Night Before Run For Home

Running 10K tomorrow at Globe's Run For Home.

I'm soooo excited I can't fall asleep. I have butterflies in my tummy.

We've prepared our gear, from attaching the race bib to our singlets to lacing up the microchip to our shoes. Soooo exciting! Rain or shine!

Funnies #1

Grabbed from my friend's Facebook album. Hamen eggen chz for me, plez. :)

Rainy Day Friday

Raining nonstop since last night. Just staying home today to work on designs.

I bought fabric yesterday. I'm happy to say I didn't get anything for myself. Although last night while waiting to fall asleep, I was still thinking of this white brocade that I want to make into a coat. Ack.

Sharing with you this video of Nat King Cole singing Stardust. I think it's a nice song to listen to on cool, rainy days like this. Not if you're stuck in traffic though. Haha.

Christmas in July

This morning felt like a December morning. Like Christmas day, when all's quiet (everyone's puyat) and the air's nippy. I could also hear roosters crowing in the distance. Going out of the room I was met by Ginger and Scout, all fluffy from sleep. It really felt like Christmas day! And having a relaxed breakfast of danggit and fried egg and really smooth, freshly brewed coffee... what more could a harried girl ask for? :)

It has been a busy few days for me. Making some clothes for a new clothing store, new clients for made-to-order dresses, and attending to online orders. Phew. It can get overwhelming and I'm thankful for slow mornings like today when I can recharge and just breathe. I have a tendency to worry about things that haven't happened yet. Don't we all?

Tomorrow I'm going fabric shopping and I have to remind myself not to buy fabric I don't need right now. If I had free reign of everything (money, storage space), I'd probably have a treasure trove of fabric in the house. Maybe a room to hold all the fabric I like. A room to visit when I want to feel giddy. I'm just so fabric-crazy!!!

I hope your week's great too!

Tonight's Lullaby

I don't have their latest album so when I heard the intro to this song tonight on the radio, I didn't know what it was and who it was by. But I loved the song right away.

This is my lullaby tonight.

C knows that if I had not married him, I'd have found a way to marry Edge. Hehe.

Running Log: LSD @UP; 12 July

A week before Run For Home. C and I decided to do 10K in UP to prepare a bit for next Sunday's run. I know I need my mind to feel what 10K is like again so I won't chicken out on race day. My last 10K race was Condura. Too long ago. The mind forgets.

We passed by Hector of Secondwind Running Store to check the 10K route that won't limit us to just going round and round the Acad Oval.

We started off at 6:55pm from Oblation and went on an interesting and hilly route, that's still within campus but away from vehicular traffic.

It felt like a trail run of sorts because it was dark and we had to pay attention to cracks, holes, and bumps. Even in the most uphill portions, we didn't notice the difficulty as much because our minds were focused on not tripping or falling into a hole. Hahaha.

It was a really good run! I feel giddy even just writing about it now. There were long stretches of quiet and almost complete darkness where we could hear frogs, cicadas and other "jungle" sounds. Moomoo na pala yung naririnig eh no... Hahaha.

We were worried on some of the deserted streets. Too dark. I wish UP could afford more lights. It's really a beautiful campus and a great running place.

We were quite surprised to finish at 55mins, with much energy to spare. And we were worried that the route was short of 10K. Too worried we drove through the route to measure the distance on the speedometer. Yep, it was 10K alright.

Maybe it was the new route or the cool weather (it was just starting to rain when we finished). Or that we hadn't had a long run in a long time. Or that we ran together. Or that we were too scared going through the dark streets that we unconsciously speeded up. Haha. It was definitely an easy and happy run.

My theory is that it's more difficult to finish 10K on the Acad Oval and moreso on the ULTRA track because you're just going round and round. I need a destination when I run. Same as in life. It's more tiring and discouraging to just be going around in circles. You've got to know your journey's headed somewhere. It also helps when you run/journey with a friend.

