Cav's Place

The gas still being off meant that I couldn’t boil carrots for the salad made in the early hours of August 19, but I only had a few anyway, so I made do without them. And then it took me quite a while to get to sleep, and it wasn’t even 7:30 AM when Liza woke me by spending minutes scraping around in the litter box, and she had left some awfully stinky shit there, so after peeing I changed and cleaned it again, after having also done so just before getting in bed, and then changed back. And after that I was waking up and going to pee at intervals of just under an hour and a half, and the dermatitis was also acting up again, the last time I got up in such a manner being just before 11:55 AM, so I then just caught another brief nap before 12:25 PM, when dad got back and I got up. And he was going to leave again a little after 2 PM, so there was no way to get back to sleep and I stayed up, shaving as well, the water being at least warm again, and then using the microwave to boil, or just about boil, water for the tea. And then I had the usual stuff, the apple being another one of those imported bio (organic) ones, and everything except, I guess, the apple and the honey added on two more of those nicer biscuits being expired… And the quantity of yogurt being reduced, since when I wanted to pour the little whey gathered on top into the sink, a good part of the yogurt came loose and fell along with it. Either way, I left at 4:25 PM, wearing the full running gear and one armband and with some things in the pocket of my tights. The reported temperature was about 28°C, and it should have pretty much held steady, but I couldn’t actually check and the sites that show past temperature disagree, displaying between 26°C and 30°C at 6 PM. Then again, that may also be seen as “about 28°C”, albeit with a larger margin.
The time was 1:19:41, with sector times of 4:33.14, 5:02.56, 5:56.15, 4:38 (4:37.16), 5:11.31, 6:07 (6:06.88), 4:38.75, 5:14.03, 6:12 (6:11.75), 4:42.12, 5:24.00, 6:17, 4:37, 5:10 and 6:00, making for lap times of 15:31.85, 15:56 (15:55.35), 16:04.53, 16:23 and 15:47. I once again checked the exact times for as long as they were displayed, but I seem to have gotten a little confused when it comes to sector three of lap three, which was a second faster in my mind. There is also a chance that the issue is with sector two, but I clearly remember being pleased that I covered that sector in less than the 5:15 that’s the target for a 16-minute lap, while in case of sector three I remember making a correction to the initial calculation, so while the possibility of wishful thinking causing me to make a mistake in case of sector two does exist, it seems more likely that the issue is with sector three and I’ll list the times accordingly, without even adding a question mark.
I just aimed to stay under 1:20, but that first sector was concerning, so I tried to make up for it over the next two, hoping to still cover the first lap in less than 15:30, and when I failed I thought I’ll have to settle for 1:21, if not even 1:22. That became even clearer when it seemed that I may already go over 16 minutes on lap two, and the fact that I eventually did enough to avoid that didn’t seem to change things too much. At least lap three wasn’t that much slower, which made me pretty confident that I’ll at least stay under 1:21 and think that I should actually aim for 1:20:30, but even though lap four’s sector times looked bad on their own, at the end of it I saw that if I could somehow manage to pretty much match lap three’s time on lap five, I’d squeeze under 1:20 after all. It seemed highly unlikely, but I once again wanted to at least know that I did my best, so I really went for it, the fact that the first sector wasn’t exactly promising making me give up on the idea of taking it just a little easier on the second in order to be able to push even harder on the third and just continuing to push as much as I still could. And that led to feeling that I was almost safe before the last sector, though being so exhausted meant that it was far from certain that I’ll make it. But I did, and by a huge margin, lap five ending up being less slow than any except the first.
The right hip bothered me at the beginning, though not for long, and it was also on the first sector when I slowed and stepped off the path because of a cyclist who came from the opposite direction through what was the only way through a roadblock. Then, at the start of the long straight of sector two, the irrigation system created a small stream that flowed across the path, and on the first lap I went through it and got a little wet, so on the next laps I tried to sort of hop over it. Back to physical issues, on sector one of lap two I had something of a headache, and while that passed, things got worse from the start of lap three, pain being reflected from my back, in my chest on sector one and in my shoulder on sectors two and three. And a pressing need also appeared on sector two of lap three, though it wasn’t a notable issue. But things got even worse on lap four, since on the first two sectors I felt some pain around my appendix and the warnings from the right knee also became notable. And on sector three of lap four I hesitated because of a cyclist and then had the one particularly notable problem caused by people, when a kid came running down the slope and only managed to stop right in front of me, forcing me to stop for what might have even been a couple of seconds. And on sector three of lap five, when I was giving everything, I had that feeling that my legs were being flooded, my body obviously wanting me to stop.

