So, today is the last day of March. It seems the month went by so quickly, though it was a very eventful one that included many ups + downs on the emotional rollercoaster. And Spring is finally here! The weather has been real finicky in accepting the new season--warm + humid one day, cold + rainy the next. Florida can never make up her mind.
As of April 29th, I will have worked for 3 whole years here at my job. It is the longest I've ever been employed at a company + each time I think about it, I am thankful. Those times when I struggled [+ still struggle] with my career identity have been rough, but I always get put back in my place when I remember the fact that I *at least* have a job. The big perspective is sometimes hard to see when you're so busy dealing with right now. I know I do so plenty of times. I begin to think, "Why aren't I somewhere else?" + "While I am here, how can I move forward when I don't have exactly what it takes to move forward?" Then, I look back + know that I am definitely in a much better place than I was some years ago.
I know in time things will begin to work itself out. Believing in the unknown + having faith is a difficult task, but I have seen it work in other's lives + in my own. I have heard that maybe my time isn't now. That is definitely something I don't want to hear when I'm frustrated + bent on making things happen for myself. It's not easy to relax, simmer down, + just accept that bigger things will happen for each of us soon--just not now.
I have learned to get used to the long drives back + forth from home to work. The drives are usually very uneventful + dull, though I am loving the reduced stop lights on my new route since I moved. One of the things I look forward to on my drives is seeing all the colourful wildflowers growing from the grassy medians of these long + desolate roads. They've disappeared when Winter came along, but have now sprung up from the ground lining the edges of the road in red, pink, + yellow. I will need to bring my digital camera next time to show you all what I get to see on a daily basis. It's one of the things that make my drives worthwhile.
SUNDAY MORNING_ Easter has come + gone. I told J that they were going to play 'that song' at church that morning + I was right. "He liiives! He liiives! He's aliiive!" I know it probably sounds cheesy typed out, but it really is uplifting hearing it live. Just think of overlaying harmony... Our pastor suggested to everyone in the house to take the blank card that was given to us + write down things about us that we would like to let go of--things about ourselves that burden us--and walk up to the front + drop it at the foot of the cross. Some that come to mind... "Pride", "Self-doubt"...
SUNDAY AFTERNOON + NIGHT_ So, J + I decided to spend the day at my family's house last Sunday. It was nice to be able to hang out with them + have yummy dinner at the family table again. Since my family got our doggies 5 years ago, their dog crates have taken over the kitchen nook space where our dinette table used to be. It got all of us into the habit of eating in front of the tv on portable tv tables +, at times, eating separately instead of together. I don't know why it took this long to finally get another dinette set so that we could eat together as a family. It really promotes a closeness that is taken for granted in a family. I really do enjoy it. We should have known better while sitting in front of the tv to listen to all those Nick-at-Nite commercials that encourage eating together at "The Family Table".
TODAY_ Sweet. I didn't even know such a committee existed, but "The Vending Machine Committee" at our workplace is sponsoring a "Strawberry Shortcake Party" today at 2:00pm. I could use the free cake right about now. I'm starving! :9
TONIGHT_ Some friends of ours are coming over to see our new place tonight. I'm not even ready to have guests over yet! Mind you, this isn't a leisure get-together. A + K just found out a couple of days ago that they could not renew their lease at their apartment because their dog "Diesel" is over the 25 lb. max. weight limit. That really sucks, but it's part of their lease agreement. So, they are coming over to see how the place looks + if they like our apartment complex enough they will consider moving into the neighbourhood. Joshua + I need to clean up "Uncle Dave Style" ASAP before they come over--according to Av, that style of cleaning means put all the clutter into closets + call it "clean", hahaha.
NOW_ Oh my, someone at the office just tooted a long one. Good Lorrrrrrrrrrd, it never escapes me. :P
That's it for now. As my friend Gen would say, "My brain is on empty again."
I really don't know what to think about this... Wait. I *do* know what to think about this. Yuck! Gross! I think people are getting a little too overzealous about trying to repent for their sins. I have heard of people repenting by whipping their backs with straw back in the day, but being nailed to the cross to imitate what the Lord went through [to me] is just WRONG. Remember, this is just my own opinion. I can't even believe that I'm talking about this, but just hear me out.
This might seem a little sacriligious [even though I think that being nailed to a cross like Jesus is sacriligious in itself], so I do apologize to those who are offended, but do you think that the good Lord is looking down at us from above with his right hand on his cheek saying, "Awwww... How sweet that my people want to *literally* go through what I went through for them by sticking huge nails through their palms + feet while being hung from a cross. Isn't that just adorable?" He did it to pay for our sins--ALL of our sins--the original sin that we are all born with. What purpose towards God does this serve for these individuals? Does it make them feel better after they have gone through it? Does it make them feel that this "deed" washes away their sins for them? I would hope so, at least, since they are going through all that.
