The new car was a combination of pragmatism and getting tired of having to grunt and groan like an old man every time I got out of the Jetta. The pragmatism of buying a new car was the need for four-wheel drive. While we don't get much snow in Boise, I plan to venture into the mountains more often and needed something that would handle the conditions. On the rare occasion we do get snow in Boise, having four-wheel drive is pretty darn convenient, just ask the people who slide off into ditches. And yes, I'm getting older and I was just tired of getting in and out of the Jetta. That car sat too low to the ground. The Santa Fe is a much more comfortable rig.
I bought the new car during my last week at MPC Computers. Leaving MPC was a difficult decision but the opportunity to work for the world's largest technology company was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Hewlett-Packard has a large facility in Boise, which happens to be the main development site for laser-jet printers. As odd as it sounds, all of Hewlett-Packard's laser-jet printers were developed right in Boise, Idaho. Even the inkjet technology most of us use to print pictures at home was developed in Boise, Idaho. I was able to leverage my experience at MPC and my MBA to get a job working in Finance. I spend my days running financial analyses on warranty costs for HP's worldwide operations. We call Asia and Europe like they're Kansas and Florida. Although, the time difference can be a bit troublesome. Working for a global company is pretty cool.
The MBA paid dividends before I was even done. I landed the job at HP as I was preparing to start my final class at NNU. The last 18 months have been consumed by papers, tests, accounting, finance, and case studies. The MBA program was a great experience. I met some high quality people, made some valuable contacts, and had the opportunity to travel to South Korea and China as part of the schooling. I'm glad I'm done.