After the run, I sat on a bench and wrote the times and a few quick notes about the run on a slip of paper, and then used a drinking fountain to wash my hands and splash some water on my face and neck before making my way to Supeco, grabbing a few recyclables and a carton on the way. Then I put the recyclables in the machine from there, entered with the carton, and got something for dad, plus some potatoes, and also saw that the discounted price was still listed for some bagels, and while none of that specific kind seemed to still be available at first glance, there was an unopened box behind and under others and when I looked in it I found that it contained just that kind, so I took a bag… Only to be charged the full price at checkout, so after initially paying it I checked the receipt and told the guard about the problem, and after insisting that I had taken the correct product she asked me to come with her and saw that it was indeed the case, though she was quite surprised that I had managed to find that specific kind and dug around until she pulled out a bag as well. So she took the price label and the receipt to the cashier, who marked something on the receipt and gave me back the difference, though she then kept the receipt and I didn’t ask for it back.
After arranging the purchases, I made my way to Auchan Vitan, quickly checking two Profi locations for the bug spray that mother had asked me to look for, putting my things in cabinets that didn’t lock and then just retrieving them. However, since I also passed by Senic on the way and dad had just reminded me of that place by asking whether it really had good discounts, I decided to have a look, since I had never been there before, just knowing that it existed. But it closed at 9 PM, so I didn’t have much time, and as I rushed inside with everything, the guard told me to leave my things behind the checkouts, saying that most stores don’t have cabinets when I said that it was my first time there and I had looked for some and couldn’t see any. So, after another little exchange, I did as she said… And then I found that bug spray with a discount if you bought at least three, and while the price was still a little higher than it’d have been in other stores, I either couldn’t find that specific kind or needed an app for the discount to apply, so it was the best deal I could actually access and I took three. And then I also found that the fact that Supeco had been out of the carpet shampoo that mother had also asked me to look for was a really good thing, since it was much cheaper there, and the discount increased further if you took three, so I did. And then I meant to explore the place a little and see if I’ll find anything else, but it was barely 8:35 PM when an employee told me to hurry because they were closing, so I didn’t take much longer. And after I paid the cashier wondered out loud which receipt was mine, since the person who had been ahead of me hadn’t taken hers, seemed to find it, actually saying the total… But apparently gave me the other one, and I didn’t notice even when I retrieved my things and arranged the purchases.
I only had one recyclable and I think two cartons by the time I reached Auchan, so I put everything in a cabinet before peeing and washing my hands, and it was close to 9:10 PM when I entered the store, finding several of those whole wheat breads left, but they were all sliced, so I just got an expiring sweet thing, even if it was only discounted by 45%. And then I retrieved my things and continued to Kaufland, grabbing a few more recyclables and cartons, putting the recyclables in the machine and everything else in a cabinet, washing my hands, entering the store just after 10 PM, and making use of good evening discounts for a few bakery products, after asking what one of them was and then checking the ingredients on a price checker. I also took some expiring packaged breads, green onions with a great evening discount, and another expiring product with a good discount. I also took some supposedly spoiling packaged garlic, with a great discount, and reached the self-checkout several minutes before closing time, but the green onions weren’t accepted and the employee was helping everyone but me, and as I waited the coins which I had in a little bag got drawn to that magnet that’s there, so when she finally came I asked her to help with that as well, and she eventually managed to get the coins free, but tore the bag in the process. At least she also cleared the error, and she came faster when I needed her again, when two of the regular breads bought for dad weren’t accepted either. But that garlic wouldn’t scan and she said that it couldn’t be bought in that case, both of us exchanging a few words about it with the employee from fruits and vegetables, who was using the next machine. So I had to leave it there, and then I typed the code for the store card, retrieved my things, and arranged everything, both before walking out and after, so it was close to 10:50 PM when I walked away, gathering a few more recyclables on the way back.
