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Remaining Odds and Ends from April and the Start of May

On April 11, I got up when the alarm rang, at 12:30 PM, and left a little after 2:10 PM, taking the recyclables, which I dropped off in a bin on the way. I had to get somewhere by 3 PM, in order to hand over a form required to make an on-line account, as weird as that sounds, which my parents said was required before they could finally “fire” me from dad’s firm, but while I was a little worried at first, it ended up being just fine, since I was there after just 25 minutes. Then I asked the guards who were at the entrance where to go in order to make that account, they pointed me upstairs, I handed over the form and my ID card, was given another form to fill… And realized that I hadn’t taken a pen. But I looked around and spotted one on the floor, so I picked it up and used it, then also handed in that form, retrieved my ID card and was out of there at 2:45 PM.
The next stop was the mall where another branch of Tei is, being surprised by the size of the place. And it also had products that the site didn’t list as available, so after getting the peanut butter and also some pills for dad and confirming that I should get one of the supplements I wanted for myself from the main branch, the site listing it as being a little cheaper there, I wandered around, looking at various things, and eventually got the other things I had on my list as well, since they were available and at the same price as at the main branch, even though they weren’t listed at all on that branch’s site.
Then, since it was early enough, I decided to also check that Kaufland on the way to the main branch, putting those purchases in a cabinet and finding deeply discounted 1 kg bags of oranges that were quite good and getting two, unfortunately deciding against getting a bag of onions, thinking that I’ll find more later, and not finding the toilet paper, but finding and getting the cat food that was on sale and also grabbing some other things… And when I got to the self-checkout, an employee took first the oranges and then the expiring quail eggs and scanned them with one of those devices meant for those who have their app, leaving me looking at her in confusion until I guess she realized that I didn’t want her “help” and she transferred what she had scanned to the machine, told me she had scanned the oranges and eggs and left me to continue.
Once I got to the Tei branch at Dristor, I saw a long line for the pharmacy part and, after putting my things in two cabinets, seeing that they no longer required coins, I decided against waiting in that line in order to get some other pills that dad had asked for and just went in to get that supplement and also the gel… And ended up getting three gels, to also have the two I mean to use during the marathon. At first I did so because the price listed on the label was lower than the one listed on the site, but then I maintained that decision even after using the price checker and finding that the price was actually the one listed on-line after all, thinking that they won’t get any cheaper, and may even get more expensive by then. Maybe I should have pressed, since they should offer the price that’s on the label, but while I did point out the problem to an employee, after he went to check and came back to say that they had just received the invoices and were working on the changes, and removed that price label, I couldn’t work up the courage to press. That interaction had drained me anyway, to the point that I didn’t even want to need to wait for the cashier to get some smaller bills if I could avoid it, so after initially meaning to pay with one large bill, when I saw that she didn’t have enough change for the person who was in front of me, I started digging for smaller bills… And ended up just putting that supplement on the belt while I did so, moving on with the gels and the money in my hand, and the cashier didn’t even say anything, just telling me the price for that supplement, at which point I realized it and also handed her the gels.
After retrieving my things, I first went back to the pastry place that’s in front of that entrance to the metro station, meaning to get myself a pretzel, but couldn’t see the kind I wanted anymore, though I was pretty sure that I had seen some when I had passed by that place on my way to the pharmacy. And then, even though I was rushing, I made yet another detour that ended up being pointless, deciding to also check the stores from that farmers’ market for a kind of cheese that I didn’t find, and instead of turning back right from the exit, going just a little farther to also look for those pretzels at that other place that’s there… Only to find it closed.
The last place I had actually planned to check, however, was that Carrefour, so after finally rushing there and managing to stuff everything in one of the largest cabinets, I just grabbed one more thing for dad, not finding anything else of interest while having a quick look around. And then I ended up waiting in line for quite a while, because a person was splitting the payment between two cards and cash and also seemed to be a few coins short for the cash part. But at least I used that voucher received for buying red cabbage on April 2, the cashier again taking the receipt it was printed on and not giving it back. And then I retrieved my things from the cabinet and rushed back as much as I could while carrying everything, getting back here a couple of minutes after 6 PM.
I still also wanted to go to Obor, however, so after having lunch, putting some of the things in their place and slicing one of the breads bought for dad, I went out again, at 7:25 PM. Once I got there, I first checked that Carrefour as well, but didn’t get anything, despite having a hard look at some rather nice cakes that were three for the price of two… And which, since then, they seem to be quite desperate to sell, since that offer was extended until the end of the year and they also appeared in more locations, though I had initially only seen them there. Either way, I also very briefly glanced in two other stores on the way out of that mall, and then went to that Penny, not finding what I was actually looking for, again for dad, but finding and getting some expiring roes. The price was 1.04 RON and the cashier just asked for 1 RON, but I had already handed her 1.05 RON and left it like that.
