Cav's Place

ISDS courts are known as an unfortunately particularly effective way for rich and powerful corporations to force states to allow them to exploit anything and everything for profit, without any care for the consequences, and drastically punish those who “dare” to try to protect the environment, human or workers’ rights, or anything else. So when the company behind the Rosia Montana mining project used such a court to sue Romania for blocking it, it was generally expected that we’ll end up paying billions. And our authorities didn’t just make no secret of that, but they actually kept stressing that likely outcome over the years, trying to blame their opponents for it, and the fact that Rosia Montana was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List kept being mentioned as the main reason why the case will be lost, even if, taken logically, such a recognition of the value of the site should count as a particularly strong argument in favor of banning such exploitation.
Such statements became particularly frequent at the start of February, the leaders of the large parties and much of the media once again making a priority of the matter, saying that the decision was supposed to come on February 10 and that Romania was likely to be sentenced to pay two billion dollars, so they were supposedly looking into negotiating a payment plan, while of course continuing to blame their opponents for the situation even if these parties are the ones that actually created it. What was strange was that the date of February 10 was actually incorrect, the real date being March 8, and that could apparently be quite easily verified, but most of the media didn’t bother to do so, which led to the topic just sort of dying down a little once that date passed, only to obviously return when the real date of the decision approached, at which point the possibility of Romania being forced to allow the project to continue, or even that this might be something that Romania could offer the company instead of the payment, also started being mentioned by politicians and the media, the Prime Minister also stating that he’d want a referendum on the matter. So the fact that the decision was going to be against Romania seemed to be a sure thing, those who’d have been supposed to fight for a different outcome seeming to have never believed that it was possible and only a few of the activists from the “old guard” even daring to ask to wait and see what will actually happen.
Understandably, these discussions pretty much flooded the media yesterday, while waiting for the decision. And in the vast majority of cases they continued along the same lines, with the fact that we were going to need to pay billions being taken as a sure thing, the possibility that we might either be forced or offer to allow the project to continue also being openly discussed, the fact that the site was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List being presented as a terrible mistake at best and probably even something done with evil intent instead of the great thing that it actually is, and accusations and blame being thrown at the opponents of those who are currently in power, and occasionally also at the activists and protesters who fought to save the area.
As such, it came as a complete shock when, just a little before midnight, the news broke that the ruling was actually in Romania’s favor! I don’t think that even the most fervent activists, those who fought for Rosia Montana for so many years, still hoped for such an outcome, and the politicians and the media were quite clearly taken completely by surprise, the initial reactions making it pretty clear that they hadn’t prepared for this, and I even noticed discussions continuing along the lines of what if we would have had to pay or allow the project to continue! Of course, it’s much better to prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised to be wrong than the other way around, but while that might have been the case for the activists, it quite clearly wasn’t for the politicians and the media, who had clearly seemed to want the case to be lost, and I can think of many reasons why.
So this should be a time of celebration, but the threat is far from over. For one, the decision was two to one, and while that seems pretty normal in such cases, since the investor appoints one of the three members and the state another, so those would be expected to rule in favor of their side, it does mean that one opinion, one person, could change everything, and the possibility for appeal does exist, and the company stated that it’s considering it. And when the license for the project is actually still valid, until June, and those who are in power here, along with that large majority of the media that does their bidding, seem to want the decision to have gone the other way and are quite inconvenienced by the victory, which takes away what they quite obviously intended to be an important weapon against their opponents in this “super-electoral” year and also a good excuse for the hard times that will come, there are good reasons to withhold those celebrations, at least for a while, and still prepare to fight back in case things will take a turn for the worse after all. But the victory remains such a pleasant shock, and offers reasons to hope that good things may still happen even in this world, which definitely should give all those who do, want to, or used to fight for something better strength to continue, start, or restart, as the case may be.

