Since the part about March 21, when I planted trees, isn’t yet written, I’ll start from March 22, when at least I really slept, only waking up for the first time just before 2:15 PM, and then getting right back to sleep after peeing and waking up again just before 4 PM. The alarm was set to ring at 5 PM, for handball, and I stayed in bed until it rang, but I don’t think that I got back to sleep during that hour, or if I did then it was for mere moments. On the other hand, at night I went back to the kitchen rather late and, while I once again “cheated” in order to be able to say that I took a first bite of dinner in my room just before 3 AM, I then took it way too easy, ended up actually starting to eat when it was past 3:20 AM, if not closer to 3:25 AM, and finished at 3:45 AM.
Unfortunately, there was plenty of noise the next day, so I was woken up shortly after 8 AM and then I just managed a series of agitated naps, with weird dreams, until a little after 11:10 AM, when I got up for some 20 minutes, trying to have a look at what was going on but not noticing anything outside, peeing, and then spending a little time on the computer… And then some drilling started moments after I got back in bed, and it lasted for quite a while, and the various occasional noises that continued meant that it was a long time even after it stopped before I finally managed to get back to sleep… Or more exactly to some more of those brief and agitated naps, with weird dreams, sometimes making it so I really didn’t know when I was asleep and when I was awake. And after somebody did something right outside my window I was too startled to get back to sleep at all, even if things actually got quiet after that, so what I heard might have just been a worker cleaning up a little on his way down. So after a little while I gave up, getting up a few minutes before 3:30 PM. And in the evening I was feeling cold air and noticed that the lid from that thing that was installed in the wall was ajar again, so whatever had been done outside had likely pushed it a little again… Though, oddly enough, at night the lid seemed to stay closed again.
On the other hand, my cousin from my father’s side, who had initially been supposed to come the previous evening and see what had to be done inside after the retrofitting will finish and then had confirmed coming that evening when dad had called him in the afternoon, called again to say that he won’t come then either. So I decided to go out after all, leaving at 9:25 PM, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol, putting them, including the one picked up on the way and the one which had been left right there, in the machine from Kaufland Popa Nan. Then I washed my hands, using the room for disabled people, since the men’s was closed off, and entered the store just before 9:55 PM, getting some things, including some bakery products that were discounted by 50%, and also using the voucher received for the recyclables when I paid. I’d have walked out before closing time, but then I decided to turn around and pee, once again having to use the room for disabled people, so the store had closed by the time I walked out. And then I arranged the purchases and checked two Mega Image locations on the way back, entering with everything both times and wasting about a quarter of an hour in the first one, since it closed at midnight and I wanted to see whether there will be bakery discounts or anything discounted by 90% at 11 PM. But there was no sign of that, so I walked out just before that hour but stuck around for a couple more minutes, glancing through the window and finally walking away when there was still no sign. And at least I only had a quick look in the second one, and then grabbed two recyclables after walking out.
It was almost 11:30 PM when I got back. Then I cleaned the litter box and went to drop a bag of trash down the chute, put the purchases in their place, ate lunch, washed what was in the kitchen, did 200 squats, since I had forgotten to do them the previous day, and it was 1:55 AM when I went to the bathroom, feeling that I had to use the toilet again but pretty much just wasting some time before washing. It was close to 2:45 AM when I was done, and then I also washed the small tray that dad had used, moved something into a jar, and took one of those expired vitamin C pills, ending up eating dinner between 4:45 AM and 5:35 AM. I got in bed at 6:55 AM.
At 10 AM I was woken up by workers outside my window and then dad knocking on the door, saying that those who had installed those things in the walls had returned to place the covers on the outside and he had told them about the problem in my room and they wanted to have a look, so I quickly changed and removed the cardboard from the window, but the guy just poked his head in and when I explained what had happened he said that the problem had been caused by the wind, since that towel had been removed just from here, not from the other bedroom as well, which was why there had been no problem there, and that it shouldn’t happen again now that the cover was placed outside. Of course, the lid should have a system to hold it closed, but I guess that’d be too much to ask for a system we’re not paying for… Either way, I couldn’t get back in bed right after that, or even after dad left, at 11 AM. I’d have probably been nice to at least do so at noon, when it got quiet, but I played some more Final Fantasy III and only got back in bed at 1 PM. The noises I heard after that were generally faint, but it still took me quite a while to get back to sleep, and I still woke up multiple times, though at least I always got right back to sleep for a few hours. But there came a point when I once again remained awake for quite a while before managing to catch another nap, after which I was once again awake for some time before finally getting up, just after 7:20 PM.
