The First Two Runs After Dream Trek Summer Edition 2026
Just as I feared, I’m yet to add anything to the post about this year’s Dream Trek, but I have to move on, so let me get to the morning of June 25, when I found myself awake again around 7:20 AM and decided to pee, just in case, and put dad’s bread back in the drawer. But I also checked another one which I had found in his desk before he went to bed, seeing that it was completely moldy and getting annoyed enough to make it hard to get back to sleep. But I eventually did, only waking up again some time after dad did, just before Liza went to the litter box. So I changed, saw that it was almost 8:55 AM, cleaned the litter box, and then stayed up, mostly on the computer, until after he left. And then I cleaned up a little after him, peed again, changed back into my pajamas, and got back in bed at 9:50 AM… Only for drilling and hammering to start minutes later. Relatively faint at first, so it took me quite a long time but I eventually managed to fall asleep, yet when it got loud and woke me, close to 11:15 AM, I decided to get up and make the tea, so it was almost half an hour before I got back in bed, though the loud noise, which a quick glance from the bathroom confirmed was because the neighbor was replacing his bathroom window, only lasted about half that time. But at least that was done, and then I fell asleep quickly, which was also the case after getting up to pee just before 1:30 PM, at which point I also decided to move the alarm from 2 PM to 2:30 PM. And after it rang I had the usual stuff, with two more of those nicer but expired biscuits, with added honey, as the sweet thing, gathered my clothes from the balcony, also gathered Liza’s food from dad’s bedroom, which he had knocked over, and left at 4:35 PM, wearing the full running gear and one armband. The reported temperature was about 32°C, holding steady.
The time was 48:49.35, with sector times of 4:29:70, 5:13.03, 5:59.00, 4:30 (4:29.81), 5:05.28, 5:58 (5:57.82), 4:33.03, 5:08.25, 5:59 (5:58.19) and 1:55.24, making for lap times of 15:41.73, 15:33 (15:32.91) and 15:40 (15:39.47). I was wondering whether I’ll even manage to stay under 50 minutes, but that first sector gave me some hope, and the third even more so, the lap as a whole making me think that I had a chance after all. But I had to stay under 16 minutes on lap two as well and it didn’t exactly seem likely, so I pushed more, thinking that I’ll worry about what I’ll have left for lap three when I’ll get there. Yet the result was a lap two that was better than lap one, so over the course of it I started aiming to get under 49:30, and at the start of lap three I wondered about getting under 49 minutes. It seemed highly unlikely, but I went for it, wanting to at least know that I did my best. I still didn’t see how it could happen after the first sector, but after the second I finally thought that I might just have a chance, and then I was surprised to see that I was already safe at the end of the lap. It’s still a poor time, of course, but a minute better than what I aimed for and even more compared to what I honestly expected.
Admittedly, I pretty much didn’t lose any time, there were no notable problems caused by people, and there might have even been a less than normal amount of weaving and going the long way around. But my legs were complaining all along, my right calf muscle hurting from the beginning, my left hip giving some warnings by the end of the first lap, maybe because I was sparing the right leg, and what was probably an attempt to sort that out led to my right knee also hurting from sector three of lap two, when a faint pressing also appeared. But then that feeling faded, and the issues with my legs were manageable. On the other hand, the heat was an obvious issue, and between that and the exhaustion, on sector one of lap two I was already feeling out of it and my hands were starting to go a little numb, and by sector one of lap three my feet seemed to join them. And most concerning were the few moments when I was getting dizzy. But it wasn’t a major issue, and things actually seemed to get better by the end.
On the way back, I picked up a recyclable and had a quick look in the nearby Mega Image. And when I took off the shoes I noticed a bruise starting to form under another toenail. Either way, I then drank one of the collagen drinks from the Dream Trek, changed, and left again at 7:40 PM, with the plastic and metal, which I dropped off in a recycling bin, and the recyclables with the deposit symbol. The first actual destination was Supeco, for chamomile tea, but I stopped at Penny Titan on the way, putting the recyclables in the machine, splitting dad’s from “mine”, entering with the carton picked up on the way, and just cashing in both vouchers. And then I continued to Supeco, once again entering with that carton… But not finding any of that tea. So I looked around, not wanting to have gone there for nothing, and ended up buying two large bags of salt and three cans of fish, all of these being for dad. And I then took the time to make them fit in the backpack.
