A Third Post Exceeding 10000 Words for Two Good Runs
On July 7, I hoped to sleep well, since I was alone and it was quiet, and after waking up to pee just before 8 AM I did get right back to sleep. But then I was awake for a little while when I decided to pee again, just in case, and saw that it was around 11:30 AM, and after that I kept alternating between being asleep and awake, and after a few such very brief naps I was sure that the alarm was going to ring, yet a couple more followed and it still didn’t, and eventually I was also sure that I had heard a beep, so I checked the time, saw that it was only 1:38 PM, and then got on the computer to check whether anything had beeped, not finding anything unusual. And then I turned off the alarm, got up for good, and had the usual stuff, picking an apple that seemed older, so I’m not sure what it was, and getting back to two of those nicer biscuits that expired long ago, with added honey, for the sweet thing. It was almost 4:20 PM when I left, wearing the full running gear and one armband and with some things in the pocket of my tights. The reported temperature was 30-31°C, holding steady.
The time was 47:42.60, with sector times of 4:23.45, 4:59.09, 5:48.41, 4:24 (4:23.75), 4:58 (4:57.40), 5:51 (5:50.91), 4:25.25, 5:07.03, 5:55.22 and 1:52.09, making for lap times of 15:10.95, 15:13 (15:12.06) and 15:27.50. I definitely didn’t aim to get back under 48 minutes when I started and the first sector didn’t make me think of that either, but after the second I did aim to get under that 15:20 that’s the target lap time for 48 minutes on the first lap, finally starting to consider the possibility of actually getting under 48 minutes again after seeing that I managed that by such a margin and had obtained those good times on sectors two and three. It hardly seemed possible at first, but I went for it, each sector of lap two gave me more confidence, and after sector one of lap three I was thinking that I should manage it, if there won’t be significant problems. And there weren’t, so I was clearly safe at the end of the lap, and the time was the first one under 48 minutes since November, and the best since October. Admittedly, I didn’t run ten kilometers between the end of January and the morning run before the half marathon, but that was because my times were so bad and I decided to at least be slow on longer distances.
That issue at the back of my neck had reappeared since I had gotten up and it continued to bother me as I ran, and that knee gave warnings from the beginning as well, both getting better after a while but the knee having a few later moments when it bothered me more noticeably, possibly because I noticed that my running posture was messed up and from the second sector I tried to correct it, and it’s likely that the posture got so messed up because I’m usually sparing that knee, so I didn’t do that anymore. But the knee held, and the corrections most likely played an important part in obtaining that time, though it sure was mentally draining to do that and there were moments when I just couldn’t focus on it anymore. Either way, there were also a few different moments when I felt that I hadn’t left everything in the toilet, but they passed. Otherwise, the most notable problem caused by people was on sector two of lap two, when I briefly stopped because two girls were carrying a boat to the lake and, while they did move fast enough for me to be able to pass behind them, a third one rushed to them and called out just when I got there, so they stopped and she cut me off. But the only other issue was at the end of sector two of lap three, under the bridge, when I slowed because a kid on a bicycle was coming from the opposite direction, other people were walking on the lane, and while he turned and waited behind them, I couldn’t know that he was going to do that. And there was also a brief hesitation on the long straight of sector one of lap two caused by a seagull getting in front of me, which I only mention because it was most likely why that sector was marginally slower than that of lap one, if you look at the exact time.
After the run, I continued to Carrefour, picking up a recyclable on the way and another one when I got to the machine, putting those two in but not even trying the two others which had been left there, since the bar codes seemed damaged. Then I bought a number of things, some of them at half price, including a large focaccia with olives that suited what I meant to make for lunch really well, obviously didn’t charge myself for the bags the spoiling squashes were in, used the voucher received for the recyclables, arranged the purchases, and grabbed another recyclable from there. And on the way back I grabbed one more, plus a bottle that didn’t have the symbol but was of the right size for a label that I knew I had, and checked the nearby Mega Image, entering with everything and deciding to put those two recyclables in the machine when I saw an expiring product, at half price, that I thought dad would want. So I left that bottle without the symbol and a cap that can be entered in a contest next to the machine while I bought that product, also using the voucher, but the machine was full by the time I was done and the guy who came to deal with it grabbed that bottle as well. He left that cap there, however, so I retrieved it, and then grabbed another recyclable after walking out.
After getting back, I fed Liza some of that food that dad won’t give her and she ate it, put the purchases in their place, ate watermelon, and did the day’s squats. Then, after having to rush to the toilet, I also ate a sweet pastry, changed, cleaned the litter box, and left again just before 9:30 PM, with a bag of trash that I dropped down the chute and the recyclables with the deposit symbol, adding something to them on the way to Kaufland, though I also accidentally grabbed one that didn’t have the symbol, which I left there, putting in the rest, except that one which hadn’t been accepted before and which still wasn’t. The machine reset at one point, but then I could continue, so I got two vouchers.
After putting the bag with that recyclable in a cabinet, I washed my hands, entered the store a little before 10 PM, grabbed some bakery products that I meant to use as bread, discounted by 75%, and then made use of evening discounts for some fruits and vegetables as well. I’m not sure if some interesting peppers also had an evening discount or just a regular one those days, since they were still expensive either way, but I decided to also take one of those, out of curiosity. And then I added one of those cheap yogurts, was at the self-checkout at closing time, and also used the vouchers received for the recyclables.
