Today’s deck is the Tarot of the Woodland Wardens.
A cute deck about animals, not much else to say, really. Very good, though.
Today’s reading says that in the process of moving on, it’s important to fight perceived helplessness with discipline.
Ya boy is running on only four hours of sleep! WOOOOOOOOO!
They’re fixing the building’s delivery box or something so Amazon deliveries have nowhere to go if I’m not home and there was a package I was specifically waiting for.
Why do I single out Amazon specifically? Because I have zero respect for their delivery drivers. For context: Amazon in Japan is as likely to use JP Post, Kuroneko Yamato, or Sagawa as they are to use their own drivers. It’s all up to the seller or which delivery choice you pick.
For further context: If I’m out of the house the delivery people tend to leave a notice with a QR code where you can put in when you want them to retry. Usually in 2-hour increments like “12-2” “1-3” “2-4” and so on.
Amazon doesn’t do that and when you check online in your order for the times it’s “10AM-10PM” or “12PM-10PM”. They effectively work by Cable Guy rules.
Not only that but the drivers are always in such a hurry that I’ve had packages damaged because they tried to cram four Mooks (Magazine Books, that’s a real thing, shut up) on the tiny post box.
I am sure Amazon itself is to blame for those conditions, but the issue remains.
So all this is to say that I hear the bell ring and I jump out of bed. It’s the Amazon guy. Then after checking the intercom and opening the door a good 10 minutes or so pass before he rings the other bell.
No sooner do I make it to the door he’s already dropped my boxes by the doorstep and finds that the door is locked from the inside.
I do the thing I always do and open the door for him and I could just sense the resentment that he had that door locked on him and I’m like buddy I could’ve left you to figure out where the actual exit to the back of the building is I was under no obligation to open that door.
May I remind you at this point: 4 hours of sleep only.
It’s kinda telling that I know the faces of delivery people from Sagawa, Kuroneko, and JP Post; and they know mine! sometimes they see me around the block and are like “Damas-san!” and give me something they tried to deliver a bit ago.
I cannot tell you a single delivery person from Amazon.
Anyway, the box that I was waiting for was a remote for the Hover X1 drone I talked about… two days ago I think?
It’s a super neat configuration because you’ve got the screen, and then you can put a single attachment so it’s a control rod or two attachments so it’s more of a controller.
Also, I forgot to mention it, but I got money from some things I sold to Mandarake ages ago and splurged on a DJI drone. The Hover X1 isn’t bad but I was getting the feeling the rande wasn’t gonna be anything too crazy.
So after filling in some stuff a couple of the bank applications asked for, I was out to try and do a test run before Japanese lesson.
Same spot by the Yodo river, but during the day.
The Hover X1 might not be perfect but I cannot stress how simple it’s been to start use out of the box. Get the controller, pair it, have fun.
Have fun until there’s a bit of interference and the drone doesn’t respond as well, at least.
At least I got a better sense for the controls. And the fact that it’s so portable is kinda insane.
So next comes the DJI and… gotta configure the date and time… gotta connect to a wifi… gotta open an account… why the fuck do I need this bloat?
Oh, the controller actually has a map that lets you know if you’re in an area where drones are allowed…
Nah, it’s mostly because DJI does the thing where they register a device onto your account, but the map IS a neat bonus.
In the first go-around I didn’t manage to do much because after all that setup it was time to go to Japanese lesson but I did do a takeoff and landing at least.
Japanese lesson went fine, I actually made it in time so the lesson was longer than 20 minutes.
Afterwards I went back to the river like an excited kid.
First I did a small run that was mainly doing the tutorial stuff.
Seeing it fly so high made something… snap inside of me, though. Like something clicking suddenly.
I’m trying to find a way to explain how it felt, basically once the initial “oh God this is so high” shock wore off, I started feeling so… free?
For a brief moment I wasn’t in my body, I was in wherever the drone was and I only pulled out to look up and be like “damn I really cannot see it even knowing where it is”.
The control was also super interesting in action. Go too high and a sign of signal interference will show up, look in the direction you’re in and you’ll see a target reticule with an H for “Home”.
It lowkey dawned on me then how this tech has been used for warfare, and the strange bittersweetness that I can only enjoy the sudden burst of freedom I’m feeling because war money has made the tech be miniaturized to a relatively affordable range…
The thing that really left me in awe is the range, though. When I recalled the drone is wasn’t because the signal was any weaker, just because that far away the interference from all the planes that fly over the area was of note.
I made it back home and after a quick, failed attempt at a nap I decided to play some more Ball x Pit.
Next thing I know it’s almost 7AM but hey, I did finish the game at least.