Status Check

I've been married for 8 months and counting!

We are going to move from a condo to a townhouse/apartment next month!

I have 3 fishes and 1 dog!

I've joined a freelance writing group and I'm starting to write on my blog again!

After 9 years of staying on the Quality Assurance career path, I was given the opportunity to 'move up' to Business Analysis and now I'm officially a Business Analyst. Level 3 at that! (I must put in effort to earn the title that I currently hold)

My husband is sleeping right now so I'm just typing away on my laptop beside the fish that I thought committed suicide. There were 2 previous ones that did -- I'm not sure why..it seems such a crazy thing to do! Good thing, the fish named Bleu is still in his aquarium and just did a very clever camouflage for the whole 3 minutes that I was searching for him!!

On Being Married
It just feels so right but I still need to work on my domestic skills and being more patient. I also need to improve my health and get fit so that we'll have greater chances of having our own progeny.

On Moving Out
Condo living is really nice and convenient but at the same time it's a hassle because of the rules and limitations of the place. You're really living in a shared space with a lot of people and the only space that you can almost call yours is your unit. It's not even totally yours because you have design rules to follow like you can only use white curtains and your air conditioner has to be this type only. You can't have furniture delivered to you on weekdays or holidays -- it needs to be on office hours so you'll have to take a day off from work. You can't leave your dog on the balcony, too cause the neighbors complain that it barks a lot and the reason they moved to a condo is to have a nice and quiet place -- or so they think.

Bottom line, I'm just glad we're moving out except for the additional travel time that our new place will cost us. I think I'll learn a lot again once I start living there.

On Having Pets
I finally have a dog that I personally take care of. I do have the help of my husband  because it's technically his dog (it's my gift to him) but since we're married then its OUR dog. Although my personal preference for a pet would be a Golden Retriever, I don't think I or our space is ready yet for such a big and active breed. Ippo, our current dog, is an English Bulldog who is 4 months old and oh so cute. I've already learned so much from him-- lessons that are comparable to taking care of a human baby. Slowly, I'm learning to give myself more without expecting anything in return. Thanks to cute, innocent dogs like Ippo :)

Fish seem easy to take care of but patience and preparation is required because lo and behold, they are very sensitive to water! If water comes from the faucet, then a cycling period has to pass before you can let the fish into that water; otherwise, they get stressed, lose color, go crazy, and ultimately, die.

On Writing 
My MSI row has been blank for a long time because I have nothing to put in. Even though it is still blank right now, at least I'm part of a group that could possibly give me an additional source of income. Chocolate is Salad. I'm excited that I'm finally doing something that I really enjoy (without the guilt!). Pun intended.

On Career Change
I'm technically a Business Analyst on paper but I'm still doing Quality Assurance work until we find a replacement for that role of mine. In any case, I have to do well in my new role because that's what I'm going to be evaluated against. I thought of taking some courses, reading books, but ultimately, I'd need experience and good mentors to help me grow into the role. Business Analysis involves a lot of writing, some interaction with clients depending on their location and a whole lot of explaining and translating ideas between specialized groups in a way that everyone will be on the same page. Exciting and challenging, indeed!