2:13 p.m. The news of hurricane Sandy that struck New York and New Jersey has made the headlines here in Tokyo too, and am getting worried by the serious damages updated day after day.

Have searched on the web for pictures of the place I usde to live. I was somewhat relieved, to find there weren't photos of obvious damages (like the ones on the front page of the papers) among the hits. Still it makes me feel uneasy when I see the growing numbers of deaths.

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Caterpillar

3:28 p.m. Cow has been mumbling about the suspicious judgement in yesterday's Japan Series game. Feel like he's been mumbling alot about, well, a lot of things lately. Maybe he's a bit too stressed.

I've checked the slow-mo which seemed to me, wasn't a duster at all. Sure, the ball seemed to float out of control, but it didn't make any contact with the batter's body or helmet, not even with his bat. Instead, it seemed to be brushing the catcher's mit that was held out high to his left and, as soon as it did, the ball changed course bouncing off the mit. In my humble opinion as a fan, that was a simple "ball." So the count should be 1 ball, no strikes and no outs, with a runner on the first base.

Am not sure if the plate umpire has held a press conference to explain about the incident, but I think that's the least he could do as a professional umpire. We fans do deserve to see some responsibility here, whether it was a misjudgement or not.

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4:00 p.m. Have managed to finish the top two tasks on my To-Do list; visiting the family grave and going to the library to return a book I'd extended.

There was nobody to be seen at the small cemetery annex to the temple where my grandparents now rests. Perhaps because it was a public holiday, I thought, although I'd seen the place swarming with families on the autumnal equinox day. I felt a sting seeing how quickly and easily the dead are forgotten by busy workers in this busy city called Tokyo.

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10:07 p.m. Proceeding, with my To-Do list. Have finished another seven of the top priority tasks (good for me); cleaning the fan to get it ready to be put away, put away the fan, vacuum the floor to get it ready for spreading out electric heating carpet, take out and set the heating carpet, wash the heating carpet cover, dry it, spread it out on the heating carpet.

There are still at least 48 tasks waiting to be accomplished, but cannot go on before I finish this seasonal ritual, now that I've set my heating carpet meticulously; roll over on this comfortingly warm carpet. Yipeeeee!

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2:16 p.m. Was thinking of going to the bathroom, but Cow beat me. Have to wait a while... This week, we're having the Elizabeth Queen Cup so must start preparing for it.

Uh-oh. Just remembered that I hadn't finished the follow-up of Tennou-sho. Oh, yeah. Had to figure out under what condition Eishin Flash and Fenormeno perform best and, whether they are able to perform well in the next race or not. Hmm. Now, thats quite a task.

Cow's back. My turn.

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Caterpillar

2:41 p.m. Again, I've caught a cold. Was shivering under my blankets Saturday night, just because I was too lazy to crawl out from under it to pull out my thick down comfortor. My nose was half clogged and I felt that familiar scratchiness in my throat when I got up Sunday morning.

Hence, am going through hell, wearing one of those masks and blowing my nose every three minutes, suffocating under this mask.

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Caterpillar

2:26 p.m. Barely able to breath through nose. Guess I'm getting better. Well, at least, better than yesterday.

Have learned from the Internet news that Australian jockey, Damien Oliver has been accused of placing bets on a rival horse to beat a horse he was riding in the same race. Naughty, naughty. Does that mean that he could have been fixing the race when he finished second with Pop Rock in teh Melbourne Cup? Well, we can't really deny the possibility, can we?

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Caterpillar

4:02 p.m. I bought a new pack of flu masks on my way home yesterday, since I'd run out of them. There were several different kinds hanging from the rack, and one of them caught my attention. It said "antifog" on the package, along with a few more appealing features.

Come to think of it, my glasses have been fogged with own breath all day, making me look weider on top of the mask and glasses. If these masks really were "antifog"-ged, it would make my heart much more at ease. So I decided to buy those masks.

These flu masks are amazing! They have this little strip of urethane-like sponge attached at the nose-side edge, conveniently cut to fit the curve of your nose, so that it blocks your breath coming up from the crack between the mask and your face. And it only costs 100 yen per pack, which contains three such masks!

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3:14 p.m. Am having conjunctival hemorrhage again. I've searched about it when I had it before, and learned that it wasn't such a serious disease despite the shocking change it could do to your appearance (it could be quite creepy), as long as you didn't have any subjective sympptoms such as pain.

I think I feel a slight dull pain, though, just above my left eye, the one with the hemorrhage. Perhaps I've been working my eyes too hard lately.

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2:11 p.m. Oh no, it's Saturday already. Was going to start my preperation search for the Queen Elizabeth Cup yesterday however, something has come up and couldn't spare time for it. Was also attacked with a series of troubles this week, starting with cold, varying to several cuts on my fingers, made by cans that are supposed to have safe rims as ring-pull type lid does not leave rims jagged.

