Last Day of Introductory Training...

Well, originally I had planned on writing each and every day how Introductory Training was coming along. With it being a quite long and exhausting work day I never got around doing that. That's why I will give you with this Blog Post an update on how things were coming along these past few days.
Working with customer payments is straight forward and pretty much a piece of cake. No problem there.
Splitting up the invoices received has become way easier as in the beginning. You just have to stick to your established procedure.

• Canceled payments and returning payments to customers is still somewhat confusing. You have to think what's exactly happening and you have to think it through to apply the correct accounting procedure.  
• The software module dealing with open payments is still a little confusing, but slowly I'm getting better with that thing as well.
• Working through the list of Overdue Notices can be quite intimidating in the beginning but is actually easier than it looks. 
• Dealing with the paperwork for handing a customer over to a Collection Agency is easier than it looks at first glance.

From tomorrow on the entire "accounting fun" will belong solely to me. I'm still not quite sure if I shoud be excited, scared or both!!

Introductory Training - Day 1..

Today was my first day of introductory training for the new job. It's a phase of getting to know the new software the company is working with. It also gives someone time to get to know the special rules and internal procedures. Friday is a short day and went by very quickly, since we stopped working at 1.30 pm.
The only thing I can say about that is that there is a lot to take in. Since I took Accounting Classes I know how to deal with a business situation in theory. Turns out knowing that in theory is one thing, applying it in the daily accounting work is an entirely different thing. Standard stuff like customer payments and invoices is a piece of cake. Having to split up invoices because of tax reasons is work intensive and can be bothersome at times. Canceled payments and too high payments they can be quite irritating at times and require your full attention. And debt transfers from one sub-company to another one are particularly tricky. Definitely not liking those too much.
I had to reming myself of a golden accounting rule: "Look at the basics! Figure out where it gets more and gets less...and then apply it accordingly".
Considering that this was the first real day doing it, I think I didn't do too bad. Besides a few bothersome things the day was not bad at all.  Now I have 3 more days to get the most out of the introductory training...then I"ll be responsible for the entire "accounting fun".

Doctor's Appointment

Well, today I had my appointment to discuss the the outcome of the blood work they started at AKH about 3 weeks ago. Well I know that no final decision could be made today, since the results of the resistance evaluation isn't back yet. Reason therefor is, that they didn't have the needed medical paperwork in order to get that test started. This is something odd about Austria, for a couple of tests you need a general physician fill out that request or it isn't going to get done. It was partially my fault since the office hours of the physician and my job interviews seemed always to be at the same time...and you can't just drop it off and pick it up later, you have to wait for it in person.
When I had the appointment at AKH, I dropped of the authorization form and now the resistance evaluation is going to be done. I did hear some results of the blood work and they really didn't shock me at all. Having not been on the meds for 6 month, because I wasn't eligible for medical coverage having a CD4 count of 500 and V-Load of 100.000 is really nothing to worry about and with results like these there is no need to hurry. In about 1 month i will have my next appointment and then the decision has to be made on which meds to on. I will keep you guys posted on that.

I got the Job!!!

I had already known, that I got the job on Monday. But today I was going to sign the working contract with the company. That makes it official that I got the job!!! Very happy about that. I was thinking that I was going there, sign the contract and that would be it for today. Well, that's not exactly how it happened though.
I did get there and sign the contract. The owner of the company showed me the place and introduced me to all the coworkers in the office. But then he dropped a little of a bomb on me. He asked me if I could stay for about half a workday, so that the girl who does the work now could give me a little overview of how things are being done in this company, internal procedures and special rules. Since I didn't have any other obligations I was fine with it. She showed me the software that they do their accounting with. It's a little different to what I'm used to, but I actually managed to get used to it fairly quickly. We did some standard work in Accounts Receivable. Since I have more experience in working with accounts payable, some of it was a little different, but most of it is actually pretty much straight forward. We also die some examples of special cases. All in all it was a great experience and it is definitely a job where you have to do many different things, that all have to do with accounting.
Before I left owner of the company asked me if I could come in a couple of days next week, since the girl that did the work up till now will be leaving by the end of May and that way I could already be up to speed. I agreed to that and so I will work this week on Friday and next week from Tuesday to Thursday. But I will get all that time paid full! Starting on June 4th I will have to do the Accounts Receivable all by myself. My job can best be described as a Junior Accountant for Accounts Receivable with additional duties in Accounts Payable and minor duties in Import/Export and Custom Clearance Case Management.
For this being basically an accounting entrance position getting all my previous work experience credited is certainly a plus in my book. That I get actually paid more than I would have originally estimated is icing on the cake!
The company I will be working for is a family owned company with a very friendly work climate and a not to big office. About 12 people and everyone seems to be very laid back and easy going.
It's definitely going interesting and it will be quite a challenge, especially in the beginning. But I'm really looking forward to it, since I've never ever been afraid of challenges.

