Cav's Place

It took me a while to get to sleep on the morning of September 6, but at least I did get right back to sleep after getting up to pee at one point, and then after deciding to pee again after getting woken up when dad went to the bathroom. And my cousin had said that he was going to come at 10:30 AM, so I started getting woken up again by noise made by dad around what was probably 9:30 AM or so, and after actually managing to catch a few more very brief naps at first, at 9:55 AM I decided to get up, meaning to also grab a quick breakfast… Only to end up having to arrange things and wash what had appeared in the kitchen until after 10:30 AM. But since my cousin was late again, I did manage to take some grapes and a sweet pastry to my room, getting on the computer a few minutes before 11 AM and even finishing that breakfast before he finally arrived, which was at 11:30 AM. But at least my cousin left at 4:15 PM, and after talking to me a little dad did as well, so while they had left so many things to wash in the kitchen that I couldn’t even figure out how they had managed to use them all, the fact that the race was red flagged for quite some time meant that I could wash most of them, clean up a little and have lunch before it was over, and then I spent some more time on the computer and at 7:05 PM I went out, leaving the pile of recyclables with the deposit symbol which they had emptied and just taking “mine” and those other things that I take to Kaufland.
Since I had dad’s card, I took the metro to Obor and then put the recyclables, which included some more picked up on the way, in a machine from Kaufland which had a voucher for a single one left in it, so I took that as well. Then I washed my hands and entered the store a little after 7:50 PM, seeing that many bakery products had been deeply discounted even earlier, since they were gone by then. But I made use of great evening discounts for radishes and green onions and a good one for some tomatoes, and also took a handful of apricots, even if the discount was low, since they looked good and were listed as Romanian. And I thought that cabbage also had an evening discount and was so sure that it was cheaper than at Carrefour that I didn’t check the list I had on my phone, taking two, since they were small and seemed good. Then, when the self-checkout didn’t accept the radishes as the correct product and the employee went to help other customers after I raised my hand, I took one of the bundles off the scales and saw that it worked that way, so I just continued, using the voucher received for “my” recyclables to cover almost the entire amount and holding on to that found one.
After arranging the purchases, the closing announcement coming as I did so, I put them in a cabinet when I reached Carrefour, entered the store when it was almost 8:40 PM, and saw that the bakery discounts were already made, so I took two of those nicer baguettes, even if one was torn, plus a bread and two apple circles, and then added two expiring products, also at half price. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet and arranged everything properly… And it was only while I was waiting for the metro that I checked the list on my phone again and saw that the cabbage had been 20% more expensive at Kaufland than it should have been at Carrefour, but I hadn’t even “registered” that when I checked the list while I was there, and hadn’t looked at cabbages. And after getting back I checked and saw that the discount from Kaufland had just been the regular one. Either way, I grabbed some more recyclables on the way back.
I initially got back right at 10 PM, but after just putting those two other products from Carrefour in the fridge and eating watermelon and a bag of corn puffs with powdered milk, I dashed to the nearby Mega Image as well, hoping to see bakery discounts, since it was just after 10:30 PM by then. But there were none, so I just grabbed another recyclable and came back just before 10:40 PM… And then I took a long time to select the handful of usable radish leaves before cleaning the litter box and going to drop a bag of trash down the chute, so I could have gone to Mega Image at that point, in case the discounts would have been made later, but I didn’t feel like going again after having already checked it once, especially after a cashier had been outside and had quite clearly seen me grab that recyclable from the bin. Either way, it was just after 11:35 PM when I went to the bathroom, basically wasting time on the toilet and then showering with water that was still well below skin temperature, and a little after 12:20 AM when I was done, after which I also did the day’s squats, to warm up a little… And while I did them I realized that I had forgotten to buy some of that vitamin tea, since I had stupidly not added it on the list, thinking that I’ll definitely remember, so I had to do without it. But at least I had a pretty normal night after that.

I also slept well, finally, obviously also thanks to being alone. I did get up to pee a number of times, but I always got right back to sleep, so I got eight hours before the last time that happened, at 2:10 PM. And in fact I got right back to sleep at that point as well, but I wasn’t so utterly exhausted anymore and I started alternating between being asleep and awake, so I just added some brief naps before starting to feel a need to pee again and deciding to get up, though I took it slowly, so I was awake for a while before finally getting up, at 4:22 PM… And minutes later there was some drilling, so it worked out well, and it’s so great that they waited until that hour. And late in the evening I slept for at least another hour, maybe a little more.

Since I had made a second tea before that nap, I drank it while working on dinner, in the early hours of September 8, and after finishing it I made the one that I meant to take with me during the run. And after dinner, when I put peanut butter on all of the slices of bread, I’d have wanted to shaved as well, but I found myself needing to rush to the toilet instead, which was a serious reason for concern in itself, and it left me rather weakened and with some abdominal pain and led to getting in bed at 5:30 AM. But at least I cleared what was in my intestines, and then I slept until the alarm rang, at 3:30 PM, waking up a number of times and peeing on some of those occasions, but the first such moment was the only one when I didn’t get right back to sleep, since I checked something on the computer and then Liza went to the litter box twice, waking me back up just as I was falling asleep again.
After getting up, I put the tea made at night into the plastic reusable bottle and a smaller plastic bottle that I could actually carry in the running belt, made another tea, ate another one of those imported bio (organic) Gala apples and a really nice yogurt with cereals, raw almonds, and raisins in milk chocolate, even if all of these things put in it were expired, and took one of those pills against gas. Then I dug out another batch of those nicer biscuits, also expired but “only” since the end of July, rearranging some of the munchies from my room when I put back what I took out to reach them, and after cleaning the litter box I finally shaved. Then I just finished reading a newspaper while sitting on the toilet, which was less of a concern in itself after having emptied everything before going to bed, but the weird noises in my abdomen showed that something was still going on. So, after also taking a supplement of another kind, albeit also expired, I put a Smecta in some of the new tea and drank it, hoping that it’ll be enough despite the way things once again started to move around in my abdomen as soon as I drank that tea. Either way, I then ate two of those biscuits as well, with quite a lot of added honey, took another pill against gas, and left at 7:25 PM, wearing the full running gear, but with the t-shirt from the marathon of 2023 and the better shoes, plus one armband and the running belt, with the slip of paper with the emergency information, two expired protein bars, and a vial of liquid magnesium, also expired, in the pocket of my tights, a Smecta Go, some garlic, some napkins, and the small bottle of tea in the running belt, and the larger bottle in my hand. The reported temperature was about 26°C, but it dropped to 19°C by the time I finished.
The time was 3:26:51, with lap times of 16:48, 17:39, 18:03, 18:39, 19:09, 18:15, 18:14, 18:57, 19:43, 21:33 and 19:51. I wanted 17 minutes per lap on the first three laps and the first one was all right, but then I thought that I had been a minute faster than I actually was on lap two, so I slowed down on lap three, initially thinking that I had paced myself just right… Only to then realize that I had actually been a minute slower than I thought on both lap two and three! And then I couldn’t recover the time lost at the start of lap four, so on lap five I started calculating and it seemed like I had no chance to even get under 3:30. But it was awfully early, so I forced myself to wait a while longer, and after lap six it seemed that I had done just enough to give myself a chance, which remained the case after lap seven. But I still didn’t think that I could obtain the required times from then on… Until I saw that I actually just made it on lap eight. I hadn’t hit the wall, however, so the question was what I’ll do once that happens, the answers starting to come in the later part of lap nine and being good enough that, at the start of lap ten, it finally seemed like I could at least get under 3:30 after all. And losing a whole lot of time on that lap didn’t change things, because I could afford it, so at the start of lap 11 the target became to get under 3:29 and I just went for it, ending up two minutes faster than that… But still 13 seconds slower than the first time I covered this distance, not to mention 8:44 slower than my personal best, which makes this the worst relevant time, not counting the awful ones from 2020 and 2023. And that last lap is the second best lap 11, nothing like the 18:10 from 2021 but the only other one not just under 20 minutes, but under 21 as well.
As usual for this run, I had to stop for a few seconds in order to see the time on every lap between the fourth and the tenth, but while on lap three I managed to see it without stopping and on the last lap I didn’t really try, since it was going to still be displayed at the end, going out so late meant that I had to make such a stop at the start of lap two as well. And on lap four I actually stopped twice, needing to look again to believe that I had been so slow after realizing that I had miscalculated the times for laps two and three. And that was added to the 30 seconds or so that I also lost at the start of lap four, when I drank a part of the larger bottle, deciding to split its contents into three, so I lost pretty much the same time on lap six and it was probably similar on lap eight as well, though I didn’t actually check. However, eating a bar at the start of lap five led to losing over a minute, and maybe closer to one and a half. I lost less, maybe under a minute, on lap nine, when I ate the other one, though I’m pretty sure that it was also on lap nine when I made another brief stop, not wanting to risk something else coming out when I released some gas. But the biggest loss of time was on lap ten, when I decided to take the napkins out of the running belt and put them in the pocket of the tights before taking the small bottle out, drinking all of it, and then putting it back, but didn’t also take the liquid magnesium out of the pocket at the same time, so I closed that zipper again and then stopped once more to open it and take out that vial when I decided to drink it, after the long straight of that lap’s sector two, so a total loss of time approaching two minutes wouldn’t surprise me, though I didn’t actually check.
Most of the problems caused by people aren’t really worth mentioning when speed was not the goal, but there were some, mainly on the first four and a half laps, since by the end of lap five the park was clearing. There were still some people, and plenty of runners, all the way to the end, and there were a few lesser issues after that point as well, but the notable ones were earlier, and I clearly remember that I briefly stopped twice right on the first long straight, the first time being when a guy on a bicycle rushed down from another path and almost ran into me, and I believe the second time was when I was cut off twice, by two kids rushing across the path from one side and two adults walking across it from another. And it was early on another lap when I briefly stopped twice more, but I’m not sure whether it was on lap four or five anymore, and the causes are less clear in my mind, though I remember that the first moment was under the bridge. And there was something on the long straight of sector two at one point, possibly because of a kid on a bicycle who turned in front of me, and another moment when a dog seemed to start to rush towards me before being pulled back, but I really can’t recall when those happened, and it is likely that at least one was after lap five. On the other hand, I overtook another runner on the first lap and he stayed behind me for a while, before overtaking me again by the end of the lap and gradually pulling ahead over the first part of lap two, though by the end of the lap I seemed to be slowly catching up to him again, before he suddenly seemed to vanish.
The abdominal pain was still there when I started the run and it continued for quite a number of laps before seeming to fade, though that might have been because I had worse things to deal with by then. And a certain pressing need first appeared on lap two, and while it fortunately turned out to be mainly gas, I struggled to hold everything in for a couple of laps before a few burps led me to dare releasing some more through the other end as well and confirm it, the issue no longer being particularly notable after that. And the occasional pain radiating from my back also remained manageable whenever it appeared. On the other hand, the right shoe once again rubbed that big toe, as it tends to happen with those shoes, and the feeling got worse as time passed, while that knee suddenly went from giving some occasional warnings to feeling like it was basically failing at 21 km, and my left ankle felt the same, at exactly the same time, so I had to push through that, though things seemed to get somewhat better after a while… Until I hit the wall, which was at about 27.5-28 km, though the worse pain came some three kilometers later, and the liquid magnesium, which I drank shortly after that, didn’t really seem to help. Admittedly, I probably drank it too late, and it might have helped in terms of how I felt, because things never got particularly bad, pushing past the wall usually feeling way worse, but considering how much time I lost on lap ten, I’d say that, despite pushing with everything I had left, lap 11 wasn’t better in terms of actual running time, and in fact it might have even been worse. The fact that the wind, which had been basically absent until then, suddenly picked up at the start of that lap might have had a little to do with it, but it couldn’t have had much of an effect, since it died back down after a little while.