I got back at 11:25 PM, seeing that I had carried just about 13 kg, but only having the bags which I had taken with me had made it seem so much worse. Either way, I had something to do that night, so I just put a few things in the fridge and then rushed to take a quick shower, the fact that one of my eyes really stung when I washed it making me even more convinced that there had really been an accidental puff of bug spray that got right in my face as I arranged the purchases before walking out of Kaufland. But something had also gotten in that eye while running, so there is a chance that the issue had been caused by that, and I couldn’t spend much time on it anyway, being done in about 20 minutes and then spending some time in my room… And also noticing that the tip of the pen which I had taken with me had slid out and poked at least one little hole in the pocket of my tights. But what was done was done, so I then went back and eventually put the purchases in their place, after also washing the bug sprays and the bottles of carpet shampoo, since I had placed them in the bag with the gathered recyclables. And then I ate a lot of watermelon and part of that sweet thing bought from Auchan and finished that bio (organic) milk before eating lunch, on and off, between 3:10 AM and 3:45 AM, and dinner between 5 AM and 5:35 AM. And then I went to the toilet, and it was 7:05 AM when I got in bed.

I got woken up by dad clinking Liza’s plate when he fed her at 10:30 AM, and after standing around a little I checked and saw that we had gas again, and then got on the computer until dad left, getting back in bed at 11:20 AM. And, while I did wake up a few more times and also went to pee once, I always got right back to sleep until just after 4:20 PM, when I checked the time, meant to do so again, and had probably just done it, or was at least just about to, when something falling upstairs woke me with a start, and apparently also caused me to move in a way that irritated that bite on my leg, which started itching badly, and I found myself unable to get back to sleep, so I eventually got up for good a couple of minutes before 5 PM. And when I checked I saw that the bite had also swollen in a manner that seemed rather concerning, so I put quite a lot of medicinal alcohol there and things eventually got better.

The following day I did wake up a few times before then as well, but always got right back to sleep until I got woken up again as dad was getting ready to leave, at which point I got up, just before 10:25 AM, and after exchanging a few words with him I got on the computer until after he left, getting back in bed at 11:20 AM. And when I woke up and saw that it was just before 2 PM I decided that I had just enough time to see whether I’ll find that bread if I go to Auchan earlier and still get back for the sprint qualifying, so I got up… And then I got worried, thinking that I felt the smell of something overheating around the fridge, and it was a hot day, so while I had that impression before and it was never an issue, I still turned it down until it stopped running, to give it a break, and it was 3:40 PM when I left, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol and the cartons.
I was going to Auchan, but after grabbing one more carton on the way I stopped at that Mega Image and split them on four vouchers as I put them in the machine, eventually giving up on the one that wasn’t accepted throwing in the bin, along with one of the bags used to carry the cartons. And then I grabbed a recyclable that didn’t have the symbol but which I thought would be right for a label that I had, yet after putting in all of the others I couldn’t get the machine from Auchan to accept it, so I removed that label again and dropped it in a bin. And then I washed my hands and went to check whether I could find any of that whole wheat bread unsliced at that earlier hour… But I still didn’t, and I even asked an employee whether any of it was left unsliced and she said no, since all of it had been sliced. So I was annoyed, but there was some with whole wheat and seeds left, and when I found that, even though the listed weight is 400 grams, two of those actually had about 500 grams, I bought them, along with a pumpkin, also using the voucher received for the recyclables. And then I arranged those purchases a little and walked out just before 5 PM, so I really had to hurry and mostly jogged back, albeit lightly and with a number of stops to switch things around, that pumpkin complicating matters and the fact that I picked up a few recyclables along the way making it even worse.
Still, I did just enough, getting back right at 5:30 PM. And then I put the few purchases in their place, cleaned the litter box and went to drop a small bag of trash down the chute, ate a lot of watermelon and a piece of that ice cream made by mother… And unsurprisingly had to rush to the toilet after that combination, so I did the day’s squats in the bathroom, between taking care of that issue and washing. And at night I made mamaliga. And after eating I noticed that I had left the paragraph about the issues I had during the August 3 run in the form of notes in that post, so I sorted out the matter, and before going to bed I used cream on my feet.