Easing Into The Weekend

Went to Salcedo Market with C. Got organic veggies and homemade bread from Gng. Bukid. Discovered their coffee blend and it was sooo smooth I had a second cup. Black. That's how I try coffee... black first so I'll know if it's good. If I can enjoy it black, it's definitely something I'll have again.

So many things to eat at Salcedo Market! There's authentic Thai, Indian, French and of course the lola-style Filipino dishes. Yummo! And the desserts... oh the desserts! So difficult to choose just one. I finally decided to try Dave's frozen yogurt. Macadamia flavor. Hay naku... Masarap! At mahal din! P75 for a small cup. But it was good yogurt, grainy and flavorful. Sorry no pictures. I was kinda embarrassed already when C was taking pictures of me at the veggies stand.

I made the skirt I'm wearing in the pic! :) I didn't sew it but I designed it. It's simple, I know. But I believe good design doesn't have to be complicated. And it felt nice to be wearing something not store-bought. :) Yun lang... Haha.

Happy it was sunny this morning at the market. Happy it's raining cats and dogs now that we're indoors. Nice time for a nap!

Happy weekend, my dears!

Blast From The Past

I was in first year high school when they shot this. Our school (UPIS) was part of the cast. This was shot somewhere in the University of Life (now ULTRA) compound. We had to wear the same clothes two days in a row. As if you'd notice, right?

I wonder where Lilet is. And the other kids in this ad!

Dressing Up

One of the things I miss most about going to a regular office job is dressing up.

One of the things that gets me up in the morning is the thrill of deciding what to wear. Sometimes, when I'm just starting to wake up and my mind's just stirring and my eyes are still closed, I'd ask myself: what shall I wear today? In my mind I'm rummaging through my cabinet, thinking what item I'd like to start on. I believe in anchoring an outfit on one piece, be it shoes, a skirt, a belt, and deciding from there what else goes well with it.

The other night I couldn't sleep. I had MJ overload. So in bed with my eyes closed, I examined my closet and thought of a nice outfit for the next day. This led me to a little inventory of what I have.

I realized I have more skirts and dresses than pants and shorts. I have more bottoms than tops. I have more shoes than I can fit on the shoe rack, in the closet and under the bed. I realized I have many pieces that are more than 10 years old. It's easy to track because I date them by pre-wedding and post-wedding purchase. I bought more expensive stuff pre-wedding. Haha.

I have a coat that C gave me when we were still dating. I don't wear it anymore as it's a bit too, erm, beige, but I keep it. I don't think I'll ever get rid of it.

I have a pair of cream leather loafers that I bought pre-wedding. They are scuffed in all the right places and they are like the bosses of my shoe closet. Each new pair should get along with the cream loafers.

I have a pair of suede heels. They're my only Kate Spade pair and just looking at them makes me giddy.


I also realized that I don't have "sad clothes". Going to my aunt's funeral, I brought white stuff. A white dress and a white and beige shift. I had nothing black in my closet except tees and a band jacket that would've sent people screaming (too hot!!! too weird!!!). So imagine my panic when my mom told me I had to be in black. Ack! So amidst errands and the last day of the wake, I had probably less than an hour to go from store to store in SM to find a decent black dress that wouldn't break the bank. After all, I was just going to wear it once.

So yes, I don't have "sad clothes". Which made me a bit happy, knowing that even my closet reflects the kind of personality I have: sunny and ill-prepared for traditional funerals. Hahaha.

Why am I sharing you this today? I don't know. I suddenly had the urge to wear heels and a slim satin skirt. But I have nowhere to go. So I thought writing about it would be the next best thing.

The photo at the top is borrowed from thesartorialist.com.

Rock With You

I'm still on MJ memorial mode. This song was on my mind the whole day.

I remember being mesmerized by the video. I was just six when they released this song. I remember being in awe of the lights and the thin, black dude dancing in a 'disco ball' outfit. MJ and Charlie's Angels were my first idea of what sexy is. Hahahaha!



