Cav's Place

At least I managed to get myself to shave in the early hours of November 10, but that meant going to the kitchen around 1:25 AM, and there were some things to wash as well, and I made a salad that was too big, so I ended up eating dinner between 3:20 AM and 4:05 AM. And I was increasingly worried about the blisters, probably canker sores, on the lower left side of my mouth, but at the time I was only aware of the small ones, on the inside of my lower lip and on that side of my tongue, which had been there for quite some time and seemed to be getting worse, noticing that the left side of my tongue tended to feel swollen after I ate and bothered me. I had popped the blister from my lower lip a few days before and it was better for a couple of days, but then it reformed, so before shaving I popped it again. And I’m sure that I had both burned and bitten myself badly in that area quite a few times, but I had no idea how recently or whether those problems appeared after that or the swelling was what caused me to bite myself in the first place.
Moving on, that was the first day when Carrefour’s campaign was taking place at Orhideea, so I had lunch and left at 4:20 PM, with dad’s metro card, which was again not being read, so I had to show it in order to pass, and 30 bottles, 12 of them straightened and eight granting two products. But I took the metro from this station, got off at Basarab and went to Kaufland first, leaving the bag with some of the bottles on the cabinets, since I didn’t see large ones at all, and just buying some cornmeal, which I put in the jacket’s inside pockets, since I had taken the warmer one. Then I retrieved that bag and walked to Carrefour.
The people who were handling the campaign in that location were different from those from the previous locations, and they were just adding more vegetables when I got there, so I waited a little, then asked whether I could put the bottles in the machine myself, which hadn’t been the case at the previous locations, and was told that I could. When one of the guys saw the straightened ones, he said that they may not be accepted, but I got it to work, and the machine also accepted a small one from that brand of beer that has those medium ones that keep getting refused by the machines, and I also put in four of those that granted two products. I received four Golden apples, weighing 559 grams, four carrots, weighing 398 grams, four onions, weighing 868 grams, four red potatoes, weighing 650 grams, four parsnip roots, weighing 727 grams, and five heads of garlic, weighing 197 grams, since the guy added one more.
After putting everything in the backpack, I entered the store with it, finding that the price of that bread that I get for dad had dropped even more, so I bought quite a lot, plus a few other things, those other products granting those vouchers those days. And those vouchers were also granted for frozen products, which hadn’t been listed on-line, but I didn’t get any of those, wanting to ask dad first. On the other hand, several products were being promoted in the store and I eventually took popcorn, but I didn’t eat it inside the store and also didn’t get a sample of yogurt, since that promoter wasn’t there and didn’t even return while I wandered around for a while longer, and I wasn’t sure that the one cup that was left there hadn’t been tasted by someone else or otherwise tainted. And the time I lost while waiting for that promoter meant that the one self-checkout that accepted cash which still worked when I first passed by it was also closed by the time I wanted to use it, so I had to use a regular checkout and the receipt that contained the voucher received for previous purchases that I used was taken away… And then I saw that green onions and radishes had appeared among what could be obtained in exchange for recyclables, and that was actually the only time when I saw either of those products, and it was obviously too late for me that day. So I arranged the purchases a little, washed my hands, and walked out, pulling down the mask once I was outside and eating that sample of popcorn on the way to the metro station, finishing before pulling out the card.
I got off at Titan and went to that Penny, putting the bags with the purchases from Carrefour in a cabinet but entering with the backpack. And I bought quite a number of things, including some expiring mozzarella that the cashier forgot to scan the discount code for, even though I had placed the expiring products with that label on top, so I let him know and he sorted it out. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet and arranged everything, then rushed back, since dad called a little after I walked out and I had to give him back the metro card, so there was no more time to also enter a Mega Image and see whether I could buy a knife that I wanted.