Since I had dad’s metro card, I then took the metro to Dristor and meant to put that carton in that machine from that Mega Image… Only to think that it was closed, the lights seeming off and the construction work which had started around it cutting off access to the entrance. But when I went to a guy who was probably guarding the construction site and asked how long was the store closed for, he pointed to the way to the new entrance, and then I also saw the signs stating that the store was open. However, that machine was off, so I turned around and continued to Kaufland, apparently getting there just in time to be able to put the recyclables picked up on the way in the machine, since people with large bags were there and the employee was struggling to keep the machines working, so I just managed to catch a good moment to use one, needing to wait for it to restart at one point and then just managing to finish, getting a second voucher, before it and the one next to it stopped again and the employee said that it got stuck and couldn’t be fixed by him anymore. Either way, I then put my things in a cabinet, washed my hands, and entered the store at 10:05 PM, getting some bakery products, one nicer bun being discounted by 50% and the rest by 75%, some bananas that had a good evening discount, and a few of those cheap yogurts. I was just starting to use the self-checkout machine when the closing announcement came, and then I also used the vouchers received for the recyclables, retrieved what I had in the cabinet, and after walking out I arranged the new purchases a little better, actually walking away just after 10:40 PM.
After also having a quick look in that Mega Image that closes at 11 PM, leaving the bags next to the cabinets, entering with the backpack, and then just retrieving the bags, I went back to that non-stop Mega Image, putting the bags into a cabinet, once again entering with the backpack, and getting some expiring bio (organic) mozzarella, at half price, and a few cucumbers, which had a regular discount, using the scales from there and calculating so I’ll be able to pay in full with two of the vouchers received for cartons that I had with me. And it did eventually work, but the discount sticker from that mozzarella wouldn’t scan, so I dashed back to grab another one and handed it to the cashier, that one working, but he did give me the one which I had initially picked. He didn’t give me a receipt, however, just saying that it was fine after taking the vouchers. And I didn’t ask for it, just retrieving what I had in the cabinet and grabbing some more recyclables on the way back, plus a label that had the deposit symbol and a plastic bottle that had no label but which was of the right size for one that I already had.
I got back at 11:55 PM, with over 16.5 kg… And then I had a look on the computer and got frustrated that I hadn’t checked Kaufland’s site before leaving, or even the previous day, since I saw that they were once again doubling the deposit for the vouchers received for recyclables and used, so I really shouldn’t have put those in at Penny. Either way, I then ate a banana, put the purchases in their place, and at 1:25 AM I went to wash, being done just before 2 AM. And then I washed what was in the kitchen, dealt with the buns that I was going to use as bread, ate lunch, on and off, between 3:10 AM and 4:15 AM, and ate dinner between 5 AM and 5:40 AM. I got in bed at 7:35 AM, after rubbing cream on my feet… And after an attempt to get what’s most probably a part of that filling that keeps falling off out without pulling out all of it, since it had been getting pretty much impossible to eat on that side for a while because something sharp was obviously loose there and jabbing my gum, but the part of the filling that’s on the bottom of that tooth seems to still be in place, so it seems that only what’s on the back of it came loose again, and since I was told that they won’t be able to replace it again like this and I’ll need to have a root canal the next time anyway, I decided to try that. And while I didn’t manage it, that shard seeming too big to come out and the attempt seeming to only result in injuring my gum even more at that point, I must have done something right, since there was some improvement for a while.
Moving on to the morning, I found myself awake again at 10:23 AM and decided to pee, just in case, getting right back to sleep after that… But only briefly, since less than 20 minutes later I was awake again because dad had gotten up and made some noise, so I changed and cleaned the litter box… And then there was loud drilling, this time once again from the upstairs neighbor, so I decided to put a load of laundry in the machine and start it, the frustrating thing being that there was just one more brief moment of drilling after that, but with the machine running, I couldn’t get back to bed, so I stayed on the computer until it was done. And as I was hanging the clothes to dry and dad was getting ready to leave, he wanted to take a spare light bulb for a moment from the play he was going to act in that evening and I told him to test it first, insisting when he didn’t seem to want to. And the test itself was a good idea, since it showed that the first bulb he had picked wasn’t working but the second was actually a better choice than the one he had initially taken, but when he put the normal light bulbs back in the fixture from the living room, the breaker snapped, and when he flipped it back there were some serious sparks from the fixture. After he removed all the light bulbs, that breaker stayed up again, and everything else seems fine, though my UPS did apparently register an issue at that point, albeit one too brief for it to actually log what had happened, but on top of leaving him without lights in the living room at that point, electrical issues are always concerning, and I felt rather responsible for it, after insisting for him to make that test. Either way, after finishing with the clothes and washing a few things that were in the kitchen, I spent some more time on the computer, only getting back in bed at 2:40 PM.