After retrieving that bag from the cabinet, I walked out and arranged the purchases there. And on the way back I picked up some more recyclables and a carton, had a quick look at the bakery area from the non-stop Mega Image that’s close to the metro station, entering with everything but holding the bags behind me, so the guard could see them, and left three of the four bananas which I had bought next to the homeless guy sleeping on a bench in front of that store, the issue being that I couldn’t find a spot to put them on the bench, so I put them on the pavement, close to his feet, and just hoped that he won’t step on them after waking up.
I got back just before 11:15 PM, noticing that something had bitten me on the left leg, but on the side of the knee, so quite high up. Either way, I then cleaned the litter box again and went to drop what I had gathered down the chute, put the purchases in their place, gave Liza some more of that food, and eventually fixed something that I ate as lunch between 1:35 AM and 1:55 AM. I went to wash at 2 AM, being done a little before 2:40 AM. And then I dealt with one of those things that I used as bread and ate dinner between 4:35 AM and 5:05 AM… And during that time I turned on the TV tuner’s software while I was still watching a recording in VLC, at double speed, immediately changed the channel, and the monitor turned black and there was a loud beep, though I could hear the recording still playing and it fully recovered after a second or so, and I saw no errors or warnings in logs and the temperatures and voltages were fine when I checked right after it happened. Either way, I got in bed at 6:50 AM, after rubbing cream on my feet.
The fact that I was still alone showed in how well I slept, getting right back to sleep the couple of times I woke up until around 2:30 PM. After that I kept drifting in and out, dreams and thoughts making it hard to be sure when I was asleep and when I was awake, but I still added some more brief naps before getting up for good, at 4:10 PM. But the following day I was no longer alone and woke up around 9 AM, deciding to go to pee when I heard that dad was waking up as well… And I also noticed that there was actually a second bite on that leg, and the itching was getting worse, which was part of the reason why I couldn’t get back to sleep despite getting back in bed and staying there until close to 9:45 AM. So at that point I changed, got up to clean the litter box, exchanged a few words with dad, and then stayed on the computer until he left, at which point I cleaned up a little after him and got back on the computer for a while, only changing back into my pajamas and getting back in bed when it was past 11:15 AM, another reason for concern being that I had been sneezing a few times and my throat was also a little sore, and it didn’t seem to be just irritation caused by the run. Either way, I slept until I was woken up by an SMS from my provider, then sort of drifted in and out for almost an hour, before getting up to pee, then caught another longer nap, after which I saw that it was 2:53 PM, and dad had said that he’ll be back around 3 PM, so I thought I’ll just lie there a little longer, but since I got up a few minutes after 4 PM, dad still not being back, and it didn’t feel like I had been awake quite that long, I probably caught another brief nap at some point. And in the evening I went to pay the maintenance bill.
On July 10, after getting right back to sleep after getting up to pee at one point, I woke up again just before 10:20 AM, as dad was getting ready to leave, and stayed up until some time after he did, also getting on the computer, only getting back in bed at 11:35 AM… And needing a long time to get back to sleep after that. But I eventually did, getting a longer nap followed by a few shorter ones, so by 3:30 PM I had gotten a total of at least seven hours, and while I was mostly awake after that, I still managed to add another brief nap or two before finally getting up for good, a little after 4:40 PM. On the other hand, I was concerned later, when I meant to make the tea and found that the gas was off, though it wasn’t long before it got turned back on.
Being alone again meant that I should have once again been able to sleep on July 11, and I did get a lot of sleep in total before finally getting up, just after 4:10 PM, but on top of being awake for almost the entire last hour, I pretty much drifted in and out all morning, probably until some time after noon, because at some point I did something in my sleep and woke up with a lot of pain in my left shoulder. It thankfully went away eventually, but it took quite a few hours, and on top of the pain itself keeping me awake, if I fell asleep I was dreaming of having to go to the hospital for it and usually waking up again. And after finally doing a backup on the external HDD again, and also the day’s squats, I left at 8:35 PM, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol and a small bag of trash that I dropped down the chute from the second floor, checking to see whether any recyclables were there. But there weren’t, and there weren’t any on the first floor either, since I checked there as well.
Since my only small bill was 1 RON, I wanted to put in the recyclables and cash in the voucher before reaching that Mega Image that closes at 10 PM, to make sure that I won’t need to break 100 RON there in case I’ll find something, so I went to the nearby Mega Image… Only for the machine to stop after four recyclables, and the only visible employees were the cashiers, and there were lines, so I just held on to the voucher and continued on my way, picking up a few more recyclables and stopping at that Profi to put everything else in the machine from there, with the exception of that recyclable which still wasn’t accepted but which I had realized was a random bottle that somebody had placed that label on, and it wasn’t the right shape. However, when I wanted to cash in the voucher, I was told that it couldn’t be cashed in, could only be used for purchases, supposedly because the system wasn’t working, so I snapped that I don’t make purchases from Profi and walked away, wondering what to do next. And I found one more recyclable on the way to that Mega Image, putting it in the machine just before the cart with the products that were discounted by 90% was brought and then using the voucher and that 1 RON bill to pay for some bread for dad that I grabbed from that cart. And as I was arranging the bread in the backpack that guard who had searched me asked whether I had bought those, and that was after she was standing at the manned checkout and the cashier told her to step aside and make room for me, so I said that she saw that I did and that she sure is keeping her eyes on me, and she said that it was because I come rarely, and when I said that I come about once per week she said that she doesn’t see me that often, so I said that I also catch other shifts and walked away.