I got back a couple of minutes after 8:30 PM, with almost 18 kg. Then I put a load of laundry in the washing machine, also put the other purchases, with the exception of the bread and the zacusca, in their place, ate something sweet and a bag of bagels, weighed what I received, washed some of what was to wash in the kitchen, did the day’s squats, wasted some time on the toilet, washed, watered the plants on the balcony, also put the zacusca in its place, in that cabinet from the balcony… And as I opened that cabinet, the light bulb that I had placed on the inside of the door fell and some flimsy components and wires broke, so I guess that dad had knocked it down while getting something else, probably making it end up on the edge of the shelf, only held there by the closed door, and never even noticed, since he obviously denied ever touching it. Either way, I then hung the clothes to dry, straightened more bottles, ate some baked pumpkin while cleaning up in the kitchen, sliced one of dad’s breads and put the others away, and finally ate dinner between 4:20 AM and 4:55 AM. I got in bed at 5:35 AM, after dad got back, and it took me a while to fall asleep.

Well, while it started later, the work on the building continued even on a Saturday, so I was woken up by drilling at 9:38 AM and minutes later decided to get up, to at least be able to use the metro card once again, since dad had said that he was going to need it after 2:30 PM. And, while he slept through the drilling as if it wasn’t even happening, he did wake up before I left, to use the toilet, and at that point he said that he only needed to be at Dristor at 2:50 PM, so I had even more time and we could meet there. So I left at 11:20 AM… Only to realize after a while, when I wanted to see how the garbage bag that I had placed over the large bag that contained some of the bottles was positioned, in case I’ll find more of those bottles that granted two products, that I had forgotten to take that large bag! So I ran back, retrieved that bag… And as I was walking away again I realized that I couldn’t remember whether I had locked the door again, so I rushed back one more time, confirming that I had, and actually, finally, left at 11:30 AM, with 32 bottles, once again including 12 straightened ones and eight that granted two products, but also the four remaining small ones and one medium one from that brand of beer and one other bottle that I wasn’t sure would be accepted. And I actually did spot one of those bottles just steps away from the spot where I was when I meant to check that bag and ended up turning around, so I grabbed it and put it in that bag. Then, despite rushing, after once again showing the card at the metro station and getting off at Basarab, I still checked Kaufland, leaving both the bag and the backpack on the cabinets, but I didn’t find anything to get, so I then retrieved them and continued to Carrefour.
Since I found no line when I got there and the guy said that it was a good thing that I came to recycle, I assumed that it had been quite dead until then, but towards the end he said that my timing had been perfect, because there had been huge lines earlier, people waiting for half an hour, and I came just after they cleared completely. But there weren’t many interesting products left to get, so I didn’t use any of those bottles that granted two products, though I at least managed to put in all of the straightened ones, even if a few required a couple of attempts, as well as that other one that I wasn’t sure of and the small ones from that brand of beer. The medium one still didn’t work, however, not even after several attempts and trying it right after another one that was easily accepted, as the guy told me to do. Either way, I ended up receiving four Golden apples, weighing 641 grams, four apples of another kind, maybe Idared, weighing 578 grams, four red potatoes, weighing 644 grams, four white potatoes, weighing 768 grams, and four carrots, weighing 624 grams.
After arranging everything in the backpack, I washed my hands and entered the store, with it. And those products were still being promoted, so that day I sampled three of them, ignoring the popcorn, since I had already had some of that the previous day and didn’t dare to ask for another sample. But I’d have liked to sample two more products, since they were being offered, yet in one case the promoter was not at her post and didn’t return while I wandered around a little longer, and the other one didn’t have samples laid out when I looked, and I’m not actually sure that she did offer samples and wasn’t there just to talk and hand out fliers, and I didn’t ask. But I did have some of that yogurt with cereals, the promoter saying that it was gluten-free “Greek” yogurt, so after eating the sample I said that I assumed that she meant that the cereals were gluten-free, since the yogurt can’t contain gluten. And that was all I did in that Carrefour that day, since I decided to leave buying the frozen peas for later and didn’t find anything else.