At least I could sleep after that, but far from enough, waking up around 5:10 PM, checking the time a few minutes later, and finally getting up when it was close to 5:40 PM, without getting any more sleep until then. I probably could have done so, but I didn’t know whether I wanted to. As for the electrical issue, when dad got back and tried putting a light bulb back in the living room fixture, we found that the switch was stuck on even if it looked off, so there was a serious issue somewhere, though at least there were no more sparks.
The following morning, it wasn’t even 8:10 AM when I was woken up, when dad fed Liza, after he got up, so I changed, waited for him to be done in the bathroom to pee, and then stood around and got on the computer until he was about to leave, at which point I cleaned the litter box. Then I changed back into my pajamas and got back in bed at 9:25 AM, actually sleeping until dad got back, just after 2:10 PM. And then he replaced that light switch from the living room, which was the cause of the problem, and while he was at it he replaced mine as well, since one side was broken for a long time. And then I did 200 squats, since I had forgotten to do them the previous day, ate lunch, cleaned a little after him as he cooked, and went out just after 9:10 PM, with a pretzel that I meant to give away, the recyclables with the deposit symbol, and a bag of trash.
Considering Kaufland’s campaign, I rather made a point of looking for recyclables, starting by using that bag of trash as an “excuse” to climb one floor and go to the garbage room from there, where I couldn’t reach the chute, the door being closed and the handle removed, but found some more recyclables, so I took those and then went to the garbage room from this floor to stuff that bag of trash into the overflowing chute. And then I found plenty more recyclables by the time I reached Kaufland, including one which didn’t have the symbol and was crushed and twisted but which looked just right for a label that I had, so I tried to straighten the bottle as much as possible and placed that label on it. And then I was surprised to see nobody at the machines, which were all working, so when the first one didn’t accept the first couple of recyclables I tried, I moved on to another and that started accepting them, but plenty still required multiple tries, and a guy from there came out and stood next to me, giving some advice when the machine kept saying that the recyclables weren’t emptied and even trying himself when one wasn’t accepted at all. But that one wouldn’t work, so I kept it. And at the end, when I said that I was going to try to straighten that twisted one better, since it hadn’t been accepted until then, and stuck a finger in it in order to do so, the guy told me to try again before I thought that it was good enough, and it did work. So I ended up with three vouchers, since I had split dad’s recyclables from “mine” and then the machine had timed out before I tried that twisted one again. And I spotted another recyclable after walking through the entrance and walked back out with it, but that guy was still standing there, so I just emptied it in a bin and put it and the other one, and the empty large backpack, in a cabinet.
After washing my hands, thinking that it’d be faster to use the room for disabled people but finding no soap there and moving on to the men’s, it was past 10:10 PM when I entered the store, rushing to the bakery area and grabbing some plain bread for dad and some buns, all being discounted by 75%. On the other hand, I saw no interesting evening discounts for fruits or vegetables, and I’m not sure if there were any at all, but I did get the better box of spoiling mushrooms, which had a deep discount. And then I also found a little kashkaval that was discounted by 50% and rushed to look for one more thing that had a regular discount all month, in order to be able to use all of those vouchers received for the recyclables. And I managed to find it in time, so I was waiting for a self-checkout that accepted cash to be freed when the closing announcement came, then had to call an employee to override the error when the machine didn’t accept the buns as the correct product, and then also used those three vouchers.
After retrieving what I had in the cabinet, I took some time to arrange the purchases, then went to put that recyclable in the machine as well, keeping the voucher for another time, stopped again a little later and arranged things better, and then continued to that non-stop Mega Image, grabbing a carton, another label, and a few more recyclables, including a couple that didn’t have the symbol but were the right size for labels that I had. And then I put the bag with the bakery products in a cabinet that I locked and the one with the recyclables in one that I didn’t, since I only had one 0.50 RON coin, entered with the backpack, saw a bag with two nice sweet pastries that had the 50% discount and moved one and one of the labels to another bag, making sure that I didn’t touch the pastry, and also saw a few products discounted by 90%, which hadn’t happened in that location in a long time, so I eventually took one, meaning to give it away. But the total was just under what I needed in order to use one more of the vouchers received for cartons, so I took my time to find two small cucumbers that were fine and just the right weight, though I forgot to actually print a label from those scales, so they were still weighed at checkout.
