Cav's Place

On July 1, I left at 3:15 PM, taking some of the food that Micky hadn’t eaten behind the building, for the cats that are there. Then, having dad’s metro card, I took the metro to pick up some more of that food that Micky was supposed to eat, after having ordered it on-line from a store where it was cheaper, since at that point we were still hoping that it’ll be of use. And I just wore the mask on the metro, not even putting it back on for the brief time I spent in there, since it was just a place to pick up orders and the only other person was the cashier. But I did put it back on when I returned to the metro station, and then I went to a newly opened Carrefour Express, since there were some special discounts in that location, including for those bags of bagels, so I wanted to get a few for my mother. However, a single one was left on the shelf, and I even asked the employees and they said that there weren’t any others, so I took that one… And accidentally dropped it in a garbage can, since I meant to leave it in front of the scales for a moment without realizing that the mouth of a can was there, not a surface. But it was a can meant for labels, the one other thing that I saw in it being the packaging of some product, so I pulled that bag back out and bought it, along with some more potatoes.
After leaving that store and again removing my mask, I received an SMS from my mother, asking me to get one more thing for her, and that also reminded me to look for cabbage and toilet paper in Kaufland. So I put the mask back on when I returned to the metro station, keeping it on after that point, but instead of taking the metro for just one stop, to the Kaufland from that area, I decided to go to Dristor, quickly glancing through that farmers’ market, and also in the pet shop from there, and then going to Carrefour, getting tea and also a watermelon, after dad said that I should even though the price seemed high to me. Since the watermelon was heavy, I left the purchases in a cabinet, and that was the first time I used one that day, after having just entered with what I had until then. Then I had a look at the small Roman exposition that was in that mall and also glanced at the Turkish Festival taking place in the park before returning to the metro station and going to Kaufland Basarab.
After spotting a pet shop there as well and having a quick look, I got what my mother had asked for and what was actually the last cabbage left, but still couldn’t find that toilet paper, only seeing the empty spot where it should have been. However, at the self-checkout I noticed that one of the kinds of cans bought for my mother looked rather suspicious, and while I bought them anyway, after getting back I sent messages to the manufacturer, the store and the National Consumer Protection Agency (ANPC), asking them to check that lot… And was surprised when I received a reply from the manufacturer, telling me that the unusual look was caused by using a different kind of cover on that lot and actually attaching the results of a test performed on it, stating that it was completely safe, as well as one from ANPC, stating that they had checked the store and found nothing wrong, both of these coming sooner than I’d have expected them. And Kaufland also replied, but some days after the others and only to tell me that they checked and found that I had already received the necessary explanations from the manufacturer.
Returning to July 1, I got back on the metro and also went to the Kaufland which I should have checked first, and on top of the fact that it was already late, I also lost a couple of minutes because I used the wrong exit from the metro station, the crossing being at the other one, and if I’d have chosen that direction I wouldn’t have needed to use it at all, since there are exits on both sides of the road on that side. Either way, I put the purchases in a cabinet, wanted to wash my hands but couldn’t because the men’s bathroom was being cleaned, and just went in and out, not even finding the place where that toilet paper should have been and also seeing that they were out of that kind of bread. But that confectionery didn’t just have those mini meringues, but they were also shockingly cheap, so I asked for a few and, while I didn’t also get a receipt, I could buy them even though it was around 9:20 PM and the place was probably closed, possibly since 9 PM, the person who was there adding some numbers and writing them down at that point.
After retrieving what I had placed in the cabinet, getting back to the metro and managing to return to Carrefour Park Lake and also retrieve those purchases from the cabinet before closing time, I arranged everything a little in the bags and backpack, rushed back, got here a little before 10:15 PM, having carried 16.5 kg… And found that dad had already left. I had assumed that he was going to leave at the normal hour and rushed to still catch him, but found a note stating that he had to get to work early and had left at 8:30 PM! So I beeped him and when he called back I asked why hadn’t he told me about that, at which point he said that he thought he had, but in that case it definitely wasn’t that day or even over the course of the previous couple of days, and with everything that happened during that period, he couldn’t have expected me to remember a detail which might have possibly been mentioned a week or so earlier. And I also asked if he hadn’t needed the metro card and he said that he managed, which probably meant that he had bought himself one to just cover the trips he needed to make then, but I didn’t ask for more details, just saying that he could have just told me to get back earlier, or he could have called me when that time approached to ask where I was and whether I could get back, at least to give him the card. But there was nothing left to do about it at that point, so I ate an orange and two of those mini meringues and it was 12:15 AM when I started eating dinner, finishing in 15 minutes but taking ten more before going to the bathroom, to use the toilet and shower. Still, even though I got back in the kitchen at 1:20 AM and still had things to do, including dealing with Micky, I just managed to stick to the dinner schedule as well. It was 5:20 AM when I got in bed, however.

