3 am

…and I just got home. From one of the most hallowed of surgeries, a craniectomy. Hallowed perhaps because the brain is so mysterious. Sometimes it looks like the patient is getting well and then suddenly patient deteriorates. Or patient looks like he or she is beyond the beyond and miraculously recovers partial if not full function. Even the experts would say that not everything about the brain is known at the moment. Don’t ask me now for a hyperlink to support that statement because it’s three am, for crying out loud. :-) And so why am I weblogging and not yet sleeping? Well, it’s called adrenaline ebb. A lot of adrenaline flows through our blood stream during activities like giving anesthesia for brain surgery. And until that hormone’s effects wear off, then sleep is held at bay.

And also because tomorrow/today, December 30, 2007, is our big Vicente – Agripina Umbac Family Reunion Party. And I haven't done my gift shopping and wrapping yet. My son, Mike, though has completed his gift wrapping, with girlfriend Lalaine's help, a week ago! I guess he is excited because this will be his first time to be a giver instead of a recipient of gifts. As for me, I like to be frantic about it. Or maybe I will just give IOUs. I don't know. Gift giving and gift wrapping used to be such fun for me. But lately I've been quite preoccupied with other stuff... like weblogging. hehe.


10 am

Here’s our family tree.

Vicente Umbac (+) – Agripina Lumjod (+)

Children

1. Arnulfo - Adelaida (+) (Dumaguete)
a. Jose Marie and Millet – Los Angeles
Briza

b. Rosemarie and Joe - Edmonton
Sheena

c. Gasparito - Manila

d. Ferdinand and Tabing - Dumaguete
Riza

e. Anthony - Dumaguete

2. Consuelo - Jovito (Sta. Catalina/Dumaguete)

a. Carlito - Sta. Catalina

b. Carmelita - Dumaguete
Mike
JR
Patrick
Raphael
Carlo

c. Jovitt and Jean - Dumaguete
Anton

d. Gary and Lhet - Calgary
Kate
Vince

e. Nannette and Edgar - Dumaguete
Ed Benedict
Bhea
Aya

3. Mary – Nonoy (+) (Dumaguete)

a. Christine and Bing - Dumaguete
EJ

b. Ernest and Marissa - Cagayan de Oro
Paula
Phoebe

c. Cecille and Dodong – Dumaguete
Paolo
JC
Jeff

d. Bingbong – Iloilo


4. Amparo – Felixberto (jetsetting between Texas/Dubai/Dumaguete)

a. Albert and Miriam - Texas
Koen
Keane

b. Ivy and [kinsa man bing?:-) ] - Arizona

c. Edwin - Dumaguete

d. Lorelie and Arvie - Dubai


5. Gloria - Emmett (Minnesota )

a. Michele and Alan - Minnesota
Talia
Jeff

b. Kennon - Minnesota

c. Jeff and Cathy - Minnesota
Madison

Case

Abigail
Cecelia

Plus:

Auntie Maring, who used to live in Washington, DC, has chosen to retire here in Dumaguete with daughter Annie and Annie's husband, Tomas. Annie is my cousin on my mother's side and Tomas is my cousin on my father's side. So it’s a double-cousin-and-cousin-in-law thing!

Auntie Maring and her siblings are very close to our family and they are always special guests in Vicente-Agripina reunions. Last Christmas Auntie Maring’s brother, Raymond and wife Betty, her sister-in-law, Isang, her son Lito, wife Benny and kids were able to join our party. They’re not here this year though.

Auntie Maring – Uncle Julian (+)
Lito and Benny - Baltimore/Manila
Benedict
Patrick

Annie and Tomas – Dumaguete
Annari
Tommy

So there you go! That’s our guest list (and gift list!) for tonight’s party! OMG! We have a big family! And that is just the mother-side relatives. Wait for my list of father-side relatives!

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Ooops. I mean, only those who are in Dumaguete will be coming to the party. Those elsewhere will just have to visit this weblog again for updates. :-)

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Shoutouts:

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1. Dear cousins, if I misspelled some names or forgot some kids, please let me know.

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2. Rose, you made my day! Thanks. And what’s your weblog address again?

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3. Boni, thank you ;-)

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4. Thanks for the pics, Lindazu, have you remembered the name of your weblog already? I went to the address you sent me but it’s not your weblog. :-(

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5. Cristine! Got your card. Salamat kaayo.

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6. Lancelot, new year na. Happy anniversary :-)

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7. Ivy, asa na ang mga picture sa mga Navajo Indians?

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And oh, btw, today is Jose Rizal day. The Philippine National Hero was executed in Bagumbayan, now Luneta, on December 30, 1896.

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Here's a quote from Rizal's El Filibusterismo:

There are no tyrants where there are no slaves.

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In Tagalog, "Walang mang-aapi kung walang magpapaapi" leading to "Makibaka. Huwag matakot." Battlecries of the UP campus during my college days. I wonder what the battlecries are today.

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