I guess I never thought of MJ growing old. His sudden passing (and my aunt's too) is significant to me in that suddenly the years that passed me by unnoticed, have just fast-forwarded in my mind and heart. I don't know if you'd understand, but suddenly, I feel the weight of my age.

Michael Jackson

Stayed up till the wee hours of the morning to watch the Michael Jackson Memorial Service. This is one of my favorite performances:



My favorite eulogy:



MJ singing Gone Too Soon at the Clinton Inaugural:

Running Log: 7 July 2009; Nike Running Clinic@ULTRA

Welcome back to speed training.

I didn't run at all last week. So today, Coach Jo Ar decided I should take it easy. Sure.

5 x 400m warm-up. Check.
Stretching. Check.
Main run: 7.5 x 400m done this way -- jog 100m curve; sprint 100m straight; jog 100m curve, sprint 100m straight. You get it right? In case you haven't seen one, the track oval has two straight sides of 100m each. The two curves on both ends of the track are also 100m each. I'm sure you get the picture.

So I did that alone. The rest of the guys did 6 x 400m.

First 400m during the warm-up, I was telling my legs: this is what we call running, in case you've forgotten in the one week we didn't do this.

My legs: ah... we see... it's kinda strange. The left heel feels a bit sore. Hmmm...

Into the main run, my legs: we remember, we remember! Wee! Fun! No more pain in the left heel. But check with your lungs. We think they're not too happy.

Lungs: must. breathe. must. try. to. breathe. slowly. slowly. calm. down. how. many. more. laps?

It didn't rain during the run. I was wishing for rain. It's always better when it rains. Cooler, quieter. The people on the track also thin out so there's more space to run on. Sometimes the track is so full it's like running an obstacle course, weaving in and out of groups of people.

I liked tonight's run. Looking forward to Friday's run. And hopefully Run For Home on the 19th. My first race since Condura which was way back in March!

Monday Blahs

We just came back from Bacolod. We attended my aunt's funeral service. Got in late last night. Dropped by C's family to bring pasalubong and for a quick dinner. Had to go to a wake right after. Our college friend's mom passed away Thursday. Lung cancer. The Big C strikes again.

C was on leave today, thank God. We caught up on sleep and had time to do some errands and just basically slacked off.

I have so much to do this week but I couldn't really focus today so I just made a list of the things I had to do and organized designs and set appointments.

I basically felt yech the whole day. And I couldn't figure out why. Maybe it's still sadness from my aunt's passing, the emotional weight of the funeral... I don't know. The only bright spots today were sweet and salty sampaloc candies and catching John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo's You Changed My Life on Cinema One. Hahahaha! And another hahahaha!

I did like the movie though. It was funny and kilig. Nothing life-changing, but perfect for times when you just don't want to think. And that's good too, sometimes.

I feel much better tonight. Maybe because we're closing up on Monday in a bit and moving into Tuesday. Lots of things to do tomorrow and it's my run night too.

I always think that the best antidote to a sad or bad mood is to move. To move away from that moment, whether just in your mind or by literally moving. I'll be able to do both tomorrow.

Have a great week!

P.S. We took a cab several times in Bacolod. It was nice that the cab drivers would often always say good morning or good afternoon when we'd get in the cab. That's such a nice touch.

P.P.S. I also learned that it's important to pack both white and black when attending a funeral in another town. I was so sure white would be acceptable, only to find out the night before the funeral that we all had to be in black. I had less than an hour to find something decent and well-priced. It was so stressful! And pack makeup! I'm not a huge fan of makeup. I didn't pack any, not even lip gloss. I had forgotten how my family really dress up for things. So it was a blessing that C found one of my lipsticks in the pocket of our suitcase. I must've put it there on a previous trip and forgot about it. Good thing!

P.P.P.S. So sorry this entry is really just a dear diary entry. I just wanted to write something really. Hopefully I'll have a nice story to share soon. Have a great week!

Sound Trip #10

Will be away for the weekend to attend my aunt's funeral service.

