Today is my one-month milestone of employment, and things have been almost everything I wanted (Yo Sunny, I’m happy for you, I’ll let you finish, but Monster.com has some of the best jobs of all time!  Some of the best jobs of all time!)* in terms of the support I have been getting, the work I have been doing, and my work-life balance.  When I first interviewed at the company, I thought that the corporate culture was uptight and there was not a laugh to be had.  I have to say that is simply not true and I can wear a smile to work everyday.  From the first day, they had me doing some real work on some of the most reliable military aircraft (Yo Sunny, I’m happy for you, I’ll let you finish, but BAE Systems has some of the best aircraft of all time!  Some of the best aircraft of all time!)*.  The technology may seem a bit old, but if it makes the aircraft a customer’s choice, that’s great.

Now that I have more free time, I have been spending time taking better care of myself by going on longer bike rides and am intending on riding the entire Silver Comet Trail.  It’s no Texas 4000, but the planning and execution of this trip will be something I take great pride in.  My bike ride this weekend was cut short by some FOD (Foreign Object Damage) puncturing my rear tire, forcing me to walk my bike home.  Nevertheless, I made good on my promise to some coworkers to see “the big chicken“:

Finally, as part of diversity week at work, we got to wear a pro sports shirt to work.  I showed up in my solar car polo to show off the sport that very few people can say have participated in, and it is something I take great pride in (Yo Sunny, I’m happy for you, I’ll let you finish, but UT athletics has some of the best sports of all time!  Some of the best sports of all time!)*

I will try to ride my bike again this weekend.  Hopefully, it will be FOD-free, and I hope to break my 14-mile mark.

* In case you didn’t get the joke, the “interruptions” were to parody Kanye West’s spectacle that so many got teed off about (reference).  The statements contained in said interruptions do not constitute my opinion.

It has been about a month since I signed my lease and about three weeks since I started working.  How’s life?

Work: My coworkers have been treating me very well, and are happy that I have been picking up steam fast and plugging away at their backlog of work already.  They have many stories, insights, and jokes to share.  I would often stay longer than I initially intended to, although I would do work at the same time for efficiency’s sake.

Social: This is one of the challenges I have been facing.  Most of my coworkers are twice my age, so I had some trouble meeting people people my age for the possibility of hanging out with them.  Once I get up to speed, I will have time to do some community service.

Financial: This is the biggest source of grief right now.  I am currently living paycheck-to-paycheck as I plug away at my student loans and spikes in spending while paying the bills, saving up for my new car and retirement all at the same time.  Per my calculations, I would generally have less than $ 150 per week after I deduct (in order of priority):

1. Income taxes (federal and state)
2. Contributions to 401k
3. Paying back my parents
4. Paying back my student loan
5. Medical insurance, vision insurance, and dental insurance
6. Recurring expenses (rent, utilities, and insurance)
7. Transfers to savings (simulated payments for a car and cell phone bill)

With the help of GNUCash (open-source, also available in Windows) and OpenOffice.org Calc, I am now tracking my expenses accurate to the penny!  For those of you still in college, enjoy it while you still can — once you get out in the real world, you will have a lot more to worry about.