Cav's Place

On February 17, I set the alarm to ring at 8:50 AM, to watch ski jumping, during which time I didn’t just have breakfast, but eventually decided to also eat the expired walnuts with Himalayan salt that I still had, so I got almost 850 calories just from those, but I was going to need them. That part came later, however, since after leaving, at 11:20 AM, with dad’s metro card, and picking up a plastic bottle with the deposit paid which I spotted on the way to the station, which I put in a bag and then in the backpack while waiting for the metro, I took it to Victory Square, washing my hands before leaving the station and then going to pick up The Lost Metal, which I had ordered from that small bookstore. I also had a quick look through the store after picking up the book, but there were several other customers there at that point and we hardly had room to stand, much less move around, so I put the book in another bag and then in the backpack after walking out. And then I also took the metro to the Library, to finally pick up The Great Divide, after mixing it up at the start of the year. It wasn’t on the shelf, but the guy got it from storage. Then I put it in that same bag and in the backpack and returned to the metro station. And I’ll also mention here that I read the book, such as it is, between February 21 and March 2, when I also posted the quick review, in both languages for the versions on The StoryGraph and Goodreads.
To return to February 17, I then went to Obor and had a look all around the market, so in and around the Hall and then through the farmers’ market, getting apples from two places. As I started picking from the first one, the woman asked what was I doing, referring to the fact that I was picking, when the price was so low, and said that she’ll be scolded by the boss, which I guess was the guy behind her, and when I told her to give me two kilograms in that case, even though I’d have just wanted one, and she put the apples on the scales, in my bag, that guy did ask what was she doing and she then told me that she did get scolded on my account. And when I used the verification scales, since I couldn’t see what hers listed, I was amazed to see that she had given me exactly two kilograms, not one gram more or less, and had done so on first try, not adding or removing anything after weighing. Either way, I then went to the other place and was allowed to pick from some other apples that were even cheaper. On the other hand, as I was walking out I witnessed a seller, who was actually a trader, not a producer, scold and yell at an elderly couple for quite a while over them trying to pick potatoes themselves instead of just taking what he gave them. I wanted to step in and say something, but ended up just standing there and then only muttering that the guy was an asshole when the old man walked past me. And then it took me quite a while to manage to untie the first bag, which I had for some reason tied with a knot, and put all of the apples in another.
I then continued to that mall, buying something from that pharmacy, throwing those products in that same bag and putting it in a cabinet before depositing enough money for what I planned to buy next, since I had taken the card with me as well and meant to use it for some of the purchases. Then I looked for the recycling machine, finding it in the parking lot, but it was full, so that bottle was still in my backpack when I entered Carrefour, after using the toilet. And my mother had asked for three kinds of cat food, one box of each, those vouchers being offered for pet products those days, but I only found three cans of the third kind, so I took a box of each of the other two and an expiring product… And then I found a bag of spoiling Golden apples and decided to make up for the machine giving me less change two days earlier, albeit in a different location, so I untied that bag, checked the apples, then went to where the supposedly good ones were placed, saw that those weren’t exactly good either, and picked some, actually starting with one that was visibly spoiling, since it was large and seemed good with the exception of those rotting spots, and ending up with about two thirds of the weight of those from that bag. Then I walked away again, replaced some of the apples from the bag with those, then went back and made another replacement, to get the weight closer to what was listed, albeit still a little over. What I was doing might have been quite obvious, but nobody said anything, and some visibly spoiling apples were still in that bag and easy to see if anyone looked, so it was my way of making up for what happened without actually stealing anything. Either way, I then split the purchases, initially just scanning one box of cat food and using the card to make a partial payment, to leave 5 RON and also use the second gift card received for coins, after which I used cash for the other purchases.
