Cav's Place

When I first saw an article about BirthStrikers, I meant to share it and praise them after reading the title, then changed my mind completely and considered them another facet of what’s wrong in the world when I reached that part about not wanting to discourage people from having children or condemn those who do. At the time, after a brief moment of anger, I shrugged it off and moved on. But when I recently saw an article about this on a Romanian environmental news site, I ended up posting a lengthy comment about exactly why that’s wrong and shows nothing but hopelessness, and how that need not be true at all for those who are militant antinatalists for environmental reasons, and to some extent for reasons having to do with human society and the lives any potential children born now or in the foreseeable future are likely to have. And since I wrote all that, it would be quite a waste not to translate it, with a few edits, and post it here as well.

The problem with BirthStrikers is that part about them not considering this to be a solution, and showing solidarity with parents and not judging those who still choose to have children. Yes, not having children won’t in itself solve things, it’s far from sufficient on its own, but not creating any more humans until and unless we fix both the environment and human society is absolutely necessary in order to have a chance to solve any major problem.
A few hundred people who make the strictly personal choice not to have children because they’re terrified about the future prove only hopelessness, basically surrendering to the inevitability of that bleak future. It’s a message that’s pretty much the opposite of that sent by those, unfortunately extremely few, who say that overpopulation is a huge problem, the worst one as far as I’m concerned, and it needs to be solved in order to have a chance to solve the others, and for this to happen people must be stopped from having children, because it’s obvious that the other method of reducing population, increasing mortality, is not desirable.

Any human, whatever else they might do, has an environmental footprint, consumes resources and generates pollution. Usually, the better off the family and the more developed the region, the greater the footprint, but that footprint can and should also increase for those who are now poorer, as the very fact that they exist should grant them the exact same right to a decent standard of living. So, at the moment, the consumption patterns may actually make the overpopulation problem worse in countries with lower populations, including those experiencing a population reduction, since the drop is nowhere near fast enough, but this problem is constantly worsening in the rest of the world as well, as the standard of living improves. And, either way, the problem is global, no country being an island floating through space on its own, so that stance according to which this is only a problem elsewhere, for other nations, other ethnicities, other “races”, can’t in any way be justified.
Past that, yes, you obviously also consider the life those born now are likely to have, which is bad even if things won’t get even worse, especially if you compare humanity’s potential and what’s actually happening, how good things could be, considering our level of knowledge and development, and how they really are. And after that you may also add the fact that, seeing as future generations are likely to need to have environmental footprints that are a small fraction of current ones, ever harsher restrictions will be forced upon any children born before these problems are solved, making them in effect serve life sentences for the crimes committed by those who came before them, for which they’re not in the least to blame.
And then you have that idea that perhaps some of those children will come up with the solutions, which is a problem on the one hand because it takes the responsibility off our shoulders, away from those of us who are already here, and on the other because it marks a return to that search for miracle cures and messiahs which would still allow the rest of us to continue more or less as usual. But we already know the solutions, we just don’t like them, and even striving to find others would imply efforts and resources directed away from real improvements and development and wasted instead on mitigating the effects of problems we ourselves create, including simply because of our numbers.

So, as I was saying, to say that some hundreds of people created a movement to say that they won’t have children because the future is too bleak, but don’t consider that to be a solution and won’t judge others, shows nothing but hopelessness and surrender. Those are simply people who don’t think things could get better, who aren’t driven, or at least not anymore, to fight for that to happen.
On the other hand, claiming that a major part of the solution is to not have children, judging others based on this and demanding measures to be taken, stating firmly that nobody should be allowed to have children just because a necessary, albeit far from sufficient on its own, condition to have a chance to solve the problem is drastically reducing the population and you’d much rather not have that happen by killing people or allowing them to die unnecessarily, such as due to lack of access to needed resources or services or due to worsening conditions, is just the opposite. It states that you still have some hope that such a bleak future may yet be avoided, and that we, just those of us who are already here, have the responsibility to do everything in our power to achieve that. And it also shows that you truly care about a potential future generation, and you wish for it to exist only if and when the life it’ll be offered will be much better than the one we have, and the one those who came before us had, as it should be; only if and when it’ll no longer be asked to fix the damage we and those before us caused, pay for the crime while carrying none of the blame.

Obtaining the fastest time over 16 kilometers on the way to covering a half marathon distance and not even having a picture of it as proof couldn’t stand, right? So, the goal of yesterday’s run was to improve, the target times adding up to 1:16:40, though I also allowed for 1:16:45 and would have even been content with 1:16:46, just to squeeze under that previous record by any margin. Yet I managed 1:15:37, slashing 1:10 off that previous time! Sector times were 4:13, 4:55, 5:42, 4:21, 4:49, 5:44, 4:22, 4:59, 5:50, 4:26, 5:06, 5:52, 4:30, 4:59 and 5:49, making for lap times of 14:50, 14:54, 15:11, 15:24 and 15:18. Have the exact times for the first two laps too, and those were 4:13.06, 4:55.13 and 5:42.54, adding up to 14:50.73, and 4:21.01, 4:48.72 and 5:43.98, adding up to 14:53.71. So I have a new record for sector two, obtained on lap two, and also very good times on the first lap’s first sector and on that first lap overall. This is not a pace I could have maintained for another 5.1 km, but it’s again something I can definitely work with next month, and I even think that I’d have probably lost less than this 1:10 if I’d have tried to keep going, so I’d have likely beaten that time from two weeks ago, even if not by much.
Things didn’t look so good when I woke up, having set the alarm to 1:30 PM, because my right calf muscle and knee didn’t seem too happy, probably as a result of pushing like crazy after seeing that I had done the first 30 squats the previous evening in 50 seconds and finishing all 100 in 2:35, which is a new best time by far, after having matched that 2:46 two days before. But I had a plan to stick to and the forecast didn’t exactly give me any other options this week anyway, so I went out around 3:15 PM, after having milk instead of yogurt with my cereals and without adding the cocoa I tend to add when I specifically aim for a new record or go for a half marathon distance or more. And yes, my right leg held, the knee, that muscle and even that bone giving me a few warnings, especially over the last two laps in case of the knee, but nothing serious. I did try to spare it more on the last lap, but that was mainly because my liver started hurting around the time I started that lap, probably after pushing a bit on sector three of lap four, as after that lap’s first two sectors was the only time when I was a bit worried I could fall behind the target time for the lap, though clearly not also at the end. So I had to change my posture and snap my back the right way anyway, and had spared my left knee a fair bit until then, so I thought it should be all right to make it take the worst of it from then on, which proved to be the case.
The reported temperature was 14-15°C and there should have been little wind, but there was actually a fair bit of it and there were a few areas on each lap where it was a problem while I ran. But at least there was no rain, as there was some risk of a few drops but, while the sky went from partly to fully cloudy around the time I started lap four, nothing else followed, so it was just fine to stick to the t-shirt I run in lately and an undershirt, without having the jacket with me for the walk there and back. Otherwise, there weren’t many people, but they did still make me lose a bit of time, making me go the long way around or, quite a few times, having their dogs on long leashes and not following them when they went across the path, letting those leashes block the way as a result. Plus one particular group of parents with babies in prams that I had to get past multiple times as they walked very slowly and almost as much in a line as the width of the path allowed, only leaving one spot for others and therefore making it a problem if someone else was trying to get past them at the same time.
What was a bit weird, or at least awkward, was at the start of lap five, when three cyclists, which I at first assumed were mother and sons, overtook me as I was passing under the bridge. I thought they’ll be targets to aim for, helping me push harder as they’ll move away, but instead the woman told the boys to not pedal where the path slopes down for a bit, after the bridge, and then kept being quite slow, so I actually felt a bit held back as I stayed next to them, not able to get ahead and being blocked from going to the other side of the path as I’d normally do in that place. The boys glanced at me and tried to go faster, one went in front of me, but held back again after getting alongside the woman, seeming torn between wanting to be faster than me and not wanting to get ahead of her. But when the bike lane moves away from the path around the lake, going to an exit, the woman went that way while the boys continued, seeming released to be faster and finally starting to move away from me… For a few seconds, because just a bit later one of them couldn’t decide which way to go around someone, almost stopped and cut right in front of me as we both went around that person on the same side, making me tell him to make up his mind. Then the other one told him something I didn’t catch and they dropped back, and I think I noticed out of the corner of my eye that they turned on another path. They definitely weren’t behind me anymore a bit later, at least.