The mamaliga meant that I had to keep getting up to pee, but I always got right back to sleep, until 12:50 PM, when I moved the alarm which had been set to 1 PM and got up to watch the sprint race. And at 1:50 PM I got back in bed, leaving the alarm set to ring at 3:55 PM despite realizing that I had accidentally moved it there even though the qualifying for the main race started at 5 PM… And that probably played a part in having a harder time getting back to sleep and only catching a couple of naps that lasted mere moments before eventually getting up and moving the alarm to 4:55 PM, since I could take a longer nap after that, and after peeing once more there was one more shorter one before remaining awake for a while and eventually turning off the alarm and getting up at 4:50 PM. And later I did what I could to get the rust off the dish drying rack… And also installed and started Fetish Locator Week One, since it was part of that bundle of “adult” games given away by GOG.com and I knew it really wouldn’t be my thing, but now that it received a patch that added AI-generated voices and animations, greatly increasing the size, I didn’t want to end up deciding to give it a go after all at a later time and forget that I didn’t care for that new version and download it again.

On the morning of August 23, I was waking up every 1.5 to two hours, peeing and getting right back to sleep the first two times, but the third time there was some hammering and I remained awake for a while, lost in thoughts connected to the last dream I had, before deciding to pee again and then check something on the computer, getting back in bed right at noon. But it was harder to get back to sleep after that, I drifted in and out, and the dreams and thoughts made it hard to really know when I was asleep and when I was awake, and I only checked the time again at 2:48 PM, when it seemed that I had to go to the toilet for the other thing… Only for the feeling to pass as soon as I sat down, so after a few minutes I gave up and got back in bed a little. But it was clear that I was just wasting time, so it wasn’t even 3:25 PM when I got up for good. And then I ate lunch and left at 6:50 PM, with a small bag containing what I had gathered from the litter box that I dropped down the chute and the recyclables with the deposit symbol.
The machine from Penny wasn’t working, stating that no container was available, so I entered the store with the recyclables and bought what I wanted and an expiring product for dad, then arranged the purchases and continued to Kaufland, putting the recyclables, which by then included a few more picked up on the way, in the machine from there. And then I put the purchases in a cabinet, washed my hands just with water, since there was no soap in the men’s, a cleaner was in the women’s, and door to the room for disabled people was locked, and it was several minutes after 8 PM when I entered the store, rushing to the bakery area and just getting a cheap bun, at half price, that was actually two of them joined together, and I weighed it and found that it actually weighed even more than two should, so I decided to be fair and enter that as two when I’ll reach the self-checkout. And then I made use of great evening discounts for two bundles of green onions, also grabbing a bunch of torn tops that were in the crate, and some radishes that were mostly scattered in the crate, which I thought should be two bundles. And, while those evening discounts were lower, I also got three bananas and two tomatoes that looked almost ripe but which were among the green ones before grabbing two bags of cat food and eventually making my way to the self-checkouts, standing in line when the closing announcement came. And the odd thing was that I had to call over an employee to override the error when the machine didn’t accept the green tomatoes as the correct product, though I had placed the two bundles on the scales, keeping the torn tops in the bag, but it accepted that double bun just fine when I entered it as two, as well as the scattered radishes when I entered them as two bundles. And then the 50 RON voucher obtained from their most recent campaign that doubled the deposit applied, and I also used the one received for recyclables that day.
After retrieving what I had in the cabinet, I went outside and used one of the tables to arrange everything, which took quite a while, so it was almost 8:50 PM when I walked away, rushing to the Mega Image that closes at 10 PM, which I reached just after 9 PM. But the cart with the products discounted by 90% wasn’t brought out yet, and that annoying guard wasn’t there either, so I put my things into two cabinets, without locking them, and in fact without even closing the door properly in case of one of them, since the green onions wouldn’t fit, and then managed to grab a number of products when that cart was brought. And I had taken the four vouchers received from that machine that accepts cartons two days earlier with me, since they no longer had that different header and a note that they should be used at the store that they were obtained from, and a message on the machine actually stated that they could be used in any Mega Image store, so I handed three of them to the cashier and they seemed to work. And then I retrieved what I had in the cabinets, and after stepping out I added the new purchases into the bags and rearranged a little.
On the way back I left one of those deeply discounted products next to a man who was sleeping on a bench and grabbed some more recyclables, plus one that had no label but which was just right for a label that I had, so I also entered this Carrefour Express, leaving the bags with purchases on and next to the cabinets, putting the recyclables, including that one on which I placed that label, in the machine, and then just cashing in the voucher before retrieving the purchases. And by the time I got here I grabbed one more recyclable.