Well, even though I had taken care to place the discount label for that pastry very well on the bag, it simply wouldn’t scan, and the cashier even said that it was probably too good. So she printed the receipt for the other product and the cucumbers and called for someone else to come and help with that, taking the voucher when I told her that I had calculated the total in order to match it, which probably means that they can be cashed in as well, since it couldn’t have been used directly and she must have entered it like that. Either way, I then had to wait for the other cashier to come, and when she couldn’t scan that label either she asked whether another one of those pastries was there, so I grabbed the other one and handed it to her, and that could be scanned, though I still took the one which I had initially selected… And then she asked me to pay for it, even though the other cashier had told her that it was already paid for, so that other cashier rushed in and told her to cancel that receipt, since she needed to scan it on her register, where she had scanned that voucher. So I let her do that and walked away with the pastry, not getting the receipt for it but seeing her give me a thumbs up when I turned to look, before retrieving what I had in the cabinets. And on the way back I grabbed some more recyclables and left that product that was discounted by 90% and that pretzel next to someone who was sleeping on a bench.
It was past 12:10 AM when I got back. Then I ate a banana, cleaned the litter box and went to stuff another little bag of trash into the chute, put the purchases in their place, cleaned up a little more after dad, made room in the fridge for what he cooked, washed what was in the kitchen, ate a sweet pastry that I already had, and it was a few minutes before 2:30 AM when I went to wash. I was done just under half an hour later, and then I dealt with the buns that I was going to use as bread… And before starting to eat dinner I noticed a rather red and swollen area above my right temple, which was weird. Either way, I ate dinner between 4:50 AM and 5:30 AM, forgetting to put oil and vinegar in the salad and not bothering to go back to do so when I realized it. I got in bed at 7:20 AM.
I only woke up when I heard dad’s keys, when he left, and thought that I had just waited for a moment before getting up to pee… Only to see that it was somewhere between 2:10 and 2:15 PM, I can’t recall exactly, so I must have gotten right back to sleep without realizing it. Either way, dad had left a note to say that he couldn’t find something, so I looked for those things, found them, set the alarm to ring at 3:50 PM, and at 2:30 PM I got back to bed, falling asleep quickly. But then I took too long to actually get up after the alarm rang, so I only started watching the race when lap two was close to ending. And at 6:50 PM I went out again, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol, though the initial plan to walk and look for more got changed when dad got back earlier and I could therefore use his metro card, so I decided to take the metro to Kaufland Basarab, only grabbing one recyclable and a carton on the way.
After putting in the recyclables in the machine, with the exception of one on which I had placed a found label, which wasn’t accepted, I put it and the carton in a cabinet, then forced the gate to the bathrooms, which still requires scanning a receipt in that location, washed my hands, having to dash to the women’s for soap, and entered the store just after 7:35 PM, seeing a whole pile of a nicer kind of bread in the bakery area, with a 50% evening discount, so I initially took four, though I eventually put two back. Then I added a bundle of green onions and some snacks for dad, and I thought that would be it, since I remembered that the closing time for that location was 8 PM on Sunday and I hadn’t checked before entering. But there were no closing announcements and people weren’t rushing, so I waited, and that proved to be a very good thing, because at 8:15 PM the evening discount for green onions increased to 90%, and radishes also got the same discount even though they hadn’t been discounted at all until then, so I grabbed more green onions and took radishes as well. And then I waited in line for a while, was just about to start using a self-checkout when the closing announcement came, and also used the voucher received for the recyclables that day and the one I had been left with from the previous evening.
After retrieving what I had in the cabinet, I saw a guy who kept trying to scan a receipt in order to open the gate to the bathrooms and it wasn’t working, so I told him that it could be forced open, even if it’ll beep, and tried to do so, and while it didn’t quite seem to work on the spot, as soon as we both stepped away it did open and he could go. And then I went outside and used one of the tables to arrange everything, after which I did a better job of placing that label on that bottle. But there was a line at the machine, which included employees, so I just put it back in the bag and took the metro back, grabbing some more recyclables and getting back at 9:25 PM, after which I rushed to wash and then had a pretty normal evening.