Running Errands...

Today is pretty much a day of running errands. Since I got accepted the job yesterday I had to get started on getting the paperwork that I passed my criminal background check. When I did this that last time (and it has been quite a long time ago) it took about 1 week to get the paperwork. So I went right away to the police department to get the process started. Turns out that this is much quicker these days and that they give the paperwork to you right away. Since that background check is for a specific purpose (in this case the company I'm going to work for) it's also fairly cheap. It was only about 16 bucks. Being able to give the paperwork of my background check to my new employer when signing the work contract tomorrow, is definitely a plus in book.
Next up I had to deal with my bank. There had been some issues that I never got around to fully solving. Partially I didn't have the time and also because I partially just forgot about doing it. Up till now it wasn't really bothering me, but since I'm going to start to work, those issues needed to be dealt with. Two things specifically weren't really working: the Online Banking and I didn't have a valid ATM card. With neither of those things in hand, that checking account is only of very limited usability. So I called their 'Help-Desk' yesterday to inquire about the status of those issues. They informed me that they had sent it to branch office and that I could pick it up any time. Well, the branch office never told me that, but I let it go. So after I was finished at the police department I went over to the branch office of my bank. Just had to show them my identification and sign the receipt of the new access code for online banking and the receipt of the ATM car. Now the banking issues are fixed. I'm very happy with that outcome.
Later that day I had to head over to the ophthalmologist for the second Post-OP control appointment. Well it's all good. No infection and everything progressing as planned. I have now on my right eye roughly a vision of 80% of normal. During the next 4 to 5 weeks it should slowly go up to 100%. I also got a prescription for temporary glasses, since my current glasses are only very limited useable. I do have old glasses from about 3 years ago with whom I now can do some computer work, if I get the working distance right. It's a little more than your normal work distance...it's not perfect, but it kinda works. I will have the new prescription glasses made as soon as possible and hope that the work better than those that I'm currently using for computer work. I will definitely keep you guys posted on that.

What a Day...

Today could probably best be described as a roller-coaster kind of a day. It started right in the morning, when I got an call that I didn't get one of the jobs I would have just loved to have. Since the decision took them that long I had pretty much that I wouldn't be getting it. So it didn't come as a huge surprise.
So I went on to deal with some overdue medical paperwork. While I was on the way to the doctor's office I got an call from the staffing agency that I had another job interview the next day. This one was going to be at ORF (the Austrian Public Broadcasting Agency). Not bad I thought. But this day wasn't quite done with me yet.
While I waited at the doctors I got another call from the same staffing agency, that the company I had Friday's job interview with had offered me the position. After thinking it over for a short while I accepted the job offer. It's a good job in a solid company. So I got the job and I was quite excited about that. Of course with me accepting the job offer, the interview for the position at ORF was void.
About 30 min. later, while I was having coffee at the local McDonald's I got a call from the company and we finalized some more details and that I would be meeting up with them later this week to sign the work contract.
I was pretty sure that this was the end of today's roller coaster. Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong. When I got back home I got a call from another company, that I had sent my resume to. They wanted me to come in for an job interview. But since I had already accepted another job I really didn't see the point. Under normal circumstances I probably would have gone to the interview, but since it wasn't going to happen before I was going to sign my work contract...well, it would have been pretty pointless. That was certainly an entirely new experience...having to decline a job interview.
When I checked my appointments I realized that I was supposed to go to an job interview on Wednesday for a position at Vienna International Airport. So I called them and thanked them for the opportunity and declined another job interview.
Sometimes love is just weird. I will keep you guys posted when I sign the work contract and then it is completely official that I got the job.

Daisy's 15th Birthday

Today Daisy is turning 15!! Happy Birthday old girl!!

And the Job Hunting continues...

