2:30 p.m. Cow has happened to find out that JT (Japan Tobacco) has been selling a new product line-up under the name of Camel, since January 15th.

Needless to say, delighted Cow literally went skipping out the door to get a box. He tore open the packgae as he gopt back and sat down on his favorite chair, and lighted a cigarette in a flash, but put on a glum face after a puff.

I've had one too, just to see if the taste has changed, and was sure that it was distinctly different from the old Camel. This, was definitely not what Cow has been longing for. Regarding his disappointment, I don't blame him bickering about it for an hour.

The End

Caterpillar

2:04 p.m. Holidays! Am having four days off starting tomorrow! I've got three meetings today, but have already finished one, so got only two more left to go though they're still daunting.

Let's look at the bright side. After two more sessions, I'll have four days to read Harry Potter till my heart's content, perhaps clean my room a bit, and of course, call the NHK Mile coming up this weekend. I'm not going to let this chance slip away. Not after I've lost Tennou-sho. No way.

The End

Caterpillar

11:32 p.m. I'm at chapter thirty-four of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'm nearing the climax of this whole series, and it hasn't fallen short of my expectations so far.

I've got two more chapters to go, and although I want to read on and find out what the book says about all the unanswered questions, I also feel a part of myself dreading the moment to finish reading this story, to have to part with the book. Think I'll just save the last two chapters for tomorrow.

The End

Caterpillar

4:08 p.m. Have finally finished reading all the Harry Potter stories. And because I've read them, I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, that it was a magnificent story. It was like a fine mystery, always making me want to read more and more, as if the whole story was under an enchanting spell. I personally even suspected that J. K. Rowlimg could have attended Hogwarts herself. And after all those ups and downs, twists and turns, the story is brought down on an amazingly soft smooth landing, which might or might not suggest that those loveable characters would take us on another magic adventure when the time presents itself in the future.

I'd like to have this opportunity to express my appreciation to Ms. J. K. Rowling for the wondeful magical time I've enjoyed while reading her books. Thank you so much.

The End

Caterpillar

9:43 p.m. Have pep talked to myself before and placed my bet for the NHK Mile Cup on some longshots, but have been blown to pieces. How could I have won when the pay-off for the trifecta is 1,235,600 yen? Even the win pay-off is 3,430 yen. I knew that it was going to be a wild race, but how could I have guessed it'd be this wild?

With a more difficult race, Victoria Mile coming up next and the end of my holiday in sight, am afraid I've got nothing to look forward to.

The End

Caterpillar

4:51 p.m. Finally, on the last day of my holidays, I've managed to vacuumed my room and, pull out a cat-shaped lamp that I've been wanting to dig out for some time. They say it'll help you fall into better sleep if you read books before turning out the lights, rather than watch TV, fiddle with your smart phones or pcs. Luckily, I enjoy reading, so I thought I might try reading before bedtime. Thus, the cat-shaped lamp.

The idea of another three months of hard work before the summer vacation is daunting, even terrifying, but at least I've found out where those annoying ants are coming from. I've discovered a bunch of ants circling near the foot of the compressor unit on the veranda. Their nest must be somewhere around.

The End

Caterpillar

2:24 p.m. I thought the light from the cat-shaped lamp that I'd dug out yesterday, might be a little too weak but it turned out OK. As a matter of fact, just enough to read, and I'm perfectly happy with my new habit of reading before bedtime.

Except for the fact that now I've finished the Harry Potter series, I'm back in a situation with no books to read. Oh, well. Maybe I could drop by Maruzen to get a copy of Jeffery Deaver's "XO" with my Tosho card (prepaid book card). I haven't read it yet and was thinking of getting it anyway.

The End

Caterpillar

2:49 p.m. Resignedly, I returned the Harry Potter book yesterday, and bought myself a copy of "XO" by Jeffery Deaver instead. There are times when you need a treat sometimes.

There's one thing that's been nagging in my mind even after I'd return the book, though. It's the sword of Gryffindor. The sword that Neville used to slash Nagigni's head off, when Harry confronts Voldemort for the last time. I've been wondering how the sword could have landed in Neville's hands.

I mean, it was supposed to be stolen by the dwarf, Griphook, when Harry, Ron and Hermione broke into the Gringotts. They didn't have the sword when they were fighting at Hogwarts. That's why Ron and Hermione got back into the Chamber of Secret to fetch the Basilisk's fang. Did Neville somehow retrieve it from Griphook along the way? It's beginning to get disturbing.

