Cav's Place

It definitely feels wrong to write about something else on Earth Day, but considering all the greenwashing it’s being used for and how that’s even encouraged by the year’s theme, which is in fact, and very suspiciously, the same as last year’s and proves that the “official” part of the movement is rushing in the wrong direction just as well, and seeing as I already commented about this last year, I guess I might as well add another post in this series instead.
I probably should at least honor the occasion by focusing on bands and songs with an environmental theme, but I won’t, even if I actually did a quick search for bands that tackle this topic as I started writing this, so I may do that at a later time. However, after happening to stumble upon a band from Estonia and then searching the list and finding just one more from there, over the past few days I ended up having a quick look through other Estonian bands… And finding just two more that caught my attention, and only one that I’ll add here, to at least have that bare minimum of three. The other one will also go on the list, but they changed their style between their two full-length albums and, while I liked their older sound, I’m not fond of the new direction, yet they’re now teasing a new album, so maybe they’ll change direction yet again and I’ll be more inclined to add them in a future post.

That initial new find is Cydefect and the two picks are simple, Moment of Peace and Heal, since there’s little more to choose from at the moment. Sure, you can hear some of the lack of polish and uncertainty that’s to be expected of new bands, but less of it than in most cases, so if this is their starting point, I’d say that they show quite a lot of promise. But it remains to be seen how they’ll develop…

The one Estonian band that was already on the list is Portread and the last activity that I can find was shortly after the release of their one album, at the start of 2020, but I’m going to include them anyway, with the two picks being Saint of Sorrow and Born in Secrecy. I guess it doesn’t really matter anymore, unless they’ll return at a later point, but they sound more polished, and it’s the composition and the instrumental part that caught my attention more than the vocals, though those aren’t bad either.

And the band that I’m including after finding it while searching is Sky Down. They also only have one album, and it was released back in 2017, but they are still active. And the two picks are Shadow of the World and Storm. It’s not exactly a sound that I’d look for, and most of the other songs go even farther in another direction, but they do what they aim to do well enough.

To start with the early hours of January 11, I meant to play Broken Sword just a little more before going to the kitchen and lost track of time, so it was almost 1:20 AM when I went there, and I had things to clean after dad had cooked, and I also moved what was left from what I had cooked into a small pot, so it was 3:25 AM when I finally started eating dinner and just before 4 AM when I finished.
After doing the day’s squats and shaving, I left just before 6:55 PM, despite the cold rain, with some trash, which I threw in a bin, and ten plastic bottles, five of cooking oil and five of kefir, since Kaufland’s 10% discount for five recyclables was for pet food those days and their machines accept those. But I first checked the Mega Image that’s on the way to Penny, putting the bag with bottles in a cabinet, without locking, and then just walking back out, retrieving it and putting it back in a cabinet, again without locking, when I got to Penny, for the cat food that was on sale. And the cashier gave me 1.12 RON less as change, and while I had grabbed a 0.10 RON coin off the floor and I left that and the rounding down aside, I pointed out the difference of 1 RON and she apologized and gave it to me when she opened the register for the next customer.
After throwing the cat food in the bag with bottles, I took out those bottles and put them in the machine when I reached Kaufland. However, I then continued to Mega Mall and got Fire and Blood, after seeing it advertised in the e-mail from the store that I used to get books from years ago, before they used the pandemic to stop allowing them to be picked up, and then searching and finding that it was even cheaper at Carturesti and available in that location. The two copies that were available didn’t exactly look perfect, which might have been why they had an additional 10% discount, but it required the store card, which I don’t have and didn’t make, so I just bought it at the regular price, which was good enough. Then I went to the toilet, entered Carrefour with the cat food and book, grabbed two breads and wandered around until 9 PM, when I expected the sign announcing bakery discounts to appear… But it didn’t, so I asked an employee, who said that there were no evening discounts anymore, so I left those breads there and went back out.
I then actually went to Kaufland, put the cat food in a cabinet, washed my hands, entered the store just after 9:15 PM and grabbed a few discounted bakery products. That bread wasn’t discounted, however, and I confirmed it by taking the label and scanning it, so I moved on and added some of those treats for Liza, to use the discount voucher received for the plastic bottles, cabbage, some beets, and the one bag of spoiling bananas, even after eventually finding a spot where I could open it and check and seeing that some were quite bad. I was at the self-checkout at 10 PM, but the announcement that the store had closed came after I was done, and the vouchers applied for those treats, but no other discount applied after scanning the store card, even though there should have been multiple vouchers as a result of some earlier purchases. But I did consider the fact that they might only apply on purchases adding up to more than the total, which was later proven to be the case, so I didn’t say anything. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet, took quite a long time to arrange everything, finally walked away at 10:15 PM, and took a couple more minutes to arrange my clothes even after that. And then I used a slightly longer route, hoping to avoid having to deal with mud on the way back… Only to still step in a puddle in one place.
I got back at 10:50 PM, having carried 16 kg. Then I ate a banana, a sweet pastry and lunch, put some of the purchases in their place, washed some of what dad had left in the kitchen, and at 12:45 AM I went to the toilet and to wash. After getting back in the kitchen at 1:35 AM, I struggled to find how to fit the beets and cabbage in the fridge, also took a pill, washed what was left in the kitchen, and started eating dinner at 3:20 AM, finishing a couple of minutes before 4 AM. I got in bed at 5:20 AM.

