Diary #1 – 9th August 2025

This morning, I went for an 8 km jog. I’m gradually increasing my distance, and my goal is to reach 10 km soon.

After that, I went to the supermarket with the kids. We bought groceries for the whole week, and the total came to 25,000 yen! Usually, it’s around 15,000 yen… But since we ran out of flour and seasonings, this was our biggest shopping trip yet.

At 8 p.m., the youngest daughter, who’s 11, invited me to play “running a restaurant” with her. She’s still very much a kid, full of imagination and energy.

For lunch, we had dan dan noodles without soup. The taste was a bit different from what I expected, but still really good. The kids didn’t say much and just quietly kept eating. At our house, that’s the sure sign something is delicious. When it’s good, they just keep shoveling it into their mouths.

For dinner, I made fried chicken using chicken drumettes. I dipped each piece carefully in potato starch using a small bowl, so a little starch was enough. First, I fried them once at 170°C, then again at 180°C. The coating turned out crispy and crunchy.

The kids said, “Delicious!” Since I marinated the chicken from noon until 5 p.m., the flavor had soaked all the way through. That one simple compliment made all the day’s tiredness disappear.

In summer, I tend to drink a lot of cold beverages. Maybe that’s why I often end up with an upset stomach. Today, my stomach felt a bit queasy again, and I just didn’t have much energy. I reminded myself that I really need to be more careful.

Dinner tonight was with all five of us gathered around the table. The moment the kids said, “This is delicious!” is always the best feeling. Everyone was smiling and chatting—it really makes me happy to see them enjoy the meal together. Our youngest daughter talked a lot as usual, brightening up the whole dinner table.