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Remnant_Ladybug
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Name: Catherine
Country: United States
State: Virginia
Metro: Newport News
Birthday: 5/4/1983
Gender: Female
Interests: My job, the US military, origami, anime, insects, drawing, digital photography, computers (PC), reading&writing, good movies, good food, cooking, World of Warcraft, fighter jets, rabbits, cheese cubes.
Expertise: Political Science, Chinese. And supposedly, computers and management.
Occupation: IT/Management
Industry: Government
Message: message meEmail: email me
AIM:  Yu Junxian
Member Since:
7/15/2003
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| Enjoy the pinkness
...While it's still here. It's amazing how the cherry bloom trees suddenly burst forth with flowers, as if they've been penting it all up all winter. I took some additional photos around my apartment complex today. The sky was grey with a little bit of sunshine filtering through, so it was just right for the soft shades of pink to be expressed in these photos.
   Today I cut loose and walked around outside, then went over to the mall where I bought this dress. It looks different and I liked it a lot when I tried it on in the dressing room. It's been a while since I bought anything new for my wardrobe, so I figure it's a good addition for my summer selection. I like having 3 day weekends. I'm getting better at using the time so I can be by myself and replenish. Taking pictures this weekend was refreshing. It got my mind off from work, obligations and all those things in life that are unimportant. And so, another week is about to begin... | | |
| Awakenings
Spring has finally arrived in Virginia, and the birds are singing in a chorus for the flowers that are blooming everywhere in a joyous explosion of color. Ahh, spring -- the season I've been waiting for. With the awakening of plant life comes the rise of insect life. And there's no critters I love more in this world than insects. Oh and maybe kittens and puppies. But insects are more eclectic.
 Honey bee greets the freshly-bloomed blossoms  Another honey bee shot  A mourning dove guarding her nest in a tree  Caterpillars striking a threatening pose  Staring contest with a fly
So yes, I'm still alive and well, folks. I guess my Xanga had gone into a brief hibernation too. Xanga hasn't missed that much from me. Work has pretty much consumed me while life at home is unchanged, stable, mundane. I'm still with Tyler and we still love each other. Tyler is now qualified as an Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist in the Navy so that's a very good thing (one extra patch on his uniform!). I still work at the same job as before, still working hard (if you don't count the hour or two I spend during breaks chatting about World of Warcraft with my co-workers  ). There have definitely been some difficult times, but hey, whose job doesn't have those? I'm starting to see bits and pieces of how management works in my company, and that's interesting to observe. But something tells me I probably won't be a mere observer for much longer, but instead I might get involved, little by little. All those little worries are tossed away this weekend by the beautiful spring breeze passing through the apartment complex. It is refreshing to see things bloom and grow and buzz and chirp again. | | |
| Looking Back
I look at myelf in my old photos and even my weblog and cannot recognize myself anymore.
Just recently I had my hair cut. Out of habit, I had the hairdresser just give it a straight cut, which is what I used to always get. But the usual hair cut didn't look like me. I requested my hairdresser to do something different, change a few things. She gave me long bangs and some layers. That looked more like me.
I'm also starting to feel more and more distant from my old friends and even a little bit distant from Tyler. I know this is bad, so I'm trying to find ways to fix it. I need to find things in Tyler that are charming again. I need to find things outside of work that I'm passionate about. I need to remember what my old friends have done.
I've always been the type of person that walks forward in life and never looks back. Never look back, especially if it is something in the past that inspires shame, regret, and misery. The draw-back is, those things tend to go hand-in-hand with memories that are good. I think I've just walked too far without looking back this time. Way too far.
When I look back now, it's too late. I don't recognize any of the scenery I left behind.
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| Training Trainee
Yesterday
the QA team accepted a request to go coach the class of new hires about
QA standards and how to comply to them. I was to participate in the
coaching as well. This was a surprise to me-- I'm newer at the QA
position than the new hires are with this company! Oh well. There is
a first time for everything.