On January 16, I left just after 5:15 PM, after having lunch. I once again took ten kefir bottles, putting the bag that contained them in a cabinet when I got to Carrefour, where that time I did find that “shopping backpack”, which definitely hadn’t been in that spot the previous time. However, I didn’t buy one, nor anything else, just retrieving what I had in the cabinet, entering the Mega Image that’s next to the farmers’ market with that bag, walking back out after a quick look, then putting it once again in a cabinet at Supeco, where they had changed the old and small cabinets that didn’t lock at all with new ones that are larger and have keypads. But I didn’t get anything from there either, so I just retrieved that bag yet again and walked in with it when I reached Auchan, getting bread for dad and two beets and having no problems with the self-checkout.
I only finally reached a Kaufland after that… And the first machine gave an error as soon as I put the first bottle in. But the second accepted all ten, then I put the purchases in a cabinet, got some things, including six of the ten cheaper yogurts that were left, and used those vouchers received in exchange for the bottles for more of those treats for Liza, though those other discounts obviously still didn’t apply at the self-checkout and I still didn’t ask, just retrieving what I had in the cabinet and continuing to that Penny, where I again put my things in a cabinet… And found that they were out of the products that I was looking for. But I managed to find two of the large bags of bagels that were on sale, quite clearly only left because the contents of one were quite crushed and the other had fallen behind some other boxes, so I bought that second one, plus a few other things that I spotted. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet and took some time to make everything fit in the backpack, with the exception of dad’s bread, which was in the bag that hangs from my neck.
I then continued to the other Kaufland as well, 75% bakery discounts being announced when I was putting my things in a cabinet, so I rushed to wash my hands and entered the store when it was almost 9:20 PM, seeing quite a mess of discount labels but managing to get the last piece of four products, though after scanning each of the labels I found that one only had a 50% discount and put it back. The others, however, had the 75% discount applied to the already halved price! Either way, I also grabbed a few more beets and six more of those yogurts, many being left in that location, maybe because the full price was listed instead of the discounted one, but I checked and the discount did apply. It’s possible that I got a bun at the price of another one, since when I selected according to the picture, the self-checkout listed the full price, but I knew what I had scanned when I checked, so I then changed the selection to what had been printed on the label, since the two buns are similar, that label had been in front of the one which I had grabbed, and I had honestly believed that it was what was listed on the label. Otherwise, those other discounts obviously still didn’t apply and I yet again didn’t ask, but it was all cleared up the next day, when dad made purchases of a higher value and the total amount was deducted. On the other hand, the machine refused each bill multiple times, but I kept trying and it eventually accepted them, the closing announcement coming seconds after I left the checkout area. Then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet, took some time to once again arrange the purchases in the backpack, walked away at 10:10 PM… Only to stop again, place everything on a table and rearrange properly, so it was past 10:15 PM when I really walked away. And I quickly glanced at the bakery area of a Mega Image on the way back, just from the door, leaving when I saw no discounts.
I got back just before 10:50 PM, with 11.5 kg. Then I put the purchases in their place, with the exception of the bread, washed what was in the kitchen, ate a small orange, a walnut, cranberry and apple bar, and one of those large bags of bagels that I already had, and I also drank all of the tea, after not drinking any before leaving… Even if my stomach didn’t like to have all of that thrown in so quickly. Either way, at 12:35 AM I went to the toilet and to wash, getting back in the kitchen an hour later… And finding that a few more things had appeared in the sink, so I washed those as well, also sliced a bread for dad before stuffing all of it in the drawer, and ate dinner between 3:25 AM and 4 AM, the salad once again containing only baked beets and a small amount of green onions and lemon.

