It's been hard trying to get used to the "real world." I've been getting up around 6am every day, returning around 5:30 to 6:00pm and then repeating the next day. Training in Long Beach was the main cause for the early wakings (stupid Caltrans has a carpool lane closed somewhere around the 605 on the 91 in both directions as they replace the center divider) as traffic is not too pretty going each direction on the 91. The drive takes about an hour and since I had to be there at 8:30am for the whole week (and you can't be late for training - well you can...but what kind of impression would that make?), I left my house around 7am. Luckily, throughout the week we consistently were let out at 4:45 or earlier, so I could hit the freeway home and miss some traffic, but it was always horrible until about a mile past the 605 (because of the transition and the aforementioned carpool lane closure).

But basically, it's just been hell on my schedule. Wednesday night I went to bed at 10:30, Thursday night at 10:00...that's just not right. Prior to that, I consistently went to sleep around 2-3 am. Trying to shift your whole schedule that far up just doesn't work well. This weekend I want to sleep in, but I fear that if I do, I will be dead on Monday, my first day of real work, so I'm still debating what time I need to get up tomorrow (I'm already tired enough to go to sleep right now, but with a Lakers game on, I can't go to bed...).

Speaking of having a real job, I am now a teller at Farmers & Merchants bank here in Orange county (didn't get the closest branch to my house, but it's the 2nd closest, so I can't complain much). Before getting the job, all I really knew about F&M is that they had a friendly atmosphere because my best friend had an account there for years (he recently moved to WaMu though). He liked it there, but with only 18 branches, it's not easy at times to find an ATM without a fee. But now that I've been there a month, I know just about everything about the bank. Founded November 23, 1907, there are currently 18 branches throughout Los Angeles and Orange county, with three new branches opening up this year. I know the board members, I know the mission statement, and I know more about banking regulations (Reg E, CC, BSA, BPA, etc.) than I really care to know. However, the people at F&M are great to work with (from what I've seen thus far). It's a very tight-knit community as they promote from within and with about 500 employees, it seems as if everyone knows everyone else.

On top of that, the bank president, Ken Walker visits the branches quite often (along with his son - also on the board of the bank), so it's just a pretty cool community within the bank. I'm looking forward to starting on Monday (even though I hate working these 8 hour days) - but a consistent paycheck and some good income is a welcome change from the hourly rates at shuttles (though I am paid less) and the fluctuating hours available each week.