Well, today I had another job interview. This one in Vienna's 23rd district. Let's just say it's not the easiest place to get to and that company is barely still in the city. With all that being said only having to take the Subway and 2 busses isn't that bad after all. The thing with those busses is that they don't come that often as the ones in the city. Luckily I was shooting for the earlier one. Just as luck would have it I didn't take the driving direction for the second bus into consideration. As soon as the bus had left and the next exit was announced, I knew that I was going into the wrong direction. I got off the bus and waited for the next bus into the right direction. Of course I had to wait another 20 minutes, but with the security margin I plan in for such occurrences I still managed to get to my job interview on time.
It's a smaller company, a family owned business. The owners themselves were conducting the job interview. The told me what line of business they were in and we talked a little about my resume, me as a person and what are my strengths as an employee. We also talked about my IT skills and my experiences in accounting. We also talked about why I wanted to move from being a case handler more into the direction of accounting. They also wanted to know from me if it would be OK with me if I had to take over some duties if the case handlers just in case the occasion should arise. And of course I'm absolutely fine with that. I got the feeling that they owners of the company were impressed with my references, but of course I know an impression like that can be way off. Although the interview only lasted for a little over 20 minutes we did cover many areas.
I think that the interview went very well. But I probably won't find out before the end of next week. Well, I will keep you guys posted on that!

Post-OP Control Appointment

Today was my first control appointment after the operation. It was also the time when the bandage was going to come off. Got there right in time. And so far everything is moving along as planned. On top of the eye drops, I got now an ointment for the eye as well. Now I've to put drops in 5 times a day and then the ointment at least 3 times a day. That all together keeps your blurry and it keeps you kinda busy. But all in all it has been fine so far. Compared to what my vision was on the right eye it has improved significantly.

Eye Surgery

Today I was going to have my cataract surgery. Luckily the appointment wasn't till 11 am and so there was no need to hurry. I got there on time and the entire Prep Procedure started. Took actually not that long as I thought it would. After that it was a waiting game.
Shortly after noon the wheeled me down into the OP. The surgery itself is pretty uneventful. Everything is blurry and I saw a few flickers of light here and there. The thing that is probably most bothersome about the entire procedure is the fact that you have your face covered up. I'm not a huge fan of that. The operation lasts about 10 minutes or so. The rest is spent cleaning and disinfecting the eye and taping the eye shut.
After that you're wheeled back up and get to relax for about 1 hour or so. After that you're being released from the hospital. I was told to come back the next day for an follow up appointment to check if everything is according to plan.
Well when I saw myself the first time in the mirror and Star Trek reference popped immediately into my head: "We are the Borg, resistance is futile". You gotta love being a geek!!

Job Hunting continues...

Well today was another day of job hunting. Lately it seemed as if I make it into the last 2 rounds of the job hunting game, but just fall a little short when it comes to closing the deal. But all of that is part of the game. Luckily I don't take that personal or it would be a very frustrating experience.
Today's interview was with Staffing Agency, that's well known in Austria. I had applied for a particular job and the interview was being conducted by that agency. I had knew that already and it was clear to me as well, that this interview would get me into their personnel database as well. The second part of that was just icing on the cake.
The interview went very well. I talked about my resume and answered a few questions. Apparently not all parts of my resume are as self-explanatory as I thought they would be. Then I talked a little about myself. Next I got to know a little about the position and the company I had applied for and got also the chance  to choose a couple of other positions, that I'm qualified for.
Now my resume has been forwarded to 4 companies and from now on it's a waiting game. I will keep you guys posted on the progress!

Surgery Prep-Appointment

Today I had my Prep-Appointment for my upcoming eye surgery. I had known for over a year that I was developing an cataract on the right eye. For the longest time it really didn't bother me at all. But my vision was getting worse and worse. So 3 month ago I set up that appointment. As you can see there is quite a waiting list for cataract surgery.
Today we decided what lens to put into the eye and I decided to go for nearsighted. I could have gone for farsighted as well, but it would have meant to rip out the second lens as well. Although there is a chance that I've the beginning of a cataract on the left eye, the lens is at this point basically healthy and I didn't think it would have been a bright idea to rip it out as well. The only reason to do say would have been to get rid of the glasses all together. Considering my kind of nearsightedness there is no guarantee that this would have worked out. So I decided against it.
Now everything is set and ready to go for next Monday.

