Cav's Place

Not that I shouldn’t add them here someday anyway, but if I don’t want to have to use up one more of those old book reviews in order to create another personal “slot”, I’ll have to come up with something else for the week’s second post and will hardly have any time to do so, seeing as Sunday I’ll also need to sleep, or at least rest to some extent, after the Dream Trek. And, after ending up cutting the previous post short, this one should have continued from where that one left off, to finish covering those three runs. But that’s actually important and not written yet, while if I’m to write about this week, the relevant part is only at the end, about today, plus perhaps the part about cleaning my room, the rest being odds and ends that don’t matter much, except perhaps to explain why I’m tired. So I guess I’ll be using up what at the moment is the last remaining personal “slot” to write about this week, starting with the early hours of Monday, when I ended up eating dinner between 3:25 AM and 4:20 AM, after cleaning and washing plenty of things in the kitchen and also dealing with my bread… And I saw what were quite clearly flea bites on my legs again, though I didn’t notice any more since then, nor did I actually see any fleas. Either way, after cleaning some more of what dad had spilled on the stove, also talking to him some more, since he was also only going to bed then, spraying my feet with that expired repellent, and cleaning the litter box twice, Liza going after I had cleaned it the first time, I got in bed at 5:40 AM. But at least I really slept.

After getting up, a little after 1 PM, I checked myself and the bed and saw a bug on my pillow, and while it didn’t look like a bedbug and was likely a sow bug, it spurred me into action, so I vacuumed the edges of the mattress and part of its surface and of the part that’s under it, then also moved the bed to some extent to vacuum the part of the floor that’s under it and close to the wall, and after pushing the bed back I tried to vacuum under the rest of it to some extent as well, at which point I found a 0.01 RON coin. And then I also rearranged the munchies and in the evening I wiped the dust, meaning to clean properly but putting off vacuuming the rest of the place and changing the sheets, since I also put a load of laundry in the machine and then hung the clothes to dry and dad cooked, so I got some things ready for him and then cleaned up after him. And in the morning I got in bed at 5:25 AM.