The training classroom for the new
hires gave me flashbacks from the time when I was sitting there. It
was filled with different students, but the same facial expressions
that I wore when I was a trainee. A little tension, determination to
learn, and a look of comeraderie with fellow trainees. For a moment I
completely forgot about my position. Then the QA training kicked off.
Mostly
it was our most veteran analyst that spoke. Sometimes he had me take
the floor to talk about a certain QA criterion. Whenever I did speak,
I tried to hide the fact that I was flustered (probably inadvertantly
looking twice as flustered) and pretty much read things off a paper.
At this point, that is all I know. After my speil, the veteran QA
folks chimed in and added more in-depth commentary. I took everything
they said and tried to remember them. Next time, I want to be more
eloquent and be able to give more in-depth coaching, too.
So I
mostly stood in the corner, listening, quietly nodding, fidgeting
behind my back (and hoping that no one could see that I was fidgeting
behind my back.) I'm typically not this timid and insecure, but I just
didn't feel worthy or ready to teach about QA, since I am still very
much a student myself.
The Ring Debate
 Tyler
has been talking about buying me a promise ring for engagement. Being
a pretty materialistic person, I refused the offer because I didn't
want Tyler spending money on a ring that is basically symbolic and is
exclusive from the fact that I love him.
But that doesn't
affect Tyler's sentiment that a promise ring is appropriate and, well,
nice to give to me. Promise rings are fashionable nowadays, especially
among young people, and marks the precursor to marriage. A promise ring
spells security and commitment.
I dunno, maybe I'm just
narrow-minded, but I really don't want Tyler spending money on jewelry
for symbolism's sake. And if he intends to engage, he can go straight
to an engagement ring and skip purchasing a promise ring. Am I being
too cynical?
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| Happy New Year! (Now can I go to bed?)
Ahh, another year has passed and a new one has arrived with a bang and drunken cheering. Gotta love the new year's eve festivities.
Tyler and I invited a couple of friends over to our apartment for drinking, movies, and general merriment. Everyone, being as generous as they are, brought way too much alcohol and food in total. Open our refridgerater and an army of beer is standing at attention rank-and-file: the Yuengling platoon, the Bud Lite platoon, the Miller Lite Platoon. Officers Vodka, Rum and Tequila are standing guard on top of the freezer. Here is the front-line defense in our New Year's Eve war on sobriety.
So we drank, made merry, watched some movies, and talked about music and other random funny things. Tyler and his friend drank so much they fell asleep on the couch. The evening ended with watching the ball drop live from Times Square in New York. I wasn't drunk (didn't feel like it). I didn't really feel like "wow, it's 2007" when the ball dropped and the people in the TV broke into jubilation. The apartment was quiet and I was content to be safe at home and with my friends. And above all, I was feeling more tired than festive by midnight.
2006 was one of the best years I've ever lived through. Got a good job and it just got better, moved into a roomy apartment, got to strengthen my relationship with Tyler, made a lot of awesome friends, got to learn more about the world around me. I have no regrets or shortcomings about the previous year. I'm looking forward to 2007 and whatever it's got in store for me. Hopefully good things. But either way, I'm not afraid of anything. 2007 is the year of the Boar according to the Chinese zodiac, and I happen to be a Boar. This is my year.
And, as per Jotting Spot tradition, here is....
Top 10 Things I Learned in 2006:
1) If at first you don't succeed, try, try better!
2) Be good to everyone around you, especially those below you. You never know when you'll never see them again, or when they will end up becoming your boss.
3) TV Dinners are quite yummy.
4) Even if you aren't sure where you are going, make sure you are moving forward.
5) Whoever invented cheese cubes is my hero.
6) British author Terry Pratchett is very, very funny.
7) Sting rays are evil! Evil, I say!
7.5) If you get stung by a sting ray, don't pull the barb out! Rush to a hospital for professional care immediately.
8) I'm not going to go to Japan by myself anymore, for sanity's sake.
9) Subscribing to a new cell phone service is expensive. Try not to do it too often.
10) Virginia apparently tends to get warm in the winter.
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