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I heart my job. :3 Actually I guess I should say jobs. I have a regular full-time job as an Executive Assistant that I love as well, and working for Gaia is what I do instead of sleeping. *laugh*

I still remember getting the job offer PM. When I finally was convinced that I wasn't hallucinating I near about died of joy~ I'd enjoyed helping out on Gaia by reporting as a regular user, moving misplaced threads as a Helper, and later on handling ToS violations as a Moderator. Suddenly being handed the opportunity to help make Gaia more fun for everyone in such a direct-effect way was a dream come true.

I still consider my pixelling job as a privilege and honor, and try to stuff as much heart and soul (read: quality and attention to user desires) into everything that I make for you guys. And I really am making the items for YOU. The only item I've ever made that was "for me" was the flyswatters, and I had to wait two years for those to actually get released into the site. XD Never say I take advantage of my position as a Dev simply for my own pixel pleasure.

The interviews seemed less like interviews and more like a meeting called so that the staff could have the pleasure of meeting me, admiring my pixels, and picking my brain for ideas of what I'd like to see on Gaia. *_* There was a brief paper-signing and then the rest of that initial introduction was comprised of meeting other staff, getting a peek at upcoming projects, and more playing of idea-ball. Juno took me in hand and trained me with the patience of a saint. There's so much to learn relating to pixels that even after over one year of working on item updates I found that I had never learned the entirety of the process for making an item that "cuts off your hair," so to speak. The more I learned to do on my own, the more I realized I didn't know, and Juno was there with me every step of the way, instructing and teaching and making it all very fun despite the chaos and craziness.

Speaking of chaos and craziness...

Side Story: One evening as I was driving home, Juno called me on my cell phone. The conversation was something like this:

Meriko: Hello?

Juno: Hellooo Merikooo~ Are you working tonight?

Meriko: Junooo~ Sure, I can work if you need me to. Why?

Juno: We need one more item set for the next update.

Meriko: Okay. When do you need the items by?

Juno: Uh...tomorrow morning.

Meriko: HA! ...wait, are you serious?

Juno: I'll help you!

Meriko: Yes plz! @_@ *drives faster*

So now you know...the Missy set (hair ribbon, fitted jacket, shirred dress, and ankle-strap heels) was made in one night. I think I had the basic pattern of the dress worked out ahead of time but I'd say 90% of the work had yet to be done. We worked from dinnertime until 5:00 am non-stop. I still don't know how we managed to pull it off. XD

Other than things like shifting or unexpected deadlines (which I consider as part of the job and which I'm used to anyway through working "regular" jobs) I still feel like I'm living some freaky-awesome dream that I won somehow in the Gaia User Wish-Granting Lottery of WIN. *hee* I can send an e-mail to the staff and say, "Hey, I've seen a lot of medieval-wear requests in Site Feedback and Petitions. I mocked up this Tavern Wench set preview. Can we make it?"

And they say yes. And I rejoice.

And it gets released. And I rejoice again.

And I see some happy squees in Site Feedback. And I rejoice yet again. (And I also see some unhappy rawrs in Site Feedback. And I make notes.)

...and I have to cut this off because I think I hear a sudden attack of leg cramps in the boys' room! *poof*