When Simona Halep received the original sentence, being banned for four years after having been suspended without trial for almost one, I was saying that I expected it to be the end of her career, since I didn’t think that the appeal would do more than halve one part of the sentence and therefore reduce the ban by just one year. But I did say that it’d be nice to be proven wrong, and also that my assumption held unless another group of experts would reverse the “strong opinion” expressed about the cause of those “irregularities” by the ones who took part in the original trial.
Well, that was exactly what happened today, when the appeal resulted in that part of the charges being overturned completely and the ban for the other part being reduced by more than half, to a mere nine months, the court ruling that her anti-doping rule violations were not intentional and she could only be accused of not exercising sufficient care, not of any significant fault or negligence. And yes, that means that the final ban was shorter than the period she spent suspended without trial, so she should have been allowed to play again even before the first court finally got around to passing a sentence!
Of course, what matters most at this point is that she can return immediately, and I’m sure that it won’t be any problem to receive the invitations required by a player who doesn’t appear in the rankings, having obtained no points in the past year, in order to take part in any notable tournament, but I wonder if anybody’s going to pay for that. I mean, a ruling can be appealed and possibly overturned, and the original one was based on expert opinions that were now contradicted, so the fact that the ban was reduced so much is far less of a problem than the fact that she was suspended without trial for longer than, as it turns out, she should have been banned, and in fact exactly long enough to ensure that she was going to drop out of the rankings before having even any theoretical chance to play again. That feels like malice, and somebody should answer for it.

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.

At least I just borrowed this from the Library, but I still feel cheated, expecting an actual book and getting a collection of essays already published over a span of several years, which isn’t mentioned anywhere on the cover, so you need to get quite a number of pages into the introduction to find out. And those essays are completely unchanged, resulting in content that’s more outdated and far shallower than you’d expect the book to be, plus that plenty of ideas are simply repeated time and time again. Admittedly, this also makes the book particularly easy to read.
The only sections that are written specifically for this book are the introductions for each part, and while they mostly just provide a little context for the essays, some are more notable and interesting, such as the one for part one and the parts about trade agreements and intellectual property from the one for part six. And it was pleasing to see trade agreements and intellectual property being approached in such a critical manner in itself. And I must definitely say the same about describing how capitalism currently works as privatizing the profits while socializing or nationalizing the losses, externalizing the costs, and freeloading on public services and infrastructure and state-supported research. And I could keep nodding along to plenty of other ideas.
The fact that the vast majority of the book is focused on the United States did make me feel rather disconnected, and the essays that are strictly about the 2008 crisis were even worse from that point of view. But, besides that, the problem is that the author remains such a staunch supporter of capitalism, just aiming to limit its worst excesses, when the system itself is the problem and it needs to be replaced with something different. In addition, he continues to push for growth and full employment, states that the major problem is the lack of demand, disagrees with prioritizing fighting inflation and supports the concept of people, businesses and states continuing to live on credit in itself, all of which I firmly oppose.

I was thinking that I won’t post about days that don’t include runs or other notable events anymore, the last such post being on September 3, but I guess I’ll go for it after all, maybe at least in order to get myself to finally post about that June 19 that I referred to multiple times. That won’t be in this post, however, because it’ll start from May 22, when I left at 1:50 PM, taking a mask with me but just carrying it around all day, without putting it on. Penny had that campaign at the time, so I took the 11 bottles that went towards the 10 RON voucher, putting ten in the machine when I got to the one from Decebal, but I didn’t actually enter the store, since the point was to submit form 230, since on paper I had still been “employed” for the first months of 2022. I had taken an old newspaper with me, in case I’ll need to wait in line, but there was no need for it, as I lost more time looking at the ticket machine and watching as others used it, until I was confident that I knew how to get the correct order number, and I hesitated even after that, eventually asking the only employee who was immediately available, who was a cashier, where to file that form. Since she told me to take an order number, which I already had, I waited for it to be called… And then ended up going into the other room and asking whether that was the right place, finally going to the correct room after being told that it was the other one. Then I handed over the two copies for the form and my ID card, but the ID card wasn’t even needed and everything was done moments later.