The initial plan had been to then go to the Kaufland and Penny from that area and also get new headphones, which are just the current, updated version of the model that I already had, from that Altex, since they were discounted those days and I could also purchase extended warranty and know that I’ll be able to stick to this model for the next several years, especially since I’m also keeping the old ones as a spare. However, since I didn’t find that last box of cat food and needed to go to another Carrefour anyway, I decided to take the metro back and drop everything off first, so I gave up on the idea of checking that Kaufland and Penny… And completely forgot about the headphones. And I also decided against checking that Auchan, though I could have bought some water for dad. Or I could have bought the cat litter from that Carrefour, since I meant to get two of those bags as well and they might have been a little easier to carry in that case, since I was taking the metro, but I didn’t do that either, so I was only carrying about 15 kg when I got back, just before 4:15 PM. Then I quickly dropped everything off, put that expiring product in the fridge, and left again a little after 4:20 PM, also taking a plastic bottle with the deposit paid that dad had emptied.
After getting to Mega Mall, I went straight to that Media Galaxy, that location seeming to be one of the two from Bucharest that for some reason kept that name, and bought the headphones. I initially wanted to try them out first and then purchase the extended warranty after I’ll be sure that I’ll keep them, so when I asked about the maximum extended warranty, I specified that I was just asking, but after being told that I could add up to four years, getting the total to six, even though if you order on-line you can only select up to two additional years, I was also told that I had to get it right away. Of course, I had initially been told the same thing when I got the new camera, and I mentioned that in that case I was able to get the extended warranty the next day, but the guy said that I must have had an invoice that it could be associated with, which was indeed the case, and I won’t get one for the headphones. And I was pretty sure that I will keep them, since the changes should only be internal and, if anything, a clear improvement, so I agreed to add the extended warranty right away, and once again used the card to pay. Indeed, I only received a regular receipt. And then I put the headphones in the backpack.
After searching through that parking lot for the recycling machine and using it for those two bottles, I entered Carrefour, with the backpack, and could get a box of that third kind of cat food and the two bags of cat litter, and among the expiring products I found some bio (organic) mozzarella, a sweet pastry that I could get and some bread that I could get for dad. There was more of that bread, but I only got two, knowing that there was no room in the freezer for more. Then I calculated how much to pay with the card in order to be able to easily withdraw the remaining amount and once again split the purchases, at first scanning the cat food and making that partial payment with the card before also using the voucher received for the bottles and then cash for what was left. However, the second total was 35.01 RON and when the guy who was next in line got too close my mind pretty much disconnected again and I put in a 0.01 RON coin before selecting to pay with cash, then made the selection and tried again, several times, but the machine kept spitting the coin back out, so I eventually had enough and fed it a 50 RON bill, so it had to give me 14.99 RON as change. And that guy was still there and I was less and less aware of what I was doing, only realizing as I meant to rush away, after having moved aside a little and bagged my purchases, that I had forgotten the second receipt, so I asked that guy whether I had taken it and grabbed it after he said that I hadn’t… But I also left the Kaufland card there, along with the used gift card, and only noticed it after leaving the checkout area and checking everything, so I had to ask the employee whether it had been forgotten there and she asked me for a receipt, to see where I had been, then sent the guard there and she found and returned both, though I hadn’t mentioned that emptied gift card.
After continuing to Kaufland and putting the purchases in a cabinet, I found that the employee from that area was just placing the spoiling fruits and vegetables into crates and people were gathering there, but she for some reason kept trying to stack the crates, so people were obviously moving them right away, in order to be able to look, so I eventually took some initiative, spreading out the crates and also moving some products as some of the crates were emptying, so there will be fewer to look through. And I took some lemons and mushrooms. I also saw some discounted germinated wheat, but the employee was still looking through that area and I wondered whether she’ll increase the discount, so I initially walked away and got some other things before returning and taking one of those as well, even though the discount hadn’t changed. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet and took my time to arrange the purchases before deciding to come straight back. I had been wondering whether to make myself a pizza that night and finding that expiring mozzarella had settled things, so I was wondering about getting another pizza dough, since it was discounted at Penny and those vouchers were also offered for all frozen products at Carrefour, but we still had some in the freezer and I was carrying a lot, so I decided against it.
