No news is good news -- right?

I made a promise I didn't keep! Weekly blogs. Posh.

My second week in the Northwest has come to a close. I have to say I was a bit worried about joining rank-and-file corporate America (Microsoft), but having lived it for a week I realize my worries were unwarranted. Really, working for Microsoft has been like working for a small company with massive resources. The other day, Brent (my manager) walked into my office while Andy (my coach/mentor/coding sage) were looking through some of the Office code and said, "Less work, more food." Then Steve (Brent's boss) drove us all (plus Mike, a co-worker) to Bellevue for mexican food. I really like my team, and in a week and a half I feel like they've become friends more than co-workers. The people who were so friendly during my interviews really turned out to be genuinely friendly.

The interns are fun people, too. There are 4 in my group, and lots more throughout the building. I've had a couple lunches with some Word interns, and learned that there are lots of teams at Microsoft (even in my building!) that I'd never heard about before. So, mom and dad, don't worry, I'm making lots of friends. :-)

Yesterday I got a chance to see a live demo and touch the new Microsoft Surface unit - for a few seconds. There was a huge mob and ten people crowded the thing for 10+ minutes without letting the dozens of people behind them have a go. Not everyone at Microsoft is considerate, I guess. :-( Still, it was a neat unit, and seems to operate pretty smoothly. The input is pretty neat; they don't just use a touch-sensitive surface. For now, they're going to be sold to business establishments like hotels (ahem: casinos) and cell phone companies for their stores, and won't get into the home for a while. They're in the $5,000 to $10,000 range, which surprised me because it is high, but not excessive.

I'm wondering whether I should buy an XBOX at the Company Store. Software and games there is roughly 90-50% marked down, and most of the XBOX hardware is cheap, too. On the one hand, it would cost ~$500 for a rig I like, I could play it over xbox Live with the included 12mo subscription, and I could program my own games with XNA and load those on (and presumably download others'); on the other hand, I don't know if I should be playing video games, especially next school year (won't have a TV there anyway), and the internet connection at the hotel is t3h 5uxz0Rz. (Brad speculates that they are sharing a cable modem among all of us.) Also, I only have $450 per fiscal year to spend at the store, so I could spend $450 now, and $450 in July/August. Hrm.

Well, I have a week or so to think about what to do with my $450 allowance. Until the 15th when I get paid, the answer is nothing.

And, of course, Washington is beautiful. Last week's run of sunny days has been directly complemented by this week's run of rainy, overcast days. At least it was sunny, unlike San Diego was. :-) Today, I think I will start making good on my promise to get in shape.

That's the news from Puget Sound, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and ... well, you know the rest.