I swear, the universe makes everything happen at once.
I now have 3 different companies requesting my portfolio, plus one very enthusiastic multimedia headhunter who just interviewed me over the phone and loves me. I'm to meet with her next week in person. She has a load of clients looking for someone just like me, and she loves my resume. And, she'll guarantee me hourly rates of at least $25 per hour and up, depending on the job scopes.
Ya know... I think I might have finally crossed the Sahara.