me that I was qualified for the position of Associate Web Editor/Writer for this startup site called EggXpert.com, a division of NewEgg.com. Head over there to see what it’s about.

I jumped at the chance to write again for a living. I requested some time off from work to attend the interview and talked to this person many times on the cell phone. But in the end I just couldn’t commit to the job for several reasons.

First, the commute from Long Beach to Industry would have been hellish. While only a few miles further than the distance to my current employer, I’d be driving the 605 and 60 freeways every day–no train. Strike one.

Second, I have an SUV. It would guzzle a good 4 gallons of gas per day. Strike two.

Thirdly, after sitting down and crunching the numbers, the difference in pay would have been a whopping $14 a day. I would be burning that much in gas each day, and dealing with the lovely L.A. area traffic to boot. Sure there were performance bonuses and whatnot, but it just didn’t balance out.

So why does seeing this small ad in their newsletter make me smile?

It means that I wasn’t the only one that thought what they had to offer was sufficient enough, and now they have to solicit contributions from their community. And even at a time when my current job is pretty much ready to pack up and head east, I think I made the right decision to turn them down.

Maybe I’ll submit at article to them. For free.