There was a potentially dangerous moment as I got out of the park, when I saw the light being green and meant to run to catch it before it changed only to notice that cars kept passing and realize just in time that the stoplight was malfunctioning, matching the one for cars instead of being the opposite of it. Meant to see how to notify someone about it when I got back, a few minutes before 5 PM, but it slipped my mind as I focused on ensuring that I wrote down all the times correctly and then changed and left again, around 5:40 PM, since I had to return that book dad asked me to get for him and the movie I also grabbed at the time. Knew I didn’t need to rush, that location being open until 7 PM that day, but I did anyway, in part because I was still worried about rain, so it took me half an hour to get there and another half an hour to get back, my calf muscles hurting a fair bit. It was only then that I sent an e-mail about that stoplight, though by then I’m quite sure somebody was well aware of it, if it hadn’t been fixed already.
A while later I meant to take a bath, but ended up mostly showering, just sitting in what water accumulated as I washed my hair, since the water wasn’t hot enough for a bath and it even seemed to be getting worse. However, after I rushed to finish once I noticed that, worried that it’ll actually get cold, just as I was about done it suddenly got much hotter, making me spend some more time just letting it run on me to warm up a bit more, if it was too late for that bath. And then I made myself something to eat and really stuffed myself, using a larger pot than I normally would, since it was already out and I had just washed it. But that meant I couldn’t quite judge quantities and time and ended up burning it quite a bit, so I’ll need to try to clean it up now, somehow, since it’s old but had so far pretty much escaped such a fate.

Otherwise, a protest for clean air was announced for Saturday, taking place in Bucharest, Iasi, Timisoara and Brasov. Saw the event when one of the “old guard” activists posted it and Demos announced that they support it as well, but the organizers were some NGOs I never heard of, which are apparently working together for this, and I didn’t see anyone from said “old guard” there, nor anyone else I’d recognize as a Demos member. Then again, it was early, people being supposed to start gathering at 10 AM and the march starting at 11 AM, and it was raining quite badly, so there were few participants, maybe just over 30. The Sector 1 mayor took part though, which could have created some tension, but the organizers were quick to point out that polluted air sickens everyone and garbage stinks for everyone just the same, regardless of their political affiliation, and a member of another NGO who started questioning said mayor at the end of the march, somewhat aggressively at first, seemed to nevertheless agree that he had at least tried to do something about the matter, unlike others.
Either way, I had set my alarm for 9 AM, but woke up earlier, rather confused, and despite waiting a few minutes I was still in that state between dream and “reality” when I checked the time and saw 8:50 AM. Got back in bed for a few more minutes, but hadn’t quite managed to get myself out of that state when I got up again and stopped the alarm before it rang. Definitely had no intention to be there earlier and wait in that rain, so I left at 10:10 AM and was at the Unirii metro station 10:35 AM, then waited five more minutes before I went out… And didn’t cross the street where I should have, so ended up having to go around, behind the National Library and back on the other side, which also meant I stumbled upon some Sector 4 workers hacking some trees until they were little more than bare trunks even though they’re not allowed to do so anymore as of this month. Also saw that some sort of classic car event was also taking place at the National Library that morning, which struck me as quite ironic, and I pointed it out to one of the organizers when I reached the location, at 10:55 AM. Then I put on one of the vests they were offering and eventually also grabbed a sign and we got going at 11:10 AM, reaching the Ministry of Environment half an hour later and people scattering minutes later, after just taking a picture and shouting a few times, the march having otherwise been silent. The organizers didn’t want their vests or signs back, but I insisted to give the sign back and I think everyone else did as well. Most kept their vests though, but I gave that back as well.

After that, went to that science fiction and fantasy fair too, getting there at 12:05 PM and again looking for that series by that Romanian author Alma knows and got me interested in. And, after having likely been able to purchase the first two books for a very low price two years ago but not realizing it in time, since I was so sleepy, and deciding not to go back once I did, and then finding the publisher but none of the books last year, now I finally got all three of them. The discount was lower, 40% when every year so far that publisher had everything 50% off at that fair, and the starting price was also significantly higher, but they’re also new editions, released some months ago, and I could afford them, so I purchased them. The guy actually first rounded up the price and I shrugged it off, but after I refused the paper bag he wanted to put them in and put them in the plastic one I had, saying that it’s better that way, considering the weather, he suddenly changed his mind and gave me 1 RON as change, therefore rounding down instead.
Otherwise, also saw that “old guard” activist who no longer seems involved in activism or politics but keeps having a stand at such fairs, but while he and those from another stand close to his had books in English, I didn’t find anything interesting, so I got out of there at 12:35 PM and, after meaning to give up on the thought, eventually decided to also check out that Carrefour at Obor one more time, going through the market just to get some more shelter from the rain and buying some bread that was on sale and some organic milk that was discounted due to expiring soon. Was eventually back here, with everything, at 2:05 PM.

