Running the Gamut

I woke up this morning resolved to find out what was the status of my job prospects.  Oh, I am getting ahead of myself.  I quit my job at the restaurant.  Honestly, I was miserable.  My dear friend Annie gave me a stern talking to and suggested that I find a new way to define happiness.  I am a supportive, loving wife and that is AWESOME!  I did some real soul searching and realized that I cannot continue to be unhappy--so I quit.  Of course I gave two weeks notice!
I haven't stopped applying for jobs.  I don't talk about it, I just do it.  I applied for a job at UF and finally got an interview.  It was the best interview of my life.  I answered all the questions well, I made myself available and open to anything.  I left knowing I got the job.  Today I found out I didn't.  I called to see if they had made a decision.  I was told (without asking mind you) that I was their top candidate and "I just feel so bad saying that because we chose someone else".  I was devastated.  This isn't my dream job; it's just a job I need and would have rocked.  The world doesn't make sense to me.  Now, I'm mad.  How can I learn from this?  What is there to improve upon?  Should I try not to be the top choice?
So, I applied for an historic preservation job today.  I got a call this afternoon.  I had a phone interview, and while I'm not getting my hopes up at all, it's a step in a positive direction.
I'm exhausted.  I've cried, yelled, and now I feel optimistic.  Here's hoping....