Since I had spotted another recyclable in the bin from the entrance of that Profi but had been too angry to remember to pick it up when I walked out of there, I then went back for it, but an old woman was ahead of me and I waited a short distance away, not wanting to reach into the bin in front of her, yet when she got there she started looking in it, so I left her to it and turned around, making my way to Kaufland Basarabia, picking up a few more recyclables on the way, plus a bottle that seemed better suited for that label, so I moved it on it and threw away that other bottle… And before reaching Kaufland I noticed a fly on my shoulder and, even if it was on my shirt, I seemed to feel it biting me, and the next day I saw a mark there. And I had swatted something away while using that machine from Profi, so I wondered if it hadn’t been on me ever since then. Either way, I swatted it away, then put those recyclables in the machine, even that one with the label placed on it being accepted, then put my things in a cabinet, washed my hands and that shoulder, and entered the store at 9:55 PM, making a mental note of the fact that there were no green onions. And I grabbed a bakery product that only had a 30% evening discount, albeit from a price that had a regular discount, a lettuce with root with a great evening discount, a large pack of deeply discounted mushrooms, even if they really were spoiling, a number of discounted pieces of processed meat products, and three of those cheap yogurts, using the voucher received for the recyclables and breaking that 100 RON bill at the self-checkout. And since I was done before closing time, I then asked for and received one of those 10 RON vouchers because I hadn’t found green onions.
I had gotten my shirt dirty when I held a few of those lettuces, looking for the best one, but since the closing announcement still hadn’t been made, I rushed to retrieve what I had in the cabinet and forgot that I meant to try to wash that area a little, rushing to leave… Only for the guard to close the doors just then and direct me to the emergency exit anyway. So I used it, then spread the purchases on a table and arranged them, walking away a little after 10:35 PM, picking up another recyclable and a carton, putting my things into a cabinet at that non-stop Mega Image, and entering it at 10:55 PM… And wasting three quarters of an hour, since it was quite some time before an employee seemed to be looking at the expiring products that were already discounted by 50%, but when I pointed out some that were expiring that day to her she said that someone else will come and take them, and some more time passed before another employee finally did that, taking them to the back, so I kept waiting… But time kept passing and there was no sign of the cart being brought out, so when she came out again I pointed out a few which she had missed, and she realized why I was sticking around and said that they don’t do the 90% discounts there anymore. So I retrieved my things and walked out when it was almost 11:50 PM, even more annoyed and jogging most of the way back, though I still picked up some recyclables.
It was almost 11:15 PM when I got back, though a little later I went to the garbage room, since I had seen some cartons there before leaving, and they were still there, so I emptied them down the chute and took them. Then I ate an apple, put the purchases in their place, and fixed something that I was going to eat as lunch, also using a few pieces of the mushrooms, after washing all of them and getting rid of what was clearly bad, since I noticed that plenty were quite rotten. But then, after making sure that Liza ate what I gave her, at 2:55 AM I went to wash, being done just after 3:20 AM. But when I had placed Liza’s plate under the living room couch, I had seen that she had thrown up there at some point, so I cleaned that up before eating that lunch, on and off, between 3:45 AM and 4:35 AM. And I ate dinner between 5:15 AM and 5:45 AM and got in bed at 7:10 AM.
Skipping July 12, since I already wrote about that, I’ll move on to the morning of July 13, when I hesitated for a while but eventually started “talking” to ChatGPT about how I felt around 4:30 AM and the conversation lasted until after 6 AM, so I got in bed at 6:20 AM. But at least I slept properly, getting right back to sleep after the first two times I got up to pee and catching another nap after the third time as well, though that must have been a brief one, since it was past 2:50 PM when I got up that third time and I had been awake for a long time before finally getting up for good, a few minutes before 4:30 PM.
After once again sleeping well, waking up three or four times, going to pee on two of those occasions, but always getting right back to sleep, on July 14 I got up after the alarm rang, at 2 PM. Then I had the usual stuff, once again with two of those nicer but expired biscuits, with added honey, as the sweet thing, basically just wasted some time on the toilet despite feeling that there was something there, though that was less of a concern after having gone before going to bed in the morning, and left at 4:40 PM, wearing the full running gear and one armband. The reported temperature was about 29°C, holding steady or maybe increasing just marginally by the time I finished.
