1:12 p.m. Our new governer turned out to be Ms. Koike as expected. No surprise there.

Rather, I was amazed at the power of... newspapers! Since we had a sudden downpour around noon yesterday, I had to take in my washed clothes before they were dry. As I'd seen a short while ago that by hanging a newspaper between the wet clothes help them dry quicker, I decided to do a little experiment to see if that really works.

The effect was overwhelming and my usually damp clothes dried up in about half the time. Awesome!

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Caterpillar

4:58 p.m. One of our clients has given me some husked corn.

It seems someone of her aquaintance had sent her a box full of corn from Tottori, and she decided to share some with us. After peeling off the husks, we wrapped them up in films and microwaved them for several minutes and presto! Cooked corn ready to go!

Sweet corn, cold mugicha (barley tea), and high school baseball are the regular assortments of summer afternoons. Thanks, I've fully enjoyed them.

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Caterpillar

5:12 p.m. As I was writing on the whiteboard during a meeting, a mosquito had wandered about in front of the whiteboard. Because it stood out having the whiteboard in the background, I just caught it with my bare hand like I catch a lint.

My client was amazed, but it wasn't anything unusual for me as I often catch mosquitos with my bare hand. I've always thought it didn't differ much from catching a ball, though perhaps it could be called a skill.

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Caterpillar

5:18 p.m. The opening of Rio de Janeiro Olympic games are getting closer and excitement is building up.

Yes, there were news of thefts, security problems, delay of constructions etc. etc. delivered almost every day, but it seems like finally it's really going to start. Let's just turn a blind eye to these piling up problems on this occasion, and get ready to enjoy the sports festival! Luckily, NHK is offering free apps to watch streaming movies including some live relays. For more information, go to the NHK Olympic special site (Japanese).

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Caterpillar

2:34 p.m. Aaaaand the opening game for me of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics has started this morning, with the U-23 football match Nigeria vs Japan.

I thought Nigeria must be tired after the unexpected ticket trouble but on the contrary, they had great physical and deserved to win. Our boys made too many careless misses throughout the game. It was a pity as they didn't give up and kept fighting to earn themselves 4 goals, even though that turned out to be one goal behind.

True it was disappointing as a starting game, though I don't blame the boys for the pass misses or interaction, since the team hasn't been given enough time to improve its quality.

Caterpillar

2:13 p.m. I've been thinking and thinking about Kokura Kinen this whole week, but at this point I still cannot have confidence in my idea. Satono Rasen has become the most favored instead of the predicted D'accord, just as I'd expected. Though Rasen won't stand a chance unless it becomes an extremely slow race. If it does, perhaps Angreifen might make it up to 3rd place, but that seems unlikely to happen in my opinion.

I'm rather curious how Extra End performs in this distance. The horse hasn't been winning lately, but the gaps between the winners aren't so big. Maybe he might do well in a mid-range distance that he hasn't experienced in a while. If I were to buy tickets, I'd put Satono Rasen, Beruf, Lien de Famille and Win Liberty on my wheel.

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Caterpillar

10:37 p.m. It turns out that I have been right about Satono Rasen and Angreifen and, Beruf finished in 2nd place while my key horse Extra End came in 3rd. However, it was Crans Montana that won the race, not Win Liberty or Lien de Famille. Feel like I'm getting closer. Well, at least, a little.

Anyway, I can't be bickering, must get ready to watch the Olympics Judo match! Go, go, Monchit-chee!

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Caterpillar

3:20 p.m. Since we've learned that Japan's competitive swimmer Rikako Ikee who is currently participating in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics has a long reach, Cow suddenly decided to measure his.

According to Wikipedia, Rikako's reach when she spreads her arms is 184cm. As I measured Cow's it turned out to be 180.5cm. Ah, although she's still a high school student, our national record holder beat him by 3.5 cm!

Ahahaha, too bad, Cow.

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Caterpillar

5:19 p.m. Congrats to the gymnastics team and judoist Shohei Ohno for winning the gold medal! The gymnastics team has shown us what teamwork really means while Ohno kept concentrated at a high level throughout the tournament. Thanks guys, you payed off my sleep deprivation!

On the other hand, Kaori Matsumoto and Misato Nakamura must be in chagrin although they both won bronze medals. Especially Matsumoto, as she lost her concentration for a split second to lose against the top world ranker. But I assure you ladies, that what's important is not the color of the medals, but what you've shown us through your matches. Your determination, your struggles, your hard work, your courage, your decisions. You've shown us your very best and that's why we wanted to reward you with the best we can give. I hope you will remember that, now and always.

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Caterpillar

9:22 p.m. I've got a five-days short summer vacation starting today.