Then I also went to Kaufland, washed my hands, went in with those roes in a pocket, and saw that evening discounts were already applying for vegetables even though it was a few minutes before 9 PM. But the first thing I grabbed was a sweet pastry, even though there were no bakery discounts yet, since that kind had a regular discount and I hoped that an additional one will apply later. Then I started wandering around the fruits and vegetables, trying to pick something and follow the changing discounts, eventually ending up with a lettuce, a bundle of radishes and two bundles of wild garlic, plus some lemons that had a regular discount those days, digging through several boxes to find some without an awfully thick peel. It was closer to 9:30 PM when the labels with the bakery discounts were finally being placed, and after confirming that the sweet pastry I had grabbed was also included, I meant to go back for some buns after all the labels will be placed… Only to somehow forget, so I checked the expiring products and looked for toilet paper, again not finding the kind I was looking for, spent some time digging through the bags of onions without finding any that didn’t contain at least a couple of bad ones, so I eventually gave up on them and regretted that I hadn’t bought one the first time around, since those had seemed really good, and then I made my way to the self-checkout, having to take the lemons back off the scales in order to be able to continue and walking away just before 10 PM for once.
It was a little before 10:45 PM when I got back here, then I had that sweet pastry and an orange, and it was a little before midnight when I went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and shower. I did get out just before 1 AM, but had some things to wash, made a small salad from the worse parts of the lettuce and wild garlic, and sliced another bread for dad, so despite giving up on adding anything else in the salad, it was 3:05 AM when I started eating dinner. I still finished at 3:40 AM, however.

On April 16, I left right at 6 PM, taking those things I take to Kaufland, but first went to the Carrefour from the park, putting those things in a cabinet and even locking the door, after finding that the machine worked, so I could exchange a 1 RON bill for coins. I first tried to use the one with a torn corner received two days earlier and it wouldn’t accept it, so I had to use another one then, but when I put that one among those I paid with, after getting what I meant to get from there, the cashier didn’t say anything.
After retrieving those things from the cabinet and dropping them off at the first Kaufland I checked, I put the purchases from Carrefour in a cabinet… And retrieved them soon after, after just going in and out of the store, since what we really needed was toilet paper and I couldn’t find the one I wanted. So I then continued to the newer Kaufland, but also stopped at that Penny on the way, walking in with those purchases, since I couldn’t find a free cabinet with a key… And once again walking right out, not finding anything of interest. I did put those purchases in a cabinet once I got to that newer Kaufland, and also washed my hands, but since I still didn’t find that toilet paper, I again walked right back out and to Auchan. But I meant to get back there, so at least I left my things in that cabinet, and at Auchan I did finally find that toilet paper, so I bought a pack and also another bottle of vinegar, and used the little amount that was on the store card after buying that kefir for dad on April 4. And, speaking of Auchan store cards, I saw two on the street, around the first Kaufland, one in the parking lot and the other right on a street, after I walked away from there.
After getting back to that newer Kaufland, I added the toilet paper and vinegar in that cabinet, washed my hands again, and saw that the bakery discounts were at 75% even though it was only a little past 9 PM, so I got two of those breads. No sweet pastries were left, someone else taking the last two right in front of me, and I wouldn’t have really wanted those anyway, but I found a much nicer sweet thing among the expiring products, so I got that as a reward for myself, and made use of some other evening discounts. Then I had no problems with the self-checkout, retrieved everything from the cabinet and walked out before the store closed… Forgetting that I meant to also drop the mask I was wearing at the time in that bin, and by the time I realized it I couldn’t go back, the store having already closed, since I went to one of those tables and took some time to arrange the purchases in my backpack and bags.
It was a little before 10:05 PM when I walked away from there, and a little after 10:35 PM when I got back. Then I made an omelet, but left it in the pan while eating a banana and that sweet thing, which meant that it got stuck on it even more and was harder to scrape off. Either way, it was past 12:35 AM when I finally went to shower and 1:10 AM when I got back to the kitchen, but I still had things to do, so I only started eating dinner at 3:25 AM and it was past 4:05 AM when I finished.

