XXVII: Just One Jack & Coke Zero

Since last weekend, it felt like a season finale and a season premiere. My heart feels like it has been healed like never before, and I want to make a few changes in my life slowly but surely.

One of those changes is this… moving forward, instead of drinking at least one Jack & Coke Zero on the rocks every Friday or Saturday night (depending on whether I have extra work), I will just drink one Jack & Coke Zero on the rocks every Friday or Saturday night. Just one.

For the past years, I have been drinking my favorite cocktail to numb myself and then wake up the next day feeling groggy. Tonight, I’m savoring every sip from that one glass to celebrate the small victories every weekend.

For example, what are this week’s small victories? Well, firstly, I finished most of my work on time. When I couldn’t finish a task, I told my bosses directly instead of keeping it to myself. I stopped myself from buying things impulsively. I made time to write more in my offline journal, but I also found a way to make the process more efficient. Also, for the first time in a long while, I blogged three times this week. (And this post is this week’s post number 3. Yes!)

And most importantly, I’m drinking because I’m still here. I’m still fighting. That’s a victory already.

Just one ice-cold glass of Jack & Coke Zero per week is all I need from now on.

Mark my f’n words,

The Deranged Writer

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Header image: Ron Lach of Pexels. Edited in Adobe Photoshop 2025.

Published on June 21, 2025 at 11:50pm. Minor edits were made at 11:54pm.

Song of the Moment LXXXVI: Joey McIntyre’s “Stay the Same”

Tonight, while I was drinking my favorite Jack & Coke Zero and listening to my favorite songs on Spotify in peace, I remembered a few people again—one of them is a significant person in my high school phase, Lyra. And strangely enough, Spotify played Joey McIntyre’s “Stay the Same”, the same song Lyra dedicated to me at one point in our fourth year in high school.

The music video of Joey McIntyre’s “Stay the Same”.

What’s up with that, Spotify and the universe? But anyway, thank you for that. I’m going to cry now.

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10-Minute Warning CLXXVII

All right. What should I talk about today?

Well, I spent the morning feeling groggy but I powered through the work permits needed for approval today. If I did not have a heavy breakfast and an energizing cup of iced coffee before working, I would be freaking out and pissed off. With that, I did not eat that much during lunch, I took a cold bath to wake my senses, changed clothes, and then I went to the south to have said work permits approved. My Father slash boss offered to drive me there, by the way. Thank you, Father.

Upon arriving at the office, after traveling through 2 hours of traffic, I found out that the permits could only be submitted before lunchtime. A heavy sigh ensued. I felt so tired of everything after failing to submit it on time. I was so tired that after my Father and I went back home, I took a rare afternoon nap. Good grief.

I will definitely go back to that office tomorrow before lunchtime, and I hope everything will be approved during the day.

…and my 10 minutes is almost up. I’m still tired. See you in the next post.

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