Anyway, think Virxina is going to be a safe bet, at least at this point. If she'd fail to win tomorrow, am afraid she'll never get another chance to win a grade one.

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Caterpillar

6:06 p.m. It was obvious even through the TV screen, that it was raining quite heavily in Kyoto race tracks. I told Cow via Skype!, it was no longer going to be a grade one race but rather a mud race. To this, Cow had responded, "I've checked, but there weren't any horses that performed well in such a bad condition in the past." I repeat. He said, "I checked, but there weren't any horses that performed well in such a bad condition in the past."

The winner of today's Queen Elizabeth Cup, Rainbow Dahlia had won in wet fast, and come in third in muddy when she was a fillie, as well as Pixie Princess who came in third behind Virxina today, and had a record of winning a summer race under firm condition. I've "checked" that, probably using the same source as Cow. Wonder where his eyes were.

And the annoying thing is that I know what kind of excuse he's got up his sleeve. "I meant that there weren't any occasion when the Queen Elizabeth Cup has been run in such a bad track condition," which is wrong again, by the way, because the one held in 1979 was run in a muddy condition, although the distance was a furlong longer in those days.

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2:50 p.m. His excuse actually was, "I did check the results, but couldn't say anything specific from them since there were so few races run in such bad condition."

Annoying enough. Then, he added that Smart Sillouhette, one of the horses I bought, whas been the last to finish, for my information. Well, thank you so much.

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Caterpillar

2:28 p.m. JRA has launched up a project in memory of Japan Cup winners, preparing a special website to voice which horse you think is the fastest of all champions. Legends of Japan Cup You can cast your vote by choosing YOUR "legend horse" to match up one of the champion horses.

Actually, it's just another popularity poll and, one that's not accurate because you can vote limitlessly. But it's good to recall the winners for the past thirty-one times Japan Cup has been run (not to mention that every race have their own drama).

I chose Katsuragi Ace against Tap Dance City, for your information. It's a dream match I'd love to see if I ever could.

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Caterpillar

2:25 p.m. Looks like nimber one on the "Legend List" of the above mentioned Legends of Japan Cup today, seems to be... Rose Kingdom.

Well, it's nothing surprising, considering that it was Screen Hero yesterday. My Katsuragi Ace was ranked in 22nd of 31 champion horses. Hmmm, not bad.

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Caterpillar

2:52 p.m. There are times when everything you do turns out the wrong way. Today must be another one of those days.

I've been wishing there was a simple and clear solution to this, some sort of cure to heal my frayed nerves, however, haven't been able to find one yet.

Oh, well. Have only lived half of my life. I'll have the rest to figure it out. Guess I just should take it easy.

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Caterpillar

3:57 p.m. The barrier draw for Mile Championship.

Oh, no. The horses I was counting on, Admire Septor, Clarent and Hanna's Goal have all drew blanks. Meaning, they're not even in the race... Worse comes to worst. Hope am hitting the bottom.

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Caterpillar

2:24 p.m. Had written before that my rainboots could be leaking, but have confirmed it this morning. The right boot is definitely leaking.

Last night, had examined the boots closely to find a few suspicious cracks. I sealed them all with a transparent mending tape since rain was predicted for today, staying up till early morning. Then, this morning. As I was merely fifty yards away from the office, complementing myself for my dutiful mending job to keep my feet dry, I felt water seeping into the toe of my right sock.

Oh, no. And my long shot for Mile Championship, Sadam Pateck has somehow shot up to the second favored as of this afternoon. How could that have happened? How? How?

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7:33 p.m. Eventually, Sadamu Patek (sorry I misspelled it yesterday) settled in 4th favored to my releif. Still I thought he was too favored, though. Cow and I had wondered if there was some special reason for the horse's unexpected popularity, but there was no way for us to know.

Sure enough, Sadamu Patek has won the race, rewarding Yutaka Take with his first Mile Championship victory in his career. So there must have been some rumors going out.

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Caterpillar

3:32 p.m. Six days left till Japan Cup and today's number one of the "Legend" list is... Deep Impact. Looks like it's gradually getting better. My Katsuragi Ace is down two notches and ranked 24th.

Cow has been complaining about TM Ancore running in Mile Championship. Having been away from the track for two and a half years and suddenly appearing in a grade one race, taking away the position from three-year-old with a future, only to finish last.

I agree, Your Honor. The trainer and owner should be imposed to a penalty.

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Caterpillar

3:54 p.m. Today's "Legends" list number one was Rose Kingdom, and today's snack was Daifuku and Soft Salad (soft rice crackers).

Everybody seems to be interested in Orfevre's condition. Even the banner ad hung on the front rack of kiosks bears the headline, "Has Orfe Recovered?" As for myself, I haven't forgotten the spring Tennou-sho after that Hanshin Dai-shoten with a story.