I got back at 7:25 PM, with 23.5 kg. Then I put most of the purchases in their place, even did the day’s squats, and washed. After that, I ate an apple and the sweet pastry and also put the apples in their place. Later, I quickly wrote what I posted that evening, and then I made pizza, taking my time and also cleaning what dad was using, since I was going to stay up and watch ski jumping anyway. But I made the pizza in two pieces, and I wanted to take a first bite of the first one just before 3 AM, but then I only ate about half of that piece, if even that, before moving to my room, at 4:30 AM, and watching ski jumping and writing some notes about the day meant that I wasn’t done when the ski jumping finished, only finishing eating at 6:10 AM, and getting in bed at 6:50 AM. The new headphones were still in their box at that point, but I found myself forced to get up over an hour earlier than I meant to because I had to take a crap, which ended up clogging the toilet again, so I later had to unclog it as well, but after that I did try the headphones, and I must say that I’m really pleased with this new model. They probably didn’t do anything about those weaker highs, but the bass is even better, a clear improvement over the old model, the soundproofing also seems better, and they also felt comfortable right away, while I needed quite a lot of time to break in the old model.

In the early hours of February 19, I managed to finish eating dinner at 3:40 AM despite starting at 3:15 AM. And after getting up I meant to clean my room, having last done so on November 1, but dad said that he wanted to cook and, while I already dreaded what that meant, thinking that I’ll have the glass baking tray to wash, eventually, and some mess to clean in the kitchen, the result was far worse. I took care of the mushrooms, then left him to it and eventually did clean my room, and also changed the sheets, but what I then found in the kitchen was well beyond what I feared… Pots, pans, bowls, plus knives, forks and so on, everything greasy, burned stuff, various other things were moved, it was just insane! And at the time I didn’t yet know how burned the oven was and that it’ll also need to be thoroughly cleaned before being used again, which is yet to happen. Either way, I started washing and cleaning, having a late lunch while doing so, and also doing the day’s squats, then went to the toilet and to wash, then continued to wash and clean, ending up only having dinner between 4:20 AM and 4:55 AM, and going to bed at 6:20 AM. Also, after putting off brushing my teeth all day, I ended up only doing it once, before going to bed. It seems that I last did that in October.

On the morning of February 22, I went to bed at 5:20 AM, and that day I ordered a new mouse, after asking this nearby store about the warranty, since they listed it as having just one year, and they corrected it to two. Then, after reading a little more in the evening, I had another nap and woke up just after midnight, but couldn’t really get up, ending up only doing so around 1:05 AM and going to the kitchen when it was almost 1:15 AM. And I again had no green onions, so the salad included a small onion which had sprouted, and I boiled a few small carrots, and also shaved, so I ended up eating dinner between 3:20 AM and 3:50 AM.
Sleeping was a problem, however. I woke up when dad got back, then as he was making noise, went to pee at some point, then woke up again when he went to bed, and again when drilling and hammering started. I went to pee once more at that point, and it was hard to sleep at all after that, just waking up again soon after drifting off. I went to pee one more time, just in case, after a weird dream woke me yet again, and then there was noise from outside as well, some people cleaning behind the building and also using a leaf blower. And I woke up again when dad got up, and yet again when he left. I was wondering about just getting up at that point, but I was so exhausted, and at least I did manage to catch another nap, but when I woke up one more time I checked the time and saw 1:43 PM, at which point I did decide to turn off the alarm, which was set to ring at 2 PM, and get up, at least feeling a little less exhausted. Then I had the usual stuff, the yogurt being a “creamy” one with 4.6% protein and 5% fat and the almonds being split, four raw ones and six of those baked ones with Himalayan salt. The sweet thing was the last slice of the old panettone, with added honey. And it was 4:05 PM when I left, wearing the full running gear. The reported temperature was 17-18°C, and 17°C when I finished.
The time was 47:54.38, with sector times of 4:12.26, 5:06.03, 5:56.16, 4:30.28, 5:05.25, 5:58 (5:57.09), 4:29.75, 5:03.06, 5:47.10 and 1:48 (1:47.40), making for lap times of 15:14.45, 15:33 (15:32.62) and 15:19.91. I did push a fair bit from the start, but the main goal was to stay under 48 minutes and I didn’t want to exhaust myself right away, especially since it was too crowded to have a chance to obtain a truly great time on sector one, so the first sector’s time was all right, but the next two sectors were just a little worse than I thought they’d be, so I was a little worried at the end of the lap. And after lap two things looked pretty bad, since I needed to be under 15:20 on lap three to have a chance and that didn’t seem likely. Still, I pushed from the start of the lap and the first two sectors left me with pretty much everything to do on the third, but it wasn’t impossible, so I gave it everything and just made it, squeezing under that target time by the slimmest margin. That was only enough to give me a chance, still needing a decent final sector when I was already exhausted, but I kept pushing and actually managed a very good time on that final sector. So I had to give everything in order to just obtain a normal time, but at least I managed that.