Well, it seems that installing those covers really is the last thing they do before removing the scaffolding, because they started doing that on the morning of March 25, the noise having already started when I got up to pee, just before 8:30 AM. So what sleep I got after that was interrupted and agitated, but the next time I’m actually aware of being fully awake was at 9:55 AM. But then I don’t think that I had gotten back to sleep at all until 10:30 AM, when my phone gave a low battery warning, after barely more than a week. Still, I managed to nap a little more after that, and when I woke up at one point it was basically completely quiet, so it was probably during the workers’ break, and I could get right back to sleep and apparently slept until 2 PM, when the alarm rang and I got up, drenched in sweat. The noise had clearly restarted earlier, and there was some occasional drilling as well, but it all seemed less loud and with more pauses than in the morning. Either way, I then took out the better shoes, hoping that they’ll protect that leg to some extent, and had the usual stuff, but the yogurt was a nice “Greek” one with 8% protein and 2% fat and the almonds some more of those expired baked and salted ones, and for the sweet thing I added honey on an expired but nice oat bar, one of what I found were two in the pack. On the other hand, despite feeling that I had to go both before and after, I only wasted some time on the toilet, though the fact that I had gone before going to bed in the morning made it somewhat less of a concern. And, after drinking most of the tea, I left at 4:40 PM, wearing the full running gear. The reported temperature was 17°C, dropping to about 14°C by the time I finished.
The time was 1:45:47, with sector times of 4:20, 5:07, 6:03, 4:32, 5:12, 5:59, 4:36, 5:16, 6:06, 4:47, 5:17, 6:12, 4:46, 5:25, 6:11, 4:44, 5:23, 6:10, 1:52, 5:55 and 1:54, making for lap times of 15:30, 15:43, 15:58, 16:16, 16:22 and 16:17, plus 9:41 for the final portion. I was aiming to get under 1:48 but the initial target times added up to 1:49, so I was wondering whether I could gain that minute over the first three laps, since it seemed unlikely to do so later, and a first sector that was better than expected and then gaining 30 seconds on lap one gave me hope. And then I gained over 15 seconds on lap two and pushed on sector three of lap three in order to squeeze under 16 minutes on that lap as well and gain the rest. However, after taking it easier on sector one of lap four, I did less badly on the next two sectors, so I kept gaining time compared to the initial targets, and when I gained even more on lap five I switched the target to getting under 1:47, but over the course of lap six I was wondering whether I could even manage 1:46:30. That seemed almost certain at the end of the lap, assuming that there won’t be notable problems, but then I wondered whether I could gain 30 more seconds and squeeze under another minute, though by then I wasn’t sure whether that meant 1:47 or 1:46 anymore. Either way, even if that required a pace that seemed highly unlikely, I went for it, just giving everything every step and doing more than enough. It’s still not under 1:45, so not what I’d consider a useful time, and I don’t see how I could have been more than a few seconds faster, but it was minutes better than what I expected and I did really well towards the end, so I was quite pleased with it.
Using the better shoes sure felt nice, and it probably made a difference with the time as well, but the more important thing was the cushioning, and the warnings that began right away from that area of my left leg where I suspected I had the beginning of a stress fracture actually faded after a while. But I was also trying to protect that leg, which likely led to the warnings from my right knee that were initially faint but became quite serious at the start of lap five and remained something that I had to manage all the way to the end, though they did lessen to some extent after that lap. And at the start of lap four I felt what was either a need to snap my back or a cramp in a neck muscle, but that passed quickly. As for a certain pressing need, I think it first appeared at the end of sector two of lap two, but it was barely noticeable until the start of lap five, when it got quite bad, fading towards the end of that lap but remaining noticeable all the way to the end.
Otherwise, there were a fair number of people, resulting in plenty of weaving and going the long way around, but there were few notable issues. I know that I slowed in order to squeeze through a roadblock right when I was sprinting on the long straight of sector one of lap three. Then, on sector three of lap four, at that stall where lines occasionally form, I stopped for a couple of seconds when a kid on a bicycle was coming from the opposite direction with some speed, two runners were on the lane, also coming from the opposite direction, and the small crowd which was gathered there blocked the rest of the path, so I had to wait behind that crowd to avoid slamming into the kid. And by the time I reached that spot again, on the next lap, the crowd was unusually large, blocking the entire path, so I had to get off it for quite a few meters. And at the start of sector two of the final portion I briefly stopped in order to see the time properly.