The next day I finished Season of Storms, though it was one more day until I wrote the quick review. But what I definitely didn’t like on either of those days was the fact that the middle button of my mouse seems to have started double clicking. Noticed two tabs opened twice after I woke up and wasn’t sure how that happened, then had two tabs close when I just meant to close one at night, and then the next day, when I made a point of testing, I had tabs open twice when I clicked just once several times, making me start wondering when it’ll be better to take it to be fixed under warranty and deciding to wait until after the half marathon. However, can’t say I noticed that happening again since then, so I’m uncertain at the moment, and I’m also worried that, instead of fixing or replacing it, they’ll offer me a refund, especially since both the store and the importer list it as out of stock and this is the same store that did just that for my keyboard. That ended up working out in my favor, since they replaced it with another of the same kind, with the warranty starting from that day, but if that won’t be an option now, I definitely don’t want to lose this one.

Moving on, Monday I decided when I woke up to go and buy a couple of things, so eventually went out at 4:45 PM. Wanted to avoid being asked where I was going, just so I won’t be asked to buy some other things when I’m already really behind with what I want to have set aside and will be spending a fair bit next month, since it seems that, unlike last year, what I spend like this tends to reduce what I’m given for myself, dad no longer making a point of specifically adding this amount on top of that but seeming to make a total that ends up being less than the sum of its parts. However, I was unable to avoid that, since he did ask whether I was going to buy anything when he saw me putting my shoes on and then asked for some glue he saw an ad for, though I doubted there was anything more than marketing and reading the label later proved me correct. Still, I said I’m only getting something if I’ll get the money first, not after, and he just gave me a rather large amount, which made me feel really awkward, after he had seemed to have trouble even with what he had given me earlier, so I left that amount there and just took one smaller bill, which I assumed would be enough for the glue… And wasn’t.
Either way, went to Obor again, again first to that Carrefour, getting more of that bread and one little thing that was discounted due to expiring soon. Also saw that glue and checked the label, confirming that it was the same thing, having the same active ingredient and the same manufacturer, as another kind that was less than half the price, but sent dad a message to let him know of the price and he said that maybe it was better, so I decided to get it after all, since it’s his money. The problem was that it was more than the bill I had taken would have covered, so I’d have had to take more after I’ll get back anyway, which made me decide to get some other things as well, while I was there and found things for the cats that were cheaper. But I wasn’t going to get everything then, since I also wanted to check out the Kaufland from that area, so I also left the glue, and then at first also left one more thing I had initially meant to get, after realizing that the change I had was just short of what I’d have needed and I’d have needed to break a large bill if I’d have purchased that then as well. However, when I got to the checkout I spotted a 0.10 RON coin and grabbed it, then rushed back to get that thing as well, since that meant I no longer needed to break that large bill then.
After that, went to that Kaufland, looking for tofu, which was on sale. Also looked for that glue, just in case it was cheaper, but couldn’t find it at all… And at first thought I won’t be getting that tofu either, since they had every kind except smoked, which was what I wanted, and none seemed to have codes for this contest that brand has at the moment either. But I found some more in another spot and, while it was still every kind except smoked, I did find some plain ones that were at least in the contest, those not in brine being at the top and visible but boxes of the kind in brine being under them, so I dug one out and purchased it. Then back to Carrefour, got that glue, carefully calculated the other things to add up to just about all I had and got what I could, being left with just a few coins. Did find a 1 RON bill as I was getting back to the metro station though, next to a stall selling socks, but the stall was unmanned at the moment and it didn’t seem like anyone else was looking for lost money, so I took it. Was back around 7:25 PM.

As for Tuesday, no visits were recorded again, this again being true for both views, so I again can’t be really sure it wasn’t some problem with the data. But the nice, if awkward, moment happened at night, when someone gave me a code for City of Abandoned Ships, apparently just for “being nice” and explaining something to him on the Community Giveaway thread on the GOG.com forum. He seems to have trouble with English and admitted he couldn’t really understand the rules when he requested a game that someone else had been nominated for, but that’s in no way against any rule, such a request simply being next in line in case the nominee refuses the game or doesn’t reply within a week, which can and does happen. When people obviously don’t care about the rules and request games not on the list, or multiple games in one month, or are obviously ineligible, then they will get negative votes and may expect some harsher reactions from some, though even then it’s mostly ironic, if not simply pointing them to the rules they ignored, but he nevertheless seemed to expect at least negative votes for that post, and possibly also people being particularly rude, and while I definitely wasn’t polite, simply explaining without cursing or clearly being rude seems to have surprised him in a good way and he wanted to reward it this manner.
Before checking what the code he had sent was for, meant to tell him to just send it to the giveaway, but when I did check and saw that it was a game from my wishlist that I could play on this computer and which is also just $1.49 at the moment, I decided to redeem it after all, despite feeling awfully awkward about it. Think it was sent a bit before midnight, but I redeemed it after, so actually on April 17, and then also removed Caribbean Tales from my wishlist, since I gather that’s very similar but simply worse.

Must start with the fact that the writing style and structure are once again better, not at the level of Time of Contempt or Baptism of Fire but definitely moving away from what made Tower of the Swallow and Lady of the Lake confusing and hard to follow, and gave characters so little chance to shine in those books. It does feel strange to go back to the beginning after the end, but at the same time Season of Storms simply feels just about “right” again, or at least a whole lot more comfortable. The characters seem to be themselves again, the story and atmosphere are fitting, there’s plenty of humor without it seeming forced, everything simply flows quite naturally, and some answers may also be found for questions which so far had none.
On the other hand, the answer provided for the most important question is hardly an answer, leaving the matter just about as open to debate and speculation as it was after Lady of the Lake, while a few others may be answers to questions you didn’t even know you had, or should have had, so far. And there are questions left unanswered regarding the story contained in this book in itself, and certain moments and events are treated too shallowly, on top of the general fact that it’s shorter and less detailed than I consider a fantasy book should be. But, of course, that holds true for all the books in the series, yet they build upon each other and, if you take it as the end instead of the beginning, there is more than enough for it to stand on, without it being required to offer that much worldbuilding and context on its own.