I wasn't actually so happy about it since staying home is not a synonym to relaxing for me, rather stressful even though I don't have to work. Besides, there are lots of washing and cleaning to do which means I can't spend all my off time on things I want to do such as drawing, reviewing the spring races, etc. Still, the Olympic games are encouraging and it's much better than having to take all the frustration of both work and house as usual. Hopefully, I might get a chance to see the Persaids meteor shower coming up Friday night.

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Caterpillar

9:19 p.m. 2nd day of summer vacation. The task I assigned myself to for this summer, getting rid of unwanted things to make more space and change the layout of my room so as to make it more comfortable, has been untouched so far. I did throw some old cassette tapes into the garbage bag, though that's about all I've done up till now. Well, I'll see if I can get to it tomorrow.

I went out to buy some washing soap in the evening and realized that I didn't necessarily have to get away from Tokyo, from my usual surroundings, to get my mind refreshed a bit. As I walked idly, I felt a breeze touch my face. Rustle of leaves and cries of cicadas reached my ears, as well as the faint tingling of the windbell hung on the eaves of a nearby house somewhere. Smell of summer all around. I felt alive and content.

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Caterpillar

11:02 p.m. Congratulations, Rie Kaneto! Cow and I are both so happy you've won the gold medal! And of course, Jun Mizutani for winning the first Olympic medal in our table tennis history! The sevens couldn't make it to the medal, but I know you've done a good job and I understand you guys were really, really tired after the match with Fiji. Don't worry, the giant killing will go down in history, so fear not, be brave and trudge on to the 2019 World Cup!

I've been inspired by all these hard-working athletes and have decided to take my chance at shooting the Perseids meteor shower tonight. Although I only have my iPad and not a proper camera, I've made myself a makeshift tripod, downloaded a nice looking camera app. All I have to do now is to set the app and wait for the meteor shower. Oops! Perhaps it would be a good idea to fix myself some instant microwaved pudding to accompany me.

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Caterpillar

9:49 p.m. I went out today for the annual visit to Tenya to enjoy my share of Tendon twice a year, so dropped by an electrical retail shop to check some items and if possible, buy a case for my iPod nano 5th generation. I've been using a silicone case that I bought at a 100 Yen shop, though it's been battered and torn for years now, and I've been longing to get a new one though there weren't any shops that handle cases for nano 5th generation, at least, not for 100 Yen.

Luckily, I've found a plastic case that fit 5th generation although I had no choice of brand or color. A transparent plastic cover with protection films for the display and click wheel accompanied with a little stand which also served as a clip to hold iPod to your clothes, what's more, with a dock connecting silicone cover for 1,630 Yen seemed to me a bargain. Bought! Very much satisfied having protected my iPod nano 5th generation with film and case. Yes, it's old, but it's still active (^^)v

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Caterpillar

7:20 p.m. I didn't call the Sekiya Kinen today, because I've always been terrible with it since the race was run on Nakayama turf. Even after JRA has changed the course to Niigata, I've dared not call it since I've learned from experience that I shouldn't.

Meanwhile, I've been to visit the family grave. Cannot understand why Tono has paid so much (and still paying for the maintennace fee when the temple monks don't even clean around the grave) for it if no one in the family but me ever pays a visit. Funny how I feel like the summer is over after my visit to the grave. As a matter of fact, my short vacation will be over in just another day. To cheer up myself and also brace up for the coming working days, I've downloaded some J-pop songs to add to my playlist.

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Caterpillar

6:45 p.m. Last day of my short vacation.

Have been out in search of a used shop where they also buy unwanted items from you but it turned out to be a disaster. I checked the loacation of the shop beforehand on the Internet, made sure that they do handle the items I was about to bring in, then carried 3 huge bags of unwanted things only to have them mostly turned down. The shop itself had changed to a differrent one though they said nothing like that on their web page, and refused to take in any items except brand clothes, shoes and bags. The only brand item I had, a Coach shoulder bag, was merely 100 Yen according to their estimate. Considering the long trip home carrying back mostly everything except the bag, I sold it for the price and swore to myself I will never use the shop again. It was supposed to be a chain, but I woun't trust them any more apart from the used books shops.

They should learn a thing or two, that clients' trust is the most important when it comes to doing business. Oh, but it wasn't all a miserable day as Kei Nishikori had beaten Nadal. Congrats, Kei!

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Caterpillar

5:18 p.m. And now, back to work.

I had comparatively a relaxed off-time during my Obon vacation, though it was a pity I couldn't fully enjoy the Olympic games this time. A 12-hour time difference is critical. Even though you want to watch the finals in Judo or gymnastics or any other sport for that matter, in Japan they're broadcasted in early morning from around 4:00 a.m. One could not be awake and watching TV at that time of day when one's working. Well, that's what the apps were for, but you see, witnessing history is not the same as watching a recording.

