2:42 p.m. Announcement has been made that The Heroic Legend of Arslan 2nd Season (Dust Storm Dance) is going to start from this Sunday. 8 episodes are being scheduled to be broadcasted on MBS and TBS network from 5 P.M.

Yay! It's a pity they only do 8 episodes, though. Anyway, "Yasasin!"

The End

Caterpillar

2:36 p.m. Since the spring G1 season is over, I'll have to satisfy myself with calling the summer grade races.

CBC-sho is a tough race to call, though. I want to key Bel Canto, but the rider seems unreliable. Longshot? Perhaps Meisho Liner? As for Radio Nikkei-sho, would possibly key Black Spinel and buy a wheel with Stormy Sea, George Cinq and some others.

The End

Caterpillar

5:28 p.m. The thermometer on my desk was pointing 35℃ around 11:30 this morning. Hot.

Having finished my washing and some cleaning in a while, I allowed my sweat-dripping self to turn on the air conditioner and rest. Ahhh. I checked my thermometer again, and in a matter of minutes... nothing had changed so much, but well, after a good 10, 15 minutes, the room temperature began to go down gradually. I thanked myself for getting a new remote for the air conditioner last summer. Otherwise, it wouldn't have moved.

The End

Caterpillar

3:59 p.m. Tanabata-sho held this weekend has been known as a wild summer grade race, since it has produced large payouts year after year. So I've taken the trouble to take a peek at the members, but there are only 4 horses out of 18, that has recently won a race in the previous 3... This is going to be a tough race to call.

Originally, the large payouts of Tanabata-sho relied basically on the favored grade race winners screwing up. But things seem to be changing these days. There are only 3 grade winners this year, and all of them have performed badly in the previous 3 or 4 races that I can't simply believe they will be favored.

The End

Caterpillar

5:24 p.m. I overslept...

The temperature has dropped overnight from the excruciating heat yesterday to a moderate 23℃ and I have slept soundly until it was almost irreversible. Luckily, I made it before my afternoon meeting, but everything had been in a mad rush that I feel quite exhausted now.

The End

Caterpillar

5:35 p.m. Late Monday night, or shall I say early Sunday morning? I happened to see a new anime series that turned out to be pretty good.

The title seems to be "Ama-ama to Inazuma" which I hadn't even heard of until then, but since they're doing an anime series, the comics must be out already and probably quite popular. The story was centered on a single father raising his young daughter. The father who had lost his wife recently, was struggling to juggle his job as a teacher and taking care of his little daughter. From business, he's been feeding her ready made bentos from convenience stores, but meeting one of his students whose mother works a little Japanese style deli by chance, he realizes that he's been sacrificing both his and his daughter's happiness. Through eating, the father, child and a high school student discovers what "happiness" is.

This looks quite promising! I'll put it on my watch list.

The End

Caterpillar

5:07 p.m. Erm... no matter how many times I look at the list, the members of Tanabata-sho seems so... lame.

Well, I'll try and see if I an find my notes from last year anyway. If I can, it might help me call the race - a little.

The End

Caterpillar

5:19 p.m. Today I bought two packs of fresh Echo, my brand of cigarettes and realized, that the'd put plastic films around the paper package.

Thank you so much for your consideration JT, but I rather prefer the paper package and the former price before it was raised.

The End

Caterpillar

3:51 p.m. I couldn't find my notes and the members still look so lame even after the barrier draw, that I don't feel much interest towards Tanabata-sho.

Looks like it won't rain much in Fukushima this weekend, but still it would be better to go up front on a track like Fukushima, so I would call the race centering Yamanin Voielactee. Meisho Naruto, Win Liberty and Stellar Wind will probably be on the wheel. Albert Dock? Hmm... maybe, for insurance.

The End

Caterpillar

8:59 p.m. The horses that went up front all seemed to have sunk after the last corner in Tanabata-sho. Perhaps the lap was too fast? Must go check the results.

We're having the Hakodate Kinen this weekend, so hopefully I can get myself back on track somehow. I've spent my day off idly enjoying Arslan and some music. But of course, I've been to the voting, I'm a Japanese citizen and I exercise my duty as a citizen.

The End

Caterpillar

3:46 p.m. I have discovered to my regret, a hole on the bottom corner of my backpack.

Why? I haven't been using it for so long. I just checked the date when I bought it and it said 14th December, 2015. That means I've only used it for 7 months... That's what they call penny-wise and pound-foolish, I guess.