After checking the nearby Mega Image and picking up two recyclables on the way back, I went out through the kitchen window and took a picture of mine while the scaffolding was still there, in case it’ll help with the external blinds. Then I ate a banana and some pancakes and drank part of an apple and pear juice which I had bought when it was discounted by 90% and kept for that day, even if it had expired by then, did the day’s squats, changed, leaving the running t-shirt on, and left again just before 8:50 PM, taking the recyclables with the deposit symbol and jogging most of the way to the Mega Image that closes at 10 PM, getting there just before 9 PM and being surprised to see one of the regulars just walking out. But I couldn’t see a cart and the bakery discount labels were just being placed, so I put the recyclables in the machine, then took two bakery products that had the 50% discount and a little garlic, at full price. And then I saw that the cart with the products that are discounted by 90% had been brought, but once again there was nobody around. I just got a bread for dad, however, also using the voucher received for the recyclables when I paid. And then I continued to Penny, entering with everything and getting a bag of cat food and a couple of biscuits for dad, after which I arranged the purchases and made my way back, grabbing two recyclables which weren’t going to be accepted in the state they were in but which I thought I could sort out and meaning to also check that Profi Go, though when I walked in I was told that it was closed, and when I checked the time I saw that it was indeed just seconds before 10 PM. And I also checked the nearby Mega Image once again, but there were no bakery discounts at all.
I was back at 10:15 PM… Only to see dad in the bathroom, taking a bath, and I had told him that I wanted to get back earlier that evening, and when I told him to hurry up he said that he had just gotten in and he took his time, so I cleaned the litter box and went to drop a bag of trash down the chute, grabbing two more recyclables from the garbage room and then sorting out the other two as well as I could, put the purchases in their place, went to the toilet in the small bathroom, and eventually knocked on the bathroom door again and dad said that he was just coming out, doing so moments later, so I told him to let me know when it was 11:50 PM, because I had something to do, and rushed in just before 11:25 PM, being done at 11:55 PM. However, it was almost 1:20 AM when I got back to the kitchen, and then I ate a bag of those peanut snacks and fixed a little something that I ate as lunch between 2:20 AM and 2:30 AM and something else, even closer to a pizza than the first thing, that counted as dinner, which I ate between 4 AM and 4:45 AM, after finishing that juice and taking one more of those expired vitamin C pills. I got in bed at 6:35 AM, after putting cream on my feet. And my nose seemed to get more irritated as time passed.
I guess I was exhausted enough to sleep through the early noise from outside, only waking up around 9:50 AM, as dad was about to leave, but then I decided to read for almost an hour. And then I peed, just in case, and got on the computer for a while, seeing that the attempts made over the previous couple of days to contact some of the firms that install external blinds on Facebook as well after they had stopped replying on e-mail didn’t produce replies either, though at least two had seen the messages. I got back in bed at 11:15 AM, when the noise seemed to have stopped even though it seemed too early for the workers’ break. But I guess that they did take their break then, because it took me quite some time to get back to sleep and it remained quiet… But that ended at some point, and while the first couple of times I was woken up I got right back to sleep, I then remained awake for quite a while before checking and seeing 3:48 PM. And it was a few minutes before 4:30 PM when I got out of bed, still without getting back to sleep again. And, of course, the noise ended for the day soon after that, but I wanted to check once again whether I had replies, and then stayed up even if I didn’t. And when I looked outside I saw that they had pretty much finished taking down the scaffolding, so my idea of making one last use of it to easily take proper and exact measurements of my window was no longer an option.
On the other hand, after doing the day’s squats and making and eating popcorn during the match, at 9:35 PM I went out, taking the recyclables with the deposit symbol and picking up two more on the way to Kaufland, where I put them in the machine. Then I washed my hands and entered the store at 10:05 PM, going straight to the bakery area and getting there just in time, since an employee was clearing everything away and had just gotten to the next to last section, but some of the cheap buns were in the last remaining one and discounted by 50%, so I rushed to grab a bag and take some. Then I made use of evening discounts for green garlic and a handful of those Moldovan grapes and otherwise got toilet paper, cat food, one of those cheap yogurts, and one thing for dad that I was getting in exchange for points, after having activated the product on-line before leaving. I was just reaching the self-checkouts when the closing announcement came, but then had to call over an employee twice, first because I accidentally entered four packs of toilet paper instead of three, and then because the machine didn’t accept the buns as the correct product, and since that employee wasn’t paying attention that second time, another one who couldn’t log on tried to “trick” the machine by placing a couple of other products on the scales, but it didn’t work, so he eventually got the other one’s attention and he logged on to override the error. And then, after checking the total and also confirming that I was really getting that product in exchange for points, I left one of the bundles of green garlic there and also used the voucher received for the recyclables when I paid… But another employee was standing right next to me, waiting to wipe the machine, and I rushed to leave and forgot the coins received as change, walking away when it was almost 10:40 PM.