The next day I’m yet to write about is April 27, when I left a little after 3 PM, taking the broken whisk, in case I’ll want to compare, though I ended up just carrying it around, never pulling it out. But what made that day quite unpleasant was that my headphones rather died out moments after leaving. I guess a contact got messed up, because the sound was coming on and off in the left one on each step, and after I unplugged them and plugged them back in, that left one stopped working completely and the right one didn’t sound quite right either, so all I could do was turn the volume up a little and make do with them like that for the rest of that day.
I wanted to go to Obor and look for a whisk that’d be cheaper but seem just as good as the one I meant to order, but also had to get some teas and pills for dad, so the first stop was at a location of a pharmacy that had one of the teas at the lowest price… At least on their site, and it’s known that in their case the prices are usually much lower if you order on-line than if you buy directly, but I nevertheless wanted to check… And at first it seemed that I won’t be able to do so in that location, because I couldn’t open the door and also didn’t see anybody inside, so I thought that it was closed for some reason. But another guy also came at that point, stopping in front of the door when he saw me walking away, and I stopped a few steps away and turned to see what he did, being surprised when, after standing there for a moment, he also tried the door and managed to open it. So I went back as well and, after pushing hard on the door, since it had closed after him, managed to get in, seeing that the cashiers were in the second room. It was just a waste of time, however, since I asked about that tea, was told that a few different variants existed, and by the time the cashier brought one of each from the back, since I couldn’t pick based just on what she had told me, I had spotted the one I wanted on the shelf and saw that the price was about 50% higher than the one listed on the site, so I obviously didn’t get it and left.
Once I got to Obor, I went all around, searching for whisks, even asking, and also checking some other things. However, while I found some whisks that had the shape and size of the one I meant to order, and which dad said that he didn’t agree to pay for, the metal felt and looked like it was of poor quality for all but one, and most were actually slightly more expensive than the actual price of the one I meant to order, only ending up being some 20% cheaper because of that store’s fees. That one exception did look and feel good, and it was also among the cheapest ones of that kind, but on top of having no label or markings, the problem was that the loop that the other wires pass through was poking out quite a lot, and since it’s also pointy, it’d have ended up scratching the bottom of the pot while also being more likely to snap sooner, seeing as I use it to scrape the mamaliga off the bottom of the pot. At the same time, it’d have probably been better for scraping in that manner, so I kept it in mind and got back to it at the end, but that was just before 5 PM, when those stores were closing, so the woman who was there was gathering the products and I just had another quick look, being too uncertain to make a decision.
The first purchases were made when I went to that mall, the teas and pills I had to get from one pharmacy, which I then placed in a cabinet at that Carrefour, again using a machine to exchange a bill for coins. But before actually going in that Carrefour, I checked another pharmacy as well, just going in and out because I couldn’t find the tea that should have been available there as well, and I confirmed that the prices are much higher than those listed on-line if you don’t use their card anyway. Then I peed and washed my hands and finally entered Carrefour, getting a bag of supposedly spoiling Pinova apples which were actually quite good, along with two expiring breads for dad. And I found that they had added a couple of self-checkout machines that also accepted cash! I didn’t know whether I could use them for those apples, since they had a sticker marking them as being discounted by 50%, not a label that could be scanned, but I asked the guard who was there and he said that I could, just that he had to come and scan something to mark them as discounted, which he did. So I then also scanned the bread, obviously didn’t charge myself for the bag that I was forced to use for those apples, and since those machines accept partial payments by card and I had it with me, I got rid of the tiny amount left in my account before completing the payment with cash.
After retrieving my things from the cabinet, I took some time to arrange everything in my backpack and a bag before leaving that mall, and then I decided that I had enough time to go to Tei after all, for the tea that was apparently only available there, even though that meant going all that way in the other direction. And while I was on the way I saw an older woman who had fallen on the sidewalk, with a little dog next to her. I was just about alongside another woman at that moment, and she was the first one to rush to help, taking the fallen woman’s arm, so when I joined a moment later I was unsure whether to take the other or not, in case that’d make her even more unsteady, which made the situation rather awkward. But I eventually did take her other arm and, after not quite managing it at first, she eventually got up, at which point I asked whether she had gotten dizzy and she said that her dog had pulled her hard. Another guy had joined us by then, holding the dog’s leash, and after the woman sat down on a bench we all continued on our way without another word.
I checked a number of other places on the way to Tei, just going in and out quickly, then put everything in a cabinet when I got there and grabbed that tea. It was very crowded, however, and the lines were also long, and the fact that I also wanted to look for some honey meant that I had to somehow squeeze inside the line while making it obvious that I wasn’t cutting in, since the line was going past that area and the space is tight. Then again, that kind of honey was listed as out of stock in that location, so I shouldn’t have bothered, but I wanted to make sure, even asking an employee who walked past when I couldn’t see any. Then, after confirming that it wasn’t available, I spent some time in line, then retrieved my things from the cabinet, took some time to add those teas in the backpack properly… And decided to go to that other branch as well, since the site listed that honey as available there, so I made my way to that mall, put my things in a cabinet once again, bought a jar, retrieved my things and then continued to the last planned destination, which was Kaufland.