I'll make sure to make a wiser choice next time. I'll still be using it for a while, though. I can't just give it up so easily.

The End

Caterpillar

3:44 p.m. Last Sunday, I noticed the color of my lap-top's task bar had suddenly changed from blue to silver gray. Could it be a new feature or something? But I don't remember having any updates for the pst couple of weeks. Oh, no. Could it be the renewed HDD? No, no, no, NO!

Some time later, as I stood up to go to the toilet, I saw a plug rolling on the floor. What's this plug doing here? It's not the fan, nor is it the air conditioner. That leaves only one answer. My lap-top. My lap-top has been operating dutifully on batteries for over 3 hours, trying desperately to save power by simplifying the interface design and colors. Ugh. What an elementary mistake!

The End

Caterpillar

4:20 p.m. A friend has brought me a little souvenir from Bangkok, Thailand. It seems he's taken a trip there.

It was interesting to see a Thailand version of matcha Pocky package. I saw Japanese Kanji, the English alphabets and Thai characters which I couldn't read all on the same package, complete with a Halal Food logo mark. I wish this world would be just like this package; a jumble of different cultures but all on one package called earth.

The End

Caterpillar

3:28 p.m. The sky is getting dark. It looks like we're bound for a downpour.

Well, if we're going to have some rain, I wish we'd have some rain in the mountains where the dams are drying up. Total sum of water rate of eight dams that supply water to some areas in Tokyo is currently announced to be 55%, according to the MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) webpage.

The situation is quite serious and I fear it's becoming an annual phenomenon.

The End

Caterpillar

5:35 p.m. It rained cats and dogs yesterday evening around my work place and the streets looked like rivers. My sandaled feet sunk in water up to the ankles.

My hope rose temporarily that it might have brought water to the dams, though to my disappointment, the water rate of the 8 dams together has only risen 1% since yesterday. It seems the biggest problem is that the water rate of the largest dam, Yagisawa Dam hasn't recovered. So far it's the lowest of all 8, recording a surprisinly low 27% as of today.

Since we've had a lot of rain, I wonder if the water rates of the dams would increase if they closed the deadlocks in the lower course of the river?

The End

Caterpillar

3:14 p.m. Am looking at the racing form of Hakodate Kinen, but... this is as lame as last week's Tanabata-sho.

I will take my shot at calling it though. My key horse would be Famous End. Baigaeshi, Phantom Light would be on the wheel. By the way, who is this Teetan, anyway? I thought Neo Realism might have a chance but can't be sure about the rider.

The End

Caterpillar

4:44 p.m. I've been out shopping and missed the Hakodate Kinen. As I turned on the TV, it displayed Tannai having a winning jockey interview which menat that the winner was Meiner Milano. What happened to Famous End?

I saw Masa Yamamoto ex-Chunichi Dragons pitcher invited as a guest and sitting next to Ohshima oyakata (ex-Kyokutenho) and was amazed that he looked as big and tough as oyakata, who was a sumo wrestler until last year. Chiyonokuni who came back has beat Ichinojo today. Nice going!

The End

Caterpillar

9:03 p.m. Hmmm... I thought that Famous End didn't have much damage from his previous race since he'd lost in 4th place, though that must have been my wishfuk thinking assuming from the fact he finished last in Hakodate Kinen. The lap was perfectly average, which allowed only the horses that went up front to get better results. Summer races are difficult they say, and I agree.

The end of the rainy season has been announced from the Tokai area to the west. I wonder if we'll see the ending of it in Kanto soon? The heat has been getting more relentless these days.

The End

Caterpillar

5:37 p.m. The water rate of the 8 dams providing water to parts of Tokyo has recovered to 62% as of today. That seems to be an improvement.

But we still need more water considering the coming heat wave predicted for this summer. By the way, there is such a thing as teru-teru-bozu in Japan, handmade simple dolls hung underneath the eaves to pray for fair weather. It is said that they'd call the rainclouds if hung upside down. Perhaps I should try that? Though will it work if I hang them here in Tokyo? I have no idea.

The End

Caterpillar

2:25 p.m. I've read an article that microbes in the gut of our bodies are "crucial for the brain and mental health". Here's the link to the article : How Your Gut Affects Your Mood

I read it with interest especially, since I've experienced my health and mental condition improving after taking Miyarisan, a probiotic antiflatulent. If it can be proved that your gut does affect your mood, I wonder if we'll be having fun with personality tests based on the microbes in our guts instead of blood types?