The End

Caterpillar

2:01 p.m. Come to think of it, it occurred to me that there was another thing that I couldn't quite let it pass in Harry Potter.

When Harry is devastated by the loss of his godfather, Sirius Black, he runs into Luna "weird" Lovegood, who tells him something that suggests they can still see the deceased even after their death. I thought she was referring to some item that connects the afterworld and the land of the living, which might help Sirius appear again in the later stories. However, there was no such thing. I still wonder what Luna had meant at the time. Also want to find out what that stone arch in the Ministry of Magic was. The stone arch which was at the exact spot where Sirius had been struck by Bellatrix.

The End

Caterpillar

3:14 p.m. I just couldn't stand the nagging, so I've done some searching and found my answer in Wikipedia.

It said that Neville had drawn out the Gryffindor sword from the sorting hat. Oooooh, yes, that was right. I'd completely forgotten in my rush to read and find out the outcome of the whole story, but as I recall it, there certainly was a part when Voldemort had placed the sorting hat over Neville's head in the Great Hall, saying that he should have been in Slytherine.

But then, how could Neville have been able to pull out the real sword from the sorting hat, when it was still supposed to be in Griphook's hands? Mystery gives way to mystery, looks like.

The End

Caterpillar

2:37 p.m. Something came up at work, and I haven't been able to make time to review the results of the past Victoria Mile. Sometimes there are more pressing matters than my weekend hobby.

I also must put a stop to my obsessions with Harry Potter, in order to focus on the what's on my plate. Concentration and discipline, that 's what I need now.

The End

Caterpillar

4:07 p.m. Virxina has finally won a grade won after coming in second for five consecutive grade races. Congrats to her crew, but I think I've figured out a formula for tapping out horses that could perform well in Victoria Mile, and I'm afraid Virxina won't be on the list next year, unlike Buena Vista, Vodka, or Whale Capture (she sure was a surprise this year, though).

10:22 p.m. Gees. Have been fumbling with an audio editting software for a while. Am trying to make an English conversation audio file here, which haven't succeeded yet. And then, I'll have to fix my lunch for tomorrow and, and... Why am I always left with so much to do on a Sunday night?

The End

Caterpillar

3:38 p.m. I've managed to complete my audio file and fix my lunch all right, though I had to stay up till just twelve hours ago. I'm not actually satisfied with the perfection of my audio file, but hey, it was my first time creating such a file, and cosidering my circumstances, think I did a good job.

Additionally, have been blessed with enough luck, since my client called me up a few minutes ago, to mercifully rearrange her meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning, to tomorrow afternoon. That is going to be a great help since I have no confidence in waking up early tomorrow, after I've disrupted my sleeping habits yet again.

There was another thing that must have been blessed by luck. I had to adjust my train fare on my way to work, when the fare adjusting machine turned out to be out of order. My rage meter was climbing up rapidly while repeating tedious explanations through an intercom to the station crew's office, but the meter dropped to the safe green level when the crew behind the intercom had told me, I could go through the barrier without paying a dime. Well, it was only ten yen that we were talking about anyway, but nevertheless, it made me feel like I'd gained something.

The End

Caterpillar

4:24 p.m. Oh, brother. I've spotted something on the floor. As I bent to pick it up, I've crashed my face into something hard piled up behind the curtain, and look what happened.

The frame of my glasses has cracked, leaving two crevices around my left lens. Cow has filled the cracks with some adhesive, but who knows how much longer it will hold? I'll have to get a new set of glasses which means another 5,000 yen expenditure, during this consecutive G1 season.

Bad luck brings good luck and then comes back with bad luck.

The End

Caterpillar

2:24 p.m. Unfortunately, the adhesive that Cow had carefully applied to the cracks of my glasses, didn't hold up even for a day. By the time I was opening my book for the bedtime reading, one of the cracks had reopened, and my glasses were sadly lopsided to the left.

I wouldn't say I'm blind as a bat without glasses, but the world still seems blurred and unfocused without them, that I eventually had to dig out my old glasses - a pair I decided against ditching after I'd bought a new pair, just in case for a situation like this - to come to work, so I won't fall off the stairs at the station or turn up with bruises all over from bumping into walls and columns.