After stopping at a bench for a few quick stretching exercises, I grabbed a few recyclables and had a quick look in the nearby Mega Image, initially getting back at 11:30 PM. But I did want something to add to what I meant to make for dinner and nothing suitable was left at the nearby Mega Image, so after washing some blood off those toes from my left foot, changing my shoes, dropping off what I didn’t need and grabbing some money and bags, I left again, just before 11:45 PM, going to the non-stop Mega Image that’s close to the metro station… And at one point catching what felt like a large spiderweb, even if a woman was just a couple of steps away, with her dogs. And since moments later I felt an itch and after getting back I saw a bite in that spot, I assume that the spider came along with it, and was understandably not pleased. Either way, I eventually even jogged a little, since as far as I knew the discounted bakery products only remained like that until midnight. And, while it wasn’t what I was actually looking for, I did find something usable there, so I grabbed it… But when I reached the checkout, the cashier and the guard were rushing to buy some things for themselves, to make use of a discount that ended at midnight, yet when I said that my product also stopped being discounted at midnight, the cashier said that it didn’t… And when she did scan it, she just took 1 RON, handing the 0.50 RON coin back and saying that it wasn’t needed, though the price should have been 1.48 RON, and she didn’t give me a receipt, so I wonder if she had made up for making me wait and possibly actually miss the discount. Either way, she also commented that my hands were freezing and that my blood pressure must be low, so I said that I had just ran 35 km and was just crushed. And on the way back I took it easy and grabbed some recyclables and a carton.
I was back for good just before 12:25 AM, and after cleaning the litter box again and going to drop a bag of trash down the chute, I tried but failed to wash the stain left on the t-shirt by the running belt. And then I ate an expired bag of peanuts, getting some 950 calories just from that, while spending some time on the computer, also drinking some of the remaining tea and a small part of an apple juice kept for a long time just for this day… And at 1:55 AM I went to the bathroom, just leaving a little in the toilet and then showering with water that was basically cold, only slightly less so than what came on the cold water pipe, needing to leave it running for a few seconds to notice a difference when I actually switched to check. Either way, I was done a little after 2:30 AM, and then I also did the day’s squats, heated and drank the remaining tea, and then boiled the rest of that juice, drinking it after it cooled sufficiently, so I finished it just before dinner. But until then I fixed lunch and ate it, on and off, between 3:35 AM and 4:35 AM, washed what I had left in the kitchen, dealt with my remaining bread, and also took one of those expired supplements for immunity. And I ate dinner between 5:30 AM and 6:45 AM, since I also wrote some notes about the day and eventually felt so awfully stuffed that the last part took a really long time. But I couldn’t wait for that to digest, so I got in bed at 7:15 AM, after using cream on my feet, at which point I saw that a blister was forming where the shoe had rubbed me. And it was so frustrating that the water was quite hot at that hour, likely good enough for a bath!

Rather surprisingly, I could even sleep. I did wake up quite a number of times, and also went to pee on a couple of those occasions, though I probably only actually needed to the first time, but I also kept getting back to sleep quickly, except towards the end, and then I was awake for a while before getting up, several minutes after 2 PM… And seeing that my computer wanted to reboot to install an update, which was quite a shock, since it’s not enrolled for extended updates. But the update in question seemed to be the one that likely allows the updates to be extended for another year, and nothing seemed wrong after rebooting, so I did my best to shrug it off. And then I crushed some bread that dad had left until it completely dried and then wouldn’t eat anymore, even if it wasn’t moldy, since I wanted to at least try to give it to some birds, and at 5:50 PM I went out, taking that bread, the recyclables with the deposit symbol, and the plastic and metal, which I dropped in a recycling bin on the way. And when I got to the park I looked for ducks and scattered those breadcrumbs in the water when I saw some, and they did seem to eat them.
I grabbed a few more recyclables and cartons on the way to Supeco and found a plastic bottle there that was just right for a label that I had, so I placed it on it and put it in the machine along with all the others, splitting on two vouchers. Then I put the cartons and the large backpack in a cabinet and, while I didn’t find the shaving foam for dad which had been the main reason to go there, I bought a few things, including a cabbage from there as well, that lower price which had been at Carrefour until the day before still applying there that day. And then I cashed in one voucher received for the recyclables and used the other, arranged the purchases… And noticed that the cabinet wouldn’t open, and I knew I had accidentally hit a key without meaning to when I wanted to put in the code again, after it had failed to lock the first time, and had decided to use a simple code, starting with that one, but the key I had hit might not have been the one I thought. But I just told the guard that the door wouldn’t open and she opened it for me, so I retrieved what I had there.
I had just grabbed one more recyclable by the time I got back to Penny Titan, but then I found three more left in the bin that’s in front of the entrance, and when I looked inside I saw that the machine wasn’t working, so I took those as well and put my things in a cabinet that didn’t lock, just buying an expiring product for dad and letting the next person in line use the store card as well, since he asked. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet and slowly made my way to that Mega Image that closes at 10 PM, getting there just after 8:50 PM even so, putting the recyclables in the machine and everything else in a cabinet… And just wasting some time, since there was no sign even of bakery discounts about to be made, and I couldn’t see any products that might have been discounted by 90%, so I eventually just cashed in the voucher received for the recyclables, retrieved what I had in the cabinet, and continued to that Penny, once again putting my things in a cabinet and using a glove to get two cheap buns, with the evening discount from there, before retrieving them. And on the way back I grabbed a few more recyclables and cartons, had a quick look in Carrefour Express, entering with everything, and put the recyclables in the machine from the nearby Mega Image, once again entering with everything and just cashing in the voucher.
I got back a little before 10 PM, and after cleaning the litter box and going to drop a bag of trash down the chute I had a pretty normal evening and night, so I’ll just mention that, while that hot water which I had noticed during the day was gone, it was nevertheless not that much below skin temperature when I took a shower, between 11:30 PM and 11:50 PM. But I still did the day’s squats after that. And, while I was obviously tired, I felt surprisingly all right, and in fact that had even been the case the previous night, compared to how I felt after the previous such long runs, which likely means that I didn’t push as hard as I should have.

When I got up to pee, at 7:25 AM, the water was hot again… But apparently not for long, since I got woken up again a little after 9:15 AM, when dad fed Liza, and the temperature seemed to have sharply dropped again. Either way, I stayed on the computer until some time after dad left, getting back in bed at 10:10 AM, and while it took me a while to get back to sleep, I eventually did, waking up again around 1:30 PM or so, since some time passed before I checked, seeing 1:38 PM, and decided to pee again. And then I had another nap, but I don’t know how long it was and after that there was a period of drifting in and out before remaining awake for some time, so it was close to 4:15 PM when I got up for good, but I couldn’t really say how much more sleep I got. On the other hand, in the morning I ended up taking it too easy and getting in bed at 5:20 AM.

It does seem that there’s a point in the morning when the water is hot, because I got up to pee just before 7:20 AM and it burned! It didn’t last, however, and just over two hours later, when I went again, it was quite cold again. Either way, I got woken up again when dad fed Liza, just after 10:20 AM, at which point I changed, though I then noticed that Liza had just peed a little. On the other hand, after talking to dad about it I decided against trying to take his headphones to be serviced that afternoon, since I had to put them in something but he had thrown away their packaging and we didn’t really have a box of that size around, yet he said that he could bring one or two from grandmother’s, since he was going back there. So I just got on the computer, only changing back and getting back in bed at noon… But I couldn’t get back to sleep, wasting almost an hour before finally deciding to read some more, and it was several minutes after 2 PM when I once again tried to get back to sleep, finally managing it after a while. However, a little after 3:30 PM I woke up once more, and while I got back in bed after peeing again, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to try to get some more sleep or not… Which only ensured that I didn’t, yet I only managed to make myself get up for good at 4:40 PM. And I only went to the kitchen at 6 PM, at which point I found pretty good water again, albeit nothing like in the morning, so I wanted to wash, but it was past 7 PM when I finally went to the bathroom, and I used the toilet first, and by the time I was done the water was barely lukewarm… And even that was just what was left in the pipe, so I ended up taking another quick shower with water that was only marginally less cold than what came from the cold water pipe.