After quickly checking that Profi as well, I went back to Penny, needing to ask an employee about something, since none of those products were left on the shelf, but he pointed me to the area for products that are on sale, where I found plenty, so I got a few things, then took my time to arrange everything in the backpack, after also putting the purchases in a bag, since there was some frozen meat among them and blood could, and did, seep out. Then I went to Kaufland, grabbing another one of those bottles on the way, even though I saw more of them, since I only needed one more. And I put my things in a cabinet, washed my hands… And didn’t find any green onions left even at that hour! So I just got a couple of other things, then retrieved what I had in the cabinet, added those purchases in the backpack, and washed my hands again, after having handled something sticky. Then I continued to Auchan, quickly checking another Profi on the way, without bothering to use a cabinet. And I entered Auchan with the backpack as well, getting bread and water for dad and also seeing a piece of that good bread left, so I asked how much it weighed and bought all of it, even though it was a little more than I thought. I also saw that some nice sweet things had a 50% discount if you used the store card, so I rewarded myself with the box with the lowest quantity. Then, after also using the tiny amount that was on the store card, I took some time to arrange everything, splitting between the backpack and three bags. And I also had a very quick look through the farmers’ market on the way back.
It was just after 6 PM when I got back the first time, with over 15 kg. I put the purchases, with the exception of the bread, in their place, washed what was in the kitchen, ate some of those sweet things, and left again at 7:30 PM, meaning to go to Obor but deciding to go through the park and finding myself liking the area once I was on the other side. I keep making a note of how those apartments look when that area that’s around the stadium is closed and I need to go around it, but the small gardens that are in front of those that are behind the park are even nicer, so I decided to explore that area little and then just go to those stores instead.
After checking a few other stores from Mega Mall, I just got some small bags of bagels and just a little more garlic from Carrefour. An employee stood right next to me as I used the self-checkout and I wondered why, but she left when I was done, without saying anything. Then I put the purchases in a bag that also contained some other bags and went to Kaufland, washing my hands, putting that bag in a cabinet, and setting my mind on having a good look at the expiring products, since I saw a receipt that contained something that seemed quite nice and which had been deeply discounted. It was only after I entered the store that I realized that those other bags were also in the cabinet, and at that point I forgot that I still had the one that hangs from my neck and one more in the backpack. Either way, even though most of the seeds had been scraped off it, I grabbed the last of those breads that was left, as well as a few buns… And then I saw expiring breads, including a few good ones, and thought that I shouldn’t have gotten those from Auchan, but I nevertheless took two at first… Only to later notice that the bag that one of them was in was torn, so I eventually put that one back, but at that point I had another look and grabbed two others, one of them seeming really nice. And there were plenty of other expiring products as well, and employees were working on them, either increasing the discounts or setting those that expired that day aside, but I didn’t get anything else, just waiting for 9:45 PM before making my way to the self-checkout. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet… And only then realized that I had those bags in the backpack. And, after arranging the purchases, I finally put on the jacket, after having carried it around until then, including on the first trip.
I also went to that Mega Image, putting the bag that hangs from my neck in a cabinet, entering with the backpack, and seeing that one of those apple pastries was left and discounted. However, I decided to first have a look around, meaning to only get it if it’ll still be there when I’ll look again, so I grabbed some expiring olives before returning to the bakery area, at which point a woman asked where I had found them and I told her, though no more were left. But, after getting that pastry, which was still there, I had a better look and decided that I didn’t want the olives after all, so I put them back and then found that woman again and said so as I passed by her. But she was in front of the packaged olives and said that she had already bought some. Either way, I grabbed another expiring product on my way to the checkout, then took my time to arrange the purchases and also count the coins that I had left. A guard was standing around me as I did that, but said nothing.