There was work being done, with many ditches around the path, so I was worried that some areas were going to be blocked, but that wasn’t the case. A ditch had apparently been dug under the path just after what for me is the start, but the wooden boards that were placed over it were sturdy and balanced well enough to not be a problem to use. There were some other damaged parts of the lane, including one that created a serious risk of tripping, but I just avoided them. And there were some gusts of wind as well, but the locations slipped my mind, and they weren’t that bad anyway. As for physical issues, a pain had appeared around my right kidney before leaving and it was a concern, but it was quite fine while running. On the other hand, there were some warnings from my left ankle early on, but those faded, yet later there were further warnings from several other places, seeming like all the joints from my right leg were taking turns, and I think that a muscle from there also joined in. And a slight pressing need appeared from the start of lap three, being joined by some abdominal pain from sector two of lap three. And my nose was once again really irritated after the run.
However, the bigger problem was how crowded it was, so I had to keep weaving and going the long way around, and find ways to squeeze through, which quickly made me give up on any ideas about a great first sector. And things only seemed to get worse, so there might not have been particularly notable problems on the first lap, but on the long straight of sector one of lap two I had to go on the grass and around a garbage can, and then I believe that the other notable problems were on lap three. It’s possible that one was on lap two, but in that case I have no idea which one, so I think that it was on sector one of lap three when I slowed because of roadblocks but managed to squeeze through, on sector two of lap three when I slowed and might have briefly stopped because of other roadblocks, and on sector three of lap three when a woman with a stroller moved onto the lane right in front of me and I again went on the grass and around a garbage can, but also had to be careful and slow down, because that part was sloped towards the lake.

After jogging back, I just ate a cake brought by dad, did the day’s squats, changed, and left again at 7:35 PM, with two recyclables with the deposit paid, going to what used to be the closest Penny, though I also checked that Mega Image on the way. Then I put those recyclables in the machine from Penny and also used the voucher when I paid for what I wanted to get, after which I put the purchases in the backpack and went to Carrefour, once again entering through the parking lot. I didn’t bother to use a cabinet and didn’t find anything to get, so I then continued to Kaufland, entering the store when it was almost 8:55 PM, after washing my hands and once again with the backpack. Bakery discounts of 50% were already listed and I took some products, then wandered around, waiting to see whether any bigger discounts would appear. They didn’t, but I did spot an unannounced discount for pepper and got some. Then I arranged the purchases, walked out a couple of minutes before 10 PM, and also went to that Mega Image, putting the bag that hangs from my neck in a cabinet and yet again entering with the backpack. I saw an employee scanning the bakery products, which already had 50% discounts, and then she got a label for a 90% discount from another employee who was applying them to the packaged bread, so I put back the bread and apple pastry which I had initially grabbed, thinking that they’ll increase the discount for those as well. But they didn’t, not even at 10:30 PM, so after grabbing three packaged breads for dad and some fresh basil, all of which had the 90% discount, I eventually only took the apple pastry again, even though the bread was also still there. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet, moved the apple pastry into the bag that hangs from my neck, leaving the other purchases in a regular bag, and after walking out I stopped to count my coins, to make sure that I didn’t lose any.
I got back close to 11:10 PM, just dropped off the purchases, cleaned the litter box, went to drop a bag of trash down the chute, then rushed to shower. I only put the products that should be refrigerated in the fridge after I was done, and then I did something else that I had to do, after which I ate an apple, put the other purchases in their place, and washed and cleaned what was in the kitchen. I started to eat lunch at 2:15 AM and it was past 2:50 AM, maybe closer to 2:55 AM, when I finished, eating on and off while finishing washing and cleaning and slicing a few more things to add to a salad brought by dad. I ate dinner between 3:35 AM and 4:25 AM.