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Caterpillar

2:26 p.m. Today's number one is Rose Kingdom, same as yesterday, though cannot understand why he's number one.

Meanwhile, news about the trainings are pouring in. Gentil Donna seems to be coming out just fine, with the jockey Iwata, more than willing to win, Solemia also in good mood, according to the crew, Orfevre the naughty boy, recovering nicely and going off course in his training, naughty as usual.

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2:28 p.m. Today's number one was Deep Impact. My Katsuragi Ace has inched up a bit to 20th, and Cow has gone out to the dentist.

Think the barrier draw would be announced later in the afternoon. Wonder what it's going to be like. I mean, what if Orfevre draws an outer post number? Most of you might think much of barrier draws, though in my humble opinion, it does affect the horses' concentration and it also affects the horses' performances too. Barrier draws are, actually, one very important factor in a race.

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11:33 p.m. Today's number one was Tokai Teio. Why? Why?

Have spent all day collecting data about the past Japan Cup and analyzing this year's competitors. Haven't decided yet, but Fenomeno looks promising. Gentil Donna could perform well, too. Am skeptical about Rulership, Dark Shadow and Solemia. When it comes to Orfevre, only God knows.

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1:56 p.m. It's a day before Japan Cup and today's number one was still Tokai Teio.

Seems like they've added a new page to this temporal website, a page where you can vote for this year's winner titled "Legend 2012." Unfortunately, the horses' names are in Japanese katakana, but you can vote for a winner by clicking on the round blue buttons on the right.

For your information, the winner of Legend 2012 as of now is Orfevre with 1089 votes. Needless to say.

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Caterpillar

12:45 p.m. Japan Cup day. Eventually, the number one of "Legends of Japan Cup" seems to have become Tokai Teio against my will. And the most favored in the 2012 list went to Orfevre who's earned 1,609 votes as of now. After all, he's the most likely to win despite his bad manners.

9:30 p.m. However, Orfevre did not win. Gentil Donna did instead, despite the breaking out, bumping and screeching against Orfevre who also hadn't run straight. It was a close win for Gentil Donna that nearly cost her historical victory, and it wasn't a nice ending with Iwata's suspension after the long inquiry.

It would have been much better, as a matter of fact, if JRA might as well had disqualified both Orfevre and Gentil Donna. I had a trio of Rulership, Fenomeno and Dark Shadow.

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4:02 p.m. Gentil Donna was lucky to be able to keep her victory whereas I am despairingly out of luck. My biological cycle is completely disordered, mental state unbalanced and unstable.

And my right boot leaked agian in spite of all the time and mending tape I had to spare. Don't want to do anything any more. What's the use in trying if you try and try and try to be met by the next despair?

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Caterpillar

3:16 p.m. Still, I cannot stop trying. Cannot just quit and give up. Sometimes I think it would be easier for myself if I'd just let go and given things up, but I just can't seem to do that.

I crawl and struggle, I suffer. Yet somehow am up on my feet and moving again. Some people might say I'm a fool, but I can't help it. Guess it's carved in my DNAs though I don't suppose it's been passed down from either of my parents.

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Caterpillar

4:31 p.m. Oh, yes. I who have risen from the ashes of despair as a phoenix, radiant as the sun, will not only win Japan Cup Dirt this weekend, but finish this year in a huge victory of Arimakinen.

Won't work out that well, though. Reality hurts.

Cow has somehow been looking at some information on Joy de Vivre and found out that she was preparing to come back to the turf. Unbelievable. I thought she'd long been retired after her injury. Some things you never know.

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3:40 p.m. Meantime, the barrier draw of Japan Cup Dirt has been announced. Interesting lineup this year. Wouldn't have to bicker about the race slipping to a lower level, then. Though it's a pitty that there aren't any foreign horses despite the name, Japan Cup Dirt intended to be an international, top category dirt race.

Yutaka Take, the world's most famous Japanese jockey, suggests holding Japan Cup Dirt at the renovated Chukyo tracks in his blog, to bring in foreign competitors. Take seems to think that foreign trainers and owners, especially Americans, tend to avoid bringing their horses after the race has been moved to Hanshin race tracks, where the track runs clockwise unlike the tracks in the U.S. Apparently, they don't want to take the risk of injuries. Chukyo runs counterclockwise.

I definitely agree. Japan Cup Dirt was originally run at Tokyo race tracks where they run counterclockwise and, the distance was 2100m, come to think of it. Why did JRA change that in the first place?

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3:41 p.m. Unbelievable. JoOusama has booked Obaba's passing-from-one-year-Buddhist sermon on the very day of Arima-kinen. She broke the news last night, out of the blue. I opened my outh to object, but she stone-walled me with the well-worn excuse, "it's the only day that meets everyone's convenience."

Who? Who exactly is EVERYONE? I am not included in that EVERYONE, I suppose.

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Caterpillar