I guess the above paragraph is the last time I’ll mention Micky, since I’m now moving on to July 5, when I set the alarm to ring at 9:30 AM, but was awake a little after 9:20 AM, so I got up and turned it off, took the recyclables, those things that I usually take to Kaufland and some oil and perfume bottles and left at 10:45 AM, again having dad’s metro card. After dropping off the recyclables in a bin, I walked to Kaufland, initially putting those things in a cabinet and going right in, to look for toilet paper and the beer that I wanted to get for dad, since it had a 50% discount in exchange for recycling five bottles or cans. I only found the beer, however, so I went back out, retrieved those things from the cabinet and dropped off the rest, but had to hold on to the masks, since the bin meant for those had vanished, and I’m actually yet to see one again anywhere.
Either way, I then went to the recycling machine, but after identifying one bottle as glass instead of plastic, which didn’t matter, it stopped after the second and gave me the receipt, obviously without the discount voucher, since there were just two items. And while an employee immediately appeared, went in and eventually restarted the machine, she nevertheless told me to take the remaining bottles to the information desk in order to get the discount voucher. And I also asked whether those small perfume bottles would be accepted and she said no. So I had a problem, since cooking oil bottles probably wouldn’t have really been acceptable either, so I didn’t want to try to hand them over to a person who could reject them and then remember me. That made me stick around the machine for a while, waiting for someone else to test it, and a woman did soon come and put some things in, the machine accepting everything except her last can. She tried several times, and I couldn’t see why that can would be refused either, but she eventually gave up… And asked whether I had an item to spare. I said that I had exactly the number I needed, but looked around, spotted a plastic bottle on the ground, mentioned that more can be found in the area, and when she didn’t seem willing to go and take it I did, bringing it to her. Then, after she was done, I put my remaining three bottles in and got the second receipt, then also tried those perfume bottles and confirmed that the machine won’t accept them, so I put what I still had back in the cabinet and went to the information desk… Only for the employee to say that she had nothing to give me, the machine needing to do that. So I said that I had been told to come there, and the message on the machine also tells people to go to the information desk in case of errors, so she called someone, was told what to give me in exchange for the two receipts and finally did so.
After going back in, I got the one remaining bread for dad and one of those beer bottles, needing an employee to authorize the sale of alcohol at the self-checkout. Then I retrieved those things from the cabinet and took the metro in order to check that new Carrefour Market again, but they hadn’t brought any more of those bagels, so I got back to the metro and went to the Kaufland from that area, albeit only to try those perfume bottles in that machine as well, without entering the store after again confirming that they won’t be accepted. Instead, I went to that Auchan, just walking in with everything, and while I couldn’t find the bread that I wanted to get for dad, I found some muesli that had a discount that made the price acceptable and also grabbed an expiring product. Then I got back to the metro and got back here a little before 1:45 PM… After dropping my phone at the building door. A woman and a man were in front of me and the woman went in, but I guess the man was delivering something, so he held the door for me and remained outside after I walked in and tried to return the favor, noticing too late that he had moved behind the door in order to use the intercom. So I probably ended up pushing the door towards him and it’s possible that he pushed it back a little, and I had my phone out at the time, so when I probably pushed it back yet again, out of reflex, I ran out of hands and the phone fell on the floor, the headphones also getting unplugged, which probably wasn’t a good thing for that contact either. But at least there don’t seem to be any problems as a result of that.
