Nice, good read.
I like your attitude on the attire too. I started with IBM R&D back in the late 90s (used to be called the Bocca Facility). Did the interviews and such remote, my resume was solid and they wanted me on the team, so it wasn't really a "interview" situation. I showed up for the first day of work in t-shirt, blue jeans and cowboy boots. Dress code had been "relaxed", they called it "business casual", so slacks and button up shirts with dress shoes instead of suits and ties. Manager nearly passed out, told me to go change and come back. My response was, it wasn't stated in my contract as a condition for employment. If you want me, I'm here, otherwise you pay the bailout clause and I go somewhere else. Long story short, an hour later I had badge-only access to the required labs and started a 2 year run where I was the ONLY person working in t-shirt and jeans at a true-blue IBM research facility...
Most of my coworkers and supervisors (mostly "IBM Fellows"), including the original choking intro manager found it amusing, eventually.
@jekquistk5 @Richcz28 @swettysblazer, even @76zimmer showed up! ). This summer kinda revolved around work, my cousins wedding, dunefest (which was the best one yet imo), and then our wedding. 
