I am so in love with Interfolio that I may have to write a song in its honor at some point in the near future. For those who are unfamiliar with the Interfolio, it is an online credentials file. It seems primarily geared towards those with some affiliation, as either teacher or student, with academia. This is because when you put together an application for a job in academia, many trees must die for the paper it generates. Oh at first it may just be c.v.s (that�s academese for resum�, for those outside the business) and cover letters (although, one should point out here, that in academia, the longer the c.v., the better), perhaps an abstract of your dissertation. But soon there�s more � multiple letters of recommendation, short and long versions of teaching statements, course proposals, syllabi, several writing samples. By the time you get all the stuff you need uploaded to Interfolio, you are thanking your lucky stars that you only had to type these things once. What on earth did people do before computers? Not to mention before Interfolio?

I�m starting to think of Interfolio as a much beloved and highly competent personal assistant, the kind you�re half in love with because they do their job for you with such dedication and loyalty. Bond had Moneypenny, I have Interfolio. Interfolio may not bring my coffee or dress slightly too scandalously at the office or bring me my hat and coat when it�s time to go (although neither can I toss my bowler with perfect aim onto a waiting coatrack, so perhaps it�s just as well), but it can send scads of documents to multiple locations in a matter of a couple of hours. It even scanned my signature for me into a TIFF file, so I didn�t have to go through the trouble of trying to track down a scanner myself.

My only question is, what kind of Christmas gift does one get the Cybersecretary who has everything?

Two applications on their way, two more to go tomorrow. And now there are bills to be paid and AJ�s advent calendar to put together. Someday perhaps I�ll talk about our Thanksgiving trip to my mom and dad�s where AJ met his great grandmother for the first time, our adventures in Appalachia on the drive home and the look on AJ�s face when he woke up this morning and saw snow outside his window. We celebrated by making our annual Christmas gingerbread house (from a kit � I�m not a total masochist) and licking the icing off the spoon afterwards. But then again, maybe there isn�t much left to say.

[Second entry today. Sort of.]

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