The night of July 11, 2025 was insane to say the least, and it all started when I bought some ginger ale.
Looking for Ginger Ale
At the last minute, I commuted to a nearby city to look for some ginger ale—something I would like to drink for the first time (and for a special occasion) on the night of July 12, and something I can’t find at the 7-Elevens I can pass by. And fortunately, at the first mall I went to, I found a bottle of Asahi Wilkinson Dry Ginger Ale.
Japanese ginger ale… score!
I walked some more after buying the drink, but then I got overwhelmed by the Friday crowd and traffic, so I decided to book a ride home.
A Conversation with a Linkin Park Fan
During the ride home, the driver played a live version of Linkin Park’s “New Divide”. The fanboy in me lightened up and asked this question, “Sir, have you listened to the recent Linkin Park album?” (I was talking about From Zero.) He said no, and that sparked a long conversation about our love and appreciation for the legendary band.
We went crazy about Chester Bennington’s vocal ability (notably on “Given Up”). We shared our favorite LP songs (mostly from Hybrid Theory to Minutes to Midnight). And we endured almost 10 minutes of the garbage truck blocking the way because of “What I’ve Done” and “Leave Out All the Rest” in the background.
Overall, it was a fun ride home because I rarely connect to TNVS drivers like this.
Losing Something Important…
The moment I arrived home, I checked all of my things before getting out of the car, and then I gave the driver a generous tip (notably because I had a lovely conversation with a fellow Linkin Park fan). I placed the ginger ale inside the fridge, and I was about to pour a Devil’s Cup to kick off the weekend. But first, I looked for my earphones first.
15 minutes after, my anxiety spiked. I can’t find my earphones.
My Wireless Earphones
Before I proceed with my story, let me share a bit about my earphones.
I’m a proud owner of a Soundcore A30i, an excellent pair of wireless earphones with a lipstick-shaped charging case. I always bring these earphones with me because I feel naked when I don’t listen to music during my commute. And also, the earphones’ sound quality is excellent.
And a personal trivia about me: I rarely lose my belongings. But when I do lose my Soundcore A30i (for example, inside a car), anyone who offers to look for them can easily find them because of the case’s unorthodox, memorable design. It looks like a lipstick, for crying out loud.
I would like to discuss the other pros (and cons) of the Soundcore A30i, but that’s for another post.
…and Finding Something Important Again
Anyway, I took a few minutes to catch my breath, ease my anxiety levels, and regroup. Then, the next step I took was to call the driver/fellow Linkin Park fan. Thankfully, he answered the call, and he’s on a break, so he looked for my earphones.
A minute later, he found the earphones. Thank God. I think it helped that my earphones’ case doesn’t look like your typical one.
After he found them and drove back to my house, he gave the case to me, and I almost shouted “Oh my God! Thank you!” which would have almost woken up the sleeping neighbors. Anyway, we talked a bit more, and I gave him a reward for finding something important to me. (Basically, I paid him double the fare overall.) I thanked him once more, and we parted ways.
Bonus Damage & The Devil’s Cup
After getting inside the house, I noticed that one of my toes felt painful (the sharp kind of it). I looked down and checked the toe, and… surprise! It’s bleeding. It’s not bleeding like a faucet, but it’s bleeding.
I cleansed, disinfect, and patched the wound right away, then I finally prepared The Devil’s Cup to kick off the weekend. And when I sipped on my favorite drink, it tasted smoother than usual. Maybe it tasted smoother because I have been drinking it once a week and also because of the recent, crazy events.
“So, Dewey, why did you buy some ginger ale? What’s the special occasion?”
The special occasion that warranted a ginger ale is a story for another time. But the night of July 11, 2025—the buying of ginger ale and the events after—is a story worth remembering.
Header image: Victor Armas of Pexels. Edited in Adobe Photoshop 2025.
Edits were made on July 14, 2025 at 5:38pm, and July 16, 2025 at 9:44pm.
The Diary of The Deranged Writer 