A little after getting in bed, the UPS briefly kicked in twice, so I got back on the computer to check what was going on, but those brief outages didn’t repeat, so after a few minutes I got back to bed and fell asleep quickly, which was also the case when I had to get up to pee after a while. And I even fell asleep again when I meant to get up after dad did but saw that he was in the bathroom and meant to wait for him to be done. That was only a brief nap, however, and at 9:25 AM I was awake again, after he clinked Liza’s plate yet again, and that time I stayed up until some time after he left, getting back in bed at 10:15 AM… Only to find myself unable to get back to sleep, and something seemed to have bitten me as well, so at 11:10 AM I cut my losses and got back on the computer… And when I tried to open a PDF file, I was asked what to open it with, as if the default association hadn’t been set, which was weird. Either way, I only got back to bed at 1:40 PM, and at least I got just about two hours of sleep, waking up once but falling asleep again almost immediately, before going to pee again, though after that I once again remained mostly awake, only briefly drifting off a few times, even if it was past 5:10 PM when I finally got up for good. And at night I opened that product bought after the Dream Trek that was at half price even if it was supposedly only expiring on July 3, and it did look suspicious at the top, so I removed that part, but the rest seemed fine. And then I wanted to watch the match, but when it went to extra time I gave up and set the rest to be recorded, going to bed at 6:10 AM.
I found myself awake at 8 AM, and when I went to pee I saw Liza in the litter box, so that had probably been the reason, and I changed and cleaned the litter box before changing back and checking the recording… Only to find that it was all messed up after the first few minutes. But at least the quality recovered just enough by the time of the penalties to make them somewhat watchable, so I watched that, then spent a little more time on the computer, and finally got back in bed at 8:45 AM, though it took me a while to get back to sleep. And at 10:30 AM I woke up again, as dad was getting ready to leave, so I exchanged a few words with him and after he left I checked the MilkyWay@home work units that were about to time out and started all of them, so they won’t be canceled, getting back in bed at 11:05 AM… And it once again took me a long time to get back to sleep, and then I didn’t stay asleep, finding myself awake again before 1:25 PM, quickly checking that those work units weren’t canceled, though they did show up as having timed out on the project site, and then managing to catch another brief nap before 2 PM, when the alarm rang and I got up, seeing that work units completed after the deadline did seem to get registered. Either way, I also did the day’s squats, and a few minutes before 4:30 PM I went out, with a small bag of trash that I dropped down the chute and the recyclables with the deposit symbol, several more than needed to get the maximum amount from Kaufland’s campaign, since my parents had brought a bag of recyclables which had been emptied there.
With that in mind, I didn’t just rush to Kaufland without really looking for more, but after initially grabbing a bag containing several which had been left next to a garbage can, I turned around after a couple of steps and put it back. And then I stopped at Tei, putting the bags of recyclables into a cabinet, entering with the large backpack where I had more, and buying the tea that mother needed before retrieving those bags… And realizing that I had once again forgotten the backpack where I had the empty bags, so I continued on my way with those teas in my hand, putting them in a cabinet when I reached Kaufland and only going to the machine after that, two of those recyclables brought by my parents having damaged bar codes and not being accepted, and that glass bottle which hadn’t been accepted before continuing to be rejected. But I just kept those, and also split those from my parents from “mine”, and then got a third voucher after placing the label which I had removed from a crushed recyclable, which was the only thing I had picked up on the way, on one without the symbol which had been left there, and putting that in as well. And then I washed my hands, added the remaining recyclables in that cabinet, and took spoiling oranges and bio (organic) Gala apples, even if they were imported, an expiring product, and some more snacks for dad, needing an employee to make the machine accept the bags of oranges, one orange having probably been removed from each, and then using all of the vouchers received for the recyclables, retrieving what I had in the cabinet and arranging everything in the large backpack. And on the way back I did grab a few recyclables.
It was almost 6:15 PM when I got back, going to wash pretty quickly. And a huge storm started while I was washing, lasting through the night, so it’s a great thing that I was no longer planning to go out again and could have a pretty normal evening, though watching a match that was delayed resulted in getting in bed at 7:05 AM… But that was when my parents got up, so after a few minutes I also got back up again and exchanged a few words with them, actually getting in bed at 7:25 AM, which at least gave me a chance to have a look at the new batch of MilkyWay@home work units that timed out and confirm that, since I had taken care to start all of them as well, they could also be continued.