The End

Caterpillar

12:37 p.m. I do not wish for long life.

If living means coping with a mother who locks me out, leaves a squashed roach on the floor, doesn't go shopping to by run out groceries, keeps the kitchen unclean, leaves the bath water surface covered with dead skin, blasts off the radio all night.

That's why I don't wish for long life and need to go out singing at Karaoke boxes once in a while with good friends.

The End

Caterpillar

5:20 p.m. Finally, Pokemon Go has been released in Japan too.

I've been bothered by those smart phone users who use their devices while walking already, and from now the situation is bound to get worse. Playing smart phone games must be quite fun as there seeme to be many players, though I wish the players to care a bit more about others. I do exist you know, although I don't appear on your smart phone screen.

The End

Caterpillar

2:42 p.m. I've been piling loss after loss for the summer grade races (as well as the spring G1) but will try pulling myself together to call the Chukyo Kinen.

On the premise that Mirco smoothly takes the lead at an average lap, Tagano Espresso would be my key. On my wheel I would put Meiner Aurato, Tosho Drafter, Curren Che Carina and Garibaldi. There. How's that?

The End

Caterpillar

6:52 p.m. Aw, what a beautiful result! My horses won the booby and the one before it...

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at this. I have no idea which part of my calling went wrong. Well, suppose it's not much of a big problem as long as I look at the results upside down? More important than that, I've captured a mosquito with my bare fingers today. I feel like an Olympic athlete.

The End

Caterpillar

4:33 p.m. And this week we're having the Queen's Stakes in Sapporo.

But then again, the members entered for this race looks so lame. Plus my terrible calling makes it more uninteresting, doesn't it? Ha ha, will have to think about calling the race or not.

Besides, we have an election coming up this weekend, to choose our new governor for Tokyo after Mr. Masuzoe. Though it's true the candidates running for this election also look lame.

The End

Caterpillar

5:07 p.m. Cow has just told me that there are long coat Akita dogs.

The Akita dogs I knew all looked somewhat like giant versions of Shiba dogs, but these long coat Akitas look more like Samoyed dogs, only that they have different-colored coats while Samoyeds are mostly white.

It's a pity they rarely go on the market and are not respected as pure Akita dogs (although they are) just because of their looks. I rather prefer them to the short coat Akitas.

The End

Caterpillar

4:55 p.m. Cow has been to the nearby paper stand to exchange his stamp card with a promotional towel. Every time he buys his carton of cigarettes, the shopkeeper puts some stmaps on the card. Cow was told that when the card was filled with stamps, he could exchange it for a sports towel.

He's just come back though unfortunately, his long awaited towel seems to have turned into 2 packs of cigarettes. It appears they've run out of towels. Too bad, Cow. Maybe next time.

The End

Caterpillar

5:08 p.m. Finally, finally the end of rainy season has been announced for the Kanto area. Summer has come.

But the Pokemon Go fever already seems to have peaked out in the U.S. Hmmm... so it lasted for a week. Nice try, I'd say.

As for myself, I wasn't so interested in the game from the start. Besides, my old model smart phone does not meet the requirements for the app, as well as my wifi version iPad mini.

The End

Caterpillar

1:03 p.m. I was thinking of making Checchino my key horse for the Queen's Stakes and now, of all times, she scratches off from the race.

I wonder when she developed her injury? I mean, couldn't the crew report that a bit earlier? I'll have to think things over again while I'm having the busiest day of the week...

The End

Caterpillar

2:51 p.m. We had the annual unagi (eel) for lunch today. Feel like I have to work my head off.

Since the members of Queen Stakes were so lame and with Checcino scratched off even lamer, I decided to call the Ibis Summer Dash instead. The key would be Bel Canto of course. I wouldn't go against her. On the wheel I would try Van Der Waals, Satono Diplomat, At Will and Earth Sonic. I have a feeling that horses that experienced dirt races recently might do well in this distinctive 1000m race.

The End

Caterpillar

6:36 p.m. Ibis Summer Dash has finished in a totally uninteresting result of the top three favored horses coming in one, two, three. My dark horses didn't stand a chance with weight gains and losses.

I have a feeling that the Tokyo governer race will turn out the same. The candidates are as lame as the Queen Stakes and, considering the recent Upper House election, it will be another popularity poll. Daunting.

Well, I did enjoy reading the manifestos of the candidates as usual though. Each of them characteristic in their own way, some of them hillarious. I almost thought this was an audition for a talent show.

The End

Caterpillar