Hate to have to admit, but it seems there's nothing more I can do except for to get new glasses on my way home.

The End

Caterpillar

5:06 p.m. Thank God they had a stock of the same frame as the one I'd broke. I dropped by Zoff on my way home, and was able to take back a new pair of glasses.

I'm writing this in my new glasses and it feels, well, proper. My old glasses weren't quite a perfect fit. Anyway, it's good to be back in the usual state and, all I have to do now, is to win back the money I'd spent on these glasses in the Japanese Oaks.

The End

Caterpillar

2:53 p.m. Have just seen the barrier draw of the Japanese Oaks coming up this weekend.

Determined to win back my new glasses expenditure, I've been scrutinizing the results of the past ten years since Tuesday, and therefore, picked up some clues to pick out the right horses.

I think I'll restrain myself though, and save my juicy calls for tomorrow. For now, let's just say that unlike Ouka-sho, horses that concentrate their power only on the last couple of furlongs are not likely to perform well in the Japanese Oaks. The horses that perform well are the ones, that can run a full race in nearly the same tension from start to finish.

The End

Caterpillar

2:42 p.m. So here is my call for the Japanese Oaks tomorrow: Ayusan, Denim and Ruby, Ever Blossom, Celebrity Model, and Kurofune Surprise.

Am torn between keying Kurofune Surprise and Denim and Ruby, though. Also, might possibly add Lira Corsage on the wheel. Have cut out Robe Tissage, because she hasn't seem to have gained much weight, which brings up a problem in her current condition.

This wouldn't be my final decision as there is still time before the race runs, but I don't think it would change drastically. Enjoy the Japanese Oaks!

The End

Caterpillar

9:17 p.m. I was close, but mind you, I hadn't even dreamed that Meisho Mambo would win.

As a matter of fact, I crossed her out in the early stage because I thought a vengeance from the 10th place in Ouka-sho could be too much of a task for her. Apparently, I was wrong. The surprise was not Kurofune, but rather Mambo.

Nothing gained, only lost. I guess I ought to feel I'm lucky enough to have another chance next week in the same distance. Yes, the Japanese D'erby.

The End

Caterpillar

2:50 p.m. Have run out of interesting new books to read again, as usual.

I've noticed a new book of Dan Brown on the bookstore's shelf, only it's still in harcover, which means that it costs at least 3,000 yen. Automatically, out of the range of my choice of reading.

Jeffery Deaver's new book seems to be released in Canada and the U.S., but I guess that'll take some time before it's released in Japan. In the meantime, I've retreated to my all time favorite Dell Yearling book. Am now reading "The Cricket in Times Square."

The End

Caterpillar

4:23 p.m. Another tragedy has been reported. According to netkeiba news, Kurofune Surprise's front left knee has been found fractured after the Japanese Oaks.

I thought it wasn't like her to sink down to as far as 12th place, especially when she was still hanging on in the homestretch. Poor thing. It only adds the misery to Fumino Imagine - she was put to death after the Victoria Mile due to critical injury - and Sound of Heart who had also been found injured after Victoria Mile.

I really hope that all the contestants would finish the race, without any more injuries this weekend.

The End

Caterpillar

5:39 p.m. The Tokyo Sky Tree is celebrating its first anniversary since the opening. Have seen on the TV news that they're going to do a light-up in twelve different designs tonigh, as part of the celebration.

What? How? Not that I care, nor am interested in it. Well, maybe I'll get a glimpse of one or two of those spectacular twelve lighting patterns on my way home.

The End

Caterpillar

4:29 p.m. Don't you get frustrated when you peel off the shells from boiled eggs, and you find the skin all pocked? Here are some simple tips from Cow, to keep the surface of your boiled eggs nice and smooth.

Crack the shells of the eggs by bumping them into the edge of the pan, right after you turn off the heat. Then pour the hot water out from the pan, and fill it instead with cold water to cool down the eggs. Peel off the shells with your hand when the eggs are cool enough. The shell would come off easily, and the surface of the eggs would be left smooth.

By cracking the shells while the eggs are still in hot water, it enables the water to ge in between the eggs and the shells. When the eggs are cooled down, the hot water between the shell is pushed out into the cold water in the pan, while the eggs contract leaving a gap between the eggs and the shells. That's how it works, according to Cow, the genius.

The End

Caterpillar

3:57 p.m. I happened to pass by Shimokitazawa station today, and was not only surprised but was exhausted.