The time was 46:53.01, with sector times of 4:20.11, 4:56.18, 5:40.69, 4:19 (4:18.81), 4:57 (4:56.78), 5:45 (5:44.69), 4:20.03, 4:55.31, 5:49.29 and 1:52 (1:51.12), making for lap times of 14:56.98, 15:01 (15:00.28) and 15:04.63. I did aim to get under 48 minutes again, but I definitely didn’t expect that! And the first sector gave no indication of it. The second was great, but after it I was just aiming to cover the first lap in no more than 15:10, being really surprised when I ended up covering it in less than 15 minutes. That did put the thought of squeezing under 47 minutes into my mind, but for mere seconds, until I realized that it required maintaining that pace all the way to the end and calculated what I needed in order to stay under 47:30 instead. But things kept looking surprisingly good, I could just keep pushing, and when I only missed staying under 15 minutes on lap two as well by mere fractions of a second, considering that exact time, I once again wondered about the possibility of getting under 47 minutes. But it still seemed unlikely, the target becoming to be faster than in October, since I remembered that time. It was only after sector two of lap three, when that seemed almost certain, that I really switched the target to getting under 47 minutes and put everything I had left into it, managing it for the first time since November of 2024. In addition, that first lap was the first one covered in less than 15 minutes since last August and the fastest since last July, while that sector three was the fastest since December of 2024.
That knee gave some warnings, but mainly early on, fading after that, and a certain pressing need appeared only briefly, on sector three of laps two and three, being quite faint and then fading both times. As for problems caused by people, the notable one was at the start of the long straight of sector one of lap two, when I slowed and probably also briefly stopped because of a girl on a bicycle, maybe with helping wheels as well, I can’t quite recall, who was weaving around on the lane. And then, other than a pretty normal amount of weaving and going the long way around, the only other issues were on sector three of lap three, when I hesitated twice, the first time because of a guy who was coming from the opposite direction, running alongside his scooter, and the second time because another guy was about to walk onto the lane, talking on the phone, but heard me coming and stopped, waving me past, when I was about to go around him on the other side.
After grabbing a carton and two recyclables on the way back, I cleaned the litter box and went to drop a bag of trash down the chute, grabbing another recyclable from the garbage room. And then, since I had decided to reward myself with something for that time, I rewarded Liza as well, giving her a treat before doing the day’s squats and eating a lot of watermelon. And then I changed and left again a few minutes after 8 PM, with those few recyclables with the deposit symbol, grabbing some more, plus a label taken off a crushed one and a carton, on the way to Obor.
After putting the recyclables in Carrefour’s machine, I washed my hands, put the bag with that carton in a cabinet, and entered the store to check the expiring products, something sweet catching my eyes. But I didn’t buy anything, because if I didn’t see anything better there, I wanted to rush to Penny and get some of that kashkaval that I mentioned in the July 12 post, which was still on sale until that day, in order to make kashkaval pane after all. So I just walked out and jogged most of the way to Penny, though I still grabbed another recyclable, putting it in a cabinet that didn’t lock before buying that kashkaval. And the person who was after me in line asked to use my store card as well, so I handed it to him while I grabbed the change… And as I walked away I saw what he was buying and said that those products were going to be on sale starting the next day, since I had checked the next catalog on-line before leaving, and that made the guard ask what was I referring to, and when I told him he said that the sale price is actually the normal price, and I obviously agreed, saying that it’s why you shouldn’t buy anything at the “full” price.
After retrieving that recyclable, I picked up two more despite jogging back to Carrefour. But one didn’t seem to have the symbol, and while I tried it anyway, it really wasn’t accepted, so I just put in the other two, then finally put the kashkaval in the backpack, after having held it in my hand until then, washed my hands again, and went back in the store, with the backpack, a couple of minutes after 9:30 PM, seeing one of those nicer baguettes and a nicer bun left in the bakery area, with the 50% evening discount, so I grabbed those, and then a sweet pastry that had the same discount and had been taken to the expiring products. But someone else had just taken that sweet thing which I had noticed the first time, and while some other interesting sweet things were brought by an employee while I was still there, I decided to just keep that sweet pastry, using the second voucher received for recyclables when I paid and then cashing in the first one. And then I retrieved that bag from the cabinet, put the purchases in the backpack, picked up two more recyclables from that mall, and just one more on the way back, since I jogged almost all the way, hoping to not miss too much of the match.
I got back just before 10:15 PM. Then I ate that sweet pastry and put the few other purchases in their place, rushed to wash at half time, also losing ten minutes of the second half by the time I was done, and then munched most of a bag of peanuts, leaving what was left at the end of the match for the salad, so I got some 950 calories just from that… And when I got on the computer I found that I had no Internet, which was even more of an issue since I was still alone. But it seemed to be a network problem, since later I switched the cable to the other router and also turned on dad’s computer, confirming that the issue wasn’t just with one connection or with my computer. Either way, I then made that kashkaval pane, but after all of that running I decided to add salt in the cornmeal that I used, and even the initial quantity would have obviously been too much, but when I had to add more cornmeal, I added more salt as well, and quite a pile came out of the box, resulting in the whole thing tasting basically like a salt mine. But I still ate it, as lunch, on and off, between 2:25 AM and 3:20 AM. And after also dealing with that baguette, washing the vegetable box from the fridge, and making another tea, I ate dinner between 4:25 AM and 5:20 AM, while watching a recording of a show and starting to write the notes about the day. And while eating I also realized that I hadn’t brushed my teeth that day, so I once again only did it once, before going to bed, only a little over a month after the previous time this happened. Either way, after drinking most of the new tea, taking the rest to my room, washing one more of the soiled things that dad insists on putting water for Liza all over the apartment in without ever washing, and rubbing cream on my feet, I went to bed at 6:30 AM.