After waking up for the second time at 12:15 PM, just as dad was about to leave, I eventually decided to get up, vacuuming the rest of my room, including moving the boxes and vacuuming behind them as well, and then quickly vacuuming the hallway, the small bathroom, where I noticed with quite a lot of concern that the ceiling is loose, and the parts of the kitchen that are easy to reach, though it’s obviously the others that need it more. Either way, since I had forgotten to do the squats the previous day, I then also did 200, if not 210, since I lost count at some point, and went out at 5:30 PM, with the regular recyclables, which I dropped off in a recycling bin on the way, and those with the deposit symbol.
I picked up just one more recyclable on the way to that store, in fact meters away from it, and then put everything in the machine, ending up with three vouchers, since I stopped after finishing with dad’s recyclables, which had been in the large backpack, waved someone else who didn’t have many ahead while I untied the bags, then the machine stopped after I put in the bottle on which I had placed a label with the symbol, and which was also dirty inside, but otherwise was exactly what the label was for, and either way the machine resumed on its own and I could finish without needing to call an employee. And the cashier was the one who previously gave me all of the money separately, as in the regular amount for each voucher and then the bonus amount, once again for each, yet that time she added it all together with a calculator… But ended up with an amount that was 1.2 RON lower than what it should have been, and I had told her the total, so I repeated it and she redid the calculation in front of me, that time ending up with 1 RON more, so just 0.2 RON short. But that was a whole number and if you just looked at what was being added, it was obvious that the total couldn’t be a whole number, and I also redid the calculation on my phone, but when I also redid it on her calculator, it came up with that same whole number, so she said that it must not work properly and just added those two coins, and I found myself apologizing, though I’m not sure what for.
I then continued to Kaufland, I think having a quick look in another store and picking up another recyclable on the way, though I’m not entirely sure about either. If I did pick up that recyclable, I added it in the cabinet where I put the bags in which I had carried the recyclables and the large backpack, and then I washed my hands and just bought some deeply discounted germinated wheat before retrieving my things, putting the purchases and the large backpack in the one with rope straps and picking up some more recyclables on the way back. But I didn’t come straight back, instead making a little detour to the Mega Image where I remembered having seen, and actually considered buying, expiring figs, since I had also seen a TV ad stating that they had a 25% discount if you used the store card, so I wondered whether I’ll still find some and whether the discounts stacked. And, after putting the gathered recyclables in a cabinet, without locking it, and entering with the backpack, I did see some of those expiring figs left, and then I went to a self-checkout and confirmed that the 25% discount did apply to the full price, the final price being half of that discounted one, though the discount label listed it as half of the full price. So I stepped away from the machine, since those don’t accept cash in Mega Image, and went to a regular checkout to buy those figs, without receiving a receipt. Then I retrieved my things and made one more stop on the way back, to also check Penny, once again putting the recyclables in a cabinet, still without locking it, but then just retrieving them and walking out.
I got back for the first time just before 8 PM, put the few purchases in their place, ate the banana that I still had, talked to dad a little, moved something for him into a bowl and arranged a few things, then left again just before 8:45 PM, also dropping some trash down the chute. And I had decided to get back to watch the match, so I just went to Penny Basarabia, picking up two more recyclables on the way, leaving them behind a car that was in front of the store, and buying some beer and mustard for dad. Then I retrieved those recyclables, picked up one more before reaching Mega Image on the way back, put the purchases and the recyclables in a cabinet that I did lock that time, bought a few things that were discounted by 90%, without being charged for the bag that the few spoiling onions were in, then retrieved my things and arranged the purchases. And I picked up at least one more recyclable on the way back from there, and since I got here early enough I decided to also have a look in the nearby Mega Image, leaving the bags behind some baskets and then just retrieving them and picking up two more recyclables.
I got back for good just before 10 PM, then cleaned the litter box and went to drop that little bag down the chute, put the purchases in their place, ate a sweet pastry that I already had and lunch, with a small bag of expired bagels instead of bread, and went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and wash, a few minutes before 12:30 AM. I was done a little before 1:40 AM, but then I talked to dad some more, and after getting back to the kitchen I had to wash the grill, since he had used it, plus a few other things, and since I had spent so much time doing that anyway, I decided to also wash the pot which had been in the sink for quite a while. And then I used the bagged salad which I had bought from Mega Image, but I obviously didn’t trust it to be ready to eat, as listed on the bag, so I washed it to some extent and then spent a long time picking and discarding what looked bad, which was most of one of the included vegetables, setting aside a small part of what looked good for the following night and also microwaving the rest a little, and then also adding what was usable from the onion that looked the worst, so I ended up eating dinner between 4:20 AM and 4:45 AM and getting in bed at 6:20 AM.

