Cav's Place

Decided to avoid another Sunday update this time around, since it was clearly going to be another partial one anyway, so I’ll stop on August 2, since there’s more to write about the following days. But I first need to pick up from where I left off, so I’ll say that on July 26 I caught up on sleep, getting up at 3:30 PM. Then had the usual stuff, opening the last of those expired bags of nicer biscuits and having some, with added honey, as the sweet thing, drank most of the tea, sprayed myself with bug spray, put on the full running gear, but also took my backpack, with the new shoes in it, along with bags and money, and went out just after 7 PM, when the reported temperature was about 31°C, though it was likely a couple of degrees less when I started running and likely dropped a couple more by the time I finished. That was because I first quickly stopped at this nearby Mega Image to grab most of the food for Micky that I wanted to get, calculating the amount so I’ll get a 0.50 RON coin as change, then went to Carrefour, used that coin for the cabinet, leaving everything there before having a look, not getting anything, going to pee and returning to the park to run.
The time was 50:20.11, with sector times of 4:14.74, 5:10 (5:09.90), 5:59 (5:58.93), 4:38 (4:37.60), 5:21 (5:20.90), 6:17.91, 4:50 (4:49.94), 5:37 (5:36.68), 6:20 (6:19.76) and 1:54 (1:53.75), making for lap times of 15:23.57, 16:16.41 and 16:47 (16:46.38). Considering my health, with my feet already swollen again by the time I left even though they looked quite fine when I woke up, and the fact that I had walked a bit before the run and even rather rushed back to the park in order to avoid finishing in the dark, I aimed for 50 minutes, but also wanted a first lap in less than 15:30, maybe even 15:20, so I pushed from the start and was content with that first sector, not so much with the second, but the third was again fine. That took its toll though, the first sector of lap two already making me doubt I’ll stay under 50 minutes, and the next sector making it quite clear that I won’t. And, after that bad time on sector three of lap two removed even the slightest remaining chance, I took it rather easy on sector one of lap three, though on sector three of lap three and the final sector I pushed again, quite a lot, fearing I’ll fail to even stay under 50:30.
With sunset approaching, can’t say I felt the heat, and there was pretty much no wind, but there were plenty of people, and on top of a lot of weaving and going the long way around, there were also quite a few moments when I had to take to the grass, even on straights and for more than just a step or two, plus times when I had to slow or squeeze through, and also a few moments when I had to briefly stop. Those tended to be on sector two, on the first lap happening when I was about to squeeze past a large group just when a cyclist coming from the opposite direction did the same, the two of us spotting each other at the last moment, then on the second lap there was a misunderstanding with another cyclist, while on lap three I remember thinking that the awful time was entirely expected because of multiple issues caused by people, but the only one I clearly recalled, even just after I finished, was the moment when I meant to pass a guy coming from the opposite direction on the inside, he realized I was coming when I was a couple of steps away and sidestepped that way, I just managed to sidestep the other way in time, but found myself facing the girl who had been behind him, who also suddenly found herself facing me and froze, with her legs rather spread as well, so she blocked an even larger area and it’s a good thing I managed to stop before running right into her. And it was at the start of that same sector two of lap three when I stopped for a moment to see the exact time on my stopwatch. But, otherwise, my legs again felt better, less heavy, after a little while, and there were no physical issues other than the fact that I was tired after that first lap and couldn’t keep pushing… Though that final sector time, managed despite the people who prevented me from using the optimal path up the stairs, would indicate that I had a little more in me.

Returning to Carrefour after the run, got an expiring thing and corn, then changed shoes and went to the Mega Image next to the farmers’ market to get the remaining food for Micky, still not finding the one for Rocky. Then I went to Kaufland, seeing an evening discount for apples and getting some, but I tried three scales, the first showing the lowest weight and price but not printing a label despite not giving any error, then I got confused and instead of at least using the second I discarded that label and used the one from the third, which was the highest, albeit by just 0.01 RON compared to the second and 0.02 RON compared to the first. Either way, I also got a deeply discounted bun and the cornmeal I had gone there for, and had no issues with the self-checkout except waiting quite a lot.
On the way back, I checked the non-stop Mega Image next to the pharmacy and saw more types of that cat food, but the one for Rocky still wasn’t among them, and I even asked about it and was told that pretty much everything they’ll have for the next few days was already on the shelf. And it was quite some time after I walked away from there that I stopped and wondered whether I had grabbed a 0.50 RON coin left in the self-checkout machine at Kaufland and then left it in the cabinet at that Mega Image, since I didn’t have it at that point. But I hadn’t really looked at what had been left in that machine and the more I thought about it, the less likely it seemed that such a coin had been there in the first place.