Today I got woken up at 7:45 AM by the computer fans spinning up again, and when I checked I saw higher temperatures and power use, the only likely culprit being several MilkyWay@home tasks which had just started minutes earlier, so it may be a matter of higher use at certain points, maybe early during processing. Either way, I then went to pee, finding that the water was still cold, and at 8 AM I got back in bed, the reason for the next time I woke up being the dermatitis acting up again, so when I went to pee I also washed that area a little at the sink, the water that initially seemed at least good enough for a shower just being what was left on the pipe, because the temperature dropped sharply within seconds. I think that it was a little after 9:30 AM when that happened, but I’m not quite sure. What’s clear is that I got a good chunk of sleep after that, only waking up again around 1:10 PM or so, since I stayed in bed a little longer before checking and seeing 1:16 PM. And after peeing once more I got another hour of sleep, split in two, and since the second nap was brief and I felt that they were only going to get shorter after that, if I could even still sleep at all, I then decided to get up, though it was over half an hour until I actually did so, when it was past 3:15 PM. And then I did the backups and meant to start taking the supplements, so I’ll take them for 30 days… But when I checked, I found that I didn’t have any of the iron left, and only five pills of the one with magnesium and potassium, the one for joints being the only one that I have more than enough of. So I just started taking what I have, meaning that I’ll have to get more of the one with magnesium and potassium quickly, and take the iron for less time, starting after I’ll get some.

On August 30, I got woken up around 10:15 AM, when dad got up, and after a couple of minutes I changed, cleaned the litter box, and then got on the computer until after dad left, changing back and getting back in bed right at noon. And then I could continue to sleep well, so I had some seven hours by the time I got up to pee, just after 3 PM, but I was still awfully sleepy, so I decided to get back in bed once more and caught another nap, though I was awake for a little while by the time I got up for good, just before 4:10 PM. And then I ate watermelon and lunch, shaved, and left at 7:10 PM, with just a recyclable with the deposit symbol emptied by dad, plus that one that isn’t being accepted.
I walked to Obor, picking up a few recyclables on the way and putting them in the machine from Kaufland, that one still not being accepted, so I put the bag with it, along with the large backpack which I had also taken with me, in a cabinet, washed my hands, and entered the store just before 8 PM, finding the bakery area almost cleared but taking two products that I meant to use as bread, even if they were really hard, which was most probably why they were left despite the 85% discount. Then, after grabbing an expiring product and some spoiling packaged radishes that had that same discount, I made use of great evening discounts for some carrots, plenty of grapes, and just one onion, since the onions were really bad and I had picked from the crates of scattered grapes until just before closing time, so I couldn’t try to find more usable ones. Either way, I went to the self-checkout just after the closing announcement, needed to call over the employee because those bakery products weren’t accepted, and she checked them before overriding the error, also used the voucher received for the recyclables, and then retrieved what I had in the cabinet and arranged everything before going to Carrefour.
I did try that recyclable in the machine from there as well, but it still didn’t work, and after washing my hands again, at which point I also confirmed that something had bitten me around the collarbone, I put my things in a cabinet and entered the store just after 8:50 PM, seeing that the 50% bakery discounts had already been made and just taking one bread and, eventually, a sweet pastry. But the watermelons had a good price again, and I actually found one that wasn’t awfully big and sounded like it might just be all right, so I took it, along with some garlic, which was listed as being Romanian and had a surprisingly good regular price, and some roes, with the regular discount those had. And then, after waiting in a small line to use the last self-checkout that accepted cash and hadn’t been closed yet, pretty much ignoring the employee who told me that there were free regular checkouts and to go to one of those instead, I retrieved what I had in the cabinet, took my time to arrange everything, putting the watermelon and anything else that I didn’t worry might be squashed by it in the large backpack, and on the way back I filled a bag with recyclables, plus two cartons, and washed my hands a little at two points, using some sprinklers and then a drinking fountain.
It was just after 10:50 PM when I got back, with just about 15 kg. And there didn’t seem to be anything to clean in the litter box at that point, so after putting some of the purchases in their place I took my shoes and clothes off… Only for Liza to take a crap just after I did that, and she didn’t even bother to bury it, so I scooped it up, but left the bag there. And then, since I hadn’t quite finished that day’s post before leaving, I rushed to do that, just managing it before midnight, after which I ate a large doughnut, with added jam, spent some more time on the computer, and it was almost 12:45 AM when I went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and shower with water that was still well below body temperature but seemed to approach it a little more by the time I was done. Either way, I was out just before 1:25 AM, and then I did the day’s squats and put the remaining purchases in their place, also washing the cast iron pot, which was still in the sink, and the watermelon, trying to sort the radishes and grapes, and eating some of the grapes. And I managed to soften those bakery products well enough to be able to use them as bread, eating dinner between 4:20 AM and 5:05 AM. I got in bed at 6:25 AM, after putting some medicinal alcohol on that bite, and I was alone and could sleep pretty well, getting right back to sleep after the few times I got up to pee, until I got to a total of some six and a half hours or so, after which I was just getting brief naps, alternating between being asleep and awake, and a little before 3:30 PM I got on the computer, initially meaning to get back to bed but then changing my mind and staying up.

Since the security certificate for MilkyWay@home was apparently allowed to expire on August 30 and the short deadline had made me only keep tasks for a few days, on September 1, by the time I got woken up as dad was getting ready to leave, a few minutes before 11 AM, the CPU was no longer fully in use, and I couldn’t fall back to Asteroids@home either, since it also seemed to have issues, returning 403 errors. So I tried to get back to World Community Grid, for Africa Rainfall Project, but it seemed to have no CPU tasks available, which eventually made me fall back to Einstein@Home. It wasn’t an option on the old computer because of the high RAM use, but I can afford the RAM on this one and I was down to ten MilkyWay@home tasks by that point, so I had to do something. The issue is that caused increased temperatures and power use, and also fan speeds, which could get noisy, and I wanted to sleep some more, but after stepping out of my room when I heard dad about to leave and then cleaning up a little after him, I spent a little more time on the computer and then left things as they were, setting the alarm to ring at 2:30 PM and getting back in bed a few minutes before noon… But between the varying fan speeds and, even more so, the concerns that there may be issues, I remained awake for a long time, and when I did finally catch some more sleep it was only in the form of a few brief and agitated naps. Plus that a little after 1:45 PM I got up to pee again, and just before 2:10 PM there was a loud jingle from somewhere. Still, I remained in bed until the alarm rang, and then I checked and found that the CPU’s power use was going up to 60W, even if it should be restricted to 45W, and the temperature was approaching 70°C, which I definitely didn’t like, even if it should still be safe in itself.
Either way, the plan was to run that day, so I then ate another one of those imported bio (organic) apples and a mix of the usual cereals and some more of those fried, slightly sweetened and “smoke-flavored” almonds from an expired snack put in the yogurt which was also expired, and the two nicer biscuits, with added honey, which I had as the sweet thing, were the last of those which had expired at the end of 2025. On the other hand, I left way too little in the toilet, and then I also cleaned the litter box and left at 4:50 PM, wearing the full running gear and one armband. The reported temperature was 32-33°C, and 31-32°C when I finished.
The time was 1:18:53, with sector times of 4:27.01, 5:00.72, 5:52.09, 4:24 (4:23.78), 4:59.16, 5:48 (5:47.37), 4:30.66, 5:06.00, 6:08 (6:07.62), 4:43 (4:42.60), 5:22.22, 6:09, 4:51, 5:28 and 6:06, making for lap times of 15:19.82, 15:11 (15:10.31), 15:44.28, 16:14 and 16:25. There were moments when I considered giving up on looking at the exact times even while they were still displayed, since I was getting confused about them, and after the run I realized that I couldn’t remember the one for sector two of lap three, but I eventually figured everything out, and I’m almost certain that the issue with that sector’s time is because the hundredths were the same as at the end of the previous sector, so there should be no reason for any question marks. And the first two laps do deserve the exact times being listed, even more so when I was thinking that, between the heat and the fact that this was a 16 km run coming between a half marathon distance and the long practice run planned for next week, I should probably reward myself if I’ll even stay under 1:20. But sector two of lap one was surprisingly fast, the lap as a whole was also better than expected, and while I was almost certain that I’ll fail to stay under 15:30 on lap two as well, I actually got even faster. I had pretty much exhausted myself, however, so the idea that I might actually get under 1:18 went away after lap three, and the first two sectors of lap four made me think that I’ll even go over 1:19. That was still better than I initially expected, but it’d have felt like a failure at that point, so I pushed on sector three of lap four and did just enough to give myself a chance… Which chance seemed to just about evaporate after the first two sectors of lap five. But there was still a sliver of hope and I really gave everything on the last sector, making it by a safe margin.
At the end of sector two of lap two, under the bridge, I slowed when I caught up to that family with the kid who pushes around that wheel, which may be a toy unicycle… Only for them to stop and for the kid to suddenly turn around and almost trip me with that wheel, so I had to react quickly and avoid it. And on sector three of lap three I hesitated and once again had to react quickly to avoid a cyclist when we found ourselves heading towards each other in a turn. On the other hand, another runner helped me push on sector three of lap four, and to some extent also on sector one of lap five, since he stayed right behind me for a while after I overtook him, and then he overtook me again and slowly pulled ahead until after the long straight of sector one, when he stopped. But moments later, also on sector one of lap five, I had to slow and stay behind a group until two kids on scooters who were rushing in from the opposite direction passed through the only free spot. And at the start of the next sector I stopped for a couple of seconds because my eyes wouldn’t focus on the time, while on that sector’s long straight I hesitated and might have briefly stopped when a little girl who was riding a scooter was called over, I guess by her mother, and she turned around right in front of me.
Otherwise, the humidity was particularly low, and while it’s usually bad when it’s too high when it’s hot, this was an issue as well and I felt how dry my mouth and nose were getting. And there were some gusts to fight later on, mainly on the last two laps, though I seem to remember something on lap three as well. As for physical issues, both of my hips gave some warnings just after I started running, but those went away quickly, the serious problem being how much I pushed on the first two laps, which led to struggling to just keep it together on lap three, and by sector three I was starting to feel out of it, that feeling worsening and my hands starting to tingle pretty early on lap four, so from then on it was a matter of getting to the end while keeping the loss of time in check. But at least my legs only started to burn on sector three of lap five.

