Having survived three days of training and learned a ton of stuff I can say with some conviction that I think I’m going to really enjoy working here. The atmosphere is intense and really laid back at the same time. There is a sense of freedom and creativity in the place and everyone seems really excited by the products and the company. I feel like I’m on another planet at the moment.

This management team is really into plackards and affirmation statements. There are apparently several that I have to have posted on my work station at all times. If they weren’t so sincere and if everyone didn’t seem to really be more or less behind them, I’d probably think it was ridiculous. But again, coming out of what I’ve just left this kind of stuff is surprisingly heartening. And while some folks I’ve met have seemed a bit over-worked, morale seems to be pretty high.

I had a nice lunch with Katie today and though I still haven’t explored a fraction of the area, I really enjoy being in the downtown area. And the MARTA thing has added a good deal of stair climbing and general hoofing it, which is a good addition to my daily exercise.

I did learn an important lesson about riding MARTA in the winter today: Always wear ear coverings. After standing on a platform in the wind for 10 minutes waiting on the 7:51 train, my eyes were watering, my nose was running and my ears were a shade of purple that portends certain death. I was ever so sexy.

Gym Report

It has been a while since I’ve done one of these, mostly because it’s been a while since I’ve made much progress. I have worked out quite a few times during and after the holidays though I still haven’t gotten back to six days a week. And yet…this morning the scale showed a 3-pound loss, putting me at a total of 27 pounds down. So Sarah owes me another star the next time I see her (finally!). 18 more pounds and I’m buying a bike.