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Caterpillar

1:13 p.m. The only meeting I had today has been cancelled.

Actually, I had another appointment until yesterday, but my client has phoned me up to call it off and reschedule it on a different day when no one else was coming... Drrr! So my schedule for today has been unexpectedly cleared. But then, what did I come all the way in this murderous heat for?

Ahhh, yes. To catch up on the missed Olympic games, check my mail and practice my drawing!

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Caterpillar

2:06 p.m. I can only "wow" at the great achievement our women's national wrestling team has established. 3 Gold medals in 3 different weight classes plus the first women to win a gold medal in the Olympics 4 times in a row!

Each and every one of them, Ichou, Dosho and Tohsaka has fought hard and well and their final matches have impressed me very much. Especially Ichou's, as I thought she might lose this time, but she didn't give up till the last minute and turned over the match. The result must be a pressure to Saori Yoshida, though I know she will give everything she's got. The color of the medal is not the problem. Fight, fight till the final and show us a great match!

The men's table tennis was also very encouraging. Although we lost against China to settle for the silver medal, that wasn't very important. The important thing is that Mizutani has won to perform a giant killing against a higher world ranker. Great job well done Mizutani, you can fly home now and we'll feed you curry every day!

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Caterpillar

5:17 p.m. I couldn't stay awake till the final of Saori Yoshida's final in women's wrestling 53kg class. And honestly speaking, it came as a shock when I discovered that she has been beaten.

Haven't yet to check out the video yet, but I'm sure it must have been a good match. Having learned now that Helen Louise Maroulis cut down her weight to fight "her hero" Yoshida, I'm in the danger of tears even before I watch the video. I strongly hope Ms. Yoshida will not be ashamed of her silver medal, and although I think it will never happen, if I ever get a chance to see her in person, I would definitely slobber over her.

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Caterpillar

4:29 p.m. For Sapporo Kinen, I think it's better not to go against Maurice. He can cover the distance even though it's his first time running a 2,000m race. Will push Rainbow Line as second, especially if and when it becomes a slow lapped race, as he carries lighter weight and is still freshly young. Nuovo Record, will keep on the wheel for third place as well as Hit The Target who possibly might perform well or might not at all.

As for Kitakyushu Kinen, again, I won't go against Bel Canto. Princess Moon, Just Doing and Rose Miracle would be on the wheel.

The good news of our top runners winning the silver medal for the first time in Men's 100mx4 relay has got me in a good mood all day. Feel like I can finish the day in happiness unless JoOusama screws it up.

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Caterpillar

9:29 p.m. Rio de Janeiro Olympics is getting closer to the finish and men's marathon is about to start in the rain.

I couldn't quite beleive that Neko Hiroshi would really be running this race, though I think I just spotted him at the start line, right behind the runner from DPRK in the second row.

Merely 1.2 km after the start, I found him running second from the last. But somehow I was happy to see him run in the Olympics. As a Japanese comedian, he fell in love with the sport and changed his nationality to run in this race, in the Olympic games. That wasn't an easy decision to make I assume, and the image of him actually gives me hope and courage. Hopefully, I might see a "Nyaaa" pose after he reaches the goal!

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Caterpillar

5:00 p.m. A typhoon has landed on the Kanto area for the first time in 11 years. A tree has fallen in Harajuku Station to temporarily stop the Yamanote Line, though JR East seems to have already restarted the operation so no worries there. Luckily, the subways seem to be running without much problem and once they land, typhoons usually speed up meaning that the condition will only become better as time passes. Personally, I enjoy stormy weather as long as I'm protected from getting drenched, since there are less people out and I can feel the joy and excitement of being alive.

Reviewing Sapporo Kinen, I realized that my biggest mistake was that I forgot all about the soft track condition in Sapporo. Though I probably wouldn't have thought that Neo Realism would take the lead. I didn't expect Maurice to be in such a bad position either. If Moreira had been able to bring him up front, perhaps he might have won.

And even though Neko Hiroshi have finished second from last in the men's marathon, I think he's done his very best and am proud that he finished the race without giving up like the other 15 runners. Cheers for "Neko-damashii(Neko spirit)"!

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Caterpillar

4:32 p.m. I didn't know that Super Mario was so popular all over the world.

Well, I guess it's not just the popularity of the video game, but rather the fact that our prime minister has appeared wearing a Mario costume as part of the presentation in the Rio De Janeiro Olympics closing ceremony. It seems the performance has been accepted favorably in many countries, and there has been comments of surprise and excitement posted on the Internet.