After picking up a few recyclables and quickly checking the nearby Mega Image on the way back, I ate a lot of watermelon and lunch, changed, and left again a little before 9:30 PM, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol, a small bag of trash, which I dropped down the chute, and the cartons, which I put in the machine from that Mega Image. And then I also tried to put that can that wasn’t being accepted into that other machine from there, which takes more recyclables at once, and on top of spitting it back out, it rather crushed it as well, so when the machine from Kaufland still didn’t accept it either, I left it there. But it accepted everything else, including what I had picked up on the way, and I split them on two vouchers.
After washing my hands, both at the men’s and in the room for disabled people but just with water, since there was no soap in either, I entered the store just after 10:10 PM… And saw that grapes were even cheaper than they had been two days earlier, so I got some more, though much less than then, plus two bundles of radishes that had a great evening discount as well. Then I added some soy that had a regular discount, some expiring falafel that was discounted by 55%, and one of those cheap yogurts, and was making my way to the self-checkouts when the closing announcement came. I used one of the vouchers received for the recyclables and kept the second one, without cashing it in at that point, and after washing my hands once more in the room for disabled people, it was past 10:35 PM when I walked away.
I grabbed a couple more recyclables on the way to the Mega Image that closes at 11 PM, then put my things in a cabinet that I didn’t lock and bought two products that were discounted by 90%, one of them being a high-protein pudding, also using the voucher received for those cartons but not making a point of waiting for the receipt when the cashier didn’t hand it to me right away. And after retrieving what I had in the cabinet I once again put everything in one when I returned to that non-stop Mega Image, but I had nothing to get from there, so I then just retrieved my things and grabbed some more recyclables on the way back.
It was close to 11:45 PM when I got back, and then I cleaned the litter box and went to drop another small bag of trash down the chute, put a few of the purchases in their place, ate that high-protein pudding, washed a few things that were in the sink, and at 12:35 AM I went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and shower with water that was similar to what I had two days earlier, so still below but eventually approaching skin temperature. I was done just after 1:20 AM, and then I did the day’s squats, spent some time on the computer, also using LibreHardwareMonitor to find some fan speed settings that kept them quiet while also keeping the temperatures almost as well in check as when they varied automatically, and went back to the kitchen at 1:50 AM… But that was just to split an expired bag of salty pretzels, putting two thirds in something else and leaving one third to munch on while working on dinner, and then I came back and took some time to get all of the munchies from my room back in their place, though I didn’t also arrange them properly. Either way, it was actually 2:30 AM when I really got back to the kitchen, and then I put the remaining purchases in their place, looked for the few usable radish leaves and boiled them a little in order to add them in the salad, dealt with that bread bought two days earlier, and finally ate dinner between 5:20 AM and 6:05 AM. I got in bed at 7:10 AM, after using cream on my feet.

I got woken up at 9:30 AM, when dad fed Liza, and got on the computer, getting back in bed at 10:45 AM but needing a long time to get back to sleep. Still, once I did, I could sleep until just after 2:05 PM, when I went to pee, checked the computer, raised the fan speeds a little, since the CPU temperature was around 70°C, and then could get back to sleep quickly, waking up again just before 3:55 PM and deciding to get up. And then I saw that the issues with Asteroids@home had been resolved and I downloaded some work from there as well, BOINC immediately switching to those tasks… Which resulted in higher temperatures, and also voltages, but since I had downloaded them I decided to let them run, raising the fan speeds even more, above what I saw that the default settings resulted in, since the noise was no longer an issue. But later I saw that the MilkyWay@home issue had finally been resolved, so I aborted the Asteroids@home tasks which hadn’t been started yet, and after the running ones were finished I restored the default fan controls, though there were those started Einstein@Home tasks left as well, so the temperatures remained higher than usual until they were also finished, a little after 12:30 AM. On the other hand, when I took the clothes out of the washing machine in the evening I saw that a rivet had broken, the head being inside, and as far as I can tell that led to the old one breaking down, so I told dad that we should try to get it repaired right away, but he pretty much brushed it off.

On September 3, I got up to pee at 8:50 AM, and while I got back in bed, minutes later dad woke up and fed Liza, and then she went to the litter box, and then he fed her again, at which point I saw that it was 9:19 AM, so I’m thinking that I dozed off at some point, since it didn’t seem like so long had passed, but that nap, if it existed at all, couldn’t have lasted more than mere moments. Either way, I then changed, cleaned the litter box, and got on the computer, checking and noticing that there had been an error with an Einstein@Home task, the output file apparently missing. When I checked the logs, I saw that it had been reported as completed at the exact same time as another, and it was the last among those received if sorted by name, or at least the last one listed in the project’s job log file was before it, as there was no entry for that one there. Either way, I spent some more time on the computer after dad left… And then I realized that I was too awake to get back in bed, so I played some more Final Fantasy III, only changing back and getting back in bed at 11:45 AM. But then I slept well for a while, before eventually finding myself drifting in and out and, at 3:45 PM, deciding to pee again, just in case it’d help. But it didn’t seem to, so while I only got up for good at 5:45 PM, I was probably awake for most of those two hours, and when I did fall asleep I didn’t stay asleep for long.

On September 4, it wasn’t even 6:15 AM, so I had just been sleeping for a little while, when the upstairs neighbor’s dogs woke me with a start, and then there were plenty of barely muffled noises, so I’m not sure what she was doing, but I couldn’t get back to sleep, and after wasting some 40 minutes I decided to read, doing so for an hour before peeing again and getting back under the sheet just before 7:55 AM. And at least I could sleep after that, also getting right back to sleep when I got up to pee again, or when I was woken up by an SMS from my provider, only being awake for a little while before getting up for good, a little after 3:15 PM.

On September 5, my cousin from my father’s side was coming to start working on the balcony, and in general on what was to do after the building was retrofitted, and had told dad that he could be here around 9:30 AM, so I managed to get right back to sleep after the two times I got up to pee by then, meaning that I could even get a short third nap before Liza scraped around in the litter box for minutes and woke me again a little after 9 AM, but at that point I got up, changed, cleaned the litter box, and then arranged some things and talked to dad for a while, getting back in my room and on the computer just after 10 AM, since my cousin had called to say that he was actually going to be here around that time… But I should have tried to catch another nap instead, because he only came at 11 AM. As it was, I only changed back into pajamas and got back in bed a little after 11:30 AM, after they left to get what was still needed, and it took me a while to get back to sleep, so I might have gotten another hour at best by the time they got back, several minutes after 1 PM, at which point I got back on the computer, only getting what should have been pretty close to two more hours of sleep late in the evening. And since the handball match was on a TV station that requires the CI+ card, so I couldn’t watch it on the computer, and I couldn’t get myself to go to the kitchen to do so while my cousin was here, I ate there at night, to watch the recorded broadcast.

Back when a bundle of X-rated games were given away on GOG.com in reaction to Steam and itch.io bowing down to the threats of the major credit card companies to block transactions unless they remove many such titles, apparently following a campaign led by an Australian activist group, I grabbed it and thought that a few of the titles could actually be interesting, or at least playable enough to allow me to finally get a direct impression of what some of the better games in this genre are like. I mean, I firmly support their existence and lash out vehemently against attempts to censor sexuality in general, but the only games I played which may be somewhat considered as being in this category weren’t that explicit to begin with and I played them 20 to more than 30 years ago, so there’s a huge difference in terms of what could be depicted.
However, Fetish Locator Week One was definitely not among those that seemed interesting, but quite the contrary, one that I knew won’t be my thing at all. But, just because it seems to be one of the most, well, pornographic of the bunch, I still took it into consideration, and while I didn’t care for it to be even more so, meaning that I didn’t want the recent update that apparently added AI-generated voices and animations, that was actually what prompted me to go for it, not wanting to risk forgetting that I didn’t want that update and download it later. So I must note that I played it without that update and can’t say anything about what it changes, but I’m thinking that those who are actually interested in this sort of games may find it, well, useful. And, if not, the announcement states that those enhancements are optional.

