The coming week is going to bring some stressful work.
It can’t be done on my own, and there are lots of uncontrollable factors, pressure, and urgency.
I wish I could make the same money with simple routine work, but I know that’s impossible.

My diary-keeping habit is still going strong, though I can’t even recall what I wrote yesterday.
I find that pretty funny. I’m 43 years old, but it proves you can start a new habit anytime.

My older daughter twisted her ankle, so I took her to the clinic today. Meanwhile, my ankle is still hurting slightly, and I wonder if it’ll ever fully heal.

Read 124 books so far this year. Recently, I haven’t had much motivation for gaming.
The Switch 2 makes it easy to jump into a game, but it’s constantly occupied by my daughter. I briefly thought about buying a second Switch 2, but decided it wasn’t really necessary.

My company’s stock price plummeted. I really hope it doubles soon, but the AI and tech space is still so volatile and dynamic.

I got rid of some bulky items today.
Some of them have been sitting for a long time because my wife didn’t take any action.
So I needed to submit the request to the city online.

I really don’t understand the people who didn’t take the required action right away.
In the end, what’s needed needs to be done.
If so, finishing the things ASAP is a good way to control the situation.

Thunderbird was put out of use in my company due to the deprecation of EWS.
It had a significant impact on my work, as I needed to create an email filter from scratch.
I could use Owl to continue to use Thunderbird, but it’s not for free.
But I plan to use Owl by paying my personal money.

Prime Appreciation Sale is going to start at midnight.
I need to order a bunch of commodities and daily goods.

Still, I’m trying to find something I want to buy, but it’s still not easy.
I’m not spending so much money, but the amount of expenses is increasing.

Working in corporate, performance reviews are something you just can’t avoid.

This time, my FY26 IPF was 1.4, putting me in the top 5% or so. It’s a huge relief to know I won’t be on the chopping block for layoffs anytime soon. It also means a decent bump to my bonus, which is definitely a plus.

Today, I ended up taking a nap after dinner at Saizeriya. Now I’m paying for it and having trouble falling asleep.

My back and right knee are aching, and my left ankle still hurts a bit. I guess this is what getting older feels like.

I finished reading オーダーメイド殺人クラブ(Order-Made Murder Club) today. It moved me, probably because it captures that specific, awkward phase of school life. Back then, I had no control over myself, so thinking about those years brings up a flood of raw emotions. Even now, it manages to strike a chord with a 40-year-old guy like me.
Reading the book became a really personal experience for me because of that.

On Thursday, I was the only one with the day off while everyone else was out at work and school. Still, I didn’t feel like going out on my own—unlike back in August when I was actually living alone.
Even though the house was empty, I’m not living alone anymore. It’s interesting how having a family to come home to completely changes how I feel about spending my time.

It was time to refresh my company laptop.
I went with the 14-inch MBP M5 Pro this time, as its processing power is more than enough, even coming from an M2 Pro.

It really feels snappy and fast.
That said, for purely home use, the 16-inch model might have been better with its spacious, practical display.
Still, I’m very satisfied—a 500g weight difference makes a huge difference when carrying two or more devices.

On another note. As my elder daughter grows older, she is becoming noticeably more independent.
At the same time, she still depends heavily on us, her parents, in many aspects of life.

I fully realize that everyone is their own person and inherently beyond anyone else’s control.
That also means it’s possible for ties to break, even within a family.

My fear is that if I fail to guide her through some crucial decisions, I might end up feeling like giving up on her.

It’s a trade-off. If I believe I can reach her, I’ll keep trying, though it might feel like a nightmare to her.
If I give up trying to guide her, she might drift beyond my influence—and that could be a tragedy for the family.

I’ve started keeping a physical diary.
It’s a bit of a curious feeling, but whenever I sit down to write, topics just come up on their own.
Space is quite limited, too—just five lines maximum each day.

Anyway, I’m really glad I bought it. I just want to stick with it.