When I first woke up, it did feel like I hadn’t slept long, but I initially meant to try to just get back to sleep… Until I heard something and eventually realized that it was somebody mowing the weeds behind the building again, so I checked the time, saw 8:11 AM, and went to take a “before” picture. Then checked the Internet again, drank some more tea, and got back in bed at 8:30 AM, the noise having stopped by then. But I just tossed and turned, maybe at most drifting off briefly at one point, and a little after 10 AM I went to pee again, just in case it’d help, and saw that the Internet still wasn’t working. And then I tossed and turned some more, finally getting up for good a little after 11:10 AM and sorting coins for Penny’s campaign, after which I saw that the Internet had finally recovered, at least. So I spent some time on-line, but since I wasn’t sleeping I wanted to go out earlier and try to make use of Penny’s coins campaign again, so I eventually cleaned the litter box and left just before 2:10 PM, with 60 RON in coins and those few recyclables with the deposit symbol that I came back with in the evening.
Well, after just picking up a carton and a recyclable with a crushed top part on the way to Penny Titan, I walked in with everything and asked the guard to call whoever had to be called if I had brought coins for the campaign… Only for him to say that it was over, and when I pointed to the sign he pointed me to an employee who was just walking past and said that she was the one who handled it, but it was over, and she confirmed it as well, and when I said that the sign was still there and the site stated that it was running all year, she said that they had just forgotten to take down the signs, and took one down just then, but it wasn’t valid anymore… And the truth is that I hadn’t actually checked the campaign page on the site in a while, just knowing that I had read the document that stated that it had been extended for 2026 as well, and when I did check after getting back I saw that the section didn’t exist at all anymore, so unless it’ll return at a later time, I waited too long.
Either way, after a quick look through the store, I walked out of there and continued to Supeco, putting the three recyclables which I had grabbed the previous evening and one more which had been left there in the machine, removing the label off that crushed one, which wasn’t accepted, and leaving the bottle there, and grabbing two more recyclables which had been left there and which weren’t accepted. And then I put what I had been left with and the backpack, where I still had all those coins, in a cabinet, and finally found that tea there again, so I took 12 boxes, to get the maximum discount, plus potatoes, which had a regular discount and were large enough to be sure that dad would want them, another watermelon of a kind that should be better, since I noticed an unannounced discount for that as well, making the price the same as that of the cheapest kind, and the bag of Bianca peppers that I found among the spoiling products, discounted by 50%. However, on top of being charged for the bag that those peppers were in, I was also charged for the bag that I had the potatoes in, even if it was obviously mine, having labels from both Carrefour and Kaufland on it, and I even told the cashier more than once that it was mine, both before and after she charged me for it. But she completely ignored me, so I grudgingly shrugged it off, also used the voucher received for the recyclables when I paid, and then retrieved what I had in the cabinet and managed to arrange everything, with the potatoes and the watermelon in the backpack, on top of those coins, and once again pressing against my back and with the rope straps digging into my shoulders.
Dad called as I was making my way back and I stopped in a shaded place to talk to him before grabbing two more recyclables, walking past Penny Titan, deciding that I wasn’t going to buy any of the products that I had been considering to get on the way back if I’d have been able to make use of the campaign, and entering that Mega Image, putting those two new recyclables in the machine, which didn’t accept the others either, using a cabinet for the bags with the remaining recyclables and carton, the tea and the peppers, entering with the backpack and the pile of small empty bags which I had taken with me, and getting an expiring drinkable yogurt, at half price, and some onions. I actually used the bag in which I had initially placed the potatoes for those onions, and the cashier initially charged me for it as well, but at least she then noticed the labels and removed it, telling me that she did that but also that I should tell her if I’m using my own bag, so I also told her that I had already been charged for that bag once that day despite the labels that were on it, and she kept insisting that I should have told that other cashier that it was mine, even if I also kept saying that I had done so. Either way, I also used the voucher received for those recyclables, and then retrieved what I had in the cabinet.
Even if I wanted to watch something that started at 6 PM and it wasn’t likely that I was going to get back in time in that case, I nevertheless decided to check Carrefour as well, grabbing a few more recyclables on the way, putting my things in a cabinet… And realizing when I wanted to take all of those empty bags again that I no longer had them, so I must have left them in that Mega Image, probably around the onions. And I definitely couldn’t go back at that point, so I had to make do with what I had, went to put the recyclables in the machine, the new ones and one of those which hadn’t been accepted at Supeco or Mega Image being accepted, returned to add what I had been left with in that cabinet, and bought a few expiring products, at half price, and two others that had a regular discount, also using the voucher received for the recyclables when I paid. And then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet, struggled to arrange everything in order to be able to carry the new purchases as well, added something more to the recyclables, and had a quick look in the nearby Mega Image, entering with everything. And it was close to 6:20 PM when I got back, with over 16 kg, but at least I could have a pretty normal evening after that, also doing the day’s squats, though Liza scratched my foot in the evening. And no, I didn’t even try to catch another nap.