I haven't seen the whole presentation, just had a chance to take a quick glimpse of the hi-lights, so don't have much to comment about it. Still, I'm glad to hear that the performance has been accepted with excitement. See you all in Tokyo!

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Caterpillar

2:47 p.m. I'm glad that our prime minister's appearance in a game character's costume has developed excitement and good reputation, but then that only seems to have raised the hurdle for the Tokyo Olympics. As a matter of fact, we have a myriad of problems to tackle; lack of accommodations, the construction of the Olyimpic stadium, transportation, security is another serious matter, and not to mention, countermeasures for the heat and humidity in mid-summer Tokyo.

Today we're having a high of 30℃ which is mild compared to the 36 or 37℃ we had a couple of weeks ago, with the humidity ranging through the day from 84% to 98%, according to Yahoo! Weather.

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Caterpillar

4:44 p.m. I went out to the atm between meetings and when I came back, I realized there was a bill to pay. It wasn't much of a problem but I felt troublesome to go out into the heat to the convenience store on the corner. So Cow and I agreed to decide which one of us should go out to pay the bill by rock, paper, scissors.

It was amazing that we had a tie three times in a row, though the fourth time put an end to it with me losing and having to go out. Darn!

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Caterpillar

5:58 p.m. I had 3 meetings in a row this afternoon, which consumed 4 hours non-stop in total and I'm drained...

My brain is not working any more and I've been hitting typos, sentences without space which only proves that my brain is boiling. It's taken me nearly an hour to just send a reply to an e-mail and write a couple of sentences here. Or perhaps it's because of the heat? Maybe I'm heatsick, but who cares anyway?

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Caterpillar

1:54 p.m. Since I was busy yesterday, I haven't been able to look closely on the racing forms. But I'd name Shuji as key horse for Keeneland Cup. A 3-year-old in a mixed race around this time of year is unexpectedly a big advantage. Solveig however, seems to be too stressed, so will leave her out. I'd put Hokko Sara Star, Satono Lupin and Blanc Bonheur on the wheel.

As for Niigata Nisai Stakes, I have no idea. Though I think Sunrise Soar won't win this time. Not that I have any other horse to replace him. Well, if I had to, I'd probably choose either Mauve Sapphire or Matera Field to key. I understand it that a mile race on Nakayama outer tracks or Niigata turf is almost equivalent to "drawing straws," so it wouldn't surprise me if Sunrise Soar earns an easy win. After all, they're 2-year-olds. You can never tell whatis going to happen.

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Caterpillar

9:49 p.m. I've been cutting up old greeting cards I received to get rid of them. Since they were from the year 2001, the photo printed cards were still thick. It was a task to cut them up. I feel a dull pain from the back of my right shoulder to my wrist, ugh.

The Niigata race ended up with Fukunaga winning and my call far off the mark. But Blanc Bonheur won the Keeneland Cup with Shuji in tow, proving my theory to be right. Let's Go Donki, I didn't expect to come in 3rd, but well, let's not pick the small things.

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Caterpillar

4:43 p.m. As I was half sleeping, Cow suggested taking a break with a mug of iced coffee and warabi-mochi (warabi dumplings powdered with kinako=ground roasted soy-bean and sugar eaten with kuromitsu=brown sugar syrup) before proceeding with my work. Hmmm, might be a good idea.

But then we discovered, that kinako and coffee didn't match at all. It seems kinako kills the coffee flavor. Another lesson learned. Well, at least I'm a bit less groggy.

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Caterpillar

2:43 p.m. One of my client has cancelled the meeting we were going to have this afternoon, due to a rash. It seems she's been stung by a woolly worm and developed a rash from it. Poor thing, had the rash all over her body including her face and arms, where I could seee nymerous red dots.

Now that I think about it, my arms are getting itchy, too.

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Caterpillar

1:44 p.m. It may sound indiscreet, but I personally like typhoons and stormy weather. Walking to the station on my commuting route this morning, I remembered a verse about the morning after a typhoon from The Pillow Book, an ancient book written more than 1,000 years ago which I was forced to study in class during high school. At the time, the archaic words in which it was written were Greek to me, and it was difficult to just comprehend although it was supposed to be written in my native tongue. However, as I searched on the Internet to find the verse, I found out that I was able to understand most of it without modern Japanese translation.

Maybe it wasn't the vocabulary that I lacked in my high school days, rather the sense of feeling to comprehend. Perhaps it would be a good idea to try reading it again. Surely, it would be better to sign out a copy at the library than to fight sleepiness tackling with Pride And Prejudice which I've only managed to hang on as far as fifty pages or so.

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Caterpillar