I got back a little after 11:05 PM, then rearranged a little in the freezer, to make room for that nice bread, which was large, and also for the one that expired that day. After that, I ate an orange, had lunch, and finally went to wash at 12:50 AM. It was past 1:40 AM when I was done, then I put the other purchases in their place, sliced two of the breads from Auchan for dad, ate dinner between 3:40 AM and 4:05 AM, and got in bed at 5:25 AM.

After getting in bed at 5:20 AM, on May 29 I went out when it was almost 4:15 PM, with ten regular bottles, the remaining two that went towards the 10 RON voucher, and the three tickets that had a total of 20 of those bottles on them, though two were on one that was from before the campaign had been extended, so I had taken those two more bottles in order to replace those listed on that one, in case it won’t be accepted. I was messed up, digging deep in order to fake being somewhat functional, but I went to what at the time was the new Penny, put the ten regular bottles in the machine… And that ended up being another winning ticket! But that only came later, and that day I wanted the 10 RON voucher, so I then looked for an employee, spotted the one who talked to me when I won the first time, told her what I wanted… And she went to read the regulations listed on the machine, saying that, after all that time, she didn’t know the details of that part of the campaign. But at least she then came back to say that everything was fine and the boss was going to come in a moment, and she did come after a little while, taking those tickets and handing me the voucher. However, the expiration date was still listed as June 1, and when I pointed out that the last draw was going to be on June 2, she said that they’ll probably extend the validity of those that will be won then by a few more days, and a few more days might also be added to the ones like the one I had just received, but they should normally be used that week.
I did mean to buy some things and use that voucher right away, but I couldn’t find everything in that location and therefore couldn’t get to the required total, so I then walked out and jogged to the one that’s next to that Auchan… Only to forget to take a turn and find myself at Auchan, so I went through that parking lot and around, losing some minutes. But at least I did find plenty of things to buy from that location, including some expiring products, so I calculated what to get in order to reach a total that was just over the required amount and used the voucher without problems. My mind was set on paying the exact amount, so I left the five 0.01 RON coins there even though the cashier pushed them back to me, but what caused more of a problem was the older woman who was after me, since she said that she’ll help me bag the purchases and I kept thanking her, but in truth she was getting in my way and actually made me slower. Either way, I then took the time to arrange everything in the backpack, walking away a couple of minutes before 6 PM and running just about all the way back.
I got back just after 6:20 PM, drenched in sweat. Then I put the purchases in their place, had lunch, and left again at 7:50 PM, with ten things to take to Kaufland, for another voucher. I just needed three, for one voucher, but we have a pile of those things, so I took ten. However, I first went to that cheaper pharmacy, walking past Tei on the way there… And that was a bad choice, because after getting some tea for myself, I decided to also get some for dad from there, then went back to Tei, put my bag in a cabinet… And found that the tea which I had just purchased for dad was cheaper there. So I got some more of those, and some others for myself as well.
After retrieving my things from that cabinet, I put the teas back in one when I reached Kaufland, then put four of those things in the “turtle” before wondering how that campaign really worked. So I then went to the information desk and asked how to get that voucher, being asked how many of those things I had and saying that I had six, which was what I had left at that point. Then I was told to put them in the “turtle”, which I did, then returned to the information desk and saw that the employee had placed three vouchers there, which would have been the correct amount for nine of those things. Another person was there at the time, however, so even though the employee had gestured towards me, I stayed away until she actually told me to pick them up. Then I washed my hands, entered the store when it was just after 9 PM, and heard the employee from the bakery area tell someone else that the discounts won’t increase past the 50% that was already applied that evening, so I got one sweet pastry, after scanning the label, to confirm the discount. Then I also grabbed the dishwashing detergent that was discounted with that voucher, and when the self-checkout machine told me to place the item on the scales after using the voucher, I placed a few coins there, since that voucher doesn’t have any measurable weight. And that actually worked, which probably surprised the employee who came to ask whether the voucher had applied, but he then just said that in that case he’ll take it away and did so.