I got back just before 9:45 PM… And I saw a small bag in which dad had gathered more from the litter box, and he had also poured quite a pile of new “sand” in it, without handling that bag properly, since there’s a tear in it and it had spilled all over, so I had to clean up. And then I went to drop that bag down the chute, ate a lot of watermelon and a large doughnut brought by dad, putting jam on it, also put the purchases in their place, did the day’s squats, and it was several minutes after 12:30 AM when I went to the bathroom, ending up wasting some more time on the toilet before washing. I was done a little after 1:30 AM, and then I got on the computer a little, going back to the kitchen at 1:50 AM. But, after once again “cheating” in order to be able to say that I took a first bite of dinner in my room before 3 AM and actually starting to eat at 3:15 AM, it wasn’t even 3:40 AM when I finished.

It wasn’t even 9 AM when I got woken up, when dad fed Liza, and he said that he was changing his schedule, no longer rushing to leave so soon after getting up, and it was almost 10:30 AM when I got back in bed, after he left, though at least I started Servant of the Empire and spent most of that time reading. It took me quite a while to get back to sleep, however, and I woke up a few more times after that, but at least I did get back to sleep quickly on those occasions, though I was once again awake for a while when I decided to get up, at 3:05 PM. And some time later I rebooted the computer, noticing that the higher power use and temperatures which I had been noticing recently continued and wondering whether that would change things, but nothing seemed to change, the CPU still being reported as using around 50W even though it should be limited to 45W, the voltages per core varying just marginally, and the total power use also being some 5W higher, as you’d expect. But I’ve noticed the temperatures staying pretty high before and the higher power use might have also been there for a while, so I wonder if the current version of MilkyWay@home is the culprit, and at that point the window was closed and my room was rather hot and stuffy, and I didn’t have the headphones on either, so it was easier to notice the fans spinning up, which made me check more carefully. Either way, since dad had moved most of the mostly dead plants from the living room back to the balcony, even if the work still hasn’t been done there, later I pruned them, trying to see what little might still be saved.

The dermatitis was acting up again on the morning of August 25, and after needing some time to fall asleep, at 6:45 AM I found myself awake again and went to pee and wash that area a little at the sink, which did enough to allow me to get back to sleep quickly, and then do so again when Liza woke me by going to the litter box. But a little before 10 AM I got woken up again after dad got up, at which point I changed and cleaned the litter box, and it was almost 11:25 AM, some time after dad left, when I changed back into pajamas and got back under the sheet, since I read some more. But I did get more sleep after that, waking up a few times but usually getting right back to sleep, though I was awake for a while when I checked the time again, saw 4:16 PM, and decided to get up. I took it easy, however, and then I read some more. And, after doing the day’s squats, at 9:15 PM I went out, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol.
Since I had dad’s metro card, I had decided to go to Kaufland Basarab if it’ll work, but the magnetic tape had started to peel off again and he glued it back on before giving me the card, and I didn’t feel like showing it and asking to be allowed through if it won’t work, being ready to walk to Kaufland Popa Nan instead in that case… And I should have just done that to begin with, but since the card did work here, I ended up at Basarab, with one more recyclable picked up on the way and putting all of them in the machine from there before grabbing a receipt from a bin, since there’s that silly gate at the bathrooms from there, but not needing it since another guy scanned his to go in and I just followed him to wash my hands. And then I entered the store, a little after 9:50 PM, heading straight to the bakery area and managing to grab a sweet pastry, albeit only discounted by 50%, before the employee cleared them away. And then I made use of good evening discounts for a handful of cucumbers and three rather green Moldovan apricots, added two of those cheap yogurts, and was at the self-checkout when the closing announcement came, also using the voucher received for the recyclables.
Well, the problem appeared when I got back to the metro station, since the card readers from there are an old model and after putting the metro card in one, it displayed an error, then said that I was cleared, but didn’t release the card. The guard ushered me through, and I did pass the turnstile, but then I obviously stopped and said that I needed my card back, and after initially saying that it will be released and hitting the reader a couple of times, he went to tell the cashier what happened and she came over and said that nobody was going to come and retrieve it at that hour but she will give me a two-trip card, writing my name and the date on it, and that I should return the following day and hand in that card in exchange for recovering the one which had been “eaten”… Which was a serious issue, since dad had to leave in the morning. But it didn’t seem like I had any other options, so I took that card and walked away… Only to just miss the metro and then wait for 12 minutes for the next one. And then I wasted some more time by checking the non-stop Mega Image that’s close to the metro station and the nearby one, putting my things into a cabinet that I didn’t lock in the first one and then just retrieving them and entering with everything in the second. But at least I gathered some more recyclables, and also washed my hands a little at a drinking fountain.