Honestly, I wouldn't feel right doing something like that. But, it does make me see + believe that others have different ideas on how to repent, even though I do not agree with them. Personally, I just like to talk to God [in my prayers, of course] + tell him that I'm truly sorry for the sins I have committed + that I will do my best in not doing them ever again. I believe that He forgives me after I had confessed them to Him. But, that is only what I believe. At least I know the cross hangings weren't sanctioned/commissioned by the church. I can never ever speak for our God, but I would hope to think that He does not want us to suffer from our sins by hanging ourselves onto large wooden crosses. He's already been there + done that. We are not God. We can't do the same miracles as He did. So, I don't think we should try to imitate Him in that light. Confess + do good is what I believe.
I would post the photo from the article, but I am too offended by it, so I won't. Seeing it makes me uncomfortable. You can just go see it for yourself on the website. To each his own, I suppose. I prefer to observe Good Friday with prayer + go to my church to see our church's musical "Godspell" tonight instead. Now, some people might think that a church musical on a Friday night is just plain WRONG. But, I don't + that's really all that matters... to me.
I don't really want to rant on this blog, but right now I feel I need to get it out in the air. How come everytime a person passes by my cube, they crane their necks backwards to look at me in my cube? I would say that 8 out of 10 people do so on a daily basis. It is very annoying + it bugs me that it bugs me so much. Grr.
Thing is, I notice it, like an odd reflex or something. See, I have this convex rearview mirror stuck on my monitor + I would instantly glance at it as someone slowly passes by + looks in as if there is a party going on in my cube. Every deng time! I don't want to get rid of the mirror because sometimes when I have my earphones on while listening to music, people sneak up on me when they need to talk to me + it spooks me out. So, I like to be alert when that does happen. It's the people that pass by + peer in that bug the snot out of me.
I really need to quit looking at that rearview mirror. Deng nosey people + their rubbernecks. As the Fresh Prince once said, "MIND YA BIDNESS!!"
...
And some short observations of office space sounds whilst sitting in my cube:
• classical music • loud roaring burps after lunch hour • loud southern accents • a speaking farting toy, "*farrrrrrrrrrt* That was a good one!" • obnoxious laughing + snickering
Hmm... one of these don't sound like the other, do they? Nothing like working alongside a bunch of noisy retired military folk!
This morning while getting ready for work, I put together an outfit that consisted of a light grey turtleneck sweater + dark grey pants. It matched the weather outside perfectly--cold + rainy, dim + desaturated. It definitely was not intentional. I just needed to put something together quick that was warm + comfortable, being that I was running short on time.
J came home early from work + told me that everyone was wearing green today. St. Patrick's Day showed up by surprise this year! [Has it already been that long since the wedding?] Being that I didn't have anything green to wear for the day, I put on some jade green eye shadow to make up for the lack of the colour. Not that anyone at my work would dare to pinch me for not wearing any green nor would they even realize what holiday took place today, I tied a multi-coloured long piece of yarn around my wrist like a bracelet to add more green to my colourless outfit. My mom actually made me a scarf with this type of yarn + it came out really pretty. Just to give you an idea of how cool it looks, the yarn is dyed in an array of fall-like colours that transition into a new colour every 9 or so inches--dark red, bright red, deep brown, forest green, olive green, orange, medium brown, sage green, then finally back to dark red. I think it compliments my outfit well. :)
*** { HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY, EVERYONE !! } ***
P.S. Last night, J + I had our first official cooked meal at our new home + he was the chef. *surprise, surprise* ;) He cooked up some angel hair pasta, some Ragu sauce, some ground beef + spices + parmesan cheese on top--voila! Trés bien, Monsieur! C'est trés delicieux! :9 I hope to contribute to the cooking duties as soon as we sort out my newly transfered boxes of STUFF from my family household to my new household.
Speaking of cooking, I discovered a site that would highly benefit people like me who do not ordinarily cook on a daily basis. It's called Bitchen Kitchen + is designed by coffeegirl. It is a collaboration effort to collect simple + easy recipes for those not so fluent around the kitchen. I will also bookmark All Recipes, which is a site that has a plethora of goodies that I could attempt to make.
I cannot wait to start inviting our family + friends over for dinner soon. How awesome that would be. Like my friend Avonn has said several times when she + David just moved into their new house, we don't want to have anyone over *just yet* until we're "settled in", which basically translates into, "Until all of my junk has cleared the floor!" Hahaha. Peace, people.
Previously said obnoxious + loud coworker came up to me at my desk today + said to me, "Hey you! Where you been? I passed by here one mornin' an noticed you were gone. We thought you'd left us!" I said to him, "Nawww, I just went off + got married." ^_^
He then asks me about my honeymoon + I tell him about all the cool places we visited. He's actually been to those certain places + complimented me on our choice of vacation. Now don't get me wrong, he's generally a nice guy + he lets everyone here use his microwave to warm our lunch with. He's just a little too loud on some days... Oh, he likes to hunt to relax, too. Don't ask me what exactly he hunts because I don't have a clue + wouldn't want to know. :P Regardless, it was really nice to tell someone at the workplace about "my big day".