I might need to check my diary for the topis here, but my ankle still hurts when I walk.
It’s much better now, but not fully recovered even after 15 days.
On the other hand, a scab on my knee came off today, which also took 15 days to heal.
It takes longer to recover as I get older.

It is now the end of August, and summer is drawing to a close.
I returned to my hometown with my daughters, riding in the Green Car on the Shinkansen.
It was their first time riding the bullet train, and my first time in the Green Car as well.

I hadn’t realized how crowded the bullet train gets on Saturday mornings, so when I tried to book on Friday, standard seats were already sold out.
As a result, I ended up booking the Green Car at an extra cost.

Though it is just a two-day trip, I believe it means a great deal to my parents and grandmother to spend time with their granddaughters.

On the first day, I tripped and twisted my ankle badly.
The twist itself wasn’t the worst part, but I happened to be carrying my daughter in my arms when it happened.
It was a terrifying moment, but fortunately, she wasn’t hurt at all.

Since she is already in the second grade, opportunities to carry her like this will likely become fewer and fewer, but I definitely need to watch my step from now on.

Time flew, and summer vacation was over in the blink of an eye.

In the end, I headed to my wife’s hometown, traveling solo via my own hometown and Nagoya.
I spent two nights in my hometown, one night in Nagoya, and then made my way to Nagano through Nakatsugawa in Gifu—all using a mix of the bullet train and local lines.

It was wonderful. Traveling alone is something I hadn’t been able to enjoy for the past decade.

I also visited Sugamo and relaxed at a spa facility there. It was a true hidden gem.

It’s hard to put into words, but I genuinely feel this trip made a meaningful impact on me.
From a broader perspective, it might seem like nothing special, but to me, it meant a lot.
It gave me the quiet time I needed to reflect on everything.

I’d love to keep up this hobby of strolling around different towns. That’s where I find true freedom.

My wife and daughters went back to my wife’s hometown.
So from Friday, I’m living alone.

It’s been 3 hears from last single life, so I forgot how to live alone.

This time, I went out without deciding on a destination.
On the train, I thought about the possible places to visit, and I came up with Kichijoji.
Kichijoji is famous, but I haven’t visited the site in my life.

While moving to the site, I checked and learned some recommended cafes, ramen shops, etc.
I also came to know that Inokashira Park is located there.

I spent about the whole day in Kichijoji, and enjoyed the Saturday, though the hot temperature was very tough.

Today, on Sunday, I just came to Kawasaki also without deciding on a plan.
I went to Starbucks and ate biryani for lunch, then hung around the shops.

This is one thing I’m not able to do when my family is there.
Probably, a two-day trip to Atami is another thing I can consider.

My wife dislikes going to my hometown and visiting my parents, even for just a three-night stay.
It’s difficult for me to understand.

It’s definitely troublesome. If we don’t visit together, my parents will notice something is wrong.
I just want us to pretend to be a happy family.

If she doesn’t come with me to my hometown, I can’t go either, as I believe in fairness—even though I like staying at her parents’ place.
If I don’t go, her parents will feel something is off, and that frustration will gradually build up. I just want to avoid any drama. Anyway, it is what it is.

On the other hand, I get to have some time to myself again this summer.
That’s one good thing, and I’m going to enjoy it.

Whenever I try to explain “nomikai” in English, I get a bit confused because a direct translation doesn’t seem appropriate due to cultural differences. Highlighting the drinking aspect of the gathering feels a little awkward.

Anyway, I had dinner with my former colleagues last week and the week before last. I enjoyed it, and I hope everyone I talked with felt the same.

On the other hand, I also have some regrets, as I feel I must have done something embarrassing due to my drunkenness.
Embarrassment seems inevitable in life, and I feel that this anxiety intensifies after social gatherings involving alcohol.

I wonder if I will eventually start declining invitations to these dinners one day.
Usually, I forget these feelings as time passes and accept future invitations anyway.

I also believe that socializing itself is helpful for my work.
I report to a global organization and need to develop relationships with colleagues in other departments in any way I can.

So, it’s a bit complex.