There were no visits recorded on February 27, nor on February 29 or, for that matter, today, but what’s actually relevant happened on the morning of February 27, when after getting up to pee, also quickly picking up after dad, and then getting back in bed, I felt something give on the right side of my back. The pain wasn’t bad, and it somehow actually felt somewhat refreshing at the time, so I rocked myself, which made it worse, though not by much. At least I came to my senses within seconds and stopped moving, then felt around and noticed that the muscle was really hard, after which I tried to find a good position in bed, and then I was careful all day. The fact that my right leg was also getting rather numb and a very dull pain was also reflected in my abdomen made me think that the cause is my spine, since that’s how that feels when it happens, and I continue to think that, since the situation is more or less the same, with the exception of that muscle, which loosened up pretty quickly. It’s obviously a problem, and quite concerning, even more so since the way my abdomen feels is starting to make me question that initial assumption, but the pain remains at a low level, in fact low enough to be inclined to say that it just constantly bothers me, not that it actually hurts.
However, I’m not letting that change my running schedule, at least not yet, and February 28 marked the real start of the preparations for this year’s half marathon, being the first time I ran more than ten kilometers since last year’s marathon. And I once again had no green onions for the salad, and while I had spotted another regular one that was just starting to sprout, I could use little more than its core, finding that it was mostly rotten otherwise. And I started eating dinner at 3:05 AM, but still finished at 3:40 AM, and that was when I also finally finished the old peanut butter, putting it on all of the slices of bread. However, despite having been sleepy all day, only having a brief nap late in the evening and actually intending to get in bed just a little earlier, I got in bed at 5:20 AM. Then I got up after the alarm rang, at 2 PM, and had the usual stuff, with the yogurt being another one of those “creamy” ones with 4.6% protein and 5% fat, and the almonds being the last of the raw ones. For the sweet thing, I added honey on another one of those things taken after last year’s Dream Trek, which had recently expired. Then I left at 4:10 PM, wearing the full running gear, with the slip of paper with the emergency information in the pocket of my tights, just in case. The reported temperature was about 13°C, maybe dropping to 12°C by the time I finished.
The time was 1:18:23, with sector times of 4:22, 5:16, 5:58, 4:27, 5:06, 5:55, 4:30, 5:11, 5:59, 4:35, 5:16, 6:02, 4:32, 5:09 and 6:05, making for lap times of 15:36, 15:28, 15:40, 15:53 and 15:46. I wondered whether I could stay under 1:18, but the realistic target seemed to be to just stay under 1:20, and I was prepared to even get closer to 1:21. But the first sector’s time was better than I expected, since I was controlling my pace, so I then controlled it even more, which led to slowing down a little too much on sector two. I still thought that getting under that 15:36 that’s the target lap time if I’m to stay under 1:18 shouldn’t be a problem at least on that first lap, but sector three was just a little worse than I thought it’d be and I failed, albeit by mere tenths. That made me question even staying under 1:20 even more, but lap two was actually better, so I then wondered whether I could stay under 16 minutes on each lap, which should have also meant staying under 1:19. But I also wondered whether I could keep the average lap time under that 15:36 over the first three laps, and possibly even stay under that time on lap three as well. And I did manage to maintain that average, and also to just stay under six minutes on sector three of lap three. That made me think that I really was likely to stay under 1:19, if no serious problems will appear, 1:18:30 actually seeming likely if I’ll manage to stay under 16 minutes on lap four as well. And I did, even if the sector times started to be a little concerning. So I then just pushed on lap five and after the first two sectors I thought that I was safely under 1:18:30 and might even end up closer to 1:18:10, which would be frustratingly close. But sector three of lap five being the slowest sector three even though I really gave everything I had left showed that I was more exhausted than I thought I was.
Other than some weaving and going the long way around, plus squeezing through a few times, there was a brief stop on sector three of lap one because of a kid on a scooter who turned right in front of me, and a similar moment on sector two of, if I remember correctly, lap five, when a little dog off the leash ran right towards me. And there were still some damaged spots on the lane, including that one that creates a serious risk of tripping, but they seemed to have finished the work in that spot that’s right after what for me is the start. Otherwise, that pain did make itself known, mainly in my abdomen, but faintly, and after I warmed up enough I didn’t really notice it anymore while running. And the same was true for that relative numbness of my legs, which I was aware of at first but then seemed to go away. And the warnings that both of my knees gave over the first two laps also faded after that. My body did seem to want to, shall we say, get rid of any excess weight from the start of lap four, but it wasn’t a serious problem and that feeling also gradually faded after that. And, while it felt chilly at first, by lap two the temperature was no longer a problem either.