Since dad had gotten back in the evening and he also wanted to cook, I got woken up a little after 10:50 AM, though I actually fell right back to sleep before being woken up again minutes later when Liza went to the litter box. So I got up at that point, cleaning the litter box and then getting some things ready for dad before he left to buy what he still needed, at which point I got back in bed and, after waiting out Liza’s multiple “concerts”, did get some more sleep, being woken up again a little after 12:30 PM, when dad got back, and staying up after that, though in the evening I napped for just about another hour. On the other hand, as I was working on dinner I heard something crashing or splashing outside and poked my head out the kitchen window… Only for some fluid to run down the bug net and splash through, and probably also get right through that space that’s between the wall and the net, drops ending up on my face, and it seemed to smell foul, so I did my best to wash my face, but I have no idea what that was, so it was obviously a concern.
It probably wasn’t even 10:10 AM when I got woken up, after dad got up, since I think I spent a few more minutes in bed and saw 10:11 AM when I got up. Then I changed and cleaned the litter box, changing back and getting back in bed just after 10:45 AM, when he left the first time… But he wasn’t gone for long, Liza also had a long “concert” while he was away, and I was yet to fall asleep again when he got back, so it wasn’t even 11:15 AM when I got back up, and since dad was going to leave again around 2:30 PM and my chances of getting some more sleep before then were low, I stayed up, put a load of laundry in the machine, hung everything to dry, really struggling to place the sheets on the rack, since nothing was done on the balcony even now, and finally got back in bed at 2:50 PM, getting up to pee at one point but getting right back to sleep after that and only getting up for good several minutes after 5:30 PM. And then I had lunch, posted something, did the day’s squats, and at 8:15 PM I went out, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol and a few of the cartons.
With Tei closing at 8:45 PM, I rushed straight there, shoving that bag into a cabinet and getting the teas that I was looking for. Then I put them in the backpack, retrieved what I had in the cabinet, stopped again after walking out to arrange those teas better, and then I put the cartons in that machine from Mega Image, which was working that time, so I should have taken all of them. Either way, I only grabbed a label as I continued on my way to Kaufland, but in that parking lot I spotted a cart with the coin in it, struggled to move it so I’ll be able to connect it to another that was nearby… But then I thought that the connector looked different and didn’t even try, walking away to look for another and only deciding to actually look closely at one that was quite some distance away. And that one did look like it’d work, so I struggled to take it there, but eventually had to give up and go back to the first one, hoping to be able to move that one to it instead, even if the wheels seemed even more stuck. And it was only then that I actually had a look at that one that I had already moved it to and realized that they could be connected, so I did so and retrieved that coin, after wasting that time and effort. And then I put the recyclables in the machine, though that one that wasn’t accepted before still wasn’t, grabbed a carton, and put my things in a cabinet… Which didn’t lock, so I then tried a few before finding one that did and moving everything there.
After washing my hands, it was almost 9:20 PM when I entered the store, and when I reached the bakery area I saw a couple of employees who were obviously just about to increase the evening discounts, so I grabbed a sweet pastry and two buns and then waited until the new prices showed up, seeing that the discounts had indeed increased to 75%. Then I added some deeply discounted packaged tomatoes that actually looked quite fine, a few of those cheap yogurts, and a pack of cornmeal, waited for 10:15 PM, just in case any discounts would increase, which wasn’t the case… And at the self-checkout I noticed that I didn’t have the voucher received for the recyclables! So I paid in full, then searched myself all over, retrieved what I had in the cabinet, searched in there as well… But it just wasn’t there, so I have no idea what I did with it. If I’m to go by what I remember, which is that I put it in the usual pocket, it’d mean that I missed the pocket, but I don’t trust my memory of that moment, so it’s also possible that I still had it in my hand for some reason when I put my things in that cabinet and might have put it on the floor when I had to move them and then forgot about it, or even that walked away without taking it from the machine to begin with. And I did have a look around the cabinets, in the parking lot, and around that machine, but it wasn’t there and would have obviously been quickly taken by someone if I would have left it there.
Either way, I walked out just before 10:30 PM, grabbed a few recyclables before quickly checking the Mega Image that closes at 11 PM, putting the bags in a cabinet that I didn’t lock, entering with the backpack, and then just retrieving the bags. And then I went back to that non-stop one, putting the bags in a cabinet that I did lock, once again entering with the backpack, and buying some cucumbers, using the scales from there, and when I paid I also used the voucher received for the cartons that day and the one I had been left with for a long time. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet and made a point of looking for recyclables on the way back, grabbing some more. And I also quickly checked the nearby Mega Image, entering with everything and being surprised to see that some bakery products had discounts.
It was almost 11:55 PM when I got back. Then I cleaned the litter box and went to drop a bag of trash down the chute, wasted time to search everything again for that voucher, eventually put the purchases in their place, ate watermelon and the sweet pastry from Kaufland, moved something that dad wanted to take the next day, and it was 2 AM when I went to wash. I was done a few minutes after 2:30 AM, but then I spent some time on the computer, getting back to the kitchen at 2:50 AM. And then I moved one more thing that dad wanted to take, also mixed what I had in two jars into one, and ate dinner between 4:50 AM and 5:35 AM, realizing that I had forgotten to put seasonings in the salad but not going back to do so. I got in bed at 6:30 AM.