I got back a little after 11:40 PM. And, after telling dad what happened and learning that he could go and try to pick up the card himself in the morning, though it’d mean going two more stops and then going back to where he had to be, I cleaned up a little after him in the kitchen, since he had cooked something and spilled stuff all over the stove, also cleaned the litter box, ate those three apricots, went to drop a bag of trash down the chute, put the few purchases in their place, and then also ate a piece of a sweet thing and a small lunch. It was a few minutes before 2 AM when I went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and shower with water that was barely around body temperature, and 2:35 AM when I was done. And then I had a lot to wash in the kitchen, finally ate dinner between 5 AM and 5:35 AM, and got in bed at 6:55 AM.

I did manage to fall asleep, but I was thinking that I really should go and get that metro card back myself, before dad had to leave, so the second time I woke up, just after 8:45 AM, I decided to get up, quickly eating a crushed oat bar, leaving just before 9:25 AM, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol, in case I’ll stop at a Mega Image to use a machine, and getting back just under one hour later, still with them, plus one more and two cartons grabbed on the way. But I had recovered the metro card, and it’s a good thing I went myself, since I was asked for my ID card. I hadn’t been asked for it in the evening, but I had given my name, so it’d have been obvious that it wasn’t the same person if dad would have gone to recover it. Either way, that magnetic strip was coming off from both ends at that point, so the card definitely wasn’t usable normally anymore, but the expiration date was visible on it.
After I got back, dad asked me to check those really cheap headphones which I had ordered for him only three months before, since the sound was really bad, and that was clearly the case, so I guess they’re worth even less than they cost. But they are under warranty, so I’ll have to see how that goes. Either way, after he left I ate a little watermelon, a large doughnut, with added jam, and a yogurt with cereals, spent quite some time on the computer, and left again at 1:35 PM, once again taking the recyclables with the deposit symbol, along with those two cartons.
The machine from the nearest Penny didn’t accept one of the recyclables, so I put it and the cartons in a cabinet and bought what I wanted, for dad. But that got a little awkward, since the person who was ahead of me at the checkout dashed back, saying that she had forgotten something, the cashier told me to go ahead, I told him that the products were two and two, since two similar products were two for the price of one and I had taken a pair of each, but he entered them as four of the more expensive kind, and when I pointed that out he needed someone else to come over and authorize the change, and it was a few minutes before she got there, and he was the only cashier at that point, so everyone had to wait, including the person who had actually been ahead of me. But at least it was eventually sorted out, and I also used the voucher received for the recyclables.
After retrieving what I had in the cabinet, I continued to that Mega Image, to put those two cartons in that machine. And then I put my things, which by then included some more recyclables, in a cabinet, and got a little garlic, initially meaning to use the scales from there but seeing that no garlic was listed normally, while if I searched the one with the price listed at the shelf was shown as being imported, though both the price label and the label from the crate stated that it was Romanian, while the scales had Romanian garlic listed at a much lower price. But I wanted to get just enough to use the voucher received for those two recyclables, didn’t think that I could actually get that lower price if I handed that printed label to the cashier, and really didn’t want to deal with another issue, so I discarded that label and let the cashier weigh the garlic and select what it was, being charged the price listed at the shelf and paying for it with that voucher.
After once again retrieving my things from the cabinet, I initially meant to continue to Kaufland, but after grabbing another carton from that parking lot I stopped to consider turning around to put that in that machine as well and ended up turning around for good. That carton wasn’t accepted, so I dropped it in the bin, but then I made my way back, having a quick look in another store, entering with everything, and then checking the nearby Mega Image as well, entering with everything, putting all but one of the recyclables gathered by then and that one that still wasn’t accepted in the machine before it reported that the bin was full, and then adding that remaining one that was accepted and getting a second voucher after an employee dealt with it. And then I bought an expiring bio (organic) “creamy” yogurt, even if it’s the kind with 10% fat and only 4.5% protein, and it being at half price there meant that a much better kind was only 20% more with the regular discount in Kaufland. But I wasn’t going to Kaufland, so at least I had something nicer for that week’s run, and I also cashed in those vouchers, receiving the difference, since their value was higher than the price of that yogurt. I didn’t receive a receipt, however.