After retrieving what I had in the cabinet and arranging everything in the backpack, I ran to the other Kaufland, pulling the mask down after a little while. I made a brief stop at that Profi on the way, but only to take a glance from the entrance area, turning around when I didn’t see beets there either, after not finding any at either Penny or Kaufland. And there weren’t any at that other Kaufland either, but I pulled the mask back up after I got there, put the backpack in a cabinet, washed my hands again, entered the store just after 9:40 PM, grabbed one thing from the bakery area, dug through the spoiling lettuce with root and eventually took one, also grabbed another expiring product for dad, and I was picking a few small chili peppers, also for him, when the closing announcement came, so I rushed to the self-checkout… And while I was there an employee asked whether someone had a store card, so I said that I did, and she asked me to scan it for the person who was using the next machine, so I did. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet and arranged everything before walking away. I’d have wanted to wash my hands one more time, since they were sticky after digging through those lettuces, but I didn’t want to stay there even longer when the store was already closed, so I didn’t. On the other hand, I found a cart with the coin in it in the parking lot, so I connected it to others and retrieved the coin.
On the way back I also checked that other Profi, putting the bags in a cabinet but probably entering with the backpack, though I’m not entirely sure. Either way, I found a handful of beets, but there was no price label and they were rather soft, so I didn’t ask and just walked out, retrieving what I had in the cabinet. Then I also checked the non-stop Mega Image, putting the bags in a cabinet and getting one of those apple pastries, which was discounted, and one other thing. But that was while they still used the old system that required those discounted products to be scanned separately, so the cashier first scanned the other product, I paid for it and she pulled out the change, but she kept it, then scanned the pastry, took some of that change, pulled out what was left and handed it to me, which left me confused, since something didn’t seem right. She quickly explained what she had done and then told me to check on the receipts, so I did, noticing that she had given me 0.10 RON less, but I had found 0.20 RON in there, so I just walked away and shrugged it off when she asked whether I had understood. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet and initially meant to go back to that Profi and ask about those beets after all, but that interaction had messed me up even more and after a little while I gave up on that idea and turned back. However, when I was almost at the park I decided to also check the Mega Image that’s next to Tei, though I was still pretty much in shock and ended up entering the park, then exiting it at the corner, going back and around, and taking a longer router after that as well. And when I got there, I put the bags in a cabinet and then just retrieved them and walked out, since I saw beets but they were much more expensive than they used to be. And when I later checked on-line, I saw that same price at Profi.
It was almost 11:45 PM when I got back, then I put the purchases in their place, ate the sweet pastry from Kaufland and what was still usable from a banana, and went to wash at 1 AM, being done just after 1:40 AM and eating between 3:35 AM and 4:05 AM, after doing some other things that I still had to do. I wanted to record something that started just as I was getting in bed, but I only then realized that I had forgotten to start the recording, so I got back on the computer and did that, missing the beginning… And then went back yet again, because after getting back in bed I realized that I wasn’t sure that I had selected the correct option for the end of the recording, so it was past 5:25 AM when I really got in bed. And what was annoying was that the computer case had started vibrating again, most probably because of the higher temperatures. And my feet were also swelling to some extent.

In the early hours of June 2, since dad had of course once again forgotten to take a little bag of trash before leaving in the morning and I had stuffed more things in it and needed to drop it down the chute anyway, I also printed and put up two signs about the lost camera, on the elevator door, at ground floor, and at the building’s entrance, on the inside. However, they were gone by the time I went out in the evening, at 7:20 PM, after having lunch. Either way, I threw a little more trash down the chute at that point, then went to finally donate those cans of cat food which I had stashed and was left with after Micky died, along with some remaining medicine which had been bought for her. I should have also added the little special food that we had left, but I forgot about it, and it’s still there even now, so I need to see what to do about it, since it’ll expire soon. Either way, I had meant to donate it to an NGO, but when I told them about it, they told me to take it to a vet that they worked with instead, so I did that, getting there just after 7:50 PM, handing over the bag and just saying that I had been told by that NGO to drop those things off there.
