stress – The Diary of The Deranged Writer

30-Minute Warning XLIV

I’ve been recovering from the emotionally heaviest week of 2026 by far, so I’ll refrain from pressuring myself to publish a lengthy post tonight. What I can do tonight is share today’s happenings in under 30 minutes.

Like I said, I had an emotionally heavy week, but last night, it ended with a warm, honest conversation and a gigantic mason jar filled with large ice cubes and a refreshing Coke Zero. That made me sleep heavenly (even if I drank something cold and caffeinated), and I feel refreshed when I woke up today.

As for work, today’s stress was tolerable. I wrote proposals like a machine, I politely responded to troubleshooting reports, and I dispatched technicians for the aforementioned troubleshooting. After that, and running an errand, the workday ended early, so I went to Oversight early to observe my Monday ritual.

Speaking of Monday rituals, last week was so awful that even two visits to Oversight didn’t do the trick. Sometimes, habits that protect and ground me don’t work at all if the darkness is overwhelming. But I’m glad my family and a friend helped me through that period, and now I’m back to my safe space feeling lighter.

And now, another light from last week. Last Friday, April 24, my favorite band in the whole world, Foo Fighters, released their twelfth studio album, Your Favorite Toy. If I could write a lengthy album review, I would. But tonight, I’d like to relax more with my favorite affogato. Yet, here’s my short review: I’m elated that the Foo Fighters are back to being loud with the residue of post-Wasting Light albums’ experimental styles. I will make an in-depth album review when I feel 141 2/3% better.

But honestly, if I were to reach Steiner Math levels of wellness again soon, the album review would not be the first long post I would work on. I will talk more about the album’s antepenultimate track, “Child Actor”. Honestly, I didn’t expect the song to be a reminder of many recently depressing things at once, and since I listened to it during an already-dark week, it reduced me to tears. It became the soundtrack of last weekend for me, and I still can’t get enough of hearing it on loop (even as I type this).

Won’t you turn the cameras off, turn the cameras off
Turn the cameras off, turn the cameras off
Turn the cameras off, turn the cameras off
Turn the cameras off
Foo Fighters’ “Child Actor”

And my 30 minutes are up. Thank you for reading. See you in the next post, and have a nice week!

Header image: Raul Ling of Pexels. Edited in Adobe Photoshop 2025.

Song of the Moment CIV: Killswitch Engage’s “This Fire Burns” (Again)

In my current job, the busiest week of the month is the first week, so I expect this week (my birthday week) to be filled with paperwork. But my workload today is so overwhelming because it’s three days’ worth of tasks, and the report I’m working on needs to be submitted tomorrow. Good grief.

Thankfully, I powered through most of the tasks after lunch and into the afternoon. Now it’s nighttime, and I need a short break. I need to have chicken tinola for dinner to warm and comfort my soul, and to write how I feel here in The Diary to feel lighter. After this break, I will go to the mall, buy some office supplies, go home, and then finish the final set of tasks.

I usually listen to my mellow playlist at nighttime to relax my nerves and prepare for bed, but tonight, I don’t need calm. I need my manic playlist filled with fist-pumping rock/metal while I burn the midnight oil. But first, I’m queueing “This Fire Burns” by Killswitch Engage, the first WWE theme song of my current top favorite wrestler in WWE, “The Best in the World” CM Punk.

Killswitch Engage’s “This Fire Burns” (Also known as “This Fire”).

What a December 3, and it’s two days to go before my birthday. Anyway, I’m going back to work. It’s clobberin’ time.

See you in the next post.

A part of 14 Days of The Deranged Writer (2025).

Header image: Francesco Paggiaro of Pexels. Edited in Adobe Photoshop 2025.

Notes to Self XVII

If I were to compare the past 48 hours to something, it would be a whirlwind. And in those hours, I realized my most important Notes to Self to date:

Your work is important. Your hobbies are important. But your loved ones are more important.

That is all for now. See you in the next post.