my birthday started just the way i wanted it to: off from work! after my usual morning quiet time with 2 cups of strong coffee, i headed out to the gym for my regular excercise routine---- running....oh what a difference it felt...like i was ready to face anything that comes my way after that cardio!

mom prepared her pancit in the meantime and dropped it off later on for my lunch.how sweet!

another year has gone zooming by and there's still a few things i'd like to do before turning 40 in 2 years.....simple ones such as running a marathon out of state, or even better running it outside the country!

i'm sad that i'm actually missing today's 2nd biggest run in the state:the great aloha run! the last 'aloha run' i ran was in 2000 before getting hired at the Honolulu Advertiser...since then i've worked every single president's day thus missing this yearly run which is held on president's day and is a favorite among locals because of the manageable distance between aloha tower and the aloha stadium (total 8.15 miles). i thought about calling in sick, believe me! but then, i thought i can always run after work, at the gym,...of course it's not the same...