I wanted to return at that time since dad had said that he had to leave at 2 PM and needed the metro card, though it was almost 2:20 PM when he actually left. Either way, I made tea, sliced that bread for him and left again a little after 2:35 PM, going to Carrefour Park Lake and finding an expiring product for dad and finally some of that bread that wasn’t sliced, so I got one of those as well, plus some canned herring. I forgot to look for paper towels, however, and didn’t get garlic because the price had increased. But I didn’t have to rush anymore, so I then had a look through the farmers’ market and then also checked that Supeco, just entering with the purchases and getting a little garlic from there, the price still being the old one, and also an expiring bread for dad. Then I went back to the farmers’ market and got a bundle of green onions, some cheap but pretty bad apples and some pretty cheap cucumbers. But that system that sprays water from above in that farmers’ market is definitely annoying, and those umbrellas that were added are also pretty low, and one of them knocked off my cap after getting the green onions. And since the cap fell right into a puddle created by those sprays, I put it in a bag, which meant that I had nothing to protect my head from those sprays while I was still there, and then from the Sun and heat, and also from what was falling from the trees, since I was stopping here and there in order to pick some fruit.
Got back just before 4:45 PM, but while I had checked the site before leaving and it said that the hot water should have returned at 3:30 PM, it still hadn’t, and the new estimate was 3:30 PM on the following day. But such problems are expected, the yearly maintenance taking place during that period, so I showered with cold water, the heat making that somewhat more bearable. And in the evening I made mamaliga again, and while I started eating before 2 AM I took it easy and also did some other things between finishing what I could eat in my room and going back to the kitchen to scrape what I could off the pot, and that was harder to do because I had somehow burned it quite badly, so it was 3:50 AM when I finished. I got in bed at 5:20 AM… And five minutes later there was a power failure. But it lasted less than three minutes, fortunately ending just after I got back to the computer, meaning to turn it off, but before actually giving the command.

There were no visits in either view on July 6, July 31 and August 3, but I know that on August 3 at least one person did visit, which shows how unreliable Google Analytics is now, considering how many block it. On the other hand, while there were no visits in the proper view on July 27, in the unfiltered one I had almost 1500 spam pageviews. I think that’s the first time when I saw filtered visits but no unfiltered ones.

Getting to July 13, I went out at 11:40 AM and went straight to Kaufland, again taking the used masks and again having to come back with them. But I did find what I was looking for, starting with toilet paper, finally, and had no problems with the self-checkout. Then I had a quick look at the stores from the farmers’ market and then went to Supeco, moving everything else into one bag, which I put in a cabinet, even though those don’t lock, and leaving the one with the toilet paper next to the cabinets. And I found paper towels that were “only” 45% more expensive than those that used to be the cheapest ones, from Kaufland, the price of those having increased by 73% and matching that of the cheapest ones from Carrefour. So I got some of those and a little more garlic.
After retrieving my things, managing to make everything fit in one of the largest cabinets from Carrefour and walking in, dad finally called, since I had left him a note to do so after waking up properly. But he told me to not get anything else, so I just got some cheese for myself, finding that Carrefour doesn’t charge for those plastic things after all, plus a bag of corn puffs. I also made use of the voucher received for that beer bought for dad on July 8, and at first the cashier placed the receipt next to my purchases after scanning the voucher code, but I wasn’t sure about taking it, put a hand on it and then removed it, and she said that she’ll give me my receipt right away, taking that one away before doing so, which made me wonder whether she had thought that my hesitation indicated that I had thought that the old receipt was the new one and when I realized that it wasn’t I actually meant to leave that old one for her to throw away. Either way, I then took some time to arrange everything in the bags and got back at 2:55 PM, having carried just 11.5 kg, though that large, unwieldy bag with the toilet paper and paper towels had made it rather difficult.