Rating: 4/5

This week’s run was Wednesday, and the time was 46:32, beating the previous record for ten kilometers by seven seconds! Sector times were 4:12, 4:58, 5:36, 4:22, 4:53, 5:41, 4:23, 4:53, 5:46 and 1:48, making for lap times of 14:46, 14:56 and 15:02. But this time around I actually have every single exact time as well. Of course, all of these have to do with the exact moment when I happened to press that button on my stopwatch, so I’ll keep listing just the minutes and seconds normally, but if I remembered all of them like this, I’ll add them like this here too. So, the exact time was 46:32.60, with exact sector times of 4:12.23, 4:58.10, 5:35.89, 4:22.52, 4:52.66, 5:41.35, 4:22.34, 4:53.50, 5:46.21 and 1:47.80, making for exact lap times of 14:46.22, 14:56.53 and 15:02.05.
Didn’t think I’ll ever manage to beat that 46:39, but there it is, and I even did it with the jacket tied around my waist, which doesn’t just add a bit of weight but also restricts breathing a bit. Had an undershirt on too. The reported temperature may have been 17°C and the cloudy sky and the wind I felt on the way to the park, and which I can’t say I really noticed anymore after I started running, wouldn’t have been an issue, but the forecast stated that it might rain and it actually did, some light rain starting as I was starting sector three of lap three. Also meant to go to the farmers’ market after running too, and did so, which meant I also had two bags and a little money, though I made sure I won’t have to worry about losing any of that. Another issue was that I still had some crap in my nose, so had to mitigate the effects of that while running. And, while the path was pretty clear most of the time, I did need to go the long way around people a few times and there were two spots where others got in my way. The first time it was a boy walking slowly across the path, likely seeing me approach and stopping suddenly to let me pass in front of him, but doing so just when I was a step or two away and turning to pass behind him. And the second time it was a woman with a baby in a pram, who quite clearly heard me, but for some reason assumed I’ll pass her on the outside of the curve, so suddenly turned to the inside just as I was trying to get past her on the inside. Not quite sure how I still managed to avoid running into her there, actually.
The forecast I had seen before going to bed listed rain in the morning and evening, with no risk during the afternoon, so I initially meant to go a bit later, but when I checked again after waking up I saw rain from 5 PM, and since I was up in time, I left around 3:15 PM and was starting to run at 3:30 PM. Didn’t know what I meant to aim for even then though, and hadn’t even eaten quite what I normally do before a run. Was thinking to just aim for a normal time, under 48:30, but also realized that I’m in a surprisingly good form right now and the challenge is to keep it up, because if I don’t it’ll be harder to get back to it in a month. So, just as I started running, I decided to see how fast I could be over a lap, and then see what I’ll still manage after that, and that was the result. Must say that I managed no sector or lap records though, but do have second bests, the first lap being the second fastest lap and its first and third sectors also being second fastest. But what mattered the most and made that difference was the fact that I maintained this kind of pace on lap three, even if I caught myself starting to lose focus on its third sector. After two laps I was 21 seconds behind that previous record, but gained 28 over lap three, as that previous time I was quite out of it on the third lap. Covered the final sector in 1:48 both times, so no difference there.

After that, put my jacket back on and went straight to the market, constantly running the times through my mind, to make sure I won’t forget. And it was during that time that I realized that I had calculated the time for sector two of lap three wrong, having been convinced it was a new record as I ran, thinking it had been 4:49.50 instead of 4:53.50, since it had slipped my mind that I was remembering exact times and therefore, since I just tend to keep the last number in mind, what was actually 34:05.09 became “something ending in nine seconds”. But I sorted that out, then had a look around the market and decided to also get a certain kind of lettuce and some green garlic, on top of the apples I definitely needed. Saw two people selling that sort of lettuce, and since one had no price listed, I asked… And jumped away as if burned when she said 5 RON, when the other one was selling it for 2 RON each. Then also grabbed two cheap bunches of green garlic, which didn’t look too good but were definitely good enough for that price, and the two kilograms of cheap apples I had gone there for in the first place. Quite wrinkled, spotted, but usually not spoiled otherwise, tasty and, judging by how they look, less likely to be covered in all sorts of crap. Heard some more rain as I was there, but not an issue in the market, the rain being light and the market mostly covered, and it didn’t really rain as I made my way back. What worried me, on the other hand, was seeing work starting on the part facing the street of the building next to the one I’m in, so I wonder what this will mean about my Internet access, whether cables will get cut again.

Now, I’ll get back to April 5, when the noise made by dad first woke me up I think around 8:45 AM and, after going to pee, I had a hard time falling asleep again. Still, eventually managed it and it was probably around 2:30 PM when I woke up again, and a bit before 3 PM when I got up, and quickly checked to see whether the three books I had ordered quite some time ago were finally ready to get picked up. And the site said they were, but I received no message to tell me that, so after doing a few other things for a little while I sent a message to ask and they said they were indeed ready, just that they hadn’t gotten around to notifying me yet. But they say they’re only there until 5 PM and it was getting close to 4 PM already, so I quickly got ready and ran out, at 4:05 PM… And then ran back from the corner, because I couldn’t remember whether I had locked the door and it was too windy as well, so grabbed my jacket too. Still, was there at 4:50 PM and back out, with the books, five minutes later, so they didn’t have to stay longer because of me. Then I considered having a look at the location from that area of this pharmacy, for what I was thinking of getting for the cold, but decided against it, and was left trying and failing to find a way through the fence splitting that entire area in two, eventually needing to go all the way back to the sidewalk and get back in on the other side, to get to the Kaufland from there for a couple of things. Then, after squeezing myself in the metro, since at that hour they’re obviously overcrowded, I was back at 6:25 PM.

Since dad had left his monthly pass again that day, that left me with five trips on one of those found and kept in case of need and one day to use them, since it expired on April 6. Had it with me and whenever I went in or out of a station I kept meaning to ask whether anybody wanted a free trip, meaning to give two away that way. When I got out here I even stuck around for a few minutes, trying to work up the courage, but didn’t manage it. So, while I only needed two trips for what I meant to do on April 6, I then decided to have another look at that Carrefour at Obor on the way back, then drop things off here and leave again for Cora, where I very rarely end up otherwise, just to have a look around there as well, and also see how things stand with the recycling machine that’s supposed to be there and accept a whole lot more things. At the time I hadn’t yet seen the announcement made by the company that operates these machines, stating that, due to the changes in legislation, they’re no longer able to operate in many locations, and can’t accept certain things at all anymore. They still claim that some machines will continue to operate, but what I saw seems to indicate otherwise, so I’ll see how things develop.
But I should start from the beginning, and that was waking up earlier, since the only location of the Library that has Interstellar is in the area I had to go to anyway and Saturday it closes at 1 PM. So I decided to see that, legally, as well, since I got started, and left at 11:50 AM, getting there around 12:30 PM despite having missed that street at first and needing to turn around after a little while, when I realized it. Even though there were quite a few other people there and a bit of a line was forming, I was out at 12:40 PM, so no problems about the closing time.

