6 month update..

*is anyone out there?*

Xanga seems so dead these days.  But I suppose I can't completely let it go quite yet.  At least it'll be mild entertainment for those who still use it...and perhaps they'll return the favor and mildly entertain me while i'm at work w/ their daily lives. 

So 2007 is almost over.  I say that now b/c you're gonna say...it's only August.  But I remember the New Year's party...and thinking: wow...a whole new year...and I had all these plans.  And I thought about how 2006 went by so fast and didn't get to accomplish those year's plans.  And look...8 months has flown by...and the year is more than half over and I've done OK w/ this year.  I realized that you can plan all you want, but it may not go exactly how you imagined it.  And at the same time...doesn't time go by way faster as you get older?  I guess it's b/c we have a better perception of time as opposed to when we were on our 6th birthday thinking how our 7th birthday is SOOOO far away. 

So enough rambling.  you're prolly wondering what happened to mari?  "something about mari?"

I had a momentary health scare right before my 25th birthday.  The doctor thought he founda heart murmur.  But turns out...I'm healthy.  Freaked me out.  Never really told ppl about it...just a select few knew.  But it scared the shit out of me for those few days waiting for results.  Kinda put me on a bummy mood at my birthday party...but...turns out I'm well.  And I'm thankful for those who were there for me during that time. 

Been cali to visit family.  Loved the weather.  I was wearing a light jacket in June!  Visited a vinyard.  Ate good food.  Got to hang out w/ my cousin who's growing up way too fast.  Got to have a couple beers w/ my stepcousin...which we couldn't do the last time we saw each other (since neither of us were old enough yet).

and..eh...so a couple years ago I said I wanted to run a half marathon before I turned 25.  woops!  I'm 25 and it never happened...but I suppose before I turn 26 is better late than never!

So...yes... I'm running the Aramco Half Marathon in January in Houston w/ thousands of other crazy running ppl.  13.1 miles!  yes...I am one of those crazy ppl now.  Running 4 days a week.  Waking up at 5:15 A.M. to run hills every Tuesday morning.  Waking up around 5:30AM every SATURDAY to run w/ the training group.  And every saturday we run further then the previous saturday.  I'm crazy I tell you...but not alone!  if this goes well..perhaps I'll say...."I wanna run a marathon before I turn 27!" 

It had been over a year since Japan.  It's almost a year since I've visited family in the Philippines....

I also just recently celebrated a full year in Houston.  Well there was no celebration...but it's been a year since I've moved back from Austin.  Crazy how time flew by so quickly...  I miss Austin, but I felt the need to move on...and so I moved to Houston.  I've rediscovered Houston somewhat.  But it's hard being so far away from friends (literally...I live far away from everyone and everything in Houston).  I'm hoping to change that in the next 6 months.  I've met awesome ppl...but ppl leave...move on...move away...or just plain disappear in their schedules. 

The job is going well.  I'm still working downtown.  But I'm still persuing other opportunities in education.  I haven't given up completely.  But I'm kinda scared because once again I've become comfortable where I'm at. 

Other aspects of life...been heart broken...it's been years since I've allowed myself to actually get to the point where I could allow my heart to be broken...but it happened and now I know I can get to that point (the heartbreaking part just sux)  but i'm getting over it... I can't let it get the best of me.  or at least I gotta tell myself that.  b/c i'm strong...just gotta keep reminding myself. 

And so...moving on.  Got trips lined up...w/ the girls.  Phoenix...LA.  Hope to see some ppl out in LA.  Hope to have my red velvet cupcake from Sprinkles Cupcakes.  Hope to survive the half marathon training.  13.1 miles...it'll be like cake at the end of the training....i hope!  But hey...I'm not all about being healthy and running...I did join the beer club at the Flying Saucer too!  LoL.  try 200 different beers...get a $100 tab party.  I guess I like extremes. 

So my year in a nutshell so far:  time flying by, health scare, working downtown, meeting new ppl, losing ppl, broken heart, mending heart, running, and beer (and wine)

I wonder how the rest of the year will turn out...less than 4 months left.

I'll just go on...drink (lots of water...b/c of the 5 mile run I gotta do this weekend) and be "mari"

Birthday Weekend

Thanks to everyone that made it out, sent txt messages or called me!  It meant a lot to me!

Hopefully I'll get to see ya'll again!

Ringing in the New Year! (pictures)

I'm back. . .

It was quite the trip.  Cold showers everyday.  No A/C (except for 2 of the bedrooms in the house).  Brownouts (that's what they call blackouts) occurring on MANY occasions.  Flies and mosquitos biting!  And the 3 year old cousin who pees in his sleep (and I know b/c he slept in the room I was staying in)!  LOL.  But ya know what. . .  I miss being there. 

(my grandparents in their younger days) 

 It had been 7 years since I've seen my relatives there and 3 years since my grandparents went back to the Philippines.  It was sad our trip had to be pushed up on such circumstances, but at the same time I was given more time to spend with the family than originally planned.

A lot of things had changed.  A lot of my cousins had left home and moved away for jobs.  My second cousin who I used to play games with as a kid was married w/ a kid.  A lot of the boys in the family were now taller than me (I'm the 3rd oldest amongst all the cousins).  Both of my grandparents on my Dad's side were already gone, and my grandpa on my Mom's side wasn't there to pick us up at the airport for the first time. 

It was strange...  I've never been to a funeral before and I've never seen a body before.  And both firsts were my grandpa's.  Everyone knew him as a good man.  So many people were there.  Seemed like the entire city came to say goodbye.  I think the entire city did come to say goodbye.  All his siblings and wife's siblings and his wife of 57 years up front.  His children on one side.  His grandchildren on the other side.  All his cousins and nephews and nieces and all their children behind all of us.  And then the rest of the massive church filled up to the brim.  Now imagine them all at my aunt's house for lunch.  Yeah, chaos.  But it's comforting to know that 1,000+ people came to say goodbye to him.  He was a good man: a farmer, a Barangay Captain, a grandfather, a father, and a husband.  He did it all.  I sometimes wish I coulda seen him the one last time which was the original intent of our planned trip.  But from what I saw in pictures of his last month and from what I heard from my cousins, it was better this way.  Better for him b/c he doesn't have to suffer any longer.  Better for me b/c I can at least have an image of him as a strong man.