On the way back, I picked up a few recyclables and checked two Mega Image locations, in the first one leaving my things next to the cabinets and then just retrieving them, and in the second one putting the smaller bags in a cabinet that didn’t lock, entering with the one with the toilet paper and the buns, and noticing a 20% discount if you used the store card for green onions, and I found a bundle that wasn’t that small and decided to take it, along with a handful of torn tops… And when I gave the cashier enough to receive 0.50 RON as change she handed me 1 RON back and said to leave it like that because she had no change, which was nice! And then I retrieved my things and made my way back.
I was at the door at 11:35 PM. Then I cleaned the litter box, without taking out the small bag of trash, put the purchases in their place, washed what was in the kitchen, ate lunch, starting a little before 1:30 AM and finishing at 1:45 AM, and went to wash at 1:55 AM. I was done a little before 2:40 AM, and then I dealt with the bakery products bought from Kaufland three days earlier and which I was going to use instead of bread, took one more of those immunity supplements, and ate dinner between 4:40 AM and 5:20 AM. I got in bed at 6:55 AM.
I did sleep better, however. Since the workers started taking away the scaffolding which was piled up, there was still some noise, but far less, so I woke up a few times but mostly slept until 4 PM, when the alarm rang and I got up to watch ski jumping. And since I was at the computer then, I sent some more messages to the two firms which had stopped replying, still with no result. On the other hand, I finally received a reply on Facebook from one which hadn’t replied to my e-mail, but the estimated price was the second highest. But in the evening I tried calling myself from the landline again, and once again found that I couldn’t, even though my phone didn’t list any problem… Until I turned it off and then back on and tried again, at which point it gave that SIM card error. It worked again after I took it out and put it back in, but it definitely seems like something happened when I replaced the battery. And that wasn’t the only problem, because it was somewhat windy again and the lid of that thing from my wall once again opened on its own, allowing cold air inside, so the fact that they had installed the cover hadn’t changed anything, so I used a little sticky tape to hold it closed. And in the morning I got in bed at 5:25 AM.
I was always going to sleep little and in parts, setting the alarm to ring at 8 AM, for the Formula 1 qualifying, and also thinking of watching ski jumping from 10:30 AM live instead of setting it to be recorded, but after getting up to pee at 7:15 AM I couldn’t get back to sleep, and that strange feeling had also returned, the issue being very frequent for quite some time, so by 7:45 AM I was back at the computer… And I saw that those who had offered the best price for the external blinds had finally replied again, and I asked when could they come to take the measurements, being told that they could come the following week but wanted a telephone number. So I asked dad when could he be here as well, but left replying for later, getting back in bed at 9:10 AM… But I’m not sure whether I had even fallen asleep again by the time the alarm rang, at 10:30 AM, and I got back up… At which point I saw a reply from the others which hadn’t replied until then, albeit only to say that someone will get in touch with me on Monday, which complicated matters. Yet what made that day much worse was that I read some more between the two rounds of ski jumping and over the first part of the second and the position I was in led to something catching in my back again, so there was quite a lot of pain and some numbness in my legs as well. But I had to deal with it, also going to the toilet after ski jumping was over and then getting back in bed at 1:20 PM, trying to find a position that eased the pain and eventually getting back to sleep, doing so again pretty much right away after waking up to pee at one point, and then waking up again a few minutes before 5 PM, which was when the first handball match started, so I got up to watch it.
Later, after doing the day’s squats and rushing to post something as the week’s first post, I saw that the rain wasn’t much of a problem, so I decided to go out after the second handball match, also taking advantage of the fact that I could use dad’s metro card, so I left at 8:40 PM, after initially walking out without the recyclables with the deposit symbol and turning around to grab them. And then I pointlessly jogged to the metro station, getting there just in time for the metro to close its doors as I was rushing down the stairs and then waiting for eight minutes for the next one.
After getting off at Obor, I entered Auchan just after 9 PM, putting the recyclables in the machine and using the voucher when I just bought some paper towels. Then I jogged to that mall, grabbing two more recyclables from there and putting them and the paper towels in a cabinet before entering Carrefour a little after 9:15 PM and getting a carton of eggs and one of those fluffy flatbreads from the expiring products and four of those apple circles from the bakery area, everything having the 50% discount. And after retrieving what I had in the cabinet and arranging the purchases a little, I continued to Kaufland, grabbing a few more recyclables, putting them in the machine from there, then putting the purchases in a cabinet, washing my hands, and entering the store when it was almost 9:50 PM. The bakery employee was already clearing the area at that point, but there were 50% discounts and I managed to grab a sweet pastry and some buns, most of which I meant to use instead of bread. Then I added a few other products and made use of nice evening discounts for two lettuces and some of those Moldovan grapes, the closing announcement coming as I was still picking grapes. And at the self-checkout I accidentally placed a small product that I was getting in exchange for points on the scales along with the bakery products and then had to call over an employee when I picked it back up and scanned it. Either way, after retrieving what I had in the cabinet and arranging a little, it was 10:40 PM when I walked out, and then I took the metro back, grabbing another recyclable after walking out of the station.