To finally get to the game itself, I’ll say that I was initially preparing to be far more scathing. Yes, the name alone should make it clear what sort of game this is and that I’m not in its target audience, and I also have next to no interest in visual novels in general, but I’m sure that a whole lot more can be done within the confines of the genre. However, the first part of Fetish Locator Week One offers a story that’s little more than an excuse for the gratuitous, blatant porn scenes that make up pretty much all of the relevant moments, some being unavoidable even if you make use of the occasional choices to not play the game as intended. But those choices don’t include quite a number of times when the main character automatically does or says things I wouldn’t want him to. And there’s also the fact that he’s head over heels for someone from the beginning without any story or context being provided, and in fact without any actual contact with her being presented, so without any reason whatsoever for me to care… And, while that may be interesting if it’s actually on purpose, I’ll also point out that she’s one of the very few characters that don’t strike me as particularly attractive.
Yes, that means that the large majority of the characters actually look really nice, and not disproportionate or with that artificial look that plagues many games of this kind, which does matter for something like this. But what’s more important from my point of view is why I said that the criticisms listed above refer to the first part, and that’s because the game is split into two, by the party. Technically, the split comes just before it, when you need a certain amount of points to continue normally, but I’d say that a more appropriate place to make the separation would be what, from the point of view of the player character, is the end of the party. That’s when he makes himself noticed by Lydia in quite a dramatic fashion and she’s properly brought into the story, the way things develop with her after that being quite all right, and while for me it was rather too late, my attention being focused elsewhere by then, that’s also the moment when the entire purpose of the game seems to change. A number of topics are brought up, including some that you wouldn’t quite expect, you may start to have reasons to care for other characters and relationships, and the game actually starts to become somewhat interesting overall, revealing a proper plot and eventually hinting at developing in a manner that may make some steps towards the detective genre.
Admittedly, that only happens shortly before the end and remains only a hint, so I’m guessing that all of that gameplay, if it actually exists, was left for the following games in the series. But, if you do somehow find yourself sufficiently interested, you get the option to continue even if you didn’t play this one as intended and didn’t obtain the required points. There is a “game over” and a, well, quite literal splash screen if you fail the first goal and a few lines of text that describe a bad ending if you fail the second one, but you can simply choose to pretend that you succeeded, getting to the party in the first case and making a save that should carry over in the second. And I’ll also mention here that, on top of allowing saving at any point, the game lets you just “scroll” back directly, and it also autosaves whenever there is a choice, cycling between no less than six slots, which is a feature that many incomparably better and more complex games could use. However, there are moments when a single choice is presented, apparently in order to remain consistent with other choices made previously, so you have these methods of going back to change choices, but it seems that you’re not allowed to change your mind while going forward, which can be quite frustrating. And it also struck me as surprising that the last act, if you make the choice that leads to it, isn’t used for points… Even more so considering the partner.

In truth, even within the confines of a visual novel and despite a few redeeming qualities in the second part, there’s not that much to Fetish Locator Week One in itself. But the name alone should be a good enough indicator of what to expect and those who actually find themselves interested know just why that is and their enjoyment of it probably depends on how, and in fact whether, their particular fetishes are covered. And it also most likely means that they enjoy watching such content in this form rather than, or at least on top of, movies, so the fact that most characters actually look good should help. On the other hand, for those who just happened to stumble into it and consider trying it just to see what such games are like, I’ll say that it’s probably not a good place to start unless you actually mean to dive into something “stronger” right away and perhaps move on to, if I may use the term, classier ones later. Still, if you are just giving it a go in this manner, it helps that you don’t need to play it as intended and can choose to just get through it even if you avoid the fetishes that would bother you, or which you’d just rather not watch. And it does make an important point about reading the terms of service!

The gas still being off meant that I couldn’t boil carrots for the salad made in the early hours of August 19, but I only had a few anyway, so I made do without them. And then it took me quite a while to get to sleep, and it wasn’t even 7:30 AM when Liza woke me by spending minutes scraping around in the litter box, and she had left some awfully stinky shit there, so after peeing I changed and cleaned it again, after having also done so just before getting in bed, and then changed back. And after that I was waking up and going to pee at intervals of just under an hour and a half, and the dermatitis was also acting up again, the last time I got up in such a manner being just before 11:55 AM, so I then just caught another brief nap before 12:25 PM, when dad got back and I got up. And he was going to leave again a little after 2 PM, so there was no way to get back to sleep and I stayed up, shaving as well, the water being at least warm again, and then using the microwave to boil, or just about boil, water for the tea. And then I had the usual stuff, the apple being another one of those imported bio (organic) ones, and everything except, I guess, the apple and the honey added on two more of those nicer biscuits being expired… And the quantity of yogurt being reduced, since when I wanted to pour the little whey gathered on top into the sink, a good part of the yogurt came loose and fell along with it. Either way, I left at 4:25 PM, wearing the full running gear and one armband and with some things in the pocket of my tights. The reported temperature was about 28°C, and it should have pretty much held steady, but I couldn’t actually check and the sites that show past temperature disagree, displaying between 26°C and 30°C at 6 PM. Then again, that may also be seen as “about 28°C”, albeit with a larger margin.
The time was 1:19:41, with sector times of 4:33.14, 5:02.56, 5:56.15, 4:38 (4:37.16), 5:11.31, 6:07 (6:06.88), 4:38.75, 5:14.03, 6:12 (6:11.75), 4:42.12, 5:24.00, 6:17, 4:37, 5:10 and 6:00, making for lap times of 15:31.85, 15:56 (15:55.35), 16:04.53, 16:23 and 15:47. I once again checked the exact times for as long as they were displayed, but I seem to have gotten a little confused when it comes to sector three of lap three, which was a second faster in my mind. There is also a chance that the issue is with sector two, but I clearly remember being pleased that I covered that sector in less than the 5:15 that’s the target for a 16-minute lap, while in case of sector three I remember making a correction to the initial calculation, so while the possibility of wishful thinking causing me to make a mistake in case of sector two does exist, it seems more likely that the issue is with sector three and I’ll list the times accordingly, without even adding a question mark.
I just aimed to stay under 1:20, but that first sector was concerning, so I tried to make up for it over the next two, hoping to still cover the first lap in less than 15:30, and when I failed I thought I’ll have to settle for 1:21, if not even 1:22. That became even clearer when it seemed that I may already go over 16 minutes on lap two, and the fact that I eventually did enough to avoid that didn’t seem to change things too much. At least lap three wasn’t that much slower, which made me pretty confident that I’ll at least stay under 1:21 and think that I should actually aim for 1:20:30, but even though lap four’s sector times looked bad on their own, at the end of it I saw that if I could somehow manage to pretty much match lap three’s time on lap five, I’d squeeze under 1:20 after all. It seemed highly unlikely, but I once again wanted to at least know that I did my best, so I really went for it, the fact that the first sector wasn’t exactly promising making me give up on the idea of taking it just a little easier on the second in order to be able to push even harder on the third and just continuing to push as much as I still could. And that led to feeling that I was almost safe before the last sector, though being so exhausted meant that it was far from certain that I’ll make it. But I did, and by a huge margin, lap five ending up being less slow than any except the first.
The right hip bothered me at the beginning, though not for long, and it was also on the first sector when I slowed and stepped off the path because of a cyclist who came from the opposite direction through what was the only way through a roadblock. Then, at the start of the long straight of sector two, the irrigation system created a small stream that flowed across the path, and on the first lap I went through it and got a little wet, so on the next laps I tried to sort of hop over it. Back to physical issues, on sector one of lap two I had something of a headache, and while that passed, things got worse from the start of lap three, pain being reflected from my back, in my chest on sector one and in my shoulder on sectors two and three. And a pressing need also appeared on sector two of lap three, though it wasn’t a notable issue. But things got even worse on lap four, since on the first two sectors I felt some pain around my appendix and the warnings from the right knee also became notable. And on sector three of lap four I hesitated because of a cyclist and then had the one particularly notable problem caused by people, when a kid came running down the slope and only managed to stop right in front of me, forcing me to stop for what might have even been a couple of seconds. And on sector three of lap five, when I was giving everything, I had that feeling that my legs were being flooded, my body obviously wanting me to stop.

After the run, I sat on a bench and wrote the times and a few quick notes about the run on a slip of paper, and then used a drinking fountain to wash my hands and splash some water on my face and neck before making my way to Supeco, grabbing a few recyclables and a carton on the way. Then I put the recyclables in the machine from there, entered with the carton, and got something for dad, plus some potatoes, and also saw that the discounted price was still listed for some bagels, and while none of that specific kind seemed to still be available at first glance, there was an unopened box behind and under others and when I looked in it I found that it contained just that kind, so I took a bag… Only to be charged the full price at checkout, so after initially paying it I checked the receipt and told the guard about the problem, and after insisting that I had taken the correct product she asked me to come with her and saw that it was indeed the case, though she was quite surprised that I had managed to find that specific kind and dug around until she pulled out a bag as well. So she took the price label and the receipt to the cashier, who marked something on the receipt and gave me back the difference, though she then kept the receipt and I didn’t ask for it back.
After arranging the purchases, I made my way to Auchan Vitan, quickly checking two Profi locations for the bug spray that mother had asked me to look for, putting my things in cabinets that didn’t lock and then just retrieving them. However, since I also passed by Senic on the way and dad had just reminded me of that place by asking whether it really had good discounts, I decided to have a look, since I had never been there before, just knowing that it existed. But it closed at 9 PM, so I didn’t have much time, and as I rushed inside with everything, the guard told me to leave my things behind the checkouts, saying that most stores don’t have cabinets when I said that it was my first time there and I had looked for some and couldn’t see any. So, after another little exchange, I did as she said… And then I found that bug spray with a discount if you bought at least three, and while the price was still a little higher than it’d have been in other stores, I either couldn’t find that specific kind or needed an app for the discount to apply, so it was the best deal I could actually access and I took three. And then I also found that the fact that Supeco had been out of the carpet shampoo that mother had also asked me to look for was a really good thing, since it was much cheaper there, and the discount increased further if you took three, so I did. And then I meant to explore the place a little and see if I’ll find anything else, but it was barely 8:35 PM when an employee told me to hurry because they were closing, so I didn’t take much longer. And after I paid the cashier wondered out loud which receipt was mine, since the person who had been ahead of me hadn’t taken hers, seemed to find it, actually saying the total… But apparently gave me the other one, and I didn’t notice even when I retrieved my things and arranged the purchases.
I only had one recyclable and I think two cartons by the time I reached Auchan, so I put everything in a cabinet before peeing and washing my hands, and it was close to 9:10 PM when I entered the store, finding several of those whole wheat breads left, but they were all sliced, so I just got an expiring sweet thing, even if it was only discounted by 45%. And then I retrieved my things and continued to Kaufland, grabbing a few more recyclables and cartons, putting the recyclables in the machine and everything else in a cabinet, washing my hands, entering the store just after 10 PM, and making use of good evening discounts for a few bakery products, after asking what one of them was and then checking the ingredients on a price checker. I also took some expiring packaged breads, green onions with a great evening discount, and another expiring product with a good discount. I also took some supposedly spoiling packaged garlic, with a great discount, and reached the self-checkout several minutes before closing time, but the green onions weren’t accepted and the employee was helping everyone but me, and as I waited the coins which I had in a little bag got drawn to that magnet that’s there, so when she finally came I asked her to help with that as well, and she eventually managed to get the coins free, but tore the bag in the process. At least she also cleared the error, and she came faster when I needed her again, when two of the regular breads bought for dad weren’t accepted either. But that garlic wouldn’t scan and she said that it couldn’t be bought in that case, both of us exchanging a few words about it with the employee from fruits and vegetables, who was using the next machine. So I had to leave it there, and then I typed the code for the store card, retrieved my things, and arranged everything, both before walking out and after, so it was close to 10:50 PM when I walked away, gathering a few more recyclables on the way back.
I got back at 11:25 PM, seeing that I had carried just about 13 kg, but only having the bags which I had taken with me had made it seem so much worse. Either way, I had something to do that night, so I just put a few things in the fridge and then rushed to take a quick shower, the fact that one of my eyes really stung when I washed it making me even more convinced that there had really been an accidental puff of bug spray that got right in my face as I arranged the purchases before walking out of Kaufland. But something had also gotten in that eye while running, so there is a chance that the issue had been caused by that, and I couldn’t spend much time on it anyway, being done in about 20 minutes and then spending some time in my room… And also noticing that the tip of the pen which I had taken with me had slid out and poked at least one little hole in the pocket of my tights. But what was done was done, so I then went back and eventually put the purchases in their place, after also washing the bug sprays and the bottles of carpet shampoo, since I had placed them in the bag with the gathered recyclables. And then I ate a lot of watermelon and part of that sweet thing bought from Auchan and finished that bio (organic) milk before eating lunch, on and off, between 3:10 AM and 3:45 AM, and dinner between 5 AM and 5:35 AM. And then I went to the toilet, and it was 7:05 AM when I got in bed.

