it was 11:38 by the time i woke up this morning. my thighs still ached from the weighted lunges from days ago and i was lightheaded from not having eaten yet. i gulped down the leftover chicken bowl from last night, first from hunger and then from panic after remembering that there was an entire drum of rice left out on the counter overnight. i crossed my fingers in hopes that it hadn't rot. fortunately, the grains were still intact.

usually, i would take the lazy route and roll the rice into balls but today i felt ambitious—it was a triangle onigiri kind of day. with plastic gloves loose on my hands, i used the flat parts of my palms and fingers to cup the rice on four sides. i attempted to mimic the way this lady from a video managed to form perfectly triangular onigiri in just a couple of deft squeezes. i slowed down, focusing on the amount of pressure i was using. i pushed deeper into the rice with my right hand to counter my left. i got the feel for it after making five, rotating and squeezing less and less after each finished one. it was an enjoyable act, being able to shape something to life, then waiting for the reward in the form of an empty plate.

the rest of my day off was spent 30% shopping and 70% ogling at shelves of brightly-colored snacks, bottled sodas, teas and coffee cans, books, and skincare. i almost used up my grocery budget in its entirety, just a few dollars from zero. then i bought a new conditioner in a stout bottle for a hefty price and a viscous green facial oil from one of those stores that sells things at questionably low prices. i also wasn't planning on buying books since i've been very cautious over book-buying these past few years (minimalism!) but i've rediscovered the joy of flipping through crisp pages again. when i saw the last copy of one of my favorites, Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson, discreetly sitting on the shelf, i just had to get it. i even ended up snagging a second novel (Life for Sale by Yukio Mishima) because the synopsis wouldn't leave my mind even when i tried to return it to its shelf.

it was a Friday well spent (pun very much intended). to more days off! i need to book a week off ASAP.