This is how far I got before midnight, so I edited the post before going to bed in order to add the part about the rest of February 28, and I did so one more time Tuesday afternoon, because I also wanted to include March 1, for the part about the new mouse.

I had a quick look in the nearby Mega Image on the way back, without a mask, and kept some interesting expiring biscuits in mind, even if they were imported and contained quite a lot of sugar. Then I ate an orange and lunch, in the form of some slices of pizza brought by dad quite some days before, changed, and left again at 8:10 PM, with five plastic bottles with the deposit paid, including one that I had picked up two days earlier. I went to the new Penny and, while the recycling machine was full when I got there, someone else was just walking away and she probably told someone, because an employee came out right away and emptied it, so I could use it. Then I bought what I wanted, also using that voucher when I paid. Then I put the purchases in the backpack and continued to Kaufland, washed my hands, didn’t bother to use a cabinet, and saw that bakery discounts of 50% were already listed. And two of those breads with sunflower seeds were left, so I grabbed them, and then also took some pretzels for my mother. And grapes and carrots had nice evening discounts, so I took my time to pick, even if the grapes were from Moldova, and after also taking a cabbage I returned to the grapes and added some more, staying there until it was almost closing time, so I was using the self-checkout when the closing announcement came. Then I arranged the purchases, and when I got back here I checked the nearby Mega Image again, leaving the bags with the carrots and the grapes in front of the cabinets while I grabbed the last remaining bag of those expiring biscuits.
I got back a couple of minutes after 10:40 PM, with almost 14 kg. Then I spread out the purchases, washed what was to wash and cleaned a little in the kitchen, ate those biscuits, even did the day’s squats, and it was a couple of minutes before midnight when I went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and wash. I was done a couple of minutes after 1 AM, then I put the purchases in their place, and arranging them took quite some time, and I also dealt with my bread, and fitting it in the freezer took yet more time, so I finally ate dinner between 4:05 AM and 4:50 AM. It was past 5:40 AM when I got in bed.

On the morning of March 1, I got in bed at 5:35 AM, and after getting up a little after 9:30 AM to pee, I tossed and turned, eventually giving up after about an hour and reading for some 40 minutes before trying to sleep again and eventually managing to get a little more sleep, but at noon I received the SMS announcing that I could pick up the mouse, and by 1:30 PM I was awake yet again and eventually got up, deciding to make two trips that day, to also pick up the mouse before that store closed. So I did the day’s squats, backed up the system, just in case something will go wrong when I’ll uninstall and reinstall Swarm, had lunch, and left at 4:40 PM, without a mask. On the way to that store, I spotted a bottle with the deposit paid, but a woman had just stopped to let her dog do its business a few steps from it, so I kept going, picked up the mouse, coming back with it in my hand, and grabbed that bottle on the way back. However, the guy who was supposed to read the heating meters was just going to the next apartment when I got here and I didn’t want him to see that someone was just getting home, so I just kept going up the stairs, having another look at how the fifth floor looked before coming back down, so it was a little after 5:10 PM when I actually got back. And then I set up the new mouse, albeit in a hurry, the strange thing being that Windows asked for a reboot after I plugged it in, so I eventually rebooted as well, after eating something sweet.
I left again at 8:10 PM, that time with a mask, and with that found bottle and one that we already had, but I went straight to Carrefour and entered the store with them. I had to use the remaining vouchers obtained for that cat food and the cat litter, so after grabbing a sweet pastry that I spotted among the discounted products, I checked that the cheese that was on sale was still available. Then, after seeing that it was and there was no risk of it running out right away either, I looked around for a while, but I didn’t find anything else to get, so I eventually asked for about 1.8 kg of the cheese, which was what I needed in order to use those vouchers. However, I was told that a pack had two kilograms, so I agreed to take a whole one, even if it was then weighed, shown to have almost 2.1 kg, and priced accordingly. I had only taken a little cash with me and I mainly meant to use it at Kaufland, if I’ll find evening discounts, but I could afford that difference and an unopened pack was also going to keep longer, if we’ll only open it when we’ll actually need to. And what also helped was that, after trying to sit in line at three self-checkouts that accepted cash, the one I settled on and got to use proved to be a good choice because a pile of coins had been left in the change tray… And I actually came back with less than what I found.