The first time I woke up, a little before 10:50 AM, I saw that my parents had taken the bag of trash which I had left on the hallway, which also contained what I had gathered from the litter box, put some more trash in it, and put it back in the kitchen, at the edge of the sink, leaning against the electric oven, touching a teapot, and centimeters from the dish drying rack! So I changed, added the little pee that was in the litter box in that bag, and then did my best to clean up and wash everything again, only changing back and getting back in bed at 11:55 AM. But at least I could sleep after that, getting right back to sleep after the two times I woke up and the one time when I was woken up, when dad called, and only waking up for good a few minutes before 6 PM.
After making and eating mamaliga at night, I had already gotten up to pee twice, the second time mere minutes earlier, when Liza went to the litter box after dad got up and woke me again at 8:25 AM, so I changed, cleaned the litter box, and then talked to dad a little, moved something into a jar, and stayed on the computer until after dad left, changing back and getting back in bed at 9:50 AM. And despite getting up to pee a few more times, I could sleep after that, only finding it harder to get back to sleep after 3:20 PM or so but still catching a few brief naps, though I was awake for a while before getting up for good, several minutes after 5 PM. And in the evening I tried to go to pay the maintenance bill, even if I was pretty sure that the guy wasn’t coming on the first Thursday of the month, and while that proved true, at least I confirmed that the faint whistling sound that I keep hearing is caused by the elevator, and it actually seems to appear right when it passes by this area, the first and second floors. And later I finished the book.
On the morning of July 3, it took me a while to fall asleep, and I woke up a little after 8:40 AM, as dad was getting ready to leave. So I changed, cleaned the litter box, and talked to him a little, changing back and getting back in bed at 9:25 AM… Only for some noise to start minutes later. But it fortunately didn’t last long, and after it stopped I could get back to sleep, and when I woke up to pee again I also got right back to sleep, getting up after the alarm rang, which was at noon, since there was a dropping but still concerning risk of storms later. So I had the usual stuff, the apple being another imported bio (organic) one, for the sweet thing I added honey on two small slices of something made by that friend of mother’s and brought by dad, and I also took one of those supplements that are supposed to help if you make effort, mainly because I received them at some point and they expired at the end of May, so I might as well. And I left at 2:35 PM, wearing the full running gear and one armband and with some things in the pocket of my tights. The reported temperature ranged between 28°C and 31°C, holding steady or maybe increasing marginally by the time I finished.
The time was 48:37.33, with sector times of 4:34.79, 5:09 (5:08.97), 5:58 (5:57.38), 4:31.28, 5:04.16, 5:59.03, 4:29.34, 5:05 (I think 5:04.34), 5:57 (I think 5:56.75) and 1:51.29, making for lap times of 15:41.14, 15:34.47 and 15:31 (15:30.43). I guess I was too certain that I remembered the times well and didn’t repeat them before getting back, but when I finally did I realized that I couldn’t quite recall the exact one for sector two of lap three, yet I eventually reached the conclusion that the problem was most probably that the hundredths were the same as those for the previous sector and my mind ignored them, so I’ll go with that. Either way, the initial target was just to stay under 50 minutes and what I lost on the first sector’s long straight meant that I wasn’t that concerned by the sector’s time, and the rest of the lap was all right. And when that issue didn’t seem to repeat itself, I decided to see whether I could do better, ending up with a lap two that was less slow than lap one and a chance to get under 49 minutes. So I went for it, initially just hoping to make it but as I went along I started to think of doing better than the week before. And at the end of the lap I was already certain of that, the final sector just ensuring that I had a safe margin as well.
People were loading branches into a truck on the first sector’s long straight, so I had to go well off the path, to also get around the pile, leading to that significant loss of time. But the only other notable problem wasn’t caused by people, but by ducks, on sector two of lap two, when a duck and the ducklings just started to go across the path in front of me and when she noticed me approaching the duck sped up instead of stopping, so she cut me off, but only the first duckling matched her speed, so after stopping for an instant I could pass between it and the others. And in terms of physical issues there were just a few faint warnings from my left hip and right knee, which didn’t last long, and a pressing need that appeared at some point on lap two and seemed quite concerning at first but then went away. It was quite hot, however.