After that, went to the “Turkish culture” event taking place nearby, getting there at 12:50 PM. Expected some free food, but not as many different and interesting things as I got, and actually seem to have missed two other kinds of dessert. If I’d have been there later, I’d have missed a fair bit more, but while the event was supposed to start at 11 AM, those from a Turkish restaurant were just setting things up when I got there, while the man from the Turkish cuisine stand seemed to have just brought out samples, of four different dishes, and was being interviewed by a television crew. It was unpleasant that when I went to grab some of those samples, after the interview was over, I noticed a bit too late that they were still filming, just to get shots of people taking the samples, and caught me as I went for the same sample a woman was also going for, then stopping and waving her ahead. It’s likely that only my hand would have been visible, but watched the two-minute piece about the event that was on the news at that TV station and saw that they didn’t use that bit at all.
Either way, just took samples of two dishes at first, but saw that they were all being taken quickly and meant to get the other two as well, so before doing so I rushed to eat one, which I found very tasty but couldn’t identify even when I tried to look it up later, since I obviously didn’t ask. At the time rushing seemed necessary, since I just grabbed the last sample of one of the dishes, but then noticed that they kept bringing more, so running out of those didn’t seem to be an issue. On the other hand, rushing was required to get what that restaurant brought, people crowding there as soon as they finished setting things up. As such, since I first finished those first samples and then waited calmly in line, I watched one of the dishes run out right before my turn came, got the last pieces of two kinds of dessert and seem to have missed out on two more kinds completely. They were giving some decent portions of the dish I did still catch though, and which I might or might not have correctly identified, and of the salad, and they did bring some more as I ate, though this second “round” seemed to be the last. So, when I saw that, I felt less bad about the fact that, after not realizing that the line just continued and walking out of it to grab a plastic fork, I let a few people get ahead but eventually cut back in, in front of a woman who therefore missed out on those two kinds of dessert that I got the last pieces of at that time. She stared at me for a bit, but didn’t say anything, instead just asking them whether they’ll be bringing more.
Since I had two plates and things that needed to be eaten more properly, unlike those first samples, I went to one of the small tables and started eating, and while I was there I saw others come with plates including those two kinds of dessert which I hadn’t seen at all. However, I did take quite some time to eat and just about everything was gone by the time I finished and had another look, though I did see two pieces left of that dish I had just missed the first time and just stuck my fork in one to get that as well. Told the guy who was there that I had missed it the first time, but I’m actually not sure he knew Romanian. The girl did, but she was handling the desserts, and after there was nothing left for her to do she went to restock the cooler where they had drinks as well, at which point I also grabbed a bottle of some orange juice. Had been reading some more of the booklet that was being given there, being left rather on my own in the middle of that room, most people clearing away after the food was gone, and when I saw her there I actually meant to go help, but couldn’t get myself to offer, so ended up asking what they had available, since I had walked up to her obviously meaning to say something, then grabbed what I had meant to grab in the first place.
Otherwise, while eating those samples, waiting and even after that, I looked a few times at the paper marbling area, children usually giving it a go and a few actually managing to make some pretty nice things, one girl in particular making quite a work of art in a few minutes. There was a place to make little pieces of pottery too, but I just quickly glanced at that without much interest, and of course completely ignored the coffee that was also being offered. Did have a look at the stuff handed out by what I guess was a travel agency, but just put back what a guy handed me, ignored the quite large magazine they also had there and only grabbed the thing about Gobekli Tepe. However, as I was standing there, quite alone in the middle of that room, and finishing reading that booklet, a man came to me with that large magazine, saying that he enjoys seeing people who want to know everything, that I reminded him of himself in his youth, seeing me read like that, and he brought me that “very interesting” magazine which I “must have missed”. I hadn’t missed it and the interaction was rather awkward, with him also saying he doesn’t have much time left and was born in 1944 and me not quite managing to figure out even what I meant to say, much less actually say it, but I eventually just took that magazine, finished reading the booklet, had another quick look around and left, at 2:10 PM. Saw a couple of men outside, bringing a lot of what at first glance looked like wine, but could have also been coffee or who knows what else, and then some crates as well, and meant to offer to help them too, but of course I couldn’t get myself to say that either.

From there, went to Cismigiu Park, since there was an event taking place there that day, people being asked to just read in the park, between 4 PM and 6 PM, the organizers stating that they will bring some books to give away too and will otherwise be walking around and maybe “bothering” the readers for a few seconds to take a picture. Of course, I was there very early, reaching the park at 2:25 PM, and later learning that, using the entrance I did, I walked right past those taking part in an “urban gardening” event I also had some interest in this spring but never took part in. Did spot a few people working in a building’s garden, but didn’t make the connection until I saw the post after coming back that evening.
Once inside the park, went to the toilet and then went around the lake once, or almost once, since I stopped a little after what I consider to be the main entrance, not getting all the way back to the one I used. That seemed like the best place to sit down, not that close to that entrance but just a bit farther on, so I did so, even though I was reconsidering it after seeing some people from an alliance of parties that I’ll grudgingly end up voting for next month, since Demos failed to gather the required signatures, and at first assuming that it was some campaign effort that I didn’t want to be bothered with. However, after rather pointedly avoiding them, I heard them say that they were doing a survey, and I wanted to answer that, so when two of them walked past me after I picked a bench and sat down, at 3 PM, I was thinking I missed my chance, since they likely noticed how I avoided them and assumed they’ll have no success. But then another guy came just as I had started reading, having taken Season of Storms with me, and I got to answer after all, albeit not without some difficulty, since he was filling it on an app on his phone and it didn’t want to accept some answers at first, forcing him to restart it after a while and then start again from the beginning. Of course I didn’t quite give the answers I’d have wanted, since it’d have required writing more in, and also missed my chance to complain about a law project that some of their members, including a leading candidate for these elections, recently put forward, but at least it was something.
That done, I got back to reading, and soon noticed a group sit on other benches nearby, which group started to seem to me to have something to do with the event, and it does seem that they actually were the organizers. I’m not certain of it, but a few things I heard there and the posts I saw later seemed to indicate that, and when I left I also saw a few books they had left behind them on the benches. Some of the others who sat on either side of me also talked about books a bit, but they didn’t read anything and eventually got up and left, but I saw plenty of others walk past with books, though it sure was weird when some were wondering out loud about the exact location of the event when the organizers had said that there won’t be a specific location and they’ll find the readers as long as they’ll just sit down and read, and in fact they were probably right there anyway. A post I saw later stated that they had first started wandering around a bit at 3 PM, and then that group that was close to me got up just after 5:10 PM, a moment before I also did. Meant to read one more chapter, but between drinking that orange juice and the strong wind, I felt like I was about to piss myself, so I looked ahead, saw that it had 21 pages and thought I won’t manage that, so I put the book away and slowly made my way out of the park, taking five more minutes to actually leave it.