I got woken up by dad clinking Liza’s plate when he fed her at 10:30 AM, and after standing around a little I checked and saw that we had gas again, and then got on the computer until dad left, getting back in bed at 11:20 AM. And, while I did wake up a few more times and also went to pee once, I always got right back to sleep until just after 4:20 PM, when I checked the time, meant to do so again, and had probably just done it, or was at least just about to, when something falling upstairs woke me with a start, and apparently also caused me to move in a way that irritated that bite on my leg, which started itching badly, and I found myself unable to get back to sleep, so I eventually got up for good a couple of minutes before 5 PM. And when I checked I saw that the bite had also swollen in a manner that seemed rather concerning, so I put quite a lot of medicinal alcohol there and things eventually got better.

The following day I did wake up a few times before then as well, but always got right back to sleep until I got woken up again as dad was getting ready to leave, at which point I got up, just before 10:25 AM, and after exchanging a few words with him I got on the computer until after he left, getting back in bed at 11:20 AM. And when I woke up and saw that it was just before 2 PM I decided that I had just enough time to see whether I’ll find that bread if I go to Auchan earlier and still get back for the sprint qualifying, so I got up… And then I got worried, thinking that I felt the smell of something overheating around the fridge, and it was a hot day, so while I had that impression before and it was never an issue, I still turned it down until it stopped running, to give it a break, and it was 3:40 PM when I left, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol and the cartons.
I was going to Auchan, but after grabbing one more carton on the way I stopped at that Mega Image and split them on four vouchers as I put them in the machine, eventually giving up on the one that wasn’t accepted throwing in the bin, along with one of the bags used to carry the cartons. And then I grabbed a recyclable that didn’t have the symbol but which I thought would be right for a label that I had, yet after putting in all of the others I couldn’t get the machine from Auchan to accept it, so I removed that label again and dropped it in a bin. And then I washed my hands and went to check whether I could find any of that whole wheat bread unsliced at that earlier hour… But I still didn’t, and I even asked an employee whether any of it was left unsliced and she said no, since all of it had been sliced. So I was annoyed, but there was some with whole wheat and seeds left, and when I found that, even though the listed weight is 400 grams, two of those actually had about 500 grams, I bought them, along with a pumpkin, also using the voucher received for the recyclables. And then I arranged those purchases a little and walked out just before 5 PM, so I really had to hurry and mostly jogged back, albeit lightly and with a number of stops to switch things around, that pumpkin complicating matters and the fact that I picked up a few recyclables along the way making it even worse.
Still, I did just enough, getting back right at 5:30 PM. And then I put the few purchases in their place, cleaned the litter box and went to drop a small bag of trash down the chute, ate a lot of watermelon and a piece of that ice cream made by mother… And unsurprisingly had to rush to the toilet after that combination, so I did the day’s squats in the bathroom, between taking care of that issue and washing. And at night I made mamaliga. And after eating I noticed that I had left the paragraph about the issues I had during the August 3 run in the form of notes in that post, so I sorted out the matter, and before going to bed I used cream on my feet.

The mamaliga meant that I had to keep getting up to pee, but I always got right back to sleep, until 12:50 PM, when I moved the alarm which had been set to 1 PM and got up to watch the sprint race. And at 1:50 PM I got back in bed, leaving the alarm set to ring at 3:55 PM despite realizing that I had accidentally moved it there even though the qualifying for the main race started at 5 PM… And that probably played a part in having a harder time getting back to sleep and only catching a couple of naps that lasted mere moments before eventually getting up and moving the alarm to 4:55 PM, since I could take a longer nap after that, and after peeing once more there was one more shorter one before remaining awake for a while and eventually turning off the alarm and getting up at 4:50 PM. And later I did what I could to get the rust off the dish drying rack… And also installed and started Fetish Locator Week One, since it was part of that bundle of “adult” games given away by GOG.com and I knew it really wouldn’t be my thing, but now that it received a patch that added AI-generated voices and animations, greatly increasing the size, I didn’t want to end up deciding to give it a go after all at a later time and forget that I didn’t care for that new version and download it again.

On the morning of August 23, I was waking up every 1.5 to two hours, peeing and getting right back to sleep the first two times, but the third time there was some hammering and I remained awake for a while, lost in thoughts connected to the last dream I had, before deciding to pee again and then check something on the computer, getting back in bed right at noon. But it was harder to get back to sleep after that, I drifted in and out, and the dreams and thoughts made it hard to really know when I was asleep and when I was awake, and I only checked the time again at 2:48 PM, when it seemed that I had to go to the toilet for the other thing… Only for the feeling to pass as soon as I sat down, so after a few minutes I gave up and got back in bed a little. But it was clear that I was just wasting time, so it wasn’t even 3:25 PM when I got up for good. And then I ate lunch and left at 6:50 PM, with a small bag containing what I had gathered from the litter box that I dropped down the chute and the recyclables with the deposit symbol.
The machine from Penny wasn’t working, stating that no container was available, so I entered the store with the recyclables and bought what I wanted and an expiring product for dad, then arranged the purchases and continued to Kaufland, putting the recyclables, which by then included a few more picked up on the way, in the machine from there. And then I put the purchases in a cabinet, washed my hands just with water, since there was no soap in the men’s, a cleaner was in the women’s, and door to the room for disabled people was locked, and it was several minutes after 8 PM when I entered the store, rushing to the bakery area and just getting a cheap bun, at half price, that was actually two of them joined together, and I weighed it and found that it actually weighed even more than two should, so I decided to be fair and enter that as two when I’ll reach the self-checkout. And then I made use of great evening discounts for two bundles of green onions, also grabbing a bunch of torn tops that were in the crate, and some radishes that were mostly scattered in the crate, which I thought should be two bundles. And, while those evening discounts were lower, I also got three bananas and two tomatoes that looked almost ripe but which were among the green ones before grabbing two bags of cat food and eventually making my way to the self-checkouts, standing in line when the closing announcement came. And the odd thing was that I had to call over an employee to override the error when the machine didn’t accept the green tomatoes as the correct product, though I had placed the two bundles on the scales, keeping the torn tops in the bag, but it accepted that double bun just fine when I entered it as two, as well as the scattered radishes when I entered them as two bundles. And then the 50 RON voucher obtained from their most recent campaign that doubled the deposit applied, and I also used the one received for recyclables that day.
After retrieving what I had in the cabinet, I went outside and used one of the tables to arrange everything, which took quite a while, so it was almost 8:50 PM when I walked away, rushing to the Mega Image that closes at 10 PM, which I reached just after 9 PM. But the cart with the products discounted by 90% wasn’t brought out yet, and that annoying guard wasn’t there either, so I put my things into two cabinets, without locking them, and in fact without even closing the door properly in case of one of them, since the green onions wouldn’t fit, and then managed to grab a number of products when that cart was brought. And I had taken the four vouchers received from that machine that accepts cartons two days earlier with me, since they no longer had that different header and a note that they should be used at the store that they were obtained from, and a message on the machine actually stated that they could be used in any Mega Image store, so I handed three of them to the cashier and they seemed to work. And then I retrieved what I had in the cabinets, and after stepping out I added the new purchases into the bags and rearranged a little.
On the way back I left one of those deeply discounted products next to a man who was sleeping on a bench and grabbed some more recyclables, plus one that had no label but which was just right for a label that I had, so I also entered this Carrefour Express, leaving the bags with purchases on and next to the cabinets, putting the recyclables, including that one on which I placed that label, in the machine, and then just cashing in the voucher before retrieving the purchases. And by the time I got here I grabbed one more recyclable.
I got back just before 9:45 PM… And I saw a small bag in which dad had gathered more from the litter box, and he had also poured quite a pile of new “sand” in it, without handling that bag properly, since there’s a tear in it and it had spilled all over, so I had to clean up. And then I went to drop that bag down the chute, ate a lot of watermelon and a large doughnut brought by dad, putting jam on it, also put the purchases in their place, did the day’s squats, and it was several minutes after 12:30 AM when I went to the bathroom, ending up wasting some more time on the toilet before washing. I was done a little after 1:30 AM, and then I got on the computer a little, going back to the kitchen at 1:50 AM. But, after once again “cheating” in order to be able to say that I took a first bite of dinner in my room before 3 AM and actually starting to eat at 3:15 AM, it wasn’t even 3:40 AM when I finished.

