June 10,2025,Tuesday evening,7:10pm,pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. Went to a work “happy hour” this afternoon in Placentia with one of our business partners. during the meeting our marketing rep mentioned how much she likes working with management in general and me in particular. She said her and another rep call me “Papa Mike” because I always take care of things. I find it endearing and enlightening. I appreciate being seen as a father figure that is solution oriented while at the same time it leaves me feeling slightly numb. A stark realization I am not young any more and that time keeps plodding forward.

June 9,2025,Monday night,7:37,pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. Today was arduous. The good vibes never got flowing. I guess it was bound to happen. The weekend was so transcendent. I was moving mountains with my mind, dreaming about 10,000 Bricks (I went back to the original name.) I suppose there was no where to go but down after such an exhilarating high. One positive note from today. I got news my raise was approved. Not what I asked for but more than what I am making now. the important thing is I asked and received. That makes me incredibly happy.

June 8,2025,Sunday night,7:44pm,pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. Today was my daughter’s mom’s birthday. I got up, went for a walk/workout then picked up flowers, balloons and gift cards from Smart &Final by the gym. I ran everything up to Aliso Viejo and took the dog for a short walk. After doing laundry I headed back to Aliso to grab my daughter and take her to lunch followed by shopping at Five Below. She needed to get a gift for a friend who was also celebrating a birthday today. When her friends party ended we headed out to dinner with her mom at Wood Ranch in Laguna Niguel. After a quick bite of cake and happy birthday singing I left and came home for the night.

June 7,2025,Saturday evening,6:50,pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. Got up at 3:19am and did the Blue Lantern walk. Then I came home and watched sports takes on YouTube while doing a shoulder and bicep workout at home with my free weights. At 9am I headed to Aliso Viejo to say hi to my daughter before she went to Glendale to see her grandma. Then I spent the day with the dog, mostly running errands. Getting air in the back right tire, picking up my suit from the cleaners, washing the car, taking picture frames and a five gallon jug of water to Dana point, taking the dog for a walk, taking a long nap, grabbing a green tea and a pup cup from Starbucks. Buying carrots and strawberries from Ralph’s. And finally sitting on the couch watching a new show on Netflix. It was a great Saturday.

June 6,2025,Friday night,9:28pm,pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. Took the staff to Dave and Busters tonight to show appreciation for all their hard work. It was a small group so they had the option to bring a +1. It was fun to see coworkers in a social setting and to meet their spouses. We had a great time. It was more expensive than anticipated but we can budget for a while to even things out.

June 5,2025, Thursday morning, 6:58am, pacific standard time, apartment in Aliso Viejo, California,USA. Today is the last day of school at the middle school the dog and I walk by on our adventures. Even though it was early I could tell there is an excitement in the air. Few things feel more wonderful than the last day of school before summer vacation.

June 4,2025,Wednesday evening,6:11pm,pacific standard time,parking lot, school of rock, San Juan Capistrano,California, USA. Woke up at a quarter to five this morning, showered then went to the gym followed by walking the dog and taking my daughter to school. Drop off mornings are bizarro world. I do my morning routine in backwards order. I don’t mind it though. I have more time to sleep in and I still get all my stuff taken care of. work has been fine. Not super busy but steady. If the next four weeks keep the status quo I should be in line for a decent bonus in July. Today is my dads birthday and my parents wedding anniversary. I am going to call mom and see how she is doing then take my daughter home from music tonight. I am doing drop off again tomorrow, which is fine. There are only a couple more weeks in the school year. I am going to enjoy the mornings while I can.

June 3,2025,Tuesday morning,10:12am, pacific standard time,office in Costa Mesa, California,USA. The weather was slightly drizzly this morning and I got up a little later than usual. As a result, after finishing the walk I worked out at home rather than going to the gym. That gave me more time to relax before heading to the office. On a professional note, I asked for a raise this morning. I had been contemplating the move for a while and I finally reached out to my supervisor. He was supportive. I am not sure what will come of it but money isn’t the biggest factor. I feel good for having the confidence to make the request.

June 2,2025,Monday night,7:45pm,pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. Woke up around 3:15am and did my walk and workout before coming home and getting ready for work. Everyone is still uneasy after the sudden departure of the regional VP of sales on Friday. Things feel unsettled on a corporate level though our branch continues to do well. I am taking it one day at a time and staying in the moment. I remain positive no matter what.

June 1,2025,Sunday evening,6:08pm,pacific standard time , apartment in Dana Point, California, USA. Last night ended late. After the movie the kids wanted to eat dinner and walk around the spectrum. By the time I dropped off my daughters boyfriend and took her home I didn’t get in until around 10pm. After sleeping in this morning I went for a walk and workout then came home to do laundry. Around 10:30am I headed to Aliso Viejo to get my daughter and drive around. She is starting to get excited about driving, which is exciting for me as well. This afternoon I took the dog for the dog park walk and got home about five minutes ago. It was pretty warm but we managed with frequent water and shade breaks. Nonetheless she was worn out at the end. On a creative front I have really honed in on my message for the books I am working on. I was going to go with 10,000 bricks but that would take over a year to finish and I want to get started sooner. I am going to go with a thousand bricks. That way I have one already completed and another more than half done.