When I got back to the metro, there was nobody at that entrance, so I couldn’t show the card, but at least at that station you can get from one entrance to another without going back up, so I did so… And when I showed the card to the guy who was there, he said that his coworker could make a duplicate, for free, so I had that done and could then use that card normally, getting off at Dristor and going to that non-stop Mega Image to buy that knife, and also getting some bio (organic) eggs that I spotted among those sold by piece and an expiring sweet thing. I made a mistake when I calculated the total, thinking that it was 0.10 RON more, so when I thought that I was rounding down a little when I told the cashier how much it should be, I actually rounded up a little more, and I received the change according to what I said, but so be it, and I had found a 0.10 RON coin while I was there anyway. Then I arranged the purchases in the backpack and walked out, dad calling as I was on my way to check whether that new Penny had opened yet, finding that it still hadn’t. But I had told dad that we’ll meet there, so I picked up another one of those bottles, even if it was quite soiled, and waited for him there, to give him what was then a working metro card. And he also didn’t seem to know that you could request such duplicates, albeit only at certain stations and between certain hours.
After we went our separate ways, I went to Carrefour Park Lake, still holding that dirty bottle. And, after seeing that there were hardly any free cabinets, and none of those were large ones, I decided to enter with the backpack, but I didn’t want to put that bottle in it as it was, so I eventually put it in a small cabinet, without locking, since I had no 0.50 RON coin and didn’t care to use that machine just for that. And then, while I once again left the frozen peas for later, I bought a few expiring products, including an expiring piece of bread which I bought for myself and which I tried to hold carefully even if it was in a plastic bag, since I hadn’t washed my hands after holding that bottle. Either way, I also used the remaining voucher received for previous purchases that I could use at the time, the one received the previous day not being active yet… And then I saw that somebody had taken that bottle out, in order to use that cabinet, but they had just dropped it on the floor, so I took it back and, after removing the other purchases from the backpack, initially put it there after all, after which I put all of the purchases in a cabinet, since I had received a 0.50 RON coin as change. However, since I then went to pee and thoroughly wash my hands, I took that bottle back out and washed it before putting it back in the backpack, after which I washed my hands again.
Even if it had started raining properly by the time I walked back out, I continued to the Penny that’s before that Kaufland, leaving the backpack on the cabinets and then just retrieving it. Then I entered Kaufland with the backpack and bought a few things, being charged for what the olives were placed in, and at the self-checkout I tried to cover the real bar code of an expiring juice but somehow failed, so it scanned at the full price and I had to call over an employee. Then I added those purchases in the backpack and started to make my way back.
Well, I didn’t make my way back, because I ended up deciding to check the Penny from Titan as well, still looking for the cat food that was on sale… And then, since I had chosen a longer route anyway, deciding to check another Penny first, thinking that it was more or less directly south of that one. However, as time passed I realized that it’s actually much farther, past Auchan, so I eventually went to the one that’s next to Auchan instead, entering with the backpack and then just leaving again, after having wasted all that time, since I still couldn’t find any of that cat food left. However, plenty of it was left at the next one, which I checked as I made my way back from there, once again entering with the backpack, so I bought three bags, since that was what I could afford. So it was a good thing that I hadn’t bought those frozen peas that day, since I was then only left with just enough in bills for a carton of the eggs that I had seen the previous day at Titan, the price having been lower than the usual one and expiring relatively soon, but without actually being labeled as expiring products. However, when I got there, put the cat food in a cabinet, entered with the backpack, and checked, I saw that they were back to the full price, and the expiration date was farther away. But I did find two more expiring products that I could get and afford, so I bought those, then retrieved that cat food and arranged everything.