It wasn’t even 9 AM when I got woken up, when dad fed Liza, and he said that he was changing his schedule, no longer rushing to leave so soon after getting up, and it was almost 10:30 AM when I got back in bed, after he left, though at least I started Servant of the Empire and spent most of that time reading. It took me quite a while to get back to sleep, however, and I woke up a few more times after that, but at least I did get back to sleep quickly on those occasions, though I was once again awake for a while when I decided to get up, at 3:05 PM. And some time later I rebooted the computer, noticing that the higher power use and temperatures which I had been noticing recently continued and wondering whether that would change things, but nothing seemed to change, the CPU still being reported as using around 50W even though it should be limited to 45W, the voltages per core varying just marginally, and the total power use also being some 5W higher, as you’d expect. But I’ve noticed the temperatures staying pretty high before and the higher power use might have also been there for a while, so I wonder if the current version of MilkyWay@home is the culprit, and at that point the window was closed and my room was rather hot and stuffy, and I didn’t have the headphones on either, so it was easier to notice the fans spinning up, which made me check more carefully. Either way, since dad had moved most of the mostly dead plants from the living room back to the balcony, even if the work still hasn’t been done there, later I pruned them, trying to see what little might still be saved.

The dermatitis was acting up again on the morning of August 25, and after needing some time to fall asleep, at 6:45 AM I found myself awake again and went to pee and wash that area a little at the sink, which did enough to allow me to get back to sleep quickly, and then do so again when Liza woke me by going to the litter box. But a little before 10 AM I got woken up again after dad got up, at which point I changed and cleaned the litter box, and it was almost 11:25 AM, some time after dad left, when I changed back into pajamas and got back under the sheet, since I read some more. But I did get more sleep after that, waking up a few times but usually getting right back to sleep, though I was awake for a while when I checked the time again, saw 4:16 PM, and decided to get up. I took it easy, however, and then I read some more. And, after doing the day’s squats, at 9:15 PM I went out, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol.
Since I had dad’s metro card, I had decided to go to Kaufland Basarab if it’ll work, but the magnetic tape had started to peel off again and he glued it back on before giving me the card, and I didn’t feel like showing it and asking to be allowed through if it won’t work, being ready to walk to Kaufland Popa Nan instead in that case… And I should have just done that to begin with, but since the card did work here, I ended up at Basarab, with one more recyclable picked up on the way and putting all of them in the machine from there before grabbing a receipt from a bin, since there’s that silly gate at the bathrooms from there, but not needing it since another guy scanned his to go in and I just followed him to wash my hands. And then I entered the store, a little after 9:50 PM, heading straight to the bakery area and managing to grab a sweet pastry, albeit only discounted by 50%, before the employee cleared them away. And then I made use of good evening discounts for a handful of cucumbers and three rather green Moldovan apricots, added two of those cheap yogurts, and was at the self-checkout when the closing announcement came, also using the voucher received for the recyclables.
Well, the problem appeared when I got back to the metro station, since the card readers from there are an old model and after putting the metro card in one, it displayed an error, then said that I was cleared, but didn’t release the card. The guard ushered me through, and I did pass the turnstile, but then I obviously stopped and said that I needed my card back, and after initially saying that it will be released and hitting the reader a couple of times, he went to tell the cashier what happened and she came over and said that nobody was going to come and retrieve it at that hour but she will give me a two-trip card, writing my name and the date on it, and that I should return the following day and hand in that card in exchange for recovering the one which had been “eaten”… Which was a serious issue, since dad had to leave in the morning. But it didn’t seem like I had any other options, so I took that card and walked away… Only to just miss the metro and then wait for 12 minutes for the next one. And then I wasted some more time by checking the non-stop Mega Image that’s close to the metro station and the nearby one, putting my things into a cabinet that I didn’t lock in the first one and then just retrieving them and entering with everything in the second. But at least I gathered some more recyclables, and also washed my hands a little at a drinking fountain.
I got back a little after 11:40 PM. And, after telling dad what happened and learning that he could go and try to pick up the card himself in the morning, though it’d mean going two more stops and then going back to where he had to be, I cleaned up a little after him in the kitchen, since he had cooked something and spilled stuff all over the stove, also cleaned the litter box, ate those three apricots, went to drop a bag of trash down the chute, put the few purchases in their place, and then also ate a piece of a sweet thing and a small lunch. It was a few minutes before 2 AM when I went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and shower with water that was barely around body temperature, and 2:35 AM when I was done. And then I had a lot to wash in the kitchen, finally ate dinner between 5 AM and 5:35 AM, and got in bed at 6:55 AM.

I did manage to fall asleep, but I was thinking that I really should go and get that metro card back myself, before dad had to leave, so the second time I woke up, just after 8:45 AM, I decided to get up, quickly eating a crushed oat bar, leaving just before 9:25 AM, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol, in case I’ll stop at a Mega Image to use a machine, and getting back just under one hour later, still with them, plus one more and two cartons grabbed on the way. But I had recovered the metro card, and it’s a good thing I went myself, since I was asked for my ID card. I hadn’t been asked for it in the evening, but I had given my name, so it’d have been obvious that it wasn’t the same person if dad would have gone to recover it. Either way, that magnetic strip was coming off from both ends at that point, so the card definitely wasn’t usable normally anymore, but the expiration date was visible on it.
After I got back, dad asked me to check those really cheap headphones which I had ordered for him only three months before, since the sound was really bad, and that was clearly the case, so I guess they’re worth even less than they cost. But they are under warranty, so I’ll have to see how that goes. Either way, after he left I ate a little watermelon, a large doughnut, with added jam, and a yogurt with cereals, spent quite some time on the computer, and left again at 1:35 PM, once again taking the recyclables with the deposit symbol, along with those two cartons.
The machine from the nearest Penny didn’t accept one of the recyclables, so I put it and the cartons in a cabinet and bought what I wanted, for dad. But that got a little awkward, since the person who was ahead of me at the checkout dashed back, saying that she had forgotten something, the cashier told me to go ahead, I told him that the products were two and two, since two similar products were two for the price of one and I had taken a pair of each, but he entered them as four of the more expensive kind, and when I pointed that out he needed someone else to come over and authorize the change, and it was a few minutes before she got there, and he was the only cashier at that point, so everyone had to wait, including the person who had actually been ahead of me. But at least it was eventually sorted out, and I also used the voucher received for the recyclables.
After retrieving what I had in the cabinet, I continued to that Mega Image, to put those two cartons in that machine. And then I put my things, which by then included some more recyclables, in a cabinet, and got a little garlic, initially meaning to use the scales from there but seeing that no garlic was listed normally, while if I searched the one with the price listed at the shelf was shown as being imported, though both the price label and the label from the crate stated that it was Romanian, while the scales had Romanian garlic listed at a much lower price. But I wanted to get just enough to use the voucher received for those two recyclables, didn’t think that I could actually get that lower price if I handed that printed label to the cashier, and really didn’t want to deal with another issue, so I discarded that label and let the cashier weigh the garlic and select what it was, being charged the price listed at the shelf and paying for it with that voucher.
After once again retrieving my things from the cabinet, I initially meant to continue to Kaufland, but after grabbing another carton from that parking lot I stopped to consider turning around to put that in that machine as well and ended up turning around for good. That carton wasn’t accepted, so I dropped it in the bin, but then I made my way back, having a quick look in another store, entering with everything, and then checking the nearby Mega Image as well, entering with everything, putting all but one of the recyclables gathered by then and that one that still wasn’t accepted in the machine before it reported that the bin was full, and then adding that remaining one that was accepted and getting a second voucher after an employee dealt with it. And then I bought an expiring bio (organic) “creamy” yogurt, even if it’s the kind with 10% fat and only 4.5% protein, and it being at half price there meant that a much better kind was only 20% more with the regular discount in Kaufland. But I wasn’t going to Kaufland, so at least I had something nicer for that week’s run, and I also cashed in those vouchers, receiving the difference, since their value was higher than the price of that yogurt. I didn’t receive a receipt, however.
I guess the fact that I don’t recall what time I got back for good at is a symptom of the lack of sleep, and the fact that I didn’t get that receipt means that I don’t have anything to jog my memory, but it was definitely past 3 PM, yet probably not by that much. And then I put the purchases in their place, ate a banana, saw that there was just a little pee in the litter box and didn’t bother to clean it just then but still went to drop a small bag of trash down the chute, and it was a few minutes after 4 PM when I went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and shower with pretty cold water. There was a noticeable difference compared to what came out of the cold water pipe, but it was still well below body temperature. Either way, I was done just before 4:40 PM, and after spending some more time on the computer, I got in bed just after 5:30 PM, the initial impression being that I was too exhausted to sleep, since the first two times I just about drifted off, I immediately found myself awake again with a start. But then I could fall asleep… Only for dad to call at 6:10 PM, to say that he wasn’t coming back that evening. And I woke up some more times after that, and usually also went to pee whenever that happened, but I also kept getting right back to sleep and only got up for good at 10:45 PM, after which I made mamaliga, and also did the day’s squats while I was in the kitchen.