Then I continued to Obor and got water for dad from Auchan. The only self-checkout that accepted cash from the exit that I needed was actually manned at that point, but the employee didn’t cause any problems. Then I split the water between the backpack and the sturdy bag that I had taken with me and continued to that mall, had a quick look in that bookstore, washed my hands, put the bag in a cabinet, finally put on the mask which I had just carried with me until then, and entered Carrefour with the backpack.
Even though the beets were still at the old price in Carrefour, I didn’t get any that day. But I started by seeing two large bags of salt that were at half price because they were torn, and dad uses that salt for bathing, so I took one, weighed it, and decided to get both when I saw that it actually had more than the listed weight. I also found some spoiling chili peppers and got the smallest bag, even though that still seemed to be too much. There were expiring eggs as well, and while most were too expensive even at half price, there were three cartons at a decent price. Two had one broken egg in them and one had two slightly cracked ones and one that was obviously from somewhere else and apparently expired for almost a month, but I took that one and the other one of that same kind, since the third was different, found a place where I could check more carefully, swapped those three eggs with undamaged ones from the other carton, then put that other carton back. And I also checked the peppers and eventually replaced three bad ones with two good ones, keeping the total weight exactly the same. In between, I also saw discounted bakery products and they included one of those apple pastries, so I took it, along with another sweet pastry, two breads for myself and four for dad. And, as the only product that wasn’t expiring, I also got some pizza dough.
There were employees at both self-checkouts that accepted cash, but while one was feeding the machine with cash, the other one was just buying three cartons of the same kind of expiring eggs that I was getting, so she had probably set them aside earlier. Either way, she went back in after paying, leaving her receipt on the machine, so I asked if she didn’t need it and she turned around to get it, saying that she definitely did, to prove that she had paid for those products. And the discount label didn’t properly cover the normal bar code for the peppers, so both prices ended up scanning and I told the employee from the other machine that I needed someone to remove the full price, though she then called a coworker to come and do so.
Carrying everything was going to be a problem, and that problem became worse even before I walked out of the checkout area, since the bag where I had the bags of salt tore and just taking everything out of there was a struggle. But I managed to carry everything to the cabinets and I was just retrieving what I had in that cabinet when the closing announcement came. Then I took some time to arrange everything in a way that allowed me to move a short distance, so I could get to a bench. The lights turned off just when I got there, but that bench was in front of a store that was still lit, since an employee was still doing something inside, so I then really took the time needed to arrange everything, also tying that torn bag in a way that still allowed me to use it.
Since I had dad’s metro card, which was why I had dared to get such heavy things in the first place, I then made my way to the metro, with just one more stop in order to retie that bag and rest. I rearranged a few things in the bag that hangs from my neck while waiting for the metro, but another problem appeared because I took my phone out of my pocket, so I won’t sit on it, and I forgot about it when the metro came and I rushed to grab everything, so it fell, the headphone jack getting pulled out. But everything seemed fine, and I picked it back up… But when I also picked that torn bag back up, it once again got untied. Still, I somehow managed to get in the metro, with everything, and tied it again before getting off, even though it was hard to keep my balance while doing so, and then to stand up again when the metro arrived at this station. But I managed it, and then slowly made my way back here, with a few more stops on the way, a couple of them in order to retie that bag, until I found a way that made it last a little more, and the last one just to rest. My back really wasn’t happy.
I got back at 10:55 PM, with a staggering 30 kg. Then I ate the banana that we still had and the other sweet pastry, as in not the apple one, dad put the water and salt in their place and I put the other things in theirs, somehow even managing to squeeze all but one of his breads in the freezer and just leaving my bread. I also washed some of what was to wash and finally went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and wash, at 12:40 AM. I was done at 1:35 AM, but I still had some things to do, also dealt with one of my breads, and ate the bag of snacks with peanuts that we still had while making the salad. I ate dinner between 3:45 AM and 4:05 AM. And, unsurprisingly, my legs were burning the next day.