Leaving you with two songs from Louis Armstrong: A Kiss To Build A Dream On and Blueberry Hill.

Mr. Armstrong never fails to make me smile. No matter how gray the skies are.

Have a happy weekend!

Running Slow

I recently read and LOVED Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Geoff Dyer's New York Times review says the book is "part training diary, part reruns of escapades undertaken at the behest of magazines."

Murakami, now 60, has been running since 1982 (he was 33) and has been in 20 marathons. He's also a serious triathlete.

Instead of inspiring me to run more races, his book has made me shy away from them. I'm focusing more on enjoying each run. Being in the run wholely and not focusing on my time so much. I've learned to slow down.

I still get competitive with myself and I can't resist pushing myself a bit more when I'm being timed. That's why nowadays I prefer running alone, untimed.

I focus more now on slowing down my breathing, relaxing into the run and not rushing. It's one of the most delicious things in the world... running without thinking about how fast you're going or how long you're supposed to run.

Lately we've been blessed with rain in our runs and I think it's wonderful to run in the rain. No overheating and the sound of rain beats any iPod playlist I've got.

I have never been more in love with running than I am now.

Ginger and Scout

C brought home office work. We're downstairs using the dining table as office table. I'm empathizing by doing nonsense stuff on the computer while he works. On the floor beside us are Ginger and Scout. Ginger is sailing away in dreamland while Scout is on guard duty (quite unusual, I might say, as she is almost always fast asleep most of the day) by the door.

Ginger's mouth is twitching; her tummy rising and falling slowly, rhythmically. Scout is restless, often getting up and rushing to the window, sniffing an unknown assailant (usually a cat passing by or a lizard scurrying after insects).

This is a most unusual scene. First of all, after dinner, we're usually in the spare room watching TV. Ginger would usually be beside us, lying on her side but alert. Scout would be fast asleep and snoring oh so loudly, we're hoping the neighbors won't hear.

Tonight the tables are turned. Ginger's having such a good sleep, she's even licking her lips in enjoyment. Scout's the alert one, dutifully pacing the floor and snapping her head up at any sound or movement outside.

Ginger and Scout -- profiles of professional house dogs:


Ginger -- yellow Labrador Retriever, turning nine in October; aka Nurse Ginger (because she seems to know which parts of our bodies are painful or itchy), Ginj or Gingee

Favorites: Yakult, bananas, behind-the-ears scratching, chest-rubbing and long baths

Dislikes: the smell of rubbing alcohol, the beach, stepping on puddles, cracks on the pavements, birds and most of all, thunder

Skills/strengths: pinpointing ache-y or itchy parts; tricks such as "sit", "down", "stay", "search", "fetch", "catch", "kiss" and distinguishing between a tennis ball and a Kong (doggie toy); climbing the stairs slowly, deliberately, one-paw-per-step at a time; empathy to the point of OA (heehee)



Scout -- Beagle, turning five in November; aka Scoutie or Sweetheart

Favorites: sleeping, licking Ginger all over, cheese, Yakult, people watching, sleeping, staying in the kitchen when someone's cooking, sleeping, and sleeping some more

Dislikes: being awoken from sleep, cats, nail clipping time, baths, loud noises and voices and being awoken from sleep

Skills/strengths: sleeping through all sorts of activity and noise; tricks such as "sit", "sit-up", "down", "roll-over" and "crawl"; sleeping; possesses big round eyes that hypnotize you into obeying her commands; being cute in a "wala po akong magawa, cute talaga ako"-way; sleeping na parang wala nang bukas

Zit Attack

So much sad news this week. My friend's mom passed away today. Also after a long bout with cancer.

Although I feel a deep sadness, I also feel a deep joy that they're free from pain and they are in a much, much, much (!!!) better place.

I thought I'd share something light today. And what better way than to poke fun at myself.