After getting up, I did the day’s squats and then finished cleaning my room by changing the sheets and turning the mattress only around, just like two and a half months before, since it was still on the “summer” side. And then I had lunch and left at 6:35 PM, walking to Penny Titan, though I also had a quick look in that Mega Image first. And there were piles of expiring products in that Penny, but I just grabbed two for dad… And also wasted a fair bit of time because I saw some chicken breast of their store brand in the crate that the employee who was checking those products was putting plenty of them in, after scanning them, and when I tried to pick it up she stopped me, saying that it was “reduced”, and when I asked whether that meant that it had already expired she said that it expired the next day, but I couldn’t get myself to ask whether the discount would increase, or in fact whether she’ll bring those products back at all, ending up wandering around and waiting for a while. But after she came out of the storage room only to check out one person at a checkout that otherwise remained closed and then quickly help someone at one of the self-checkouts and I still couldn’t get myself to at least ask that question before she went back, I just gave up, buying only those two products and putting them in the backpack.
Since I had dad’s metro card, I then took the metro to the Carrefour that used to be Cora, at least gathering some recyclables, since otherwise I washed my hands when I got there, then put my things in a cabinet and then just retrieved them, not finding anything to get… But I had quite a reason for concern when I saw that the signs around the area for expired products listed the discount as 30%, which was also what I had been seeing for most products from Park Lake, instead of stating “up to 70%”, as before. The products that actually were there were mostly discounted by the usual 50%, and a few even by 70%, but the plan definitely seems to be to reduce the discount to 30%, which will be a huge problem.
Either way, I then walked to that Kaufland, putting my things in a cabinet and seeing that the radishes were already deeply discounted, and since only a few bundles were left and a woman in running gear was picking through them I rushed to grab two as well. And when I got back there later I put together what I considered to be two more bundles out of the incomplete bundles and scattered radishes that were left, though they were probably at least two and a half, if not closer to three. Either way, I also took some spoiling bio (organic) oranges that had a good discount and then grabbed some more discounted products for dad, by which time the bananas received a good evening discount, so I grabbed some of those as well, and by the time I finished selecting them the green onions had also received the deep evening discount, so I added three bundles of those. Then I retrieved my things and was arranging everything when the closing announcement came, so I walked out through the emergency exit.
I was uncertain where to go next, wondering whether to walk back and check that Mega Image on the way or take the metro to Dristor and check the ones from there, but since I had the metro card and hadn’t made much use of it, I eventually decided on the latter, picking up more recyclables and checking both of those Mega Image locations, putting the bags in a cabinet, entering with the backpack and getting products that were discounted by 90% from both. Admittedly, from the first one I only got a bread for dad, but from the one that’s next to Tei I got two sweet pastries and two pieces of bio (organic) ribs. And on the way back from there I picked up some more recyclables and also quickly checked the nearby Mega Image, which had changed its closing time to midnight, leaving the bags next to the door and then just retrieving them, seeing that they still don’t make bakery discounts in that location, even if the policy seems to be to get them to 90% elsewhere.
I got back a few minutes after 11:30 PM, then cleaned the litter box and went to drop a bag of trash down the chute, talked to dad a little, put most of the purchases, with the exception of the radishes and the green onions, in their place, needing quite some time to arrange things in the freezer, also ate an orange, a banana and an old sweet pastry and washed some of what was in the kitchen, and finally went to wash a couple of minutes before 2 AM. I was done a little after 2:30 AM, but then I spent some time in my room and then made sure that Liza ate what was still on her plate, so it was past 3 AM when I even started to look at the bundles of radishes, to pick the few usable leaves and discard the rest, plus that I had more to wash and clean in the kitchen and also used a little of the germinated wheat for the salad, boiling it along with those few radish leaves, and washed the rest and put it in a jar, so I finally ate dinner between 5:25 AM and 6:05 AM and got in bed at 7:05 AM…

It wasn’t even 9:25 AM, so I most likely hadn’t even gotten two hours of sleep, when I was woken up by some power tool being used above. But at least it didn’t last long, and at 10:10 AM I got back in bed, after spending some time on the computer, and I could sleep until a few minutes before noon, when some other kind of power tool was used. Then again, dad wanted to talk to me then, since he had to leave but the water dispenser that he had ordered was getting delivered, he wasn’t expecting it that day, and he apparently couldn’t see the delivery guy’s phone number on the page he received a link to until I pointed it out to him multiple times. Either way, I got back in bed yet again at 12:45 PM, after he left, and while the noise continued, it was occasional, brief and not too loud, so I might have even slept through some moments, and otherwise I got right back to sleep after it stopped… Until that no longer happened. That was probably a little after 3 PM, but I really couldn’t say for sure, since quite some time passed before I looked and saw that it was 3:33 PM. And, while I didn’t get any more sleep after that, I only dragged myself out of bed at 4:15 PM. But I did get another nap late in the evening, sleeping for an hour and a half or so, and then I did 200 squats, to create a buffer, but after gathering my clothes from the balcony and putting them in their place, cleaning the litter box because dad told me to do it then instead of before going to bed and accidentally breathing in when all of that dust was in the air and then coughing for some time, and also going back to my room to do so when dad blamed me even for that, and then spending quite a long time talking to him about various things, I ended up eating dinner between 4:20 AM and 5:10 AM and getting back in bed at 6:15 AM.