There were some tents at the end of the entrance alley, before the stairs, and I was really surprised to see books there, the first belonging to a publisher and the second to a used books store, which had a whole lot of books, in many shelves, both inside and around the tent, so I had a quick look through the first tent before the run and then went back there after it and spent some 15 minutes, initially having another look through that first tent and then noticing that inside the second one there were books in English, so I started looking quite thoroughly, but I had no more time and gave up before even glancing at most of the bookshelves, since I was going to Supeco again.
I got somewhat concerned on the way, since the wind picked up, but nothing else came with it, so I kept going, picking up a few recyclables, putting them in the machine, and then seeing that the person who had been using another machine had dropped one in the bin before leaving and putting that in as well, getting a second voucher and wondering why had it been dropped when it was accepted right away. On the other hand, I still didn’t find that tea, but among the expiring products I found some snacks that dad wanted, at half price, and a bag of popcorn, getting all of them even if the popcorn was only discounted by 35%, and also using the vouchers received for the recyclables… And realizing that I had dropped the bag used to carry the recyclables while I was inside. Either way, some employees were next to me, working on price labels, as I was arranging the purchases, so I asked about that tea, but was told that they didn’t know when they’ll get more. And then I made my way back, grabbing a few more recyclables, holding them in my hand until I reached Penny and could put them in the machine, then putting my things in a cabinet that didn’t lock, cashing in the voucher, retrieving my things, and jogging most of the way back, though I still grabbed two more recyclables.
I got back a few minutes before 6 PM. Then I ate some of the watermelon brought by my parents and just barely managed to watch the qualifying for the Formula 1 sprint race before rushing to the toilet. But then I could stick to the plan and clean my room a little, two and a half months after the previous time, though back then I had barely done enough to count while this time I also turned over the mattress and changed the sheets, albeit only doing so the following day. On the other hand, I meant to check a Mega Image or two after the first match, but the fact that it got to penalties meant that I could only check the nearby one, doing so multiple times but only wasting time, since I initially took the recyclables there at half time, also dropping a small bag of trash down the chute on my way out, but found that the machine wasn’t working, so I just grabbed another recyclable which had been left in the store and came back, then I dashed back out before extra time, just glancing in from outside, seeing that there were no bakery discounts, and grabbing another recyclable on the way back, and before the penalties I rushed there again, meaning to buy the expiring sandwich which I had seen there the first time and which dad said that he wanted if I could go, but it was gone by then. So during the match I did the day’s squats, drank the remaining collagen drink from the Dream Trek, which had already expired, and ate that popcorn, after it ended I cleaned the litter box and went to drop what I gathered down the chute, and it was close to 12:15 AM when I went to wash, being done at 12:50 AM. Then I ate lunch, on and off, between 2:10 AM and 2:50 AM, and dinner between 4:55 AM and 5:35 AM, posted something, and got in bed at 8 AM, after also watching the Formula E race and using cream on my feet… And my cock, the dermatitis acting up again.
With dad supposed to get up by 9:30 AM, I didn’t expect to sleep much, but I guess I was so exhausted that I didn’t even wake up when he left, only doing so just before 11:15 AM, having a look around, peeing, and then getting right back to sleep, and getting up for the first time after the alarm rang, at 1:55 PM, for the sprint race. I got back in bed at 2:55 PM, but it took me a while to get back to sleep, the storm that started around that time not helping. Still, I could sleep after that, waking up a couple of times but getting right back to sleep, and getting up again after the alarm rang once more, at 5:55 PM, for the qualifying for the “proper” Formula 1 race. And later I did change the sheets and flip over the mattress, though I didn’t also turn it around, and found that it was already on the “summer” side, so the idea would be to flip it again well before winter, and preferably by the end of summer. On the other hand, at night I worked on dinner during the match, eating after it, between 2:10 AM and 2:40 AM. And then I wrote the review for The Ordinary Bruja, the fact that I won it in a giveaway making me write a proper one.