I was back at 11:15 PM. Then I cleaned the litter box and went to drop a bag of trash down the chute… And as I was putting the purchases in their place I realized that I had accidentally stolen a cheap bun from Kaufland, having entered just two of that type instead of three, and the machine apparently didn’t notice anything wrong with the weight, and that was despite that other small product being added along with them, so I added that amount to what I mean to give away at some point. Either way, I then ate an apple and the sweet pastry from Kaufland, washed what was in the kitchen, ate dinner between 1:20 AM and 1:30 AM, and at 1:55 AM I went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and shower with water that was barely around body temperature, and slightly below it by the time it reached my skin, at least on my back and torso. I was done a little before 2:40 AM, and then I also dealt with those buns that I was going to use instead of bread, used the worse leaves from both lettuces, took another one of those immunity supplements, and since the hour had changed I ended up eating dinner between 5:55 AM and 6:35 AM… And the race was starting at 8 AM, so it was rather pointless to even get in bed, but I nevertheless did, at 7:10 AM, and even managed to catch a little nap before the alarm rang… And I found that the start was delayed by ten minutes, so I could have set it to 8:10 AM, not that there was any way to know that. Either way, I got back in bed at 9:45 AM and got up again some six hours later. And then I spent most of the day in the kitchen, limiting the damage from dad’s cooking.
When the kitchen light flickered badly in the early hours of March 31, I thought that it was burning out, but then I realized that there were power issues, confirming it when I checked the computer and saw that the UPS had kicked in multiple times and getting worried about the fridge as a result, so when I heard a loud snap a little later I definitely hoped that it just came from a recyclable… And then, despite thinking that I’d actually start eating a little earlier that night, I didn’t just need to once again “cheat” in order to be able to say that I took a first bite before 3 AM, but ended up actually starting at 3:25 AM and finishing at 3:55 AM. And before going to bed I shaved as well.
On the other hand, those who had estimated the lowest price and which I wanted to get the external blinds from had told me the previous day that they couldn’t send e-mails, though just two minutes after that message sent on Facebook I did receive another e-mail from them, asking again for a phone number, so I gave it to them but said that they may be unable to call and that e-mails seem to work, only for them to copy the header of the e-mail that bounced back, which seemed to indicate that their IP was blocked, making me think that they’re probably sending from different IPs, making some of the messages get through while others don’t. So I sent them the landline number as well, even if I hoped that they won’t call that morning, but I was also worried that the month ending would mean missing the chance to get that price, so after I got up to pee at 7:40 AM I switched the SIM card to the second slot, wondering if that would help, and then, right at 8 AM, I received a message from my provider saying that I’ll receive new settings that I should install to be able to use data and MMS, which seemed strange, but I installed them and got back to sleep. And then I slept well, being woken up by noise a couple of times but getting right back to sleep each time, and not getting any calls.
I got up after the alarm rang, at 2 PM, and didn’t see any new replies when I checked. But dad had left me a note to take some things out of the freezer, so I did, then had the usual stuff, opening a new bag of raw almonds, and the sweet thing once again consisted of two of those expired nicer biscuits, with added honey. I once again wasted time on the toilet, but I had gone at night, albeit before going back to the kitchen, so I wasn’t particularly concerned even if I did feel that there was something there. And then I cleaned the litter box and left at 4:30 PM, wearing the full running gear, returning to the old shoes. The reported temperature was 12-13°C, and actually 13-14°C when I finished.