Didn’t go to the toilet again in the park, or even in the underground passage where the metro station is, so it sure was a relief at 6 PM, when I finally took care of that problem after reaching that mall at Obor again. Then I bought just one little expiring thing from that Carrefour and got back here to drop everything off, at 6:45 PM, leaving again just over half an hour later, taking the recyclables as well, plus some perfume bottles which I hoped to drop off at Cora, since that recycling machine was listed as accepting glass as well. But I first passed through a fair taking place in this nearby park too, so only got back to the metro station at 7:40 PM and only actually reached Cora at 8:20 PM, after going out the wrong exit when I reached that station and needing to get my bearings in an unfamiliar area and make my way to where I should have been.
Once there, I first looked for that recycling machine, only finding some cabinets where it used to be, a long time ago, when I last saw it there. So I started wandering around, including through the parking lot, but some 20 minutes later I was back there without having found anything, not even a bin meant for glass, so I ended up just leaving those bottles on top of the one for light bulbs and hoping that somebody’ll take them to the right place. The announcement posted by that company, which I saw later, indicated that the machine from that location should still operate, but they indeed said, when replying to someone, that they’re no longer able to take glass at all, so if I’d have looked first I’d have known not to take those bottles at least. Still have no clue what happened to that machine though, where exactly it was moved, if they say it’s still there.
After that, I had a look through Cora too, but other than finding an even better discount for the cat food purchased earlier that week from Carrefour, which was of course of no use to me then, I didn’t see anything I wanted, so I was back out at 9:15 PM. Got out of the metro at Titan though, walking back from there, since I thought it’ll take me some 20 minutes to do so while otherwise it’ll take me 20 minutes plus any time spent waiting after changing trains. So I was just entering the building at 9:50 PM and had time to finally finish Sex at Dawn that evening too, so I won’t end up with a book listed as started before another was listed as finished. Did, in practice, start Season of Storms before finishing Sex at Dawn, but at least both happened on the same day.

To start with some more recent matters, yesterday I noticed that what had remained of those fig trees behind the building, after that woman tore most of them up last year, had been cut. Not completely, but the parts of trunks left likely have less than a meter, all being chopped at about the same level. Noticed someone there when I pulled up the blinds after waking up yesterday afternoon, but didn’t actually look to see who it was, whether it was the guy tending this place or someone else again, and obviously have no idea whether it even was that person who did it or they were there to assess the damage done by someone else.
Moving on to an entirely different matter, been quite worried about a cold all of last week, starting with a sore throat and other symptoms following, and since I can’t afford anything of the sort now, with the half marathon a month away, didn’t let my body try to fight it off on its own anymore and took a few things. Even considered buying something from the pharmacy, but what I took seemed to keep it under control at first and then it was getting better, and now I seem quite fine, so there was no need of that after all. On the other hand, as of Saturday evening I had a nasty taste in my mouth and smell in my nose, if I may use the term, and wasn’t sure whether it had actually appeared, somewhat vaguely, even before I ate that night, possibly as a result of something I had at the event I went to earlier that day, and I only thought I identified it later, or it only really appeared after eating, but until I ate this afternoon I thought it was the taste and smell of spoiled garlic. However, now I just realized it most likely came from the smoked tofu I had, and which I had indeed last eaten Saturday night, before finishing it today. Definitely shouldn’t have been spoiled, but the thing is that, even though it had faded a fair bit, I still felt some of that taste and smell even today, before finishing that piece, so two and a half days after last eating some of that tofu.
And to finish with these more recent matters, there seem to have been no visits here on April 5 and 6. Or at least Google Analytics didn’t record anything, which of course may also mean that there was a problem there, since there was nothing in the “unfiltered” view either. But obvious bots are automatically filtered out and my own visits are filtered out of that view as well, and the sort of spam visits that I try to filter out of the main view may be very frequent but not to the point of showing up every day, so I can’t know whether it was a problem or not. Should probably make a view where my own visits aren’t filtered either, to be able to check, but it’s not like having no visits is surprising. If anything, it’s rather surprising that it’s the first time I make a note of this after December 6, though I was wondering about data loss then as well… And now that I checked again, I just noticed that no visits show up, in either view, on March 29 either, yet I didn’t make a note of it at the time, so not sure whether I forgot to check that night, which is actually possible, or I saw but forgot about it, which seems much less likely, or there was something there and then it got deleted for some reason. Either way, the fact remains that the last time I had two consecutive days with no recorded visits was on October 25 and 26, 2010, so only a little over a month after launching this site.