After what was basically just a nap, the alarm rang at 7 AM and I watched the weekend’s second Formula E race, getting back in bed at 7:55 AM and needing some time to get back to sleep. But then I only woke up again when dad left and initially got back to sleep pretty much instantly, though when Liza woke me with her “concert”, which was probably mere moments later, I did get up to have a look around and pee. And then I once again got back to sleep quickly, waking up again around 2:30 PM or so and feeling like it was going to be harder to get back to sleep once more, so after a little while I peed again, just in case, and then stayed in bed, hoping to at least catch another nap, and I eventually did, though I have no idea how long it took before that happened, how long it lasted, or when I woke up again, since I had been awake for a while by the time I got up for good, a few minutes after 4:30 PM. Then I ate lunch and it was past 7:20 PM when I left, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol, those other things that I take to Kaufland, my broken headphones, which I hadn’t thrown away until then, a couple of other parts that also belonged in an electronics bin, and the plastic and metal, which I dropped off in a recycling bin.
After grabbing a carton and adding something to the recyclables on the way to Kaufland, I used the machine from there, splitting on two vouchers and still being left with those which hadn’t been accepted before. Then I put my things in a cabinet that didn’t lock, washed my hands, and entered the store at 8:10 PM, getting two buns even if they were only discounted by 40%, making use of evening discounts for a lettuce and two peaches that were less spoiled than the rest, and adding two small pieces of processed meat products for dad which had great discounts. The closing announcement came when I was in line at the self-checkouts, and then I cashed in the vouchers before scanning the purchases.
After arranging the purchases and retrieving what I had in the cabinet, I put those other things in the appropriate bins and then rushed to the Mega Image that closes at 10 PM, though I still added something to the recyclables. And I rushed a little too much, since it wasn’t even 8:55 PM when I got there and the machine wasn’t working, so I put everything in a cabinet and grabbed some products that were discounted by 90% when they were brought.
After putting those purchases in the backpack and retrieving what I had in the cabinet, I made my way to the non-stop Mega Image that’s close to the metro station, grabbing some more recyclables and cartons and putting the recyclables in the machine from there, one of those which hadn’t been accepted at Kaufland being accepted there, though the rest still weren’t. But the bakery area had been cleared, which tends to be the case there, employees seeming to clean it first and then put discounted products back there much later, so I walked away… And then found two more recyclables, so I went back and put those in as well before continuing on my way, to also check the Mega Image from Mihai Bravu, grabbing some more recyclables but getting there after 10 PM, so the machine was off and I put the bags into two cabinets that I didn’t lock, entering with the backpack, and then retrieving the bags after just having a look inside. But the guard asked what I had in the backpack at that point, so I took out those purchases from the other Mega Image, the 90% discount labels showing that they couldn’t have been from that location, yet he still wanted the receipt, so I gave it to him and he checked everything. And then I returned to that non-stop location, putting just the recyclables into the only available cabinet, without locking it, and retrieving them after cashing in those vouchers. And on the way back I grabbed some more recyclables and had a quick look in the nearby Mega Image as well, entering with everything. And at some earlier point I also grabbed another label, but I couldn’t say when, might have even been before checking that Mega Image that closes at 10 PM.
I got back just before 10:50 PM. Then I cleaned the litter box and went to drop a small bag of trash down the chute, washed what was in the kitchen, put the purchases in their place, ate some watermelon and something sweet, did the day’s squats, and it was just after 1:10 AM when I went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and wash. I was done just after 2 AM, and then I moved something into a box for dad, needed quite some time to wash a large pot that was also burned on the bottom, also scrubbed most of the rust from the sink, used the worse leaves of the lettuce for the salad, moved one of the expiring products into a jar, and ate dinner between 4:55 AM and 5:35 AM. I got in bed at 6:50 AM.
I had barely drifted off when dad woke me by coughing or spitting crap out. And then I got woken up again by Liza going to the litter box. And then I woke up to pee. And a little after 9:40 AM I woke up once again, as dad was getting ready to leave, so I changed, cleaned the litter box, talked to him a little, and after he left I got on the computer, thinking that I’ll only quickly check a few things… Only for noise to start, including a little drilling, and by the time that was over I was in the middle of something, so it was almost 11:45 AM when I changed back into my pajamas and got back in bed… And a little noise started coming from outside minutes later. But that didn’t last, and it wasn’t bad anyway, so after a while I fell asleep and slept until almost 3 PM, when I decided to pee again, just in case, and then managed to catch some more sleep, albeit in the form of naps, drifting in and out a few times, and I’m not even sure whether I was awake or not when dad called, a little before 4:50 PM. But I remained awake after that, even if it was past 5:20 PM when I got up for good. And just after midnight I finally finished the post about this year’s half marathon. On the other hand, the middle button of my mouse started double clicking quite a lot again.