Shimokitazawa is an old station where it can be accessed by two private railways, the Odakyu line and the Keio Inokashira line. And since the station has been crammed into a small space, transit routes between the two lines have been rather complicated.

The staion has been going under rennovation, however. I've realized that the new Odakyu platform has been built underground, as I followed the directions to the Inokashira platform, meaning I had to climb up four flights of stairs. After managing to reach the top, I was even more let down when I found myself at the foot of the old stairs that lead two flights up to the Inokashira platform.

Why didn't anyone think of setting escalators?

The End

Caterpillar

2:11 p.m. And it's the Japanese D'erby, tomorrow. But I haven't made up my mind yet, to be honest.

My guess is that the top 3 will mainly be consisted with horses coming from Satsuki-sho, depending on the pace of the D'erby. If the pace is slow, I'm thinking there's a good chance of Logotype winning his second crown, while the horses that sank below 4th place in Satuski-sho, would be able to make a come back, in case the pace gets fast.

If Apollo Sonic takes the lead as his crews have said, then tha pace is likely to drop down to that of his previous race, Aoba-sho, which suggests an outcome on the favored side.

The End

Caterpillar

9:40 p.m. I was leaning towards keying Logotype, but wait, wait, Satsuki-sho and Asahi-hai were both tough races. Isn't it too risky to key him?

After much thinking, I decided to key Codino instead, with Kizuna and some others on the wheel. And look what happened.

Still, Logotype fought hard hanging on 5th place. Though the gaps between him and the 3rd and 4th places were merely noses, so a 5th place worth the 3rd place.

The End

Caterpillar

2:57 p.m. As I got to the office still groggy from being forced to get up early, Cow told me that there was a call from Mr. N-jima.

Was wondering why, when Cow added Mr. N-jima called to tell me that one of my client had called his cell phone to cancel this morning's meeting, also offering his consideration that I'd be furious to hear this news.

Oh, yeah. I remembered I'd borrowed his cell phone yesterday, to return an urgent call from that client, when we were at the off-track betting. So my client must have redialed to his cell phone. Oh gee.

The End

Caterpillar

3:41 p.m. I was talking to Cow about Enkiri-dera, a characteristic temple in Kyoto, believed to have a certain effect on eliminating relationships, when he suddenly recalled the lyrics from a Sada Masashi song, and claimed that Enkiri-dera was in Kamakura, not Kyoto.

According to Cow, the song goes like, "kyou, Kamakura e, itte kimashita," with the first chorus ending in, "tadori tsuitano wa, Enkiri-dera," which seemed to be the basis of his claim.

But it was Cow's vague memory we were talking about, and the lyrics most likely could have been, "Kyoto, Kamogawa e, itte kimashita," instead of the "Kamakura" version. So where exactly is Enkiri-dera, in Kamakura or in Kyoto?

The End

Caterpillar

3:07 p.m. It transpired that there were a lot of Enkiri-deras spread all over the country, and that the one I was talking about wasn't actually an Enkiri-dera, but turned out to be an Enkiri-jinja, called Yasui Konpira-gu,in Kyoto.

I was a bit surprised to know that there were so many people wanting to get rid of relationships, while on the other hand, so many people nowadays, were trying to be related to someone they'd never even met before in their lives, via Facebook or Twitter. Are we getting selective with our relationships?

The End

Caterpillar

3:46 p.m. Yesterday, JMA (Japan Meteorological Agency) has announced the beginning of Tsuyu (the rainy season) for the Kanto area including Tokyo. The glorious spring season seems to be gone in a flash.

Funny how it always occurs to me that I should have enjoyed the fine weather more, after it's already gone. It's just like when I've said or done something wrong without realizing, and later, very often much later, is suddenly hits me to my regret, that I'd said or done something that can't be erased.

Perhaps these words might or might not ring the bell for some of you. I hope it does because our message board must go because of these people.

The End

Caterpillar

2:57 p.m. They'd announced the beginning of Tsuyu (rainy season) the day before yesterday, and today it's suddenly summer.

I know this sunshine is only temporal, with gloomy, sticky days lying ahead for the next month and a half. Still, it raises your spirit a bit.

And for those who might be getting worried about your shoes starting to smell in this building up heat, here's a tip from eHow on How To Freshen Smelly Shoes.

The End

Caterpillar