Either way, I then continued to Kaufland, with the purchases in one hand, putting them in a cabinet after putting the bottles in the recycling machine. Then, after going to the toilet, I entered the store when it was almost 9:25 PM, so I expected the bakery area to be quite empty. However, that wasn’t the case, and the mixed discounts were probably the reason why, some products still having labels that only listed discounts of 30%, and I scanned one of those labels and confirmed that lower discount. I still grabbed two sweet pastries, but one had that lower discount and it was also the last one left, so when an employee came out moments later and started scanning the labels, I assumed that she was going to increase the discounts for what was left, so I put back that pastry and slowly made my way to the self-checkouts, where I used one just to check the prices for that pastry and some buns. They still showed up as only being discounted by 30%, but that pastry did have a good enough price even so, and it was something that my mother likes, so I went back and took it again anyway, deciding to tell dad to take it to her. Maybe I should have waited a little longer, since I eventually scanned the label for those buns one more time and found that the discount had increased to 50%, even if the price label hadn’t been changed, but someone else might have taken it by then. Either way, I then took two of those buns as well, and I also saw some large potatoes, and since dad always only wants large ones, I checked how much I had left and took just two of them, even if they were at the regular price. And I just finished using the self-checkout, where I also used the voucher from the recycling machine, when the closing announcement came, after which I arranged the purchases and got back.
I was back a couple of minutes after 10:30 PM… And when I rinsed my mouth, I saw blood, then checked and saw that it came from a tooth on the lower left, but the bleeding soon stopped, even if it was quite significant at first. Then I ate an apple and the sweet pastry from Carrefour, put the few other purchases in their place, and went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and wash, at 11:40 PM… But I somehow forgot the towel, so when I was done I had to grab it from my room, and then I also rinsed the worst of the dirt from the mop and bucket and used a rag to wipe the water from the floor, so that took a while as well, and I was finally done a few minutes before 1 AM. Then I washed a part of the glass baking tray and a large pot, and ate dinner between 3:20 AM and 4 AM. Before going to bed, I made sure to floss thoroughly in that place that bled, which obviously led to more bleeding, but it again stopped quickly and I didn’t notice anything obviously wrong there. It did cause me to get in bed at 5:20 AM, however. And the following night I lost way too much time talking to dad and ended up starting to eat dinner at 3:05 AM, but at least I still finished at 3:40 AM, though I then once again got in bed at 5:20 AM.
As for the mouse, I’m generally pleased with it, I could quickly put the additional buttons to use, and having replacement feet included is also nice if you mean to use a mouse for years to come. And Swarm also seems to have improved, at least in the sense that it doesn’t constantly use processing power while running, or at least I didn’t notice it while making the settings, but I don’t really care to keep it running anyway, even if it would allow me to access a few better options, so I didn’t even try to see what happens if I don’t shut it down for a while. On the other hand, I definitely don’t like the fact that the mouse is smaller and lighter than my old one and I really wish they’ll make the weight customizable again, like it was for the XTD, which had weights. I’ll also need some time to get used to the changes in the button layout, and while I will do so, at the moment having two rows of two buttons on the side does make me accidentally press the wrong one at times, and accessing the secondary function of those from the bottom row is particularly difficult. I do like having those additional buttons next to the left button, but I’d have really wanted them to keep the side buttons and those below the wheel as they were and add back the one that was above the wheel in the older models. But, besides all of that, what really matters is how reliable it’ll be, which remains to be seen… Especially since this store that I bought it from doesn’t just not offer the option to purchase extended warranty but, as I already mentioned, I even had to point out to them that the manufacturer offers two years of warranty for them to do the same, because it was listed as having just one year, which I doubt is even legal in the EU. Either way, I’ll also keep the old one as a spare, since it remains reasonably usable despite being over six years old.