Day 88 of my 47th year

In the morning, without overthinking breakfast, we grabbed some sandwiches with caviar and cheese. Then I studied the language; this week I am finishing in first place in my group again.

During the day Masha kept sorting through things, I took out the trash, and then headed to the pool. I had to drag my lazy butt there, but I did it. On the way I noticed the brakes squeaking and making odd noises when braking, as if the calipers were sticking. I booked a brake service and pad replacement. I swam at Atlant — started with 1,000 meters freestyle and decided not to torture myself further. I swam fairly easily and quickly and was not very tired, but from experience I know it is better to ease into it. I warmed up in the sauna and met some guy named Denis, who said he graduated from Moscow State University’s Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics and is my age. Judging by the profanity, he did not sound much like MSU, but who knows. He was complaining that the pool had gone downhill, while to me it looked exactly the same as it did ten years ago when I first came there =)

After the pool I had my traditional hot drink of orange, lemon, ginger, and honey — bliss. Then I drove to the auto repair shop on Burakova. On the way I grabbed an unbelievably tasty shawarma on Taganka. I did not expect that. Straight-up number one. Best of the best. At the service center I dropped off the car and went upstairs to the waiting area for the verdict. While waiting, I got a massage chair session at Yamaguchi and loosened up my back and legs nicely. The verdict was expected: the front-left caliper was sticking and needed servicing and bleeding, and the pads and rotors needed replacing. When I reasonably protested — gentlemen, you replaced the rotors along with the pads last year, are rotors really that frequent a wear item? — the guy went back to double-check and then changed his tune: the rotors were fine, they would wear in. The price dropped by half. I had to leave the car until tomorrow and rode home on the scooter. On the way I talked with Misha. Yesterday they had some kind of traditional senior prom, and my handsome boy had gone with Beka. They look very sweet together. Misha is my clone; in some photos the only thing that distinguishes him from me at that age is his modern stylish haircut. In my youth hair was always a problem — I hated getting it cut. Now, thank God, no hair, no problem =)

In the evening nanny Katya was with Leia while Masha sorted through Leia’s room. We had dinner: baked chicken and a beet salad with walnuts and vegan mayo — I made the salad, Masha made the chicken. We all ate together with the nanny and Leia.