Scare with Daisy

When I got back from today's job interview I decided to take my mom out for lunch. I could have brought Daisy along, but since it was raining I figured it would be easier for her to stay home. Once we got back from lunch Daisy was super excited as usual. I still had to get some stuff out of the car and Daisy came along. When walking back up the concrete stairs she suddenly missed a step and slid up 2 steps. That entire incident had looked really bad. So when I got up to her I just saw her sitting one paw up and the paw was hanging down.
My first thought was: "Oh crap, the dog just broke her leg". Then she tries to step on it, but puts it back up right away. I looked at the leg and saw a what looked like the beginning of a selling. The thing usually associated with broken limbs. I didn't even examine it any further. I went to get the car keys and was ready to head back out to the Vet. Suddenly I see her trying to put weight on that paw. After the second or third time it works out. So I looked at that leg in more detail. Turns out that what looked like the beginning of a swelling is actually the joint. When I examined the joint it didn't even bother her.
So I decided to wait a little and after a couple of more minutes Daisy was using the leg without any problems. Of course I was keeping an eye out for what was going on with the leg. But it didn't even bother her all day long. Guess she must have really jammed that paw into her joint. Luckily it turned out to be nothing really serious.

More Job Hunting...

Today I had another job interview. This one in Wiener Neudorf, just south of Vienna. Getting there was pretty much a piece of cake. Got there way too early, because there was almost no traffic at all. That by itself was kinda strange. But it gave me the chance to hang at the local McDonald's and kill about 1/2 hour.
Just when I was heading over to the interview place it just had to start to rain...naturally!! Found the interview place without any problems, although that building is one of the most confusing structures I've ever been to.
The interview lasted for about 1/2 hour and I think it went quite well. It's your typical staff job in the accounting and finance sector. Nothing that would be considered a huge challenge, but for the moment it would be job the fits the current situation. Guess I'll have to wait and see what happens, since I won't find out anything definite at least for another 2 weeks.

VET Appointment

Today I took Daisy for her annual check-up. Getting there was a piece of cake as usual. She didn't even act up till we were at the VET office. She really hates the place.
Well her physical exam went pretty well. Heart and Respiratory System are fine. Nothing bad going on with her belly either. The Lipoma on here right side didn't grow either and isn't bothering her. This time I had them issue a Pet-Passport as well. That costs 15 bucks, but allows you to take your dog anywhere in the EU.
Daisy was due for her annual shots as well. I had them renew the Distemper, Kennel Cough, Leptospirosis, Parvovirus and Hepatitis. That was the easy part. The rabies vaccination not so much. In order for that vaccination to be valid it has to be recorded with the microchip. No problem I thought, since the dog is chipped anyways. Well, not so quick. This is one of the older US Microchips and the current European Chip reader can't read them. When she passed through customs last year they had there a reader for the older US chips...that's why there was no problem then. So I to make a decision to either buy a chip reader for Daisy's old chip or have her re-chiped. So I chose to have a new chip implanted and have the rabies vaccination recorded with the new chip.
Now we have quite an interesting situation. Daisy has all vaccinations and her Pet-Passport recorded with the new chip, while she is registered with her old chip with Animal Services in Vienna. It doesn't look like it's going to cause a problem, since they only scan the dog in case she should get lost. Since Daisy's Data is going to be registered with Animal Data anyways it's all going to be fine.
In 1 month we'll be going back to the VET again for round 2 of 1-in-5 vaccination. This Vet Appointment was rather expensive. It cost me 139 bucks. It's about twice as much as I usually pay. On the positive side it's still half of what I used to pay per VET visit back in the States.

Doctor's Appointment

Today it was time for a Doctor's Appointment, that has been overdue for quite some time. Well, life has been quite busy and so I never really got around doing that. Since I had to do a full check up anyways I figured I might as well do all that in one of the outpatient clinic's of AKH (Vienna's General Hospital). While the thought by itself is quite logical it also requires you to have a lot of patience. If you have an appointment you have to wait for about 1 hour. Without an appointment the waiting time is about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Luckily I had brought my iPad with me, and so it really didn't bother me that much.
My physical exam was fine and that's definitely great news. The Folliculitis is acting up again and so is the fungal infection. Of course the warm weather, that we've been having lately isn't helpful with that either. So for that I got some Meds and hopefully that will do the trick. My weight is kinda OK, I'm now at 185 lbs...a little more than I would like to. The blood pressure has been way too much: 170 / 104. Not sure if that's for real or just a one time thing. Guess I'll have keep checking on that. And of course I had to give blood to get my regular blood work done. You would think 2 or 3 blood samples should be sufficient, but no...they want 15 from me. Seriously, I think they're selling those for profit. That's the reason why I tagged the above pic as: "I must have a thing for vampires".
All in all not bad results. But I will have to wait for the results from the blood work for about 3 weeks.