Many thanks for all the participation! There is a lot of good information coming out and I am learning a lot. Let's keep it up!

The most recurring themes involve commuting and upgrades. Shortest commute implies less stress and better rest. We all know (should know) the irrefutable importance of that. The upgrade subject remains a crap shoot. I have come to understand and believe that stated upgrade time is based on the current moment and could change one way or the other in a matter of months. Ref what pete2800 stated about the upgrade time at his company changing 3 years in 4 months, that's a significant change and I don't think he meant 3 years -less-. Ref also Bzzt stating that quick upgrade time applying mostly to those already on property; a very profound point. I wish it could be better projected as I do agree with 80KtsClamp about being at a lesser regional and becoming CA quicker vs a greater regional and remaining an FO longer. To me, CA pay anywhere would more than meet my current and near future needs and would be worth -nearly- any hardship (emphasis on nearly lol).

So far I've gotten offers from Mesa, TSA, AirWis, XJT, and RAH. I live in the southeast, so I'm leaning towards either XJT or TSA. XJT due to company size, decent pay and best commute, TSA due to upgrade time, decent commute, and relatively decent pay if the upgrade dosen't come as quick as stated. Mesa's upgrade sounds good too, but they seem to have a rocky reputation and their indecent pay speaks for itself. I held off on applying for Envoy, PSA and a few others so as to save some for later rather than rejecting possible interview invitations. I think it's possible that may not go over well if one decides to try back later. Any good info on these companies is more than welcome and will be very useful.