I didn’t even manage to write what’s above this point before midnight, adding the last two paragraphs a little later, and I still had two more days to add in order to have a chance to get to June 19 in just one more such post, if I’ll write it at all, so I edited the post one more time before going to bed in the morning, in order to add the part about June 4, and I did so yet again Tuesday evening, in order to also add June 7.

In the early hours of June 4, I washed the cast iron pot and a pretty large piece of enamel came off one of the handles, which wasn’t exactly a surprise, since I had noticed what seemed to be a crack in that area for some time. Either way, I then started eating dinner at 3:05 AM, but actually finished at 3:35 AM. And while, just like the previous morning, I had set the alarm to ring at 10:45 AM, to watch the Formula E race, it was before 10:15 AM, maybe closer to 10:10 AM, when I woke up the second time, and I couldn’t get back to sleep, finally turning off the alarm and getting up when I checked the time again and saw 10:38 AM. I even did the day’s squats while watching, and after the race I ate something that could count as lunch.
I left at 1 PM and had a quick look in this nearby store, checking the prices of what dad wanted. Then, after a quick glance through the farmers’ market and that Mega Image, I went to Supeco, but I didn’t find the red onions that I had gone there for, and the carrots were imported, even though both were listed as available, Romanian and at good prices on-line. Admittedly, that site refers to the other location. And at least I found some spoiling beets and black radishes and got those, being charged for both bags, and they were quite bad, the beets in particular, but at least the price was good and I managed to use enough from them.
After putting those purchases in the backpack after walking out, I continued to Kaufland, washed my hands, finally put on the mask which I had taken with me, entered the store with the backpack, and saw what seemed to be the best price that could be found for carrots those days. They were listed as being from Turkey, but that seemed to be the rule at that point. However, I just found the price label, none actually being left. But there were some packaged ones, and while those had a higher price, after looking around I managed to find a handful of scattered ones. They had probably fallen out of torn bags, but I didn’t tear any myself, just grabbing a few of those and weighing them, so I got them at the price of the unpackaged ones. I also got just two red onions, which were listed as from Romania, though the way they looked made me doubt that. The price was higher than what I had seen on-line for Supeco, but I hadn’t found any there and they were supposed to be even more expensive elsewhere. And the paper towels were discounted for just two days, and that was the second one, so I got those as well, then put those purchases in the backpack and moved those from Supeco into a bag.
I wasn’t sure where to go next, but on-line I had seen a lower price for the last thing from dad’s list, parsnip roots, at Penny, so I thought of the one from Decebal, where I could check that Profi as well. But then I decided to go to the one that’s next to that other Kaufland… Only to quickly check the vegetables from that other Profi on the way and then once again end up going the wrong way, and some time passed before I realized it, at which point I wasn’t sure where I had ended up, and trying to sort of find my way forward led to ending up behind the Kaufland that I had left from and therefore losing some 20 minutes or so. At that point, I once again meant to go to the Penny from Decebal, thinking that it’ll be faster… But then I changed my mind yet again, deciding to go to what at the time was the new one, where I could also check the number of the winning receipt for the last week of that campaign. However, when I approached Park Lake I ended up deciding to also check Carrefour after all, so I put the bag in a cabinet, entered with the backpack, and then just left again and retrieved that bag, so I just wasted some time. And I was in a hurry, so after walking out of that mall I pulled down the mask and continued to that Penny, even briefly trying to jog, though I quickly realized that I won’t be able to keep that up and just walked as fast as possible… And when I got to the end of the park I changed my mind one more time, deciding to go to what at the time was the closer Penny and getting there at 3:35 PM, pulling the mask back up, putting the bag in a cabinet, without locking, entering with the backpack, just quickly getting what I needed, then retrieving that bag, throwing the parsnip into it as well and jogging most of the way back, until I realized that I no longer needed to.