I guess the fact that I don’t recall what time I got back for good at is a symptom of the lack of sleep, and the fact that I didn’t get that receipt means that I don’t have anything to jog my memory, but it was definitely past 3 PM, yet probably not by that much. And then I put the purchases in their place, ate a banana, saw that there was just a little pee in the litter box and didn’t bother to clean it just then but still went to drop a small bag of trash down the chute, and it was a few minutes after 4 PM when I went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and shower with pretty cold water. There was a noticeable difference compared to what came out of the cold water pipe, but it was still well below body temperature. Either way, I was done just before 4:40 PM, and after spending some more time on the computer, I got in bed just after 5:30 PM, the initial impression being that I was too exhausted to sleep, since the first two times I just about drifted off, I immediately found myself awake again with a start. But then I could fall asleep… Only for dad to call at 6:10 PM, to say that he wasn’t coming back that evening. And I woke up some more times after that, and usually also went to pee whenever that happened, but I also kept getting right back to sleep and only got up for good at 10:45 PM, after which I made mamaliga, and also did the day’s squats while I was in the kitchen.

After getting to sleep right away, which also happened after the first two times I got up to pee, it must have been around noon when I woke up the third time, and then I remained awake for a while before deciding to pee again, which helped, since I did get back to sleep again after that. It was close to two hours later when I decided to pee again, being fully awake once more, though it’s possible that I briefly woke up once or twice during that time as well. And almost two more hours passed until I got up for good, when it was almost 4:15 PM, but I had been fully awake for a long time at that point, so I only managed another brief nap or two in the first part of that period. Still, that meant a total of at least seven and a half hours, and maybe more like eight, and a better quality of sleep than what I usually get. On the other hand, later the landline rang while I was in the kitchen and I thought that I hadn’t heard my phone and it was dad, yet when I picked up a woman’s voice said that her name was Ana, so I hung up. And in the evening I went to pay the maintenance bill, and after getting back I cleaned the litter box and also went to drop a bag of trash down the chute… Only for Liza to poop again right after I got back, so I gathered it and went to drop that down the chute as well.

In the early hours of August 28, as I started to work on dinner, there was a loud sound that quite clearly came from somewhere else in the apartment, but I couldn’t find anything fallen or broken, so I kept wondering what that was. Either way, I put peanut butter on all of the bread when I ate that dinner. And then I just slept, getting up to pee a few times but always getting right back to sleep, and the last thing I dreamed was that I had five minutes until the alarm rang, so I waited what I thought were five minutes and then checked the time, seeing 1:59 PM, just managing to turn off the alarm before it rang, and then getting up and eating another one of those imported bio (organic) apples and a mix of the usual cereals and some fried, slightly sweetened and “smoke-flavored” almonds from an expired snack put into that yogurt bought two days earlier. On the other hand, I only left a little in the toilet, despite spending a lot of time there and feeling that there should be more. And then I also ate two more of those nicer biscuits that expired so long ago, with added honey, and left at 4:35 PM, wearing the full running gear and one armband. The reported temperature was about 26°C, holding steady.
The time was 1:46:40, with sector times of 4:29, 5:08, 5:58, 4:29, 5:06, 5:53, 4:34, 5:08, 6:05, 4:48, 5:18, 6:10, 4:51, 5:27, 6:24, 4:43, 5:37, 6:29, 1:51, 6:17 and 1:55, making for lap times of 15:35, 15:28, 15:47, 16:16, 16:42 and 16:49, plus 10:03 for the final portion. I wondered if I’ll get under 1:48 again and rather doubted it, and going over 15:30 on the first lap increased my concerns, but getting under 15:30 on lap two gave me hope and staying well under 16 minutes on lap three made things seem even better. And I had actually miscalculated and thought that I had just managed to create enough of a buffer to afford those target times which I had calculated before, 16:25, 16:40, 16:55 and 10:15, while in fact I needed five more seconds to afford those times and get 1:47, not 1:48. And over the course of lap four I realized that I was five seconds behind the target instead of ahead, but when I gained nine over the course of that lap I still thought that I could afford those times in order to squeeze under 1:48, not 1:47, and I had already been pushing quite hard, so when I thought that on lap five I had lost two of the four seconds that I could afford to lose, things seemed pretty bad again and I pushed harder. And, while I later did correct the calculation, realizing that I had a chance to get under 1:47 obviously made me want to do it, the problem being that another runner had tried to keep up over part of sector one of lap six and I had pushed too hard to keep him behind, the next two sectors showing that I had exhausted myself in order to do so. But when I really went for it from the start of the final portion, I found that I still had enough in me, the first sector already making me quite confident that I’ll make it, which I did by a large margin.