It was 11:20 PM when I got back… And had a breakdown. Dad was on the phone with mother, and after a bit asked whether I had bought sugar, because mother had apparently sent me an e-mail asking for some. And I hadn’t read that, and he went on about how can someone communicate with me, that she doesn’t know how, he told her to e-mail me since I was alone for hours and could be on-line, asking what did I do to not even check, and I just snapped. I was wondering whether she had seen a sale that ended that day, but he didn’t know and didn’t even ask, just repeated that she had told me and I didn’t even look, and I just snapped. One moment I found myself on the floor, whimpering, but since I couldn’t cry I switched to anger, and while what followed is quite a blur, I know I threw off my cap, ripped off the mask and threw that on the floor too, screamed incoherently and punched and kicked things and walls, paced for a little while, screamed and punched and kicked some more…
I eventually regained enough control to check the Kaufland catalog, saw that there was no weekend discount for sugar and took dad’s phone from him to talk to mother. I was hardly coherent though, alternating between whimpering and screaming and asking her something and telling her to not say things, definitely just telling her to shut up and sort of curling on the floor when she was asking why was I crying or, for lack of a better term, pitying me… But we did sort it out with the sugar once I could think a bit more for a moment, since she had seen no discount, just wanted some, and I had bought some on a good sale before, when she said she didn’t need it, keeping it for the next time she will ask, so I took it out of the cabinet and left it for dad to take there. She also asked about a better kind of cornmeal, but I didn’t know much about that, the one I get being the cheap and worse kind.
The period when I could be sort of coherent didn’t last too long though, and eventually I was back to sitting on the floor and hugging myself and telling her to stop and just kept the phone away from my ear and I guess she hung up at some point after I got back up and was pacing and hyperventilating. And I kept doing that, which led to getting dizzy as well, and I also kept snapping and kicking things at any nuisance. But I eventually went to shower and got back to the kitchen at 1:25 AM, though before even starting to make the salad I took half an hour to wash what was there to wash, including a large jug dad had asked me to help him wash earlier that day, just doing my part. Started eating dinner at 3:25 AM and got in bed at 5:20 AM.

The following day I was obviously hiding from dad and not saying a word, and I started boiling the corn while he was away, but he came back while the pot was on the stove and I was on the toilet, so I couldn’t get back to the kitchen when I should have done so and the pot got rather burned as a result. Then, at 7:15 PM, after eating some of that corn, I went out, leaving dad a note saying I’ll be back after he leaves and first going to this bigger Mega Image, looking for the food for Rocky. Just like the one for Micky bought the day before, I was buying it despite dad telling me not to, and mother hadn’t asked for more either, but I’m not adding it to what they should pay me back for until they will ask at a time when it’ll be more expensive, at which point I’ll ask them to “buy” it from me at that price. That time could have been now, since at least Micky was running out, but Mega Image oddly has an even better sale now for those using the store card, which dad has, so I’ll keep what I bought for another time.
Either way, I did find some of that food at that location, but only 15 cans, and the offer was four for the price of three, so I could only get 12. Asked whether they had a full box and was told they didn’t have any more at all, and then spent quite some time searching, including around and under shelves, and couldn’t even find one more, to be able to get 16. So I also went to the location close to the clinic, finding 35 there, which again meant I was one short, as I would have taken 36 if I’d have been able to, so they’d have added up to two full boxes. And yes, asked whether they had any unopened boxes there as well, and again was told they didn’t. So I settled for 24 in the end, leaving some for others, and also got some carrots that were in the pile of spoiling things, though they seemed quite fine, and I was actually charged just 0.50 RON for those carrots even though they should have been 0.55 RON on their own, and Mega Image tends to charge for the bag they’re in as well, which didn’t happen that time. And then I also went to Kaufland, looking for evening discounts and expiring products and getting bread for myself, a pastry, some roes and some potatoes, getting back just before 10:55 PM. Had that sweet pastry and some watermelon at that point, but didn’t otherwise have lunch that day and started eating dinner at 3:20 AM. Got in bed at 5:20 AM.

Since there were announcements stating that water, both hot and cold, will be turned off on July 28, for repairs in the building’s basement, I slept little and badly that morning, getting up to try to get some things done before it’ll be turned off, and while dad slept, since I continued to hide from him, and have done so for quite a while. Even had lunch in the morning… Only for the water to apparently not be turned off after all. And since I just napped a little more in the afternoon, and maybe for just a few more minutes in the evening, I was sleepy all day. Also screamed again, while I was alone, when I saw how dad had sliced a watermelon he had bought, and that he had sliced it at all when the other one wasn’t yet finished. On the other hand, in the afternoon I sent a first message to the hospital I’d have been sent to, attaching the recommendations and asking for information. Started eating dinner at 3:15 AM.