I got back just before 3:55 PM, so it was no problem to catch the start of the Formula 1 race, and what was strange was that I felt better after getting back than I had in the morning, and even better than the previous day. But I felt worse later, and I didn’t nap at all, unlike the previous day, and at night, after getting back to my room and spending a little more time on-line after starting to clean the kitchen after dad’s cooking, I went back there and took quite a long time to try to somehow fit what was left of one of my breads in the freezer. Then I dealt with the other one, finished washing and cleaning, and started eating dinner at 3:30 AM, finishing at 4:05 AM and getting in bed at 5:20 AM.
One highly unusual thing was that the previous reboot had apparently set things up in a way that meant that I hardly got any of those CPU warnings unless I was using LibreOffice, so there were some while I wrote something that evening, but then the notification that I set up to appear when there’s such a warning showed up again at night, without LibreOffice being open, and when I checked the logs I saw that there had actually been 23 of those warnings at once! There were a handful of times when I saw five at once, and it’s possible that there were six or maybe seven on extremely rare occasions, but I’m quite sure that I never saw more than that, so it was really concerning, but while I have no idea what triggered it at that point, it’s a relief that nothing of the sort happened again since then.

On June 7, I left at 1:35 PM, with 11 plastic bottles, just meaning to put them in the recycling machine at Kaufland and enter a raffle since I was at it. I had dad’s metro card, so I went to the metro station, and while I had just taken a mask with me at first, I no longer felt that putting it on would make me stand out that much when I got there and saw two quite young people who were wearing masks, so I put mine on as well, and then waited for the next metro, since one had just left as I was on the stairs.
I went to Obor and first checked that place from the indoor farmers’ market that I had bought those cheap apples from after the half marathon, but that person wasn’t there. So I looked around, but the prices had increased for apples, and the situation was obviously the same outside, the only cheap ones being really bad and still having a higher price than those which I had purchased then. So I didn’t get any at that point, continuing straight to Kaufland, putting ten bottles in the machine… And just getting one receipt for that raffle. It was supposed to be one entry for five recyclables, but I guess it meant at least five, so I should have split them if I wanted two entries. Either way, I kept the last one, then just bought some of those treats for Liza, putting them in the backpack on the way to Carrefour, entering with them, and just getting another carton of expiring eggs, which I added in the backpack when I got back to the indoor farmers’ market. And then I did get some apples after all, but they looked bad and when I said that I wasn’t sure that I’ll use anything from them, the person who was there said that it was my choice, she didn’t put any in my bag, and she remembered that I had also looked the first time and said that there had been more of them to choose from at that point, yet I had walked away. Either way, I tried to put the bag on the scales but couldn’t reach, and while she acknowledged that, she didn’t help in any way, so I tried again, managed it, then asked how much it was… Only for her to just say 1 RON, without even looking at the scales, which I believe listed about 2 RON, at 1.5 RON / kg. Then again, the price label had been written over and the current price might have been just 1 RON / kg. And those apples really were quite spoiled, so I threw away quite a lot and had to eat what was left rather quickly.
After getting back here with the metro, I noticed that I had a few minutes to spare, so I checked the nearby Mega Image as well and got a sesame bar that was among the expiring products, giving the exact amount to the cashier only to have her ask for the full price, so I pointed to the discount sticker and she apologized for not seeing it and confirmed that I had given her the correct amount. She didn’t give me a receipt, however, and I didn’t insist.
I got back seconds before 6 PM, and then I even did the day’s squats, in the bathroom, before showering. And at night I made mamaliga, and while after eating the rest I could easily peel off what was otherwise stuck on the cast iron pot, there was a large burned area on the bottom which was hard to wash off, some traces being left even after multiple “sessions”. Of course, back then I hadn’t yet learned how to minimize the risk of burning it and was still trying to clean it so the enamel was just about spotless, while now such incidents are rare but I also learned to accept more and more faint traces left and damage to the enamel. So far what’s on the inside is still superficial, but that probably won’t keep being the case for that much longer.