I had meant to be back by 7 PM, but I only managed to get back to Park Lake at that time, so I added the bags in that cabinet, washed my hands one more time and entered Carrefour again, since those promoters had been there as well earlier and I meant to eat some more samples, since I hadn’t taken any from there the first time around. However, none were left at that hour, and all but one stand had even been removed, so after searching for a little while I just walked back out and retrieved my things… And a woman came next to me as I did that, I hurried to empty the cabinet, in case she wanted to use it, and when she asked whether she could help I said that I could handle it, tried to hurry even more and pulled away, and the expiring bio (organic) yogurt fell, and it had been banged up to begin with. At least it didn’t crack, but I was panicking and hadn’t really recovered by the time I arranged everything and walked away, so I lost a little more time by using the wrong exit and having a longer way to go. And, while I saw another one of those bottles right on top of a full trash can just after walking out of that mall, a guy was standing right there, so I didn’t take it and therefore didn’t even get that little “compensation” for using that exit. Either way, I also had a quick look in the nearby Mega Image, leaving one bag next to the cabinets and putting another in one, without locking, then retrieving them.
I got back just before 7:40 PM, with just under 16 kg. Then I put the purchases in their place and placed what I received on the table, ate the one banana and drank that nice expiring juice which I had bought from Kaufland, washed the new knife and a few other things, waited for dad to get back, then went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and wash. After that, I weighed what I received and put those things in their place as well, had lunch, washed some more things and got to work on straightening bottles for the next day.
When dad came to the kitchen at one point, I told him that I was tired, and I was also struggling with a bottle which had been crushed differently and there didn’t seem to be any way to get the bottom straightened, so he asked to try and did so for a little while, but after also seeing that there was no way to straighten it with that metal rod that I use and his hands, he blew in it. I told him that I wouldn’t do that, considering how those bottles had been stored and for how long, but he didn’t care, so I then asked him not to, saying that it made me feel like I was jeopardizing him, possibly making him sick, but he blew me off and I just felt increasingly worse as he took the bottles that I still meant to straighten and blew in all of them, straightening them in seconds and telling me that he’ll do those and then I can do the rest. And yes, that is how it’s done if you want to do it quickly, but I wouldn’t do it that way and definitely didn’t want him to either, or at least not for any of those that I’ll benefit from, but when he got in my face I froze, just repeating that he shouldn’t do it, and he repeated that he didn’t care and then walked away… And I had a breakdown, closed the door, threw a bottle on the floor and was probably about to cry when he said something else, through the door, which caused me to switch to anger and throw the other bottles that he had blown in. Then I sat there a little longer before eventually putting those bottles away, finding others from the same brand and straightening those instead.
Either way, he went to take a bath while I finished cleaning and washing, also took a pill, just in case, sliced two more of those breads which I had bought for him the previous day, using the new knife and cutting myself, and even did the day’s squats. And by then I had sort of managed to get myself past the state which probably wouldn’t have allowed me to eat, so I worked on lunch. And I’d have cut myself a couple more times while working on the salad, but I fortunately ended up just cutting into a nail. And I did exchange a few words with dad after he finished his bath, and I ate dinner between 3:20 AM and 4 AM.

On November 12, I could finally sleep well, then I did the day’s squats and left just before 5:15 PM, with 32 bottles, 18 of them straightened and eight granting two products. I could once again use the metro card, so I took the metro, and there was a little line when I got to Carrefour, but the problem was a man who put in a whole lot of recyclables, one of the guys telling me when I asked that he was alone but put in 40 bottles that granted two products and demanded 80 products. He initially claimed that he was with someone who was in the store and made quite a fuss when he was asked to call that other person over, and after receiving the products he could receive on his own, he started wandering around and trying to find someone who’d agree to say that they were with him, and I heard one of the guys say that he had been there multiple times in one day as well, possibly even that day. And there weren’t many things to pick from to begin with and he also almost cleared the Golden apples and the carrots.