The time was 1:18:46, with sector times of 4:24.86, 5:12.12, 6:11 (6:10.38), 4:37 (4:36.68), 5:10.63, 6:02 (6:01.47), 4:37 (4:36.97), 5:16.43, 5:59.03, 4:34 (4:33.51), 5:11.12, 6:02, 4:33, 5:03 and 5:55, making for lap times of 15:47.36, 15:49 (15:48.78), 15:52.43, 15:47 and 15:31. I once again checked the exact times for as long as they were displayed, but it’d have actually been better to be able to check them after that point. Either way, I was hoping to stay under 1:20 and a first sector that was slower than the previous run’s even though I thought that I had pushed harder was not a good sign, and by the end of the first lap things were looking bad and I wondered whether I’ll even squeeze under 1:21. And when that continued on sector one of lap two, I decided to push harder, even if it was early in the run, and it showed, so after two laps I had a shred of hope, and when sector three saved lap three, I thought that I might actually manage to get under 1:20 after all, and if I somehow managed to stay under 16 minutes on each lap then I was looking at 1:19:30. That seemed unlikely, but I was determined to do my best, which resulted in the same time on lap four as on lap one and feeling quite certain that I’ll get under 1:19:30, assuming that there won’t be serious problems. But I was feeling well enough to wonder whether I could somehow manage an even better time on the last lap and even squeeze under 1:19, and while that seemed highly unlikely I gave everything every step of the way, the result being the best lap of the day and a time that was very safely under 1:19 and the best one over this distance since September. Just like the previous week, it’s still not what I’d consider a useful time, being over 1:18, and I don’t see how it could have been noticeably better, but it was better than what I expected and I’m quite pleased with it.
The first concern were some sharp jabs right in my butt, which I felt just after I started running and which might have been connected to what I didn’t leave in the toilet. Fortunately, they went away quickly, as did the warnings that came early on from that area of my left leg. And the warnings from my right knee, which appeared on sector one of lap four and were quite serious at that point, also faded after that. As for a certain pressing need, there was one earlier moment when it appeared for a little while, but it was only notable when it reappeared, which was shortly before the end. Otherwise, the one notable problem caused by people was on sector three of lap one, when I had to briefly stop, though there was also a moment on sector three of lap three, when I hesitated because of a kid who was weaving around on a bicycle and turned towards me just when I was overtaking him. But there was a little headwind to deal with, most notably on a short part of sector two of lap three, but I felt it on the last sector as well, not as strong but over a much longer distance. And one last thing was that I didn’t get my steps right at the end, so I might have lost a second or two there.
After getting back, I ate an apple circle and a small cheese pastry, changed, leaving the running t-shirt on, and left again just before 8:10 PM, with a bag of trash that I dropped down the chute and the recyclables with the deposit symbol, picking up a few more on the way to the nearest Penny. But a guy with large bags of recyclables was using the machine when I got there and I had no time to wait, so I entered the store with them and got some more of those biscuits for dad. And standing in line for quite a while meant walking out when it was almost 8:35 PM, and I also wanted to get to Tei, which closes at 8:45 PM. So I jogged there and rushed in, with everything, just after 8:40 PM. But they had changed things around and I couldn’t spot that nose spray on my own, nor after asking an employee who just pointed me in a general direction. So, after the closing announcement, I asked another… Who was standing right in front of it. And then I arranged things a little and had to leave through the emergency exit.
I then continued to Kaufland, putting the recyclables in the machine and the purchases in the cabinet, washing my hands, and entering the store a few minutes after 9 PM. And that was apparently just when the 50% bakery discounts were made, and some nice bread was included as well, so I took two of those and a number of other things, most of them for my parents, since my mother was also here. But trying to stuff too many into a bag led to it starting to tear, so I had to replace it and rearrange, which took time that I didn’t have. And I also had to find what I had really gone there for, since I had asked dad to check his store app and select what he wanted to spend points on, to avoid potentially losing some after the end of the month, so I then looked for those products, and after grabbing them I went back and took the one box of expiring germinated wheat that was left, discounted by 75%, and two large bundles of radishes, which had a nice evening discount. It’s not impossible for that discount to have increased further before closing time, but it was already past 9:30 PM and I didn’t want to lose too much of the match that started at 9:45 PM, even if it was just a friendly. So at the self-checkout I initially typed the code for the store app that’s currently on dad’s phone, which quite some time ago somehow ended up being different from the one that I’ve been using, and bought those products in exchange for points, and then made a different transaction for the other things, scanning the QR code that I’ve been using, though it’s actually also dad’s, and also using the voucher received for the recyclables. And then I took the time to arrange the purchases, to make it somewhat easier to jog back, though I still picked up a few recyclables even so.
I got back a little before 10:15 PM, drenched in sweat and with that spot above my left ankle bothering me a fair bit again. Either way, I then cleaned the litter box one more time and went to drop another bag of trash down the chute, put the purchases in their place, sliced the bread bought for my parents, ate an orange, washed and cleaned up to some extent in the kitchen, moved something into a jar for my parents, did the day’s squats, ate lunch between 1:15 AM and 1:45 AM, since I was still washing things, my parents having cooked as well, and I finally went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and wash, at 1:50 AM. It was almost 2:45 AM when I was done, but there were a few more things to wash, and that was despite leaving the grill for another time, and I also decided to select the handful of usable radish leaves, boiling them a little, along with the germinated wheat, and using them in the salad. And I took another of those immunity supplements before finally eating dinner, between 5:25 AM and 6 AM, while writing some notes about the day. I got in bed at 7:10 AM, after rubbing cream on my feet. And despite getting up at 4:05 PM and only going to pee once until then, I don’t think I slept for more than five and a half hours, and possibly closer to five hours. And that evening my phone’s battery was running low again, after just a week, and I set it to charge right away.