After getting up to pee at one point but getting right back to sleep, I got woken up by noise made by dad around 10:20 AM and stayed up until he left, getting back in bed a few minutes after 11 AM… But then I realized that he should start using the metro cards bought when the price was supposed to increase sharply and got up to look for them, couldn’t find them, sent him an e-mail about it, and then stayed on the computer a little more, getting back in bed at 11:50 AM. And, while I initially still needed a little time to fall asleep and then had to get up to pee several times, I always got right back to sleep after those moments and the total reached or probably even slightly exceeded seven hours by 5 PM, when the alarm rang and I got up to watch the Formula 1 qualifying. And I had weighed myself after dad left, so I was curious and did so again at that point, seeing that I had lost 700 grams, showing just how much I had peed…
On July 19, after getting right back to sleep after the two times I got up to pee, it was around 11:50 AM when I got woken up again, as dad was getting ready to leave, and after staying in bed for a few more minutes I changed and cleaned the litter box, then stayed up until he left for good, since he first went to get some food for mother’s cats from the nearby Mega Image and brought it back here, spent some time on the computer, went to the toilet… And I clogged it again, but the water was still draining relatively quickly and after pointlessly flushing six times I gave up for the moment, changed back into my pajamas, and got back in bed at 1:45 PM… Only for some drilling and hammering to start just as I was drifting off. It didn’t last long, but it kept me up for a while longer, and before 2:55 PM I was awake again, so I decided to pee once more, pointlessly flushing two more times, and then caught a longer nap before waking up again, seeing that it was 3:52 PM, turning off the alarm, which was set to ring at 3:55 PM, and getting up. And then, after pointlessly flushing twice more, I gave in and unclogged the toilet, especially since the storm had cut the satellite feed to the TV station broadcasting the race that I had woken up to watch and it was about half an hour before they could resume the broadcast. And then I did the day’s squats, ate lunch, in the form of a few slices of pizza brought by dad at some point, which I didn’t think could be kept until the next run, and went out at 7:30 PM, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol.
After picking up a couple more recyclables, plus a label and a plastic bottle of the right size for a label that I already had, I put the recyclables in the machine from Kaufland, though that one that isn’t being accepted still wasn’t and I didn’t try that one on which I had attempted to place that label, since I couldn’t make it stick. And then I grabbed another recyclable before walking in, putting the bag with it and the other one in a cabinet, washing my hands, and entering the store just before 8:10 PM. Then I took four sweet pastries and one of those nicer buns, all quite obviously being among the very few products left because they only had a 50% evening discount while other labels listed 75-80%. Either way, I once again couldn’t find green onions, the annoying thing being that someone with quite a pile in the cart had been waiting at the elevator when I got there, but I made use of evening discounts for some cucumbers and the few onions that looked all right that I found in the bag left by some scales, none being left in the crate… And while having a look around I found a voucher received for recyclables that was for exactly twice the value of the one I had lost, so I picked it up, wondering whether my luck had turned. But, after getting to the self-checkout after the closing announcement, needing to call over the employee to override the error when the machine didn’t accept the bakery products, paying for the purchases, and then cashing in the voucher which I had received for recyclables, when I tried that one as well I found that it had already been used, so I don’t know how it had ended up back at the other end of the store. And another somewhat frustrating thing was that I had forgotten that those sweet pastries were three for the price of two, so I shouldn’t have taken that fourth one, which didn’t grant any additional discount.
After retrieving what I had in the cabinet and arranging the purchases, I made my way back to the Mega Image that closes at 10 PM, picking up a couple more recyclables, entering a few minutes before 9 PM, putting those recyclables in the machine, though that other one still wasn’t accepted and I made no further attempt to place that label on that bottle, and getting some products that had the 90% discount after the cart was brought. But that guard that has something against me was there and she told me to go pay for the purchases when I wanted to also check the bakery area, and when I told her where I was going she asked why was I bringing those dirty bags in the store. But I walked past her and got a bakery product, with the 50% discount… And when I was getting checked out another employee told the cashier to switch to the other register, hurrying him along when he said that he was tied up, so after also handing him the voucher received for the recyclables, I was digging in my pocket for some coins, to give him the exact remaining value, when he apparently threw the receipt in the trash and walked away… And that guard immediately walked up and said that I had something else in the bag and wanted to check whether I had paid for everything, so I said that she really has something against me and she said that I’m something of a trickster… Which was baffling, but I just said that she’ll be able to check as soon as I’ll get my receipt, but the other employee had a look and said that she can confirm that I paid for everything, yet when I asked for the receipt she said that she wasn’t going to search for it in the trash. So I snapped that I won’t be able to enter other stores with the purchases because of it… And the guard said that I shouldn’t get snarky with them, though when I asked whether that was my fault she agreed that it wasn’t and walked away.
On the way back, I grabbed a couple more recyclables and checked that Profi, the Carrefour Express, and the nearby Mega Image, entering with everything each time. I meant to ask whether the “system” had been “fixed” at Profi and attempt to cash in that voucher again, but when I walked in everyone walked out, apparently including the cashier, which actually isn’t unusual for that store, as far as I can tell, since I frequently notice the employees around the door when I pass by, but after looking around in surprise for a moment I just walked back out, not daring to go after the employees and try to ask that. And the machine wasn’t working at Carrefour Express, so I couldn’t also put in those recyclables though I bought a few expiring yogurts. And at the nearby Mega Image I found a voucher left in the machine, albeit for a single recyclable, so I took it and looked around until the woman who was close to the machine stepped away and the man who had just bought something walked out, and when neither of them asked or seemed to search for it I walked away with it.
