I have the funkiest hotel room this trip. Room 130, Home2Suites, Carlsbad, California, USA. I am on the first floor and the door to my room opens up into the common area where the lobby is and the breakfast seating. Every time I come out of my room everyone stares at me. You wouldn’t even know there is a room here unless you were looking for it. You would walk right by.

August 20, 2024, Tuesday night, 6:51, pacific standard time, Home2Suites, Carlsbad,California,USA. Last night was good at Disneyland. We watched the fantasmic show from the River Belle terrace restaurant then Went and rode Rise of the resistance in Star Wars land before the park closed at 11pm. I stayed the night again with my daughter and her mom at the Disneyland hotel then came home before heading to San Diego for a meeting. I have been tired all day. The last three nights I stayed up until 10pm or later. I need to go to bed early and get back in my routine.

August 19,2024, Monday afternoon, 2:10pm, pacific standard time, California Adventure, Anaheim, California,USA. I am across from Guardians of the galaxy, waiting for my daughter and her boyfriend. A lot has changed for me since the last time I came to Disneyland. It was August 2019. Two months before I last saw the WIL and two months before I had to change how I approached work. I was working sales in hospice and could not hold a job. When the pressure came in that position I doubled down on stress and effort. That led to some of the problems I deal with now, physically and emotionally. Physically I have the stress ball under my right rib that never goes away and causes me ingestion. Emotionally, I am unable to lose myself in a moment like this. The little kid in me has diminished so much he is all but gone. I am not complaining. There was no need to be stuck in perpetual childhood. And it has served me well professionally. But I wish, just for today, I could feel the sense of escape I used to know.

August 18, 2024, Sunday night, 8:19pm, pacific standard time, Disneyland Hotel, frontier tower, room 2383, Anaheim, California, USA. My daughters 16th birthday. I went for a walk, worked out, took the dog for a full walk past the dog park. I also got balloons on my way. I helped decorate then went home to rest. In the afternoon I picked up the cake, paper plates, pizza and drinks. We had a small get together in aliso Viejo. My daughters friend, her mom, my daughters boyfriend and his parents all attended. After they left we packed up and headed to Disneyland. I drove separate because they are staying until checkout Tuesday at noon and I need to go to San Diego for work. I look forward to a fun day tomorrow at the park.

August 17, 2024, Saturday night, 5:47pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California,USA. Slept in until almost six then went for a walk and worked out. Came home, drank coffee and did laundry. Around noon I picked up my daughter and her boyfriend before heading to the mall. I bought a pair of shorts. They had pretzels and smoothies. My daughters mom came a little later and helped her but a new phone. After dropping them off at home I came back to Dana Point. Now I am listening to music and drinking beer. Tomorrow is my daughters birthday. We will celebrate in town during the day then head to Disneyland to stay the night and go to the park on Monday.

August 16, 2024, Friday evening, 6:28pm, pacific standard time, apartment parking lot, Dana Point, California, USA. Drove to vista this morning to meet with the Director there then worked from home the rest of the day. I kind of want to stay up tonight, have a drink and watch a movie but I know I will feel sick tomorrow if I do. I will just go read for a bit then fall asleep instead.

August 15, 2024, Thursday night, 6:35pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. Today is the second anniversary of me starting this job. no one acknowledged it and I am alright with that fact. The day was busy. I seldom had time to be nostalgic and frankly there was no reason to be overly sentimental. Right now I am just thankful I I have a job that challenges me, gives me a sense of identity and offers enough compensation to support my family.

August 14, 2024, Wednesday evening, 6:54pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Victorville,California,USA. The last three weeks have been good. I feel balanced. I have been traveling and staying in hotels but not going to the office. That gets me out of the house and away from distractions. It also keeps me From getting sucked into the minutiae of the work day at a single branch. Today is technically the end of two years at work. Tomorrow is my start date anniversary, or put another way, the beginning of my third years with this company. At least this go around. Including my earlier stint I have been here four years. Either way I am thankful for this day and look forward to beginning another year tomorrow.

August 13, 2024, Tuesday evening, Home2Suites, room 333, Victorville,California,USA. Woke up this morning and tried to exercise but the hotel fitness center did not open until 6am. So I worked for an hour then did an abbreviated treadmill walk a little later. I drove to Barstow then back to Victorville this afternoon. After having Waba grill for dinner I am watching the office and checking my phone. I have chosen not to drink soda with my meal or have dessert because the sugar seems to exacerbate the discomfort on my right side. It feels a little better not having sweets but it kind of makes me grouchy too.,

August 12, 2024, Monday evening, 6:13pm, pacific standard time, Hampton Inn, rm 102, Banning, California,USA. Staying between palm desert and San Bernardino tonight. They are moving the San Bernardino office today. I wanted to be close in case they needed me but sounds like they don’t. I am going to have dinner with a friend since I have the night free. Lots of nostalgia today as I approach my work anniversary Thursday. Been thinking about Arizona and what this job meant to me two years ago. I got a little sad because Arizona memories are fading more everyday. I still look back fondly on my time there but don’t recall as much as I used to, nor as often as I once did.