And now I have some catching up to do, starting with March 24, when I volunteered at the Botanical Garden again. The “official” album gives a pretty good idea of what was done that day, but this is a personal post, so for me the day started at 7:45 AM, when the alarm went off and I got up. Meant to leave at 8:40 AM and that was actually when I was at the door, and when I got to the metro station the train was just there, had to run for it, so there was no time lost there either. There was an unpleasant moment when I got off, when the people coming in didn’t give me priority to walk out, as they should have done, so at first I had to wait for a guy and his kid to step on and then the next guy almost ran into me and stepped on my foot, but shrugged it off and was at the Botanical Garden at 9:20 AM, and it was actually a few minutes after 9:30 AM when Anca gave the signal to get going.
Before being divided into teams, those who had been there the previous day as well were put in one team and told to finish what was left to do in the sector they had worked on and the rest of us were given a rough idea of what each team would do, to know where to position ourselves. I stayed just where I was, but that was the spot for the team which was mostly going to just rake, so only girls and women rushed to that area and I was the only guy, which prompted the woman who eventually stepped forward when Anca asked for some team leaders to say, when we gathered in front of the area we were supposed to work on, that we might as well follow gender stereotypes and have me carry stuff. But I said it at the same time she did, and that was what I meant to do anyway. It was also there that we split into three smaller teams, but almost right away one of these smaller teams seemed to pretty much vanish, and later I saw one girl working alone in an area for quite a long time.
I also raked a bit at first, but after a while I was pretty much stuck carrying, which was actually easier than expected this time, having a wheelbarrow and the spot where we needed to take the stuff being nearby, our team actually being the closest to it. The issue was that the first time I bent down, these old pants that I keep for such things tore quite badly, on the right leg, so I had to stay like that all the way. At least it’s a good thing they didn’t tear at the back or between my legs… Did notice quite a nasty look from a girl, I think she might have even been one of those helping Anca organize these things, when her eyes fell on the tear when we were eating, and one of my teammates asked about it at some point, probably having forgotten that I had pointed it out as soon as it happened, but I managed. Felt more awkward about getting back like that, thinking that I had brought my shoes along, to only use the boots while there, when it would have apparently been better to bring spare pants, but my jacket could more or less cover the tear when I had it on, which I did, except while working.
Back to what we actually did, after a while the team I was in was told to also move a pile of things, I think made of rubber, which I think had been used to mark the path created through that area. Those did have to be carried a long way, but I again had a wheelbarrow, and starting on the second trip one of the women got her hands on one as well, while the others carried bunches of the longer pieces in their hands, one holding each end. Since many pieces were long, we eventually took to bending and, where possible, snapping them to make more fit in the wheelbarrows, yet even so those carrying the longer ones had to make a fourth trip to take the last ones left after we had all made three. It was also a bit annoying that some pieces kept falling off, but I was placing myself last in the group and was gathering them as they fell from others, since I had an easier time of it and could catch up after those brief stops.
We started doing this just before the lunch break, at noon, so when we came back from the first trip we found the others already eating. Saw three types of sandwiches this time and grabbed the one that seemed better, the other two being similar, just that one was with chicken, which was also the case of the one I got, and the other with pork. Those with pork seemed to be avoided by just about everyone, and quite a number of them, as well as a few of the others, were left after each had taken one, so a guy asked whether he could take another and Anca said he could, since those left will just be left there anyway… And eventually, as the break was ending and after Anca had also left to do something, I grabbed one of those with pork too, as I was talking with a couple of women about planting trees, one saying she recognized me from that last time, actually recognizing the cap at first, since I was wearing the one I got from there. Probably shouldn’t have grabbed that second sandwich though, since my teammates were getting back to work, I had to get the wheelbarrow back there and ate it very quickly, which led to me feeling a bit nauseous for a while.
Either way, after we finished carrying those things, Anca told us to carry a pile of branches away as well, so I joined a woman to do that too, finishing on my own since somebody else took back that second wheelbarrow she was using at some point. After that, helped a bit more with cleaning up what little of our area was left and we were pretty much done when, a bit before 2 PM, Anca said we should finish up and gather the tools and our things. It was 2:02 PM when I checked the time, and by then we had taken the stuff back and were gathering in front of the shop.
There was no raffle anymore, with the only bigger things, I’m not sure whether just some sort of big keychains or air fresheners, being given to those who had volunteered more than once this spring, and the rest just getting to pick one of the regular keychains, plus of course the regular stuff everyone gets each time. When she got to me, Anca asked whether I hadn’t been there for the previous days as well, but then realized she knew me from previous years, not previous days. So I grabbed one of those small “pineapple” ones, which seemed the only one like that left when my turn came, and actually considered using it, but then decided against it, since it’d just waste space in my pocket. So would even do without these little additional rewards, on top of seeing it as a pretty good thing that they no longer give plants and got rid of that raffle and any bigger “prizes”, and much prefer them using whatever little funds they have to get us food, as they started doing since last time, and possibly other useful things like better tools and equipment to use while we work.
As for the way back, got off the metro at Dristor to get toothpaste from that pharmacy, walking back from there. And then threw the clothes in the washing machine just about as soon as I got back… And forgot the money I had in the pocket of my pants. The bills weren’t a problem, being plastic, but the five little coins sure made quite some noise, and I couldn’t find one of them at the end. Three were there at the bottom, after I got the clothes out, and one more fell from the clothes as I was getting ready to hang them to dry on the balcony, but I never found the fifth, since I know there were five of them. Just hope it didn’t somehow find a way out and end up in some unreachable place in the washing machine, possibly causing problems at some later point. There are some problems with this washing machine as of recently anyway…

