Wonder if I'll make it back...?

It's been, paradoxically, both a productive and a frightening day. After a leisurely start and breakfast kind-of with the Cat, I made my way to 神奈川県, and read a fun part of that 2nd Murakami book. When I got to work, our visitors were all there, working away without any fuss. Which is great. Meant I could crack on with The Paper.

But a short spell of the kind of day-long panic attack feelings I've been having so much of recently quickly got worse. I've spent almost all day with a sore chest. And not on the right-hand side either, if you get me.

In the last 36 hours, I've discovered a thinning patch on top of my head (curiosity and a webcam got the better of me), white hairs in my beard (not blonde), and now a tight, sore chest.

Feel a bit better relaxing on the train, but don't want to go through the prolonged torture of not knowing if I'll still be alive at midnight.

This is nuts.

I think a lot of it is delayed reaction to the madness of recent weeks at work, plus sorting out a flat and associated stuff with every spare moment, plus never getting a holiday, plus being paranoid that the Cat is going to try and rush things again and/or take over the new place. that last one probably isn't fair but with no-one to talk to about this kind of stuff, it quickly gathers momentum in your mind.

feel like shouting, but what? and who at?

Alive

Today was one of those rare days when loads of things went well.

I'm fully prepared for not to be like that but I'd like to at least pay tribute to what went right, after a shaky start.

after the too-long early telecon, I woke the Cat up at the right time. I later learned that he was happy about it.

when I got to McHida, Starbucks was open, so I went in and got a frappuccino and hot chicken sandwich.

My iPod played all the right stuff on my way to work.

I was focused about finishing my article when I worked this morning.

It dawned on me at lunchtime that thd article deadlind wasn't tomorrow, but in 7 days' time.

As I was getting ready to send an e-mail to TW about the flat, the Cat rang and texted to say that the landlord had accepted my application! Next step is contract, said he!

I rang TW to impart the good news. This led to the sort of entirely reasonable question0you get from a man who's supposed to leave for Honolulu in 4 days...

When DHB asked me if I'd verified the exact flag values during the real-time check, I was able to confirm that they were right, even though I'd done it on the fly.

I bought two Haruki Murakami books months ago and selected which one to read first in no particular order. I finished early this week. The second one picks up where the first left off.

There followed another meeting by telecon, then more contact with the cat and then I came home late. But met the Cat at the station for tantan men.

As I left the train station, I felt alive for the first time in months...

I've had a particularly odd day...

For a start, it began with waking up at 4:00 a.m. when the Cat came to bed, and I woke up. This time, because I needed to...

There was a conference in Chiba (way out east, near Disneyland, and beyond IKEA; see a previous post), which — thanks to the way things have been going recently at work — I was in NO way ready for. So I got up to do some "quick analysis", so I'd have at least something of interest to present.

Ended up not being very focused, and ran right up to the wire in terms of when I had to leave. The job I did on shaving my chin was not what one might call exemplary...

The journey was uneventful, but slightly bizarre because I got my laptop out on the Keiyō Line from Tokyo to work on the presentation. On the plus side, I've now mastered getting my slides remarkably swish, I must say :o)

The talk was uneventful, as befitted the content. But Satoshi was there, and it's always fun to have a chat with him, because he never goes for the small-talk angle. DHB, myself, Cristina, Loraine-san, Hiroaki, Satoshi and SK all went for lunch in the nearby restaurant complex -- a Chinese place with very nice set menus -- and then I had a head-stagger about checking the instrument commanding, cos we have a visitor in charge.

So, I had this moment where I was sitting on the steps in the lobby, with my shiny laptop, accessing the commanding of a spacecraft on the other side of the city, in Tokyo.

I could not have predicted this life. But I'm quite amazed that it's mine. Even if I find out tomorrow that I've somehow ballsed it up, I still had that moment.

In other news, I've put in an application, with TW's help, to rent a flat in McHida, close to the train station. I'm quite excited about it, but prepared for it to not work. Things which require applications in Japan often fall flat on a technicality or a whim, so I have to not get my hopes up. He says, with a window open on Ikea's website....

And I just found out from pandagirl that its DB's birthday tomorrow. In the midst of all that's going on at work (not listed, cos I don't want to depress myself), I had to suggest a postponement and then a massive birthday blow-out.

Standing up for myself in a way, I suppose. But I do feel a bit bad. But I think it's in his interests as well.

Either way, what a day. Oh, and I came straight back to the Cat's place after the conference, did a load of laundry, then went to sleep. For three hours!

Cool :oD

"...but typhoons are EXCITING!"

This time of year, summer is trying to assert its muggy self on the population of Japan (including itinerants like me). The warm, water-laden air pushes in from its winter hibernation spot. But occasionally, like today, the cold air pushes back. Then the temperature drops, sinks past the dew point, and kersploosh!: Out falls all the water.

Witness this morning: McHida train station, and the weather is lovely. Brisk, a bit hot, but lovely sunshine. Get as far as Fuckynobby, and the sky is not far from being coal-coloured. And the wind carries such a strong smell of rain. At that point, I'm wondering if I can make it to work in time (coatless and brollyless) without getting thoroughly and utterly soaked! Exciting! And the smell of the rain gets stronger and stronger with each 100 yards I walk. Fortunately, I made it, but 45 minutes later, there was the kersploosh!

It's finally passed, and now I can see the mountains again. Lovely :o)

Project RestrictedFacialHairGrowth

comes to an end tonight.

Here's the finished product:




Celebration of Wednesday has been mooted. And as I'm feeling nearly burnt out, I may combine both feast-days into an all-inclusive, parity-of-esteem beer-drinking at a local 居酒屋 (or "Staying and Drinking Shop") in MacHida.

Might, in fact, be rude and vulgar not to.