I remember that there was an issue caused by people on the first sector and that I did more than hesitate, so I probably slowed, but I can’t remember why. Either way, on the long straight of sector one of lap two I hesitated when a poplar fluff almost got in my eye, on sector one of lap three, just before the bridge, I got startled when a cyclist that I didn’t know was coming squeezed past me, and on sector one of lap four I slowed to wait for a way through a roadblock just before the long straight, while another roadblock made me slow and also go all the way on the outside of a turn later on that same sector. And then there were some issues on sector three on three consecutive laps, and while the last one was just a hesitation that I can’t recall the cause of, the first two were when I briefly stopped when a kid on a bicycle stopped in front of me to wait for another, and when I hesitated and might have also briefly stopped when two cyclists turned towards another path when I thought that they’ll keep going straight, so they ended up cutting me off. I’m pretty sure of the order of those two and that they were on laps three and four, because I’m also pretty sure that there was nothing on lap six, so the third one had to be on lap five, but there might be a small chance that they were actually on laps four, five and six, and/or that the first two were reversed. As for what I already mentioned about sector one of lap six, on the long straight I overtook another runner who might have actually been the same one who also kept me pushing at one point back in May, and then he once again tried to keep up, making me push harder. But he was breathing heavily from the beginning and stopped just before the end of the sector, maybe at the drinking fountain.
Otherwise, the forecast made me expect some serious gusts, but I only had to really fight the wind around the boat dock on sector one, and even there I didn’t really notice it anymore on laps five and six, and on much of sector three of a single lap, which I’m pretty sure was the fourth, the few other moments being much less notable. As for physical issues, I felt that I hadn’t left everything in the toilet pretty much right away, but then the feeling faded, returning a few times over the first few laps but remaining faint until what I think was sector three of lap five, and while it was more notable from then on, and didn’t go away again, it was never a serious problem in itself. On the other hand, the right knee gave a first warning on sector two of lap two, then it got better until sector two of lap three, when the warnings became more notable, and on the next sector that hip joined the knee. At least the hip issue was brief, but the knee got gradually worse as time passed. And, while I think that the first moment when I felt rather out of it was as early as sector two of lap three, it was on sector three of lap five when my hands started tingling and plenty more things started hurting, including multiple parts of my right leg, some part of my left one, and parts of my abdomen. But the worst part was on sector two of the final portion, when pain was reflected from my back in multiple areas, the worst being towards the right shoulder, and I had to just grit my teeth and bear it.

After checking the nearby Mega Image on the way back, I cleaned the litter box, ate plenty of watermelon and a lunch consisting of some slices brought by dad that made up about three quarters of a pizza, and then went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and wash with water that was similar to what I had two days earlier, if not slightly colder, the concern that it’ll be even worse later being the reason why I didn’t go out again, especially since the last two nights what came from the hot water pipe had low pressure and it was brownish and had a smell, so I didn’t want to risk getting in that situation again. Either way, after that I did the day’s squats, to warm up a little, and then ate some nicer bagels and a large doughnut, with added jam. And after dinner I finished Fetish Locator Week One. With a bad ending, since I didn’t care to play it as intended, but I had gotten a game over at the first point as well, so it’s good that you’re allowed to continue anyway. And before getting in bed I used cream on my feet.

Unsurprisingly, after the effort of the run, I couldn’t sleep, wasting over an hour before deciding to read and doing that for another hour before peeing again and getting back under the sheet when it was almost 7:25 AM. And I least I could sleep after that, and also got right back to sleep after waking up at one point and deciding to pee again. Then I got up when I got woken up again, after dad got up, just before 11 AM, but after standing around for a while and moving something for him into jars, I got back to reading, continuing to do so for a while after he left and getting back under the sheet just after 12:15 PM. And when, a little after 2:20 PM, I woke up again, I read some more, until 3:05 PM, after which I slept until close to 5 PM. It’s possible that I woke up a few more times during these periods, but if so then I got back to sleep immediately, and the dreams and thoughts made it difficult to really know. Either way, it was almost 5:20 PM when I got up for good, and I should have gotten a total of about six and a half hours of sleep.