writing – The Diary of The Deranged Writer

10-Minute Warning CXCVI

So, what should I write about in my first Minute Warning post of 2026?

Firstly, yesterday, I worked overtime until 2am. That’s my first overtime of the year. In my current job as an administrative assistant, the first week of the month is usually the busiest. This 2026, I would like to work more efficiently so my family business can grow (most especially, financially). If that means burning the midnight oil to finish crucial tasks, I will gladly do it, and that’s what I accomplished yesterday.

Secondly, this 2026, I need to fix my sleep schedule again. Frankly speaking, recently, I have been waking up later than I want to. Yes, I woke up later today again, and I have a perfect excuse for that: I worked overtime. However, I need to go back to waking up at 8am, whether I have an early workload or not. I also have a perfect excuse to wake up early on Tuesday mornings, which is the livestream of WWE Raw on Netflix Philippines every Tuesday, 9am. The morning Raw viewing is so important that it’s already written in my planner for the next several weeks.

My ten minutes are almost up, but I have to go. See you in the next post.

Header image: cottonbro studio of Pexels. Edited in Adobe Photoshop 2025.

Notes to Self XXIII

Tonight is New Year’s Eve, and as I welcome 2026 with open arms and a worried yet excited heart in a few hours, I would like to close 2025 with a new Notes to Self that tackles about remembering… well, choosing what to remember.

Song of the Moment CIII: Richard Sanderson’s “Reality”

Last Monday, while I was doing my Monday ritual at Satchmi, I heard this dreamy Beatles-like song. Because I was drained from all the writing/planning, and seeking temporary calm, I had to stop writing, stop drinking my favorite affogato, and then hear the lyrics.

Then, these words pull at my heartstrings because they remind me of a new friend:

Met you by surprise
I didn’t realize
That my life would change
Forever

At that moment, I had to pull out my phone, open the Shazam app, and place my phone near the cafe’s speaker like I was force-cloning a phone ala John Reese of Person of Interest.

After further research, I finally learned the title, the artist, and where the song was featured. It’s “Reality” by Richard Sanderson (which was composed by Vladimir Cosma for the 1980 French teenage romantic comedy film La Boum). Thanks to modern technology and to my favorite cafe for playing the song, I found a new favorite love song, a theme song about my new friend, and my Song of the Moment.

Richard Sanderson’s “Reality”.

This deserves a special Listen post, but for now, let me listen to it on repeat and just dream.

See you in the next post.

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

Header image: Dzenina Lukac of Pexels. Edited in Adobe Photoshop 2025.