Under those circumstances, I didn’t use any of my bottles that granted two products, and one of the straightened ones wouldn’t be accepted. But I had enough spares, so I put in 20 and then asked for red apples, which might have been Jonathan that day, white potatoes and onions, so there should have been four of each, but when I opened the bag I noticed that, while they were admittedly small, the guy had given me five of those apples, weighing 586 grams, and six potatoes, weighing 401 grams. As for the four onions, they weighed 456 grams. Then I looked at the other side and saw just two Golden apples, one carrot, and two tiny cucumbers among the parsnip roots, so I asked for all of those, the apples weighing 287 grams, the carrot 62 grams and the cucumbers 59 grams, plus three parsnip roots, which weighed 360 grams. I reached for the cucumbers myself, but the guy told me to let him touch them, so I pulled my hand back… And then he said that he could add something else, asking whether I wanted some potatoes and I said that it could be anything, and when I got back I saw that he had added six red potatoes, albeit also small, weighing 517 grams, and I hadn’t even noticed that red potatoes were available until the end.
I was arranging everything in the backpack when they restocked, bringing a full cart of products, including many tomatoes and Golden apples, so I guess I got there at the worst time that day. But there was nothing to do about it at that point, so I washed my hands and entered the store, wondering whether those promoters would still be there. They weren’t, however, so I just bought the frozen peas and also another bag of frozen spinach for dad… And got annoyed because a couple with a full cart seemed to be almost done using the only self-checkout that accepted cash when I got there, but then the guy had trouble paying, trying by phone and by card, so they blocked the one machine that accepted cash even though they could have used any other one, and it took a while before the problem was sorted out.
After adding the purchases in the backpack, I walked to Kaufland, entering the store with it after using the toilet. I asked whether the 30% discount that applied to processed meat products those days also applied to some sausages that I’d have gotten for dad, but was told that it didn’t, so I didn’t. Then, after grabbing another product, I noticed that a few customers were already grabbing things from the bakery area even if there were no discount labels and there hadn’t been any announcement, and it was just after 7:30 PM, so I scanned a label and saw that the evening discounts did indeed apply, and the employee came out after that. However, she took her time with the discount labels, even simply leaving the sheets of paper there, so I was searching for what I was interested in on those papers when another customer asked about another product, at which point I told her that she could take the label and scan it at a price checker, and after she said that she wouldn’t bring it back if she’d do that, I took it and scanned it for her, confirming that the 50% discount applied to it as well. Either way, I just got some buns, also meaning to get one more, which was the last one of that kind, but scanning the label, finding that it wasn’t discounted, and putting it back. Then I grabbed one more thing that had a good evening discount and carrots, which had a great evening discount. I had waited to see whether I’d somehow see cabbage among what could be received in exchange for recyclables those days, as unlikely as it was, so I hadn’t bought any until then and there was none left in that Kaufland at that hour, but I decided that I was going to use boiled carrots for the salad, at that price. And I stayed around the fruits and vegetables until a few minutes past 8 PM, to see whether the discounts would increase even more, but they had increased before 8 PM and didn’t do so again at that point.
Dad called just as I got on the metro, and while I was thinking that we’ll meet at the station, he said that I’ll probably be back by the time he’ll leave. I doubted it, since I calculated that I should be back around 8:45 PM and he should have been gone by then, so I walked back from the metro station with the phone in my hand, since he had said that he’ll call when he’ll walk out, but I was back just before 8:45 PM and he was still here. And he had cooked, so there was a lot to wash and clean, plus that he had forgotten about the expiring meat which he should have split and left for me to arrange in the freezer, so after cleaning the litter box I split that meat, ate some baked pumpkin, and then went to shove a bag of trash down the overstuffed chute. Then I cleaned and washed some of what was in the kitchen, put the purchases, with the exception of the carrots, in their place, even somehow managing to stuff all of the frozen products in the freezer, and ate lunch, during which time I really quickly put together that week’s second post. Then I showered, weighed what I received and put those things in their place as well, sliced dad’s remaining breads and managed to also put those in the freezer, finished cleaning and most of the washing in the kitchen, had dinner between 4 AM and 5 AM, and got in bed at 5:30 AM. And I could sleep, the loud drilling only starting at 1:10 PM. On the other hand, while the blister on my inner lip didn’t return after I popped it the second time, there was a strange taste in my mouth and my tongue really bothered me, so I had a better look and that was when I noticed the huge blister that was under my tongue, on that same side, and which only finally healed a couple of weeks ago.