I had just walked in when I heard the announcement about bakery products being discounted by 50%, so I yet again put everything in a cabinet, peed and washed my hands, and found and grabbed two of those breads, along with the one remaining small baguette of that kind for dad and a sweet pastry for myself. Then I checked the expiring products and looked for the other evening discounts, the really good ones being for grapes and bananas. The grapes were mostly scattered, plus some which had probably been recovered by employees after being left in other places by people, and I took my time selecting the bananas as well, and also grabbed some carrots, which also had a nice discount. At some point during that time, the 75% discount for bakery products was announced, but I nevertheless waited for 9:30 PM before making my way to the self-checkout, and the machine didn’t want me to leave any of the fruits or vegetables on the scales, so I just took them back off, checked that I had been charged correctly and continued without calling an employee. My hands were sticky after digging through the grapes and bananas, however, so I washed them one more time before retrieving the other purchases from the cabinet, then took my time to arrange everything in the bags and backpack. And, oddly enough, as I started making my way back here, the headphones again behaved just as they had just after I had left in the afternoon, the sound coming on and off in the left one with every step… And, after fiddling with the contact for a while, they even seemed to work properly once again… For a little while, after which the left one once again stopped working completely.
After getting back, at 10:20 PM, I checked the headphones, confirming that the problem was with them and not with my phone, then ate some grapes and that sweet pastry while putting the purchases in their place and washing some of the things that dad was leaving in the kitchen… And I talked to him about that whisk that I had seen at Obor, considering going back for it after he said that he’d agree to pay that price for one. But I also showed him the one I wanted to order, on his computer… And ended up knocking over the wine he had on his desk as I was reaching for the mouse, the mug flying right on his pajama pants. Fortunately, just a few drops ended up elsewhere, and he said that didn’t care about the pants, but I insisted to wash them as well as I could right away.
That meant that it was 12:35 AM when I went to shower despite leaving lunch for later. And even though I didn’t even go to the toilet and was back in the kitchen at 1:05 AM, I only started eating that lunch at 1:40 AM, at first only having a few bites while getting ready to start making the salad, since it was too hot. I eventually finished lunch around 2:20 AM and started eating dinner at 3:10 AM, but I’d have still been able to finish it at 3:40 AM if I wouldn’t have taken some time to search for that whisk on some more sites, looking for more information about it and the company. As it was, I missed that target by a couple of minutes, but decided to order that whisk after all, giving up on the idea of going back for that one from Obor and counting it as paid from “my” money. Going back would have messed up my schedule anyway, seeing as I was planning to walk the route of the half marathon. Either way, before going to bed that morning, which I actually only did at 5:35 AM, I also ordered that tea from that pharmacy… And also another identical pair of headphones, since they’re still available here and cheap. On the other hand, something wasn’t happy in my abdomen, and I also had a strange taste in my mouth, probably indicating that the leftover potatoes I had as lunch, along with some steak, had spoiled. Not that it was in any way surprising, since they had been made by dad quite a long time before and left until I finished the last of them that night.

The plan for April 29 was to walk the route of the half marathon, so I had a larger breakfast, also including an egg salad in a bun, and was hoping to leave at 3 PM, but it was close to 3:45 PM when I actually did, which was one of the reasons why I chose to cross the road and go left after reaching the route, since I know this area well enough and could leave the part going in the other direction and back for the end, when it was going to be dark. Having no headphones proved to be a problem, however, since I didn’t try to keep using those broken ones and I was feeling overwhelmed, like I had lost a layer of protection and had to try to get used to that.
When I reached Unirii, I first went into that shopping center to pee, then checked Carrefour, but didn’t get anything. However, as I was looking through the expiring products, a woman tapped me on the shoulder and wanted to give me some money, I think a 10 RON bill. I refused, she tried again, telling me to get myself something, but I told her to give it to someone who needed it more and she finally walked away. Since the long distance I had to walk had made me decide to wear the old shoes and I hadn’t shaved either, I probably looked like I also needed the money, and it’s not like it’s the first time something like this happens, the previous times being in March of 2018, while waiting for the free bus to Auchan Titan, in October of 2018, in Auchan Titan, in October of 2019, at Carrefour Mega Mall, and in November of 2020, at Carrefour Baneasa, but when I can refuse, which was the case on the first two occasions and again this time, I do.