On July 29, dad came out of the living room the moment I went to the kitchen to throw away what I had cleaned from the litter box, so I quickly closed the door, but he took some things out of the freezer, opened the door and started saying he’ll cook something, at which point I just ran, letting that piece of plywood that got loose fall, since only the open door holds it in place. Good thing I already had tea, made at night, in case the water would be turned off that day instead, and then I grabbed a few things to eat when I went to the toilet in the evening. After dad left, hung the laundry to dry, after putting it in the machine earlier, washed what I had to wash in the kitchen, made another tea, cooked and made salad, starting to eat dinner at 3:25 AM, while leaving the rest of what I was cooking on the stove for a while longer so the water will boil off. Got in bed at 5:20 AM.

On July 30, dad got up at the same time I did, but I had woken up earlier at one point, making tea while washing what he had left in the kitchen after eating after he got back from work, so at least I had tea again. Grabbed a couple more things later, then went out, the main reason being that I had to finally take that voucher to that store, dad having finally printed it for me after I had left him a note to ask about it again, and I had told them I’ll at least hand it over by the end of the month. Meant to leave at 7:05 PM, but was a couple of minutes late, and then spent a few more minutes on the first bench after crossing the road, to rearrange the last part of the shoelaces of my new shoes, to tie them the same way I tie the others.
Either way, first made a quick stop in the Mega Image on the way to Penny, not getting anything from there, then got a few things from Penny, then continued to Kaufland, though I made a little detour just before getting there, crossing the road to check that Mega Image as well, not that I got anything from there either, nor from Kaufland at first, just checking prices. After that, finally got to that store and handed the voucher to one of the cashiers, then went to Carrefour and got a few things, including a watermelon, after spending quite some time selecting it, or in fact it and another one at first, since I meant to get two but eventually settled just on that one. Then I went back to Kaufland, getting a few things from there as well, including some onions, for which I had to dig and open a new bag, since those left in the crates that were on top were bad, but I picked up one crate, looked in the one under it and there was an unopened bag with pretty nice ones in it, nothing like what was on top, so I struggled for a while to make enough of an opening and then got some from there. On the other hand, as I was at the bakery area, looking at some pastries and trying to persuade myself to ask the employee whether the evening discount applied to those as well, since they were already discounted and, unlike other products, had no additional discount label, she took that tray and dumped them out, as I guess she was doing with everything else that was left, since it was 10 PM. In other locations they don’t seem to do that, applying much higher discounts instead, and it’s so infuriating to know that all that food’s just thrown away!
Either way, I got back just after 11:10 PM, having carried nearly 15 kg. Hadn’t had lunch earlier and didn’t have it then either, just grabbing some boiled corn and a banana, and it was almost 1:30 AM when I got back to the kitchen, and well after 2 AM when I actually started making the salad, so it’s unsurprising that I started eating dinner at 3:35 AM. It’s somewhat worse that I only finished eating at 5:15 AM, got in bed at 5:30 AM… And it was still morning when I got up, when dad left. And then, later that day, I cleaned my room a little and also changed the sheets. I did spend some two and a half hours in bed in the evening, but barely napped a little bit, and was increasingly panicked because of the symptoms I was noticing…

Moving on to the early hours of August 2, I only went to the kitchen at 1:50 AM, since dad was still going there until then, so of course there were things to wash as well, and I again started eating dinner at 3:35 AM. Then, in the evening, there was a long power failure after something popped loudly outside, the log stating that it started at 10:23 PM. When I first called, there was no message specifically for this area, but there was one for a nearby one, which I assumed applied here as well, stating that power should return around 1 AM. So, when I went to water the flowers, I didn’t see that dad had already done that until water started spilling and I had to struggle to gather it. Then I decided to try to plant the root of a lettuce with root I had bought, since I was going to use the last leaves for that night’s salad, and struggled with that as well while the pasta was boiling. Then I made pasta and salad, and during that time I called again and a message about this specific area had appeared, stating that power should return around 2:30 AM. But that time also came and went, I was done with everything, had even eaten pasta in the kitchen, and a bit after 2:40 AM I called again, hearing a new message, stating 5:30 AM! So I ate in the kitchen, and when, a bit after 3 AM, there was another blast outside, with a lot of sparks as well, I was thinking that the chances of the power returning even at 5:30 AM didn’t look good, and was worried about the fridge. However, the power actually returned mere minutes later, so the outage lasted about 4 hours and 45 minutes. Did wait for 15 more minutes, then plugged the fridge back in, turned the computer back on… Only for the power to fail again mere minutes later. That outage lasted for less than two minutes, so it wasn’t an issue for the computer, but it definitely made me worry even more about the fridge.