After getting to sleep right away, which also happened after the first two times I got up to pee, it must have been around noon when I woke up the third time, and then I remained awake for a while before deciding to pee again, which helped, since I did get back to sleep again after that. It was close to two hours later when I decided to pee again, being fully awake once more, though it’s possible that I briefly woke up once or twice during that time as well. And almost two more hours passed until I got up for good, when it was almost 4:15 PM, but I had been fully awake for a long time at that point, so I only managed another brief nap or two in the first part of that period. Still, that meant a total of at least seven and a half hours, and maybe more like eight, and a better quality of sleep than what I usually get. On the other hand, later the landline rang while I was in the kitchen and I thought that I hadn’t heard my phone and it was dad, yet when I picked up a woman’s voice said that her name was Ana, so I hung up. And in the evening I went to pay the maintenance bill, and after getting back I cleaned the litter box and also went to drop a bag of trash down the chute… Only for Liza to poop again right after I got back, so I gathered it and went to drop that down the chute as well.

In the early hours of August 28, as I started to work on dinner, there was a loud sound that quite clearly came from somewhere else in the apartment, but I couldn’t find anything fallen or broken, so I kept wondering what that was. Either way, I put peanut butter on all of the bread when I ate that dinner. And then I just slept, getting up to pee a few times but always getting right back to sleep, and the last thing I dreamed was that I had five minutes until the alarm rang, so I waited what I thought were five minutes and then checked the time, seeing 1:59 PM, just managing to turn off the alarm before it rang, and then getting up and eating another one of those imported bio (organic) apples and a mix of the usual cereals and some fried, slightly sweetened and “smoke-flavored” almonds from an expired snack put into that yogurt bought two days earlier. On the other hand, I only left a little in the toilet, despite spending a lot of time there and feeling that there should be more. And then I also ate two more of those nicer biscuits that expired so long ago, with added honey, and left at 4:35 PM, wearing the full running gear and one armband. The reported temperature was about 26°C, holding steady.
The time was 1:46:40, with sector times of 4:29, 5:08, 5:58, 4:29, 5:06, 5:53, 4:34, 5:08, 6:05, 4:48, 5:18, 6:10, 4:51, 5:27, 6:24, 4:43, 5:37, 6:29, 1:51, 6:17 and 1:55, making for lap times of 15:35, 15:28, 15:47, 16:16, 16:42 and 16:49, plus 10:03 for the final portion. I wondered if I’ll get under 1:48 again and rather doubted it, and going over 15:30 on the first lap increased my concerns, but getting under 15:30 on lap two gave me hope and staying well under 16 minutes on lap three made things seem even better. And I had actually miscalculated and thought that I had just managed to create enough of a buffer to afford those target times which I had calculated before, 16:25, 16:40, 16:55 and 10:15, while in fact I needed five more seconds to afford those times and get 1:47, not 1:48. And over the course of lap four I realized that I was five seconds behind the target instead of ahead, but when I gained nine over the course of that lap I still thought that I could afford those times in order to squeeze under 1:48, not 1:47, and I had already been pushing quite hard, so when I thought that on lap five I had lost two of the four seconds that I could afford to lose, things seemed pretty bad again and I pushed harder. And, while I later did correct the calculation, realizing that I had a chance to get under 1:47 obviously made me want to do it, the problem being that another runner had tried to keep up over part of sector one of lap six and I had pushed too hard to keep him behind, the next two sectors showing that I had exhausted myself in order to do so. But when I really went for it from the start of the final portion, I found that I still had enough in me, the first sector already making me quite confident that I’ll make it, which I did by a large margin.
I remember that there was an issue caused by people on the first sector and that I did more than hesitate, so I probably slowed, but I can’t remember why. Either way, on the long straight of sector one of lap two I hesitated when a poplar fluff almost got in my eye, on sector one of lap three, just before the bridge, I got startled when a cyclist that I didn’t know was coming squeezed past me, and on sector one of lap four I slowed to wait for a way through a roadblock just before the long straight, while another roadblock made me slow and also go all the way on the outside of a turn later on that same sector. And then there were some issues on sector three on three consecutive laps, and while the last one was just a hesitation that I can’t recall the cause of, the first two were when I briefly stopped when a kid on a bicycle stopped in front of me to wait for another, and when I hesitated and might have also briefly stopped when two cyclists turned towards another path when I thought that they’ll keep going straight, so they ended up cutting me off. I’m pretty sure of the order of those two and that they were on laps three and four, because I’m also pretty sure that there was nothing on lap six, so the third one had to be on lap five, but there might be a small chance that they were actually on laps four, five and six, and/or that the first two were reversed. As for what I already mentioned about sector one of lap six, on the long straight I overtook another runner who might have actually been the same one who also kept me pushing at one point back in May, and then he once again tried to keep up, making me push harder. But he was breathing heavily from the beginning and stopped just before the end of the sector, maybe at the drinking fountain.
Otherwise, the forecast made me expect some serious gusts, but I only had to really fight the wind around the boat dock on sector one, and even there I didn’t really notice it anymore on laps five and six, and on much of sector three of a single lap, which I’m pretty sure was the fourth, the few other moments being much less notable. As for physical issues, I felt that I hadn’t left everything in the toilet pretty much right away, but then the feeling faded, returning a few times over the first few laps but remaining faint until what I think was sector three of lap five, and while it was more notable from then on, and didn’t go away again, it was never a serious problem in itself. On the other hand, the right knee gave a first warning on sector two of lap two, then it got better until sector two of lap three, when the warnings became more notable, and on the next sector that hip joined the knee. At least the hip issue was brief, but the knee got gradually worse as time passed. And, while I think that the first moment when I felt rather out of it was as early as sector two of lap three, it was on sector three of lap five when my hands started tingling and plenty more things started hurting, including multiple parts of my right leg, some part of my left one, and parts of my abdomen. But the worst part was on sector two of the final portion, when pain was reflected from my back in multiple areas, the worst being towards the right shoulder, and I had to just grit my teeth and bear it.

After checking the nearby Mega Image on the way back, I cleaned the litter box, ate plenty of watermelon and a lunch consisting of some slices brought by dad that made up about three quarters of a pizza, and then went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and wash with water that was similar to what I had two days earlier, if not slightly colder, the concern that it’ll be even worse later being the reason why I didn’t go out again, especially since the last two nights what came from the hot water pipe had low pressure and it was brownish and had a smell, so I didn’t want to risk getting in that situation again. Either way, after that I did the day’s squats, to warm up a little, and then ate some nicer bagels and a large doughnut, with added jam. And after dinner I finished Fetish Locator Week One. With a bad ending, since I didn’t care to play it as intended, but I had gotten a game over at the first point as well, so it’s good that you’re allowed to continue anyway. And before getting in bed I used cream on my feet.

Unsurprisingly, after the effort of the run, I couldn’t sleep, wasting over an hour before deciding to read and doing that for another hour before peeing again and getting back under the sheet when it was almost 7:25 AM. And I least I could sleep after that, and also got right back to sleep after waking up at one point and deciding to pee again. Then I got up when I got woken up again, after dad got up, just before 11 AM, but after standing around for a while and moving something for him into jars, I got back to reading, continuing to do so for a while after he left and getting back under the sheet just after 12:15 PM. And when, a little after 2:20 PM, I woke up again, I read some more, until 3:05 PM, after which I slept until close to 5 PM. It’s possible that I woke up a few more times during these periods, but if so then I got back to sleep immediately, and the dreams and thoughts made it difficult to really know. Either way, it was almost 5:20 PM when I got up for good, and I should have gotten a total of about six and a half hours of sleep.

Back in May, I was complaining that eYou had only been launched as an app, not being accessible at all on PCs, which went against what it claimed to aim to be. So the good news is that the situation changed and the web version was launched last month, even if the layout still follows the infuriating current design norms, catering to mobiles regardless of the device it’s actually displayed on and making for a lot of empty space on a monitor. Either way, I only learned of it some two weeks later, but I did actually start using the place once I did.
Things were rather tense at that point, because of the update that followed the launch of the web version, which allowed post authors to delete comments at will. But they actually listened to the complaints and even offered a compromise, asking the community what to do. The problem with that poll was that the options were biased, the votes against deletion splitting between removing it entirely and the suggested compromise, to replace it with hiding, which resulted in a clear win for those who wanted to keep the option to delete. But that option received 44% of the votes, while the total of the two options against deletion was 51%, and they actually took that into account and created another poll, getting rid of the idea of removing any control and asking people whether to keep the option to delete or replace it with hiding. And hiding actually obtained even more than the previous total, winning by 54% to 40%, and they listened, the most recent update replacing deletion with hiding… Though at the moment it seems that such comments are hidden from everyone except the post’s author, which strikes me as the opposite of what was intended. And this update also gamified things by adding streaks and weekly “quests”, which will admittedly boost engagement but at the cost of quality.
The main feature that’s still bafflingly missing are private messages. I was so sure that there couldn’t possibly be anything that’d call itself a social network without messaging that I thought I was being dumb and somehow couldn’t figure out how to access them, but they really don’t exist, and they’re well aware that they’re requested but say that they only want to implement them when they can do it right and that’s not easy, so there doesn’t seem to be much hope of the feature being introduced quickly. On the other hand, groups are coming soon, so there will be a way for those who care to interact with more people at once to do so. But I don’t really care about that, and even when it does come to implementing something for that purpose, I wonder if they couldn’t find a way to have forums instead of groups.

While I’m at it, I’ll also mention here that I just updated the Who the Heck Is Cavalary? page, to add not just my eYou profile, but also those I have on The StoryGraph and HonestGamers, while removing the mention of Patook, which no longer exists, and leaving less about my presence on OkCupid than I had before, since I haven’t checked the place in so long and see little reason to do so again.