After getting back on the route, I just continued walking it, without noticing anything special, or at least nothing that I didn’t already know, those places where it climbs still being awful, obviously. The problem was that it was windy and I was thinking that if it’ll be the same during the race, I’ll struggle to even stay under two hours. And the wind also made it quite cold, making me think that I should have taken the warmer jacket, which also has all those pockets that are so useful. Otherwise, I saw an artistic protest at the Russian Embassy.
The next time I entered a store, however, things ended up being rather unpleasant. Possibly also because of how I looked, and maybe also the fact that I try to avoid people and was likely doing so even more that day, since I didn’t have the headphones, and it’s not like it didn’t happen before, also while I was walking a route, albeit that of the marathon, and in that same location, the Penny from Decebal. Either way, a guard started tailing me as soon as I entered, showed up in front of me as I was looking around, and when I found one of the products I wanted and was trying to open another box, so I won’t take the one jar that was easily accessible and had obviously been handled, he came from behind, asked what I wanted and said that he’ll give it to me. He didn’t tail me so obviously after that, while I got the other thing I wanted, for dad, and had another quick look around, but when I got in line he was at the end of it and looking right at me. After I made eye contact and raised an eyebrow, he turned away and left, but another guard stood in front of the door as I was about to walk out. He also stood aside after I looked right at him, with the purchases in my hands, but actually followed me outside and when I stopped at the first bench, to put those two jars I had bought in a bag, he went around me, showed up from behind the tree that’s next to that bench and asked if I had filled the bag. So I showed him that I just had those two jars and said that I had been searched before in that location and he shrugged and walked away, throwing over his shoulder that I had been pointed out to him, just repeating that when I asked what is it that makes me look so suspicious.
After continuing on my way and reaching the spot where I had started, I kept going, to the spot where the route turned and a little farther, since there’s no crossing there, that turn coming a little earlier this year, somehow, even though it didn’t seem like that distance was added anywhere else. And after crossing I left the route again, going to Kaufland, washing my hands once I got there and entering the store with the purchases from Penny, since the store brand could easily be seen. It was just about 9:30 PM, but I still found a sweet pastry and some buns to grab, the discount not increasing past 50%. On the other hand, there were no more green onions, but I did make use of some evening discounts, albeit not particularly big ones, to also get some beets and a leek. Then I made my way to the self-checkout, had no problems with the machine, the announcement that the store closed came as I was using it, and I made a mental note of the fact that nobody even seemed to mean to say anything when I obviously still had something else, those purchases from Penny, in the bag.
With the last small portion of the route being on the way back from there, I therefore walked all of it, though I meant to have another look at the spot where that turn had been moved and somehow missed it, my mind obviously being elsewhere. But I was going to get to it from the other direction and had gotten a good look at the spot from that side, so I didn’t turn back after realizing it and got back here at 10:35 PM. Then I had a banana, that sweet pastry and lunch, with a small bag of corn puffs instead of bread. It was almost 12:30 AM when I went to the toilet and to shower and about 1:20 AM when I got back to the kitchen, but I still just managed to start eating dinner just before 3 AM even though I had some more things to do before starting to work on it and also talked to dad a little. On the other hand, once again checking some things on-line while eating meant that it was a couple minutes past 3:40 AM when I finished. And I’ll also mention here that, for the first time in a while, on April 29 there were no visits reported in either view, and that I got in bed just after 5:20 AM.

Since the post from two weeks ago started with the early hours of May 3, I’ll also add here that, in the early hours of May 1, even though dad was working, I yet again failed to stick to the dinner schedule, finishing at 3:50 AM despite initially recovering from the fact that I went to the kitchen at 1:15 AM and starting to eat dinner just before 3 AM, checking some things on-line again being the reason for both delays. And, after having lunch in the early evening, it was almost 1:15 AM when I went to the kitchen the following night as well, albeit because of a late shower, and since I was also trying to get Micky to eat some actual cat food, after dad again gave her snacks and other crap, I failed to recover that time and started eating dinner at 3:05 AM, and that was despite once again forgetting to put seasonings in the salad. However, that time I did finally manage to just barely finish at 3:40 AM… But losing more time because of Micky, and also cleaning the litter box, meant that I only got in bed at 5:30 AM.

This is another post that was incomplete when it was initially posted, since I only got as far as knocking over dad’s wine before midnight, editing it in order to add the last part of the section about April 27 a little later, and then I only managed to write and add the rest Tuesday evening.

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