When I asked dad whether I should go back out and also get something from Penny, he said yes, then asked for one more thing after checking their catalog on-line, and also for that zacusca from Mega Image. So I put most of the purchases in their place and left again at 3:20 PM, first getting that zacusca from the Mega Image that’s on the way and having the total rounded down for once, or more exactly being allowed to round it down, since it was 7.04 RON and I just handed over 7 RON and the cashier didn’t ask for more. Then, after stopping after walking out and putting the jars in the backpack, I just walked in with them when I got to Penny, grabbing what I wanted. Since I saw that another product that he might have been interested in was discounted, I beeped dad, but he told me to not get any when he called back, so I didn’t… And when I gave the cashier exact change, she handed back the five 0.01 RON coins, saying that she had no use for those and also telling me to not worry about it when I started searching for a 0.05 RON coin to replace them with. So I just took those back, then spent some time arranging everything in the backpack and meant to get myself something sweet and maybe one more bakery product on the way back. However, after making the small detour to one bakery and then also checking that newer one, I couldn’t find either of those products, nor anything else that I cared to get, and that was also the case when I crossed the road after getting here and having a quick look at the bakery area from this Mega Image. So, after stopping to pick a few more fruit from the tree that’s in front of the building, I got back just after 4:45 PM. And around midnight I didn’t just do the day’s squats, but also timed them, though the time was only 2:11.

Bad things happened in the first and last moments of July 15, the first being that my Emsisoft Anti-Malware license was expiring that day, and since the starting time also included the hour, which was 7:12 PM, and the expiration time didn’t, I assumed that it’ll be the same, or at least that it won’t “notice” that the license had expired until I’ll update. Plus that I had discussed it with their support people and they confirmed that I will still be able to renew even after it’ll expire… Though they advised against renewing if I intend to stay on Windows 7, since while it was decided to continue to offer definitions updates past the originally announced end date of June 30, they have no idea for how long and have apparently also stopped offering partial refunds in case the product will stop being usable while the license is still valid, even though I know that they have done that before. Then again, the guy that I had been talking to doesn’t seem to work there anymore, and they didn’t answer when I asked about him, and the people that I talked to were far less helpful, but they did also confirm that I had 30 days to ask for a full refund in case of a renewal as well, so I asked dad to pay for it, but he came back close to midnight and, considering what I thought about the expiration time, I actually told him to wait a little more, so he went to take a bath first and I got back on-line… Which was a big mistake, since it apparently checked even if I didn’t tell it to update and, while it continued to list the license as valid, around 12:30 AM it reconnected to the workspace and changed settings, probably to the default ones that were on the account, since I had remote management disabled. And it remained connected to it after the renewal, and the support people said that they can’t disconnect it again, even though that guy had done it for me before. But at least I eventually fixed that.
Moving on to the evening, not long before midnight, after dad got back I heard something from the freezer and quickly realized that it was defrosting. Dad’s bread, being fluffier, didn’t feel quite frozen anymore, there was much less ice in the freezer and I think that some water was starting to pool at the bottom, and in the fridge there was no trace of ice anymore and at the top it was dry and not cold to the touch. But the worst part was that it refused to start again. I mean, while I never saw the freezer visibly defrosting on its own, it does automatically defrost the fridge occasionally, but as far as I know it will immediately start running again if you change the setting to a higher one, and also if the door is open for a minute or two, yet that time I unplugged it and plugged it back in a few times and set it to maximum, and dad moved it, looked behind it and threw out the small amount of water it had gathered, but it refused to start again. So we started looking for options, for both repairs and replacements… Until it just decided to start again on its own, close to 1 AM. It was a serious warning, however, so we should probably replace it before it actually will stop working. But that’s a huge decision to make, a fridge being something that you keep for a decade or more, and as far as I know this one is 18 years old, so you must choose one that you’ll be really content with for a very long time.

The plan for this post, postponed from a week ago, was to include all of the remaining odds and ends from July, which I might have just been able to manage without making it the longest post I ever wrote, but I went out again today and what I managed to post before midnight ended with the first paragraph of the section about July 15, the second one and this one being added a little later. So, with the first day that will be left to write about being July 22, I’ll consider that I covered two thirds of the month and end this by mentioning that on July 16 I finished The Tower of Fools, after having started it on July 4, and wrote the quick review. I also timed the squats again, the time again being 2:11, despite really pushing. And my feet were burning again, the sensation actually going up my legs as well, to a point. On the other hand, I also meant to try to restore from that backup that day, to see whether Emsisoft Anti-Malware would return to functioning as it used to, without being connected to the workspace, but it didn’t seem like I could disable drives from the BIOS and I didn’t open the computer to unplug them just then… Though I did so the next day, just reaching in and managing to do so without removing the computer from the desk, but still not managing to restore in that manner, since I obviously wanted to test on another drive first, without replacing the current system installation, and I was yet to learn how to do that.