I have been struggling with zits lately. It's very frustrating because I am 36 and I shouldn't be getting zit attacks at my age! It's a hormonal imbalance, says my derma. From stress, lack of sleep, etc.

When I happened to glance at myself in the mirror this morning, I was startled again at seeing the zits on my forehead and left-hand side of my face. I still am not used to seeing my face under attack. Argh.

My first thought was, oh no, I'm meeting a prospective client tomorrow! I might be producing clothes for her soon-to-be-launched brand. We've met before but that was probably two years ago when I was youngER and zit-free.

My first impulse is to apologize when I see her. Hi, V! So sorry about the zits... I don't usually have these but it's just been a crazy week/month/year and my derma said it's hormonal, nothing to do at all with my hygiene or choice of skincare... must be the food I eat too as I have a penchant to snack uncontrollably on potato chips and choco pretzels... so sorry.

Or: Hi, V! So sorry you had to see me like this. I hope you won't lose your appetite now that you've seen the Zit State. If you were a bit on the heavy side and needed an appetite suppressant, I'd be glad to make regular appearances at your meals... but as I see that you aren't in need of any more weight loss, I feel bad... so sorry.

Or: Hi,V! Zits? What zits? Oh... these? (Cue Elvira Manahan-esque sosyal laughter) They're not zits, mah dear. They're warts. I've just had them laaazzzerrrred (if you've seen Austin Powers, you know how that sounds) that's why they're all raw and like that naman. Ahahahaha!

Ah well. What to do? Tsk tsk.

I used to wish I could cover up a PMS zit with Band-Aid. Not the plain ones but the funky checkered or Hello Kitty ones. But if I did that now, I'd have on a masquerade ball mask (the ones where only your mouth is visible). Woe is me and my zit-attacked face. Hay. Hehe.

Tita Susan

Tita Susan to me, mama or mommy to her husband and children, 'Ne San to her siblings and parents. She went to heaven early this morning, a little past 1am.

That's her beside me (I'm the one in the black jacket). It was only when I zoomed in on the photo that I noticed that her arm was hooked onto mine. This was taken in December last year at a family gathering. I will miss her. I'll miss her hearty laugh, her frankness, her humor, her grace and her strength.

She fought cancer till the end. Even when she couldn't open her eyes anymore and she was breathing through a respirator, you could tell she was fighting. She was stronger than all of us.

We love you, Tita Susan. We'll miss you. Till we meet again in heaven.

Huwag Mo Nang Itanong (lines from the song by the Eraserheads)

"Hika ang inabot ko nang piliting sumabay sa yo... hanggang kanto ng isipan mong parang sweepstakes... ang hirap manalo."

"Field trip sa may pagawaan ng lapis... ay katulad din ng buhay natin -- isang mahabang pila, mabagal at walang katuturan."

This is one of their songs that I really like. I love the lyrics. Parang ang galing ng pagkasulat. I love the phrase "hanggang kanto ng isipan mo". Wow. Blows my mind.

Just sharing. Here's the song. Listen to the lyrics. Enjoy!

Sound Trip #9

When I'm driving and I'm sad about something or angry at traffic, I listen to 98.7 DZFE. Classical music and the talk programs calm me down.

This morning, driving to PGH to visit my very ill aunt, I tuned in to DZFE and caught part of the Bravo, Filipino! radio program.

They were featuring the Kabayao Family Quintet and their rendition of Sampaguita and another traditional Filipino song (I can't remember the title, sorry) and in my small space in the crawling Quiapo traffic, I felt proud and happy to be Filipino. What beautiful songs we have! Hearing those two pieces made me think of Amorsolo landscapes, old black & white movies and a genteel time when the air was cleaner, and people could actually smell the sampaguita flowers and write music about them.

I couldn't find the Kabayao version of the piece but here's the version of the SamaSama project:




Here's Bayan Ko by the Kabayao Family Quintet:



While you're at it, please read about the Kabayao Family and their music mission here. I know it's way past Independence Day. Still, it's never too late to celebrate it.

Good morning!