Moving on to March 30, that was when the event where I could volunteer to plant trees this spring as well took place. I said it was on very short notice and I spotted it when I was sure that there won’t be any such event that I’ll be able to attend this time around, but of course I went if I actually found one. Do feel like I’m sort of cheating to say that I really planted trees though, as it was the smallest such event I took part in and it was particularly poorly organized as well. Also considering the fact that it was organized by the developers of a residential complex built in that forest and who keep trying to clear even more of it for another access road and therefore will try to do whatever they can to greenwash their actions, it seemed like little more than an excuse for some to be able to say they planted something. On the other hand, we did plant something, so some good will come of it, at least if those oak saplings will survive and grow. I probably planted about a dozen myself, half of them without digging the holes, the first few because the holes were already waiting for us and the others because other people were just digging. And yes, took a few pictures as well, but just had my phone, so the quality is poor.
Getting back to how poorly it was organized, that became obvious even before getting there, since there was a form to fill that also asked for e-mail and phone number but there was no confirmation or anything else sent after filling it, and there weren’t even instructions on how to get there. I asked and they did reply, but told me what bus stop to get off at and that I’ll have some 400 meters to walk from there, yet I saw that the location marked on the map was some 650 meters away from the next stop and some 850 meters from the one they mentioned. Admittedly, from that stop you had to walk on the road that’s at the edge of the forest while from the next one you’d have to use a path cutting right through, so that first stop is the better choice if you don’t know the area, but that makes their instructions no less wrong, due to the distance they listed, and this was one reason why I ended up at the wrong event at first, and I highly doubt I was the only one to do so.
But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. Got up that morning at 7:15 AM, left at 8:25 AM, pretty much as planned, didn’t have much to wait for the metro, neither here nor after changing, and got on the bus that arrived at 9 AM, after waiting for it for a few minutes. I think it’s been a couple of years since I last used that bus pass, but it still worked and there were 5 RON left on it, so even if I didn’t also check after using it, there should be 3.7 RON left now, since I just used it to get there. That is, annoyingly, just 0.2 RON short of three trips, but at least, by walking back, I kept enough for two, including on lines going outside the city, as those cost 1.5 RON, or for one using an express line, as that costs 3.5 RON.
But I’m again getting ahead of myself. In fact it was a little interesting as soon as I got out of that metro station, seeing a small group of what looked like Boy Scouts gathering there and then walking to that same bus stop, obviously with the same destination, and a few others dressed like runners, which I initially assumed were going there to plant trees while also pointing out that they’ll be taking part in the half marathon and are volunteering because the organizers support this event, before realizing that they were simply some of those just running through that part of the forest that day, and I saw plenty of those. All of these got off at that next stop though, but I stuck to the plan and got off at the one I had been told to get off at, stepping on that road at 9:18 AM, and getting to the end of it at 9:25 AM.
Well, that was where things got tricky, because at the end of that road I walked right into a group that seemed to just be getting the brief instructions for the day, before getting to work. I was surprised, since the event I was going to was supposed to start at 10 AM, with me being there so early since I had given myself time in case I’ll get lost, but I didn’t think there could be two events so close to each other and I had been told 400 meters and had already walked more than that, so assumed that the marked location had been a bit wrong and they were starting early because enough people had arrived early. On the other hand, I was looking oddly at the fact that there were so many children in that group, and had even more questions after I saw someone with a list, asking people whether they had signed, and when I asked what that was she said I was supposed to sign it to state that my child had taken part in that brief “training”, something being quite obviously wrong when she acted very surprised when I said I didn’t have a child. Still, I went with that group… And stood around for a few minutes, since very few tools had been brought and even when one of the foresters said he’ll go bring more from the car, he only came back with two, many, if not most, people still having nothing to work with.
Whether that was somehow the right place or not, it was obvious there was no point to be there, so I soon walked away and quickly, at 9:40 AM, found the actual location for this event, just a bit farther on, pretty much exactly where it had been marked on the map. There didn’t seem to be any other volunteers there that early, but there were a few signs clearly marking the spot and the organizers were getting the tools and water out of the van and starting the generator. Unlike the other ones, they were at least prepared, but very few people seemed to be coming, only a few others seeming to have a look at the area before the two events joined together, that woman who had that list to sign coming a bit before 10 AM to say that she’s feeling awfully embarrassed due to having way too few tools for the number of people who arrived there. And since at this event there were plenty of tools but hardly any people, which I again point out was very likely also because plenty had made the same mistake I had, going to that other event which I then learned was indeed meant for children and their parents, and the same foresters had to work with both groups anyway, we just formed a single group and got right to work, without any more instructions for anyone arriving straight to this location.
That did mean that those coming to this event weren’t told anything about where to plant, and since only the first few holes were already there, after that people were more or less left to guess at the right distance and dig new ones where they saw fit. There were some strings to mark the rows, but there were only a few of them, the foresters taking one when that row was more or less completed and moving it to the next spot, which left plenty of people, myself included, to spend quite a lot of time just looking around to try to figure out where they should go next to plant something. 1000 oak trees were supposed to be planted, according to the event’s description, while I heard the foresters mention 1500 at the start of that other event, and there were a fair number of people, but it definitely didn’t seem like that much was done. Plus, at least one pile of saplings was left at the end, though when I pointed that out to one of the organizers she said they had more than needed.
Either way, even took a break, between 11:15 AM or 11:20 AM and 11:35 AM or so, drinking a bottle of water and burning my tongue and throat quite a bit with a cup of hot chocolate, and by the time I got back there was very little left to do, so found a small area where I could still help and then was left asking one of the foresters, quite surprised, whether that was really it. He said we had planted quite a bit, but it sure didn’t seem like it to me, and by noon we had taken all the tools back and were leaving.
Since I meant to check out the shopping center from that area as well, I started walking, and was at the next bus stop, on the way back, when one just reached it, at 12:19 PM. But I stuck to the plan and ignored it… Only to have someone honk and stop the car next to me for a moment, asking whether I wanted a ride. Refused and found the moment rather odd just then, but after a while realized that the driver had probably been the guy I had helped just at the end, and that I likely also walked right past him as he was changing his shoes before getting into his car and driving off, so he probably just noticed me walking there, where very few people would consider walking, and wanted to help.
After that, reached that shopping center, went to the bathroom, changed my boots after coming out, then went back in and struggled to change my pants as well, since I had those old ones on again, after sewing that tear. That definitely wasn’t easy, with nothing to put anything on and nothing to sit on, or at least nothing I cared to sit on, since there of course was the toilet itself. In addition, as I was trying to somehow hold my backpack and those pants while putting the other ones on, I realized, when first one and then a few more people tried to come in, that the lock on that door didn’t work either, which also meant it didn’t show up as occupied. Still, eventually managed it, wandered around a bit more, peed one more time, and was finally out at 1:30 PM. There is a bus that could have taken me straight back from there, no longer needing to use the metro, but I preferred to use that and save what I had left on that bus pass, so I kept going and it was 2:15 PM when I entered Herastrau Park, at Press Square, and 2:37 PM when I got to the metro at Aviatorilor, after walking what would seem to be eight kilometers, starting from the moment I left that event and not counting wandering around that shopping center and its parking lot. Either way, that first metro came within seconds, but when I had to change, at the next stop, I just watched that next one leave and had to wait ten minutes for another. Was eventually back at 3:10 PM, after giving up on the idea to get off at a farmers’ market and look for lettuce.

The thing is that I still felt like I hadn’t done much of anything, even despite the walk, so that at least prompted me to change the sheets on my bed after I got back, though it still wasn’t enough to make me clean my room as well, and I definitely can’t recall when I last did that. A while later I took a shower, finished it at 6:30 PM and got in bed, thinking that I won’t be turning my computer off for Earth Hour, considering the issues I have when logging back on, but the monitor will be off and even if I’ll wake up before it’ll be over, at 9:30 PM, I’ll just stay in bed. But that wasn’t an issue, because when I did eventually wake up and check the time, I saw that it was 9:49 PM… And I felt quite exhausted the next day as well, shaking a fair bit, even dropping my glasses at one point, though nothing seems broken, fortunately. And speaking of that next day, the computer added another hour to the time that following night, which it tended to do a week, not a day, after the hour changes. But I guess it’s not particularly unusual, and just telling it to synchronize the time again fixed the issue.