today – The Diary of The Deranged Writer

Notes to Self XXIV

For those who have been following The Diary since February 2023, you have read my struggles with Steinermania. Almost everything reminds me of the craziest professional wrestler, “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner. I even have a hard time computing simple math because my brain has been conditioned to remember Steiner Math instead.

That’s why it’s been difficult typing my first Notes to Self of 2026. Then again, I had to write this because the leading expert in Steiner Math has said something unbelievably profound on X (the social media site formerly known as Twitter), even if it’s wrapped in typical Steiner promo fashion.

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.

10-Minute Warning CLXXVIII

OK. What should I share here in under 10 minutes?

Today at work, I had only a few tasks, and I finished them with ease. It has been weeks since the last time I only had a handful of workload, and I’m relieved.

So, work’s over, my parents ran many errands, and I’m all alone in the house. What should I do?

Then the sadness started to sink in. I can feel this is the kind of melancholy that I experienced almost a month ago—alone in the house, with my thoughts, and with or without my favorite Jack & Coke Zero. And usually, when I feel this kind of sadness, I would just dwell on it but I would also not do anything rash.

But today, I did not feel like drifting in the darkness for long. Instead, I watched a few films on Netflix: Back in Action (a spy action comedy film starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz) and all of two Extraction films (starring Chris Hemsworth as mercenary Tyler Rake.) The impromptu movie marathon (plus the sirens I heard that reminded me of the greatest mathematician of all time, Scott Steiner) distracted me from the sadness.

In other news: I’m really tempted to have my favorite Jack & Coke Zero tonight, but I need to resist. Drinking said drink is my Friday night ritual, and I don’t want to ruin that. Not tonight at least.

…and my time’s almost up. See you in the next post.