So, he spreads the news around my corner of the workplace. The guy that sits in the cube next to him comes up to me, gives me congrats, then asks where I went during the honeymoon as well. He tells me that his daughter is also getting married this month. Most of the guys that work here are my dad's age if you couldn't tell. Loud + obnoxious coworker was loud enough while he + I were talking that some neighbouring workmates heard of the news indirectly. One of those that heard, who was actually a highschool AP Portfolio classmate of mine, came up to me + said 'Congrats'. We chatted for a little bit about weddings, frustration in freelance work, + wanting to get back into drawing more often. As I've said, it was nice to chat with the workmates about my recent news. Because trust me, chatting with workmates really is a rarity for me--at least at this job.
Rambling on...
While speaking to a lady in HR about changing my name at work officially, she asked me if I had just recently gotten married + after I told her I did, she asked if I had a photo from the wedding. I told her I did not at the time, but I will soon. She then tells me, "Because if you want, we can post your photo + good news of your marriage on our [company intranet] site. Wouldn't you want everyone to know that you got married?" I told her, "Yeh, I guess so! I'll send you a photo soon then." "Great," she said. I guess it would be cool to let everyone here know, no matter what the circumstances are [*ahem* for those who know what I'm clearing my throat for]. I did invite a few people from work to my wedding who actually attended the event--mainly bosses of mine. But, that's only a small handful of people here at work who know. I'm sure the widespread attention wouldn't hurt, eh?
I am back at work from being away for 12 days of vacation + I am currently 99.9% stress free. [There always has to be some percentage of stress lying around in my head, even though I don't sense it at the moment.] ^_^
So, big news, everyone. I am now married to an awesome guy named Joshua + could not be any happier. :) The name has changed, the place of residence has changed, the route to work has changed--so many things that have happened all because of one "glorious day". It is definitely a transition that I am getting used to, especially being called "wife" rather than "girlfriend", but I definitely do not regret a thing. God has really blessed our relationship + the people around us. Our wedding was so beautiful + so much fun! I would love to relive it all over again if I could. Thanks to John Heredia + Tisha George + everyone else who was able to document our wedding, we will come close to it. It would not have been possible if we did not have countless loved ones around us to help + for that we are forever grateful for everyone's generousity.
KDI --> KDIS
Take care everyone until the next entry. ^_^
P.S. My friend Alison sent me this via email that I thought could interest some of you out there to read.
--- [1 of] 5 THINGS THAT WILL DEFINE OUR LIVES By Gary Clarke
The Cause of Christ The Cause of Christ is what separates the selfish from the unselfish. Christianity is about what you give your life for rather than about what you get. Jesus said, "For this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth" (John 18:37 NKJV). Living for the Cause of Christ brings greater freedom in life, as it becomes the motivation for all that we do. It becomes the third cord in our relationships, giving a greater purpose to marriage and friendships. Goals and dreams are ultimately meaningless without a cause greater than ourselves. In taking up the Cause of Christ, we live as ambassadors for Christ and live for the greatest cause possible. ---
I wanted to share these few quotes that are a little more on the rough side than your usual words of wisdom. They are more like the "Wake up + see!" type of words. If some of you don't know by now, I get these quotes every work day on our internal company website + save the ones that are worth reading over again + again for my own personal growth + to one day share it with others. Things that make you go, "Hmm."
"Hate is a prolonged manner of emotional and spiritual suicide." --unknown
"Criticism is the one thing that most of us think is more blessed to give than receive." --unknown
For the 40 days of Lent, I chose to abstain from divulging in staying up late, since it is one of the habits I loved to do since college. Unfortunately, I was only good about it on 2 out of the 40 days. I actually went to bed by 10:30 pm on both nights. Evidently, that didn't quite work out to be consistent. I will need to try much harder this week + for the rest of the month since Easter is coming up quick.
I have been taking Echinacea supplement tablets for the last 3-4 days to ward off any colds from neighbouring family, friends + workmates. I pray they all return to 100% good health soon because there are so many people that are affected, but I also don't want any of it! ;) It's a very big day for a number of people this Saturday--namely me + J-- + I need to kick my butt to make sure that I am well-rested, well-fed, not stressed, + healthy for the remaining days of this week. It will be awesome to see all these people gathered in one place!
This is my journal. I am a full-time interactive designer + freelance photographer with immense love + respect for art, travel, food, technology, + music. Back in 2000, when I first began writing my musings online the content was solely based on my life experiences. Over the years I've meandered from writing on the introspective side + found myself expressing various thoughts, ideas, + interests through photography-inspired posts with little to no narrative. Though, when I tend to think aloud I share them on Twitter. The entry style may have changed, but this site still serves as my chronological journal of random occurrences, introspective or not.
I love{ sketching, design, photography, good typography, XHTML, CSS, constant education, staying current, being with the mister, family, preserving social ties, respect, islands, all things music, plucking guitar strings, sushi, henna mehndi art, photo booths, house hunting, Zumba dance, Body Pump, video games, road trips, rice, spicy food, nature wandering }
Feeed me, Seymour. 