At 10:20 AM, after some three and a half hours of sleep, if even that, I woke up and wanted to pee, but I saw that dad was in the bathroom, him getting up having probably been the reason why I had woken up, so I got on the computer until he was done, and got back on it for a little while after peeing as well, getting back in bed at 10:40 AM, just before he left… Only for noise to once again start coming from upstairs moments later, and while the moments were brief and with pauses between them, always making me think that I had a chance to at least fall asleep if I just stayed in bed, I just couldn’t, only eventually getting a couple of brief naps that couldn’t have lasted more than mere moments. And then, even though the noise largely stopped around 1 PM, I couldn’t get back to sleep at all after that point, so just before 1:30 PM I gave up and got up… And my digestive system was also quite obviously dealing with something, probably the nicer bagels which I had munched on during the previous day’s match, since I had kept putting off eating them and they had expired on April 27, and I actually have one more bag like that.
Either way, I did get back in bed early in the evening and managed to sleep for up to an hour and a half, split in two, before once again being unable to get back to sleep and eventually getting up after wasting another three quarters of an hour in bed, after waking up the second time. But that also meant starting to make the pasta later than I meant to, and only finishing eating lunch a little after 1 AM, and then I also talked to dad a little more, sliced that bread which I had bought for him as well, and ended up making less salad than I meant to, since I only remembered that I still had all of that germinated wheat after planning to put other things in it and then I put too little of it to boil to replace the other vegetables that I put back in the fridge. Then again, I had meant to put most of that germinated wheat in the pasta, along with the last few green olives, and I had forgotten about those as well. Either way, since it was already late when I set that germinated wheat to boil, I turned the stove up and ended up burning the kettle a little, so I then spent a few minutes trying to clean off that mark, without really managing it, and finally ate dinner between 3:20 AM and 4:05 AM, at least finishing that peanut butter which had expired on September 1, putting it on all of the bread. And I’ll also mention here that I saw that there had been no visits recorded on June 20, that I only did the day’s squats after dinner, and that I then shaved as well.

At least I could sleep much better on the day of the run. I woke up three times, going to pee and getting on the computer for a little while on each occasion, but the first two times I got back to sleep right after getting back in bed. That was no longer the case the third time around, and the occasional noises coming from above weren’t helping either, even if it wasn’t hammering or drilling or anything else particularly loud anymore, but I did eventually manage to catch one last nap, so I got a total of at least seven hours of sleep, and probably more like seven and a half, before waking up again, seeing that it was 3:14 PM, and deciding to turn off the alarm, which was set to ring at 4 PM, just to be safe, and get up, though I took it slowly and only actually got out of bed at 3:30 PM… At which point I also saw that there was a little something in the corner of my mouth.
Seeing as I forgot that before the Dream Trek I usually eat lunch first, having the usual things that I eat before a run shortly before leaving, I ended up having the usual stuff first, with both the apple and the yogurt being bio (organic), though the apple was imported, then I ate lunch, consisting of pasta and salad, between 5:15 PM and 5:50 PM, so much later than ever, two years ago being the only time when I finished later than I now started, though eating those other things earlier meant that I wasn’t running quite as late as it seemed. So I stuck to the plan and also took a quick shower after going to the toilet, then got everything else ready, splitting what I was taking with me between the pocket of my tights and the running belt, also ate the last three of those wheat things, with glucose between them and honey on top, drank most of the tea, taking a Smecta and one of those pills against gas with it and putting what was left, which included some of the Smecta, since I had mixed it straight in the kettle, in a small plastic bottle that I also stuffed in the running belt, quickly sprayed myself with that repellent, even though it expired over two years ago and I didn’t also use it on my legs, and now I’m posting this and then I’ll be going out, wearing the full running gear, with the t-shirt from last year’s marathon, since it’s brighter, and one armband. The forecast lists about 22°C when we’ll start the run and a low of about 16°C.