ATTN: Working Stiff Ahead

Yea, so I'm like, employed. Crazy. I get up in the morning, make myself coffee and drive off to work. I drive back home in the afternoon and then I'm done till the next morning. What's really scary is that two weeks ago I could barely drive a stick, now I've put in at least 400 mi in the car.
Speaking of which, I've got a new car (The LE in silver)! I filled it up on friday and got over 37 MPG! Who needs a hybrid when you've got a small car? It's still much peppier then the Volvo...it's a few hundred pounds lighter and at least 20 HP beefier under the hood. I like it very much.
So back to my job...it's really cool. I'm actually important. They give me a stack of Ti-based samples and say 'here, find their densities, fill out these forms in triplicate and come to the staff meeting at 11." The president of the company actually called me into his office on friday to 'wish me a good weekend' but I think he was actually showing me off to the industry guy who was about to head into a meeting with the President and VP. He introduced me as their "Carnegie-Mellon Intern." Not that they have any other interns (or ever had, for that matter). It's a nine-person company (I make it 10) so I know everyone there. I'm also spending a lot of time working in the shop, especially when Tricia, the engineer who's my 'supervisor' isn't in, and perhaps I'll get some lathe experience this summer. I may actually be useful to SAE next year. Esp if I make it into the shop course in the fall (crosses fingers)

I must say, I've changed my opinion of what it's like working (roughly) 9-5. I used to think it'd give you so much free time because...no homework! Not so much. It takes more out of me than I thought to wake up at 6 every morning. Granted, I used to get up at least that early for high-school, but I was usually in bed no later than 11. Now I'm up till at least midnight, sometimes a bit later, though not if I can help it. My evenings have basically boiled down to getting home, having dinner and then watching a couple hours of Law & Order with Dina. Not that I'm really complaining.

Yea, so it's been a while, and I apologize. Lots have happened. I came home and organized my family to load-in, SnS style, all my stuff; 15 min tops, best...load-in...ever! On Monday I met my friend's fiance (he seems like a great guy), and I've "mastered" the manual transmission (my new car is one). Speaking of my car, today I really revelled in the fact that I have both a car and license for the first time ever, really. I drove over to KFC to get lunch today. Wow, I'd forgotten how good KFC is. I mean, honestly, everything was top-notch the cole-slaw was excellent, the potatoes creamy and the biscuit fully composed of delicious flaky layers. The chicken was exquisite. I mean, what more could you want for under 6 bucks? For dinner I drove over to the center and grabbed a sub from Pizza Gando and coffee. It's so nice to have freedom. I'd never really complained about not being able to go places, but now that I can, it's freakin' awesome. Of course, I spent all of today and yesterday at home, but the fact that I could have gone somewhere is awesome. Tomorrow evening I'm heading out for dinner and a movie with the
AzN Brotherhood. Good times shally be had.
Another exciting development was made while assisting the nutbag. She, as well as I, had been getting ~60 spam e-mails per day. Freakishly enough most/all of the emails aren't even addressed to me (or the nutbag). Anyway, I discovered the spam filter that works between the CMU mail server and my inbox. Now it shunts spam (without me fighting with mulberry) to my "Spam and Crap" folder. Awesome. I do win, by the way. Nothing you can say can change that fact.