Moving on to April 3, I got up after the alarm rang, at 9 AM, since the previous day I had sent another e-mail to that firm which I had chosen for the external blinds and had been called back and told that they could come and take the measurements that day, before noon. But I could have slept until the guy called me, just after 10:30 AM, since at that point he said that he’ll be here in about an hour, and it was actually past 11:45 AM when he got here. And dad had left shortly after he had called, so I was alone. But he took the measurements, saying that what I had given him was exactly right even though I had some doubts, especially about the width. But I went with it and paid half of the amount, though the minimum was 40%. And after he left I ate an early lunch and later I napped for two hours or so, albeit waking up a couple of times. Then I did the day’s squats and, a little after 8:40 PM, which was also a little after my parents got here, I went out, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol, picking up some more on the way to the Mega Image that closes at 10 PM, getting there just before 9 PM, having the machine report that the bin was full after the first two, but then being able to continue after the guard shook that bin and just cashing in the vouchers.
I then lightly jogged most of the way to Carrefour, going in through the parking lot, entering the store with the few recyclables picked up on the way, and buying some chocolate and some nicer bagels, those being among the products that they offered a voucher with 30% of the value for, and the chocolate that I got for myself having a discount as well. And then I continued to Kaufland, putting those recyclables in the machine and the purchases in a cabinet, washing my hands, entering the store a little before 10 PM, and seeing the discounts increase sharply just as I was getting some buns, to 75% for the other things I got and to 60% for some sweet pastries that are also three for the price of two these days, so I decided to take three of those as well. And I didn’t find anything else to get, so I also used the voucher received for the recyclables at the self-checkout, retrieved what I had in the cabinet, arranged everything, and still walked out just before 10:30 PM. And then I picked up another recyclable, put everything in cabinet at that Mega Image, grabbed the three products discounted by 90% that were still there, which were actually just the sort of thing I was looking for, mainly for my mother, though I was going to keep one as well, and then retrieved what I had in the cabinet, arranged a little more… And found that it was pouring when I stepped out, though it had been just fine when I had walked in! So I took shelter for a little while and tied the bag with the purchases, to protect them to some extent, and then went for it, eventually leaving those three sweet pastries next to a homeless man… And realizing only as I walked away that those were the only things that I shouldn’t have given away, because I mean to give away things that are discounted by at least 75%, but I couldn’t exactly go back and switch. Either way, I grabbed one more recyclable on the way back.
It was a little after 11:20 PM when I got back, and after getting out of the wet clothes I meant to clean the litter box and go to drop a bag of trash down the chute… Only to see that my parents had cleaned it again, and mother had swept and washed the floor on the hallway and in the small bathroom and kitchen, as if she’s coming here to work and not because she’s sick and it’s closer to the doctors that she has to go to, so I lost it again and raged for a while before closing myself in the kitchen, washing what was there, eating a bio (organic) Mandarin orange and a sweet pastry, and putting the purchases in their place. I also noticed that my parents seemed to have thrown away some cooking oil that was still perfectly usable, though I’m not entirely certain about that. And later I saw that my mother hadn’t vacuumed, but swept the floor and then dumped what had gathered into the bin, including the sand, or more exactly bentonite, which had spilled around or been carried away from the litter box, so something that’d smell when they’re complaining about that smell anyway and when we specifically only use the large bin for stuff that can’t smell or leak, months passing before that bag fills and is thrown out. So I had to take care of the problem, digging out as much as I could with my hands and moving it into a small bag, which led to feeling terribly soiled and using both disinfectant and medicinal alcohol and washing my hands and face for a long time before going to the bathroom, to use the toilet and wash, just before 1 AM. I was done a few minutes before 2 AM, but I then I spent quite some time on the computer, only going back to the kitchen at 2:40 AM, taking one of those immunity supplements, but not feeling like eating at all. I eventually did, between 3:50 AM and 4:30 AM, but the “salad” only consisted of a regular onion and a red one.