I got back just after 9:50 PM. Then I put the purchases in their place, ate the pomegranate seeds that had been one of the products discounted by 90% which I had bought, though I had a close look at them and threw out some that seemed moldy, fixed something sweet and ate that as well, and made popcorn, the fact that the final went to extra time being fortunate, since I only ate it during said extra time, after gathering my clothes and sheets from the rack. Then, several minutes after 1 AM, I went to wash, being done just before 1:50 AM and eating dinner between 3:25 AM and 3:55 AM. And then I thought I’ll get in bed at the usual time, but took it a little too easy and did so at 5:20 AM.
I was woken up by the sound of cutting tools a few minutes before 10:30 AM, and it seemed that dad was woken up by the same thing just then, but since I didn’t need to pee I stayed in bed and probably fell asleep at least once, if not twice, in the brief quiet moments. But a little after 10:40 AM I decided to get up after all, changing and cleaning the litter box as well, the annoying thing being that things got almost quiet after that, the noise seeming to have gotten oddly distant all of a sudden the couple of times it repeated. But I got on the computer and stayed there after dad left, only changing back into my pajamas and getting back in bed at 12:25 PM… And I was still awake half an hour later, when dad called. But I eventually did get back to sleep, and despite waking up multiple times, so when dad called again at one point I was once again already awake, I kept getting right back to sleep and might have even gotten up to eight hours in total by the last time I woke up, at 5:15 PM. And then I vacuumed a little in the hallway, bathrooms and kitchen.
On July 21, I woke up for the last time at 3:40 PM, getting a total of over seven hours of sleep, maybe up to seven and a half, but that was made up of many, many brief naps, since I kept waking up. And I also peed many times, so after getting up for good I had almost half a kilogram less than I had before eating the mamaliga I made at night. Either way, after shaving, I left for the first time at 5:10 PM, without taking the headphones but with a small bag of trash that I dropped down the chute, the plastic and metal, which I dropped in a recycling bin, and the recyclables with the deposit symbol, which I put in the machine from the nearest Penny, where I also dropped off one brought by dad which didn’t have the symbol, just keeping that one that still wasn’t accepted and entering the store with it. And I got what I wanted from there, also using the voucher received for the recyclables.
It was close to 5:55 PM when I got back for the first time, and then I did the day’s squats, ate lunch and quite a lot of watermelon, and left again at 8:50 PM, leaving that recyclable that wasn’t being accepted, just taking the one picked up on the way back from Penny, and picking up a few more on the way to Kaufland Popa Nan. That was a risky choice, the much safer one being to go to the one from Pantelimon, since there’s that Carrefour next to it as well, and the green onions had a regular discount there, if they weren’t cheaper, or if they still didn’t exist at all, at Kaufland, but if I went that way I’d have wanted to go to that Mega Image that closes at 10 PM first and I didn’t feel up for dealing with that guard again, and was even concerned about the attitude that cashier that I snapped at might have. So I went there and used the machine, also putting in a recyclable which had been left there despite having the symbol and two others that didn’t but which were just right for two labels that I had, though putting the second one on that bottle was harder, so I stepped aside to do it and got a second voucher for it.
After washing my hands, I entered the store a few minutes before 9:30 PM, getting a few bakery products that were discounted by 50%, the cabbage that seemed less bad than the others that were left, peeling enough off it to be left with what seemed good, an ear of corn, which at that point had a 50% evening discount, and initially two of those cheap yogurts, to make sure that the total would allow me to ask for another one of those vouchers… Because there were no green onions. But, after seeing no new or increased discounts after 10 PM, I waited for 10:15 PM before going to the self-checkout, without checking again, thinking that the only thing that could get a bigger discount was the corn, and I’d still be over 10 RON if it went from 2 RON to 1 RON… But I didn’t check it first, entering the bakery products and needing an employee to override the error when the machine didn’t accept them, so I couldn’t just walk away when I saw that the price of the corn had dropped to 0.40 RON, meaning a 90% evening discount! And that got the total under 10 RON and I couldn’t quite figure out what to do. The obvious thing, after the fact, was to rush to grab more corn, and there wasn’t a line waiting after me, but another employee was already cleaning the machines and I couldn’t think, so I just left those yogurts there, having no reason to buy them anymore, used the vouchers received for the recyclables, and left it at that, so I couldn’t try to ask for another one of those 10 RON vouchers either and just made my way back, grabbing a few more recyclables and getting a bundle of green onions, at full price, from the Mega Image that’s close to the metro station, putting my things into two cabinets that I didn’t lock and retrieving them on my way out, without even waiting for the receipt. And I got back at 11 PM and quickly went to wash, after which I had a pretty normal night.
After getting up to pee a few minutes after 8:30 AM, I woke up a couple more times, but got right back to sleep at first, until what must have been 11 AM or so, since I was awake for quite a while when checked the time again and saw 11:35 AM. And going to pee once more didn’t seem to help, so at 11:55 AM I got on the computer, only getting back in bed at 1:30 PM, getting back to sleep quickly after waking up again a little before 3 PM, and getting up for good several minutes after 4:30 PM, though I was awake at least since just before 4 PM, when dad called, and it’s possible that I had woken up on my own just before that. And I napped for another hour or so late in the evening.