I was thinking that I’ll wake up before my parents left and possibly see what the “damage” was, but I somehow didn’t, only getting up to pee just after 9 AM, and the next time I did that it was well past 3 PM, if not even closer to 4 PM, I can’t recall. And then I caught a few more naps that were obviously longer than I thought, since by the time I got up I thought that I had been mostly awake for a couple of hours, just occasionally drifting off for what I thought were mere minutes, but I saw that it was almost 6:50 PM! And then I saw an e-mail from dad, showing how angry he was, and I just sent back a short reply about one thing, receiving another angry reply in turn and sending one more reply of my own. Since he got back minutes later and, even if I had been getting ready to eat lunch and had placed a bun on the plate and on the kitchen table, I didn’t go out of my room even to greet him, that was the end of that, but I then called mother and talked to her for a while, after which I went to wash the filters from the stove hood, bumping into dad when I was going to the kitchen and just muttering a greeting while he seemed startled and then just walked away. But minutes later, when I went back there to set the first filter back in place, I saw a lot of smoke and found that the pastries that he had in the oven had burned to a crisp, so I took out the tray and turned on the hood, even if it only had the filter on one side, before going back to wash that second one.
Well, when I got back there I found that dad had gone to bed, even if it was very early, but also that the recently replaced thermostatic valve from the kitchen heater had fallen, and when I tried to put it back I saw that it was broken, so I did my best but keeping that heater off won’t quite work with it like that. But it was after that when things took quite a turn, since I saw that dad had gone to the toilet when I stepped out of the kitchen at one point and when I tried to tell him about that valve, he said that he was feeling a really bad pain in the right side of his back, just at the bottom of the ribs, and it had just started while lying in bed. He admitted that he had been drinking, and had also just eaten fatty food, so I was thinking of something that had to do with the gallbladder, but he didn’t call a doctor or tell me to do it, just limping back in bed and trying to get back to sleep, sticking to that decision when he got up again as I was flossing, limping despite saying that the pain was localized, not radiating in any other direction, and just rubbing some cream there. On the other hand, I didn’t even pretend to make a salad that night, just eating a red onion with dinner.
It was after a couple of hours of sleep, when I was woken up by dad banging on a pipe in the kitchen, that I found out what really happened: He got really drunk and fell over that valve, breaking it and resulting in that pain, which he apparently only became aware of hours later. He said that he remembered deciding to go to bed after a fall, but everything else is blank. And while when he asked me to look I saw no mark in the spot where he claimed to feel the pain, when I looked higher I noticed two scratches, and when he touched that spot he jumped, so the actual damage was probably there but the constant pain was a reflected one. Either way, after replacing that valve again as well as I could, since he had removed it to have a look and couldn’t put it back, I tried to get back to sleep, but couldn’t, so I just wasted time in bed until just after 9:40 AM, when I got up again and, after trying one of the old valves and seeing that it wouldn’t fit, I moved the one from my heater there, since this one is completely turned off in another way that we just realized can’t be used in the kitchen because of something else that we have there.
Moving on, when dad woke up again he threw those burned pastries into the bag of trash that he was going to take when he left, though I tried to rub the burn off one of them before cleaning the litter box and saw that it was easily done and the center seemed fine, so he threw away usable food without even trying to check. But, of course, the bigger problem, even bigger than the fall, is that he got that drunk, especially since I had never seen him drunk at all before that time when he fell asleep in the bathtub and flooded the place, yet I did notice him more or less in that state at least a few more times since then, and this marks the first time when he got to the point of falling over and not remembering anything because of drinking, so it’s getting really alarming.
A more immediate concern about myself, however, is that there was blood when I went to the toilet in the afternoon. I had struggled to hold it in for a while in the evening and was relieved that there had been no blood then, and when I felt that I had to go again today I put it off for a while, the feeling not being that strong, but I guess that it was enough to do some damage, though I didn’t feel much of anything at the time and had no reason to look until I got up and saw blood splashed in there, though the toilet paper meant that I couldn’t see what was in the water. And I have blood tests scheduled in the morning and another half marathon distance planned for next week… Not that I knew when to do that even without this issue, since it’ll be either windy or rainy, there’s another doctor’s appointment on Wednesday, and Orthodox Easter is on Sunday, so Friday is Good Friday, meaning that the park will likely be crowded. But I guess I’ll see how that will go when I’ll get there, so now let me get back to today and say that I napped for some two more hours, possibly a little more, in the afternoon, and then had lunch, followed by a very early dinner, hoping to finish by 10 PM, so I won’t eat anything for 12 hours before the blood tests, but ending up only starting to eat at that hour and not rushing, so I finished at 10:40 PM. I’m feeling quite out of it, however, and while in one way that means that the tests are likely to show just what can be wrong when something is wrong, it’s definitely not what you want before having blood drawn, and considering how long it’s been since I bled like that, it also doesn’t reflect how things typically stand. But it may be even worse, since I rather feel like I have to go to the toilet again, which I really don’t want, though at the same time I shouldn’t hold it in either.