I’ll start the part about January 19 with the early hours, when I went to the kitchen early enough to slice the remaining two breads for dad before 1 AM… Only to end up doing other things for him, so it was past 2 AM when I managed to even start working on my salad, ending up starting to eat dinner at 3:20 AM and finishing when it was almost 3:55 AM.
Moving on to the evening, a little before 8:15 PM I went to pay the maintenance bill, then came back, put on the jacket and mask, took the bag with the recyclables, left again at 8:25 PM, dropped the recyclables in a bin, meant to put the bag in the backpack… And realized that I had no backpack! And I was already late, so I ran back, grabbed the backpack, left for the third time at 8:35 PM, and jogged to Carrefour, wasting even more time, since I didn’t get anything from there, though I noticed some discounted plates of the sizes that we could use some more of and meant to make a mental note of that. Then I continued to Kaufland, still jogging and giving up on the idea of also checking that Penny on the way, since even so it was past 9:15 PM when I entered the store, after washing my hands… And it was too late, since I saw a discount label for that bread, so some of it had been left when the bakery discounts appeared, but it was gone by then. So I just grabbed two small bakery products, then a number of other things, plus a handful of green onion tops that was in a crate of things that were being taken away from that area. I had decided to first check the expiring products and got back there just in time to see someone grab the last bundle of green onions, but those tops were there and I just grabbed them and put them in a pocket, not considering that I was stealing anything, since they were quite clearly considered trash. Either way, I then used the self-checkout and had just finished paying when it was announced that the store had closed, so I rushed to leave before they locked the main door, then stopped at the first table and arranged the purchases in the backpack, walking away at 10:10 PM.
Auchan was next, but I first used my bank’s ATM from that location, to retrieve the first part of the money that I was going to give to dad, and I had to try a second time, entering a lower amount, after initially entering the maximum that can be withdrawn in one day and getting a message that there weren’t enough bills in the machine. Then I entered the store, with the backpack, just after 10:30 PM, as there wasn’t even a guard that I could leave it with at that entrance, and got the water for dad and a few more things. I was looking at biscuits, having left the bag with the water at the other end of that area, when it was announced that the store was going to close in five minutes and an employee came to tell me to go to a checkout, so I retrieved that bag and just grabbed the biscuits that I had been considering, that employee removing a sign that was in front of a checkout and opening it for me. The fact that it was in English was obviously no problem, but when I meant to pay I saw a small amount listed as bonus and tried to use it, thinking that dad might have used the store card for something else instead of realizing that it was what was going to be added on it then, so the machine gave an error and I had to call an employee to cancel that attempt to pay and let me try again. But they were all there anyway, waiting on me and one or two others. And the guards also obviously wanted to leave, so I just quickly found a way to carry the purchases, the closing announcement coming at that point, and left, being told to use an emergency door. Then I set my things down once I got outside and arranged them properly.
I got back at 11:50 PM, with a little over 20 kg, though after cleaning the litter box and adding what I took from it in a bag of trash, I went back out to drop that bag down the chute. Then I put a few of the purchases in their place, ate those biscuits and an orange, and it was almost 12:50 AM when I went to the toilet and to shower. I was back out at 1:35 AM, after which I put the rest of the purchases in their place and washed what dad had left, so I finally started eating dinner at 3:30 AM and it was almost 4:15 AM when I finished. And counting what I had left revealed that some coins had obviously flown out of my pocket while I ran, most probably after realizing that I had forgotten the backpack, since that was when I really ran instead of just jogging.

On January 20, I went out a couple of minutes before 4 PM, having a look in that Mega Image that’s on what would normally be the way to Penny but seeing the regular price listed for those raisins in dark chocolate, even though a lower one was listed in the catalog, and I couldn’t get myself to ask or to see how much I’ll be asked for if I’d try to buy them, so I just went back out and to Kaufland, getting a few things and having no problems with the self-checkout. Then I went to Mega Mall and looked through several stores, mainly for boots, after which I withdrew the rest of the money from my bank’s ATM, having no more problems, and also checked that Hervis. The guard told me to put my bag in a cabinet, so I did so and then retrieved it on my way out.
Well, I probably should have left that bag there for a while longer, because the few free cabinets from that Carrefour didn’t lock, so I stuffed the purchases into my pockets, zipped the pockets and entered like that. And I found that “shopping backpack” right away, in a spot where it certainly hadn’t been three days earlier, and finally got one, after looking through many of them before finding one that wasn’t sewn in a way that made me think that it’ll tear faster, and then struggling to put all of the others back. Not that the strap didn’t already tear by now anyway, but that’s another story. So, to return to that day, I also looked for light bulbs for my mother, and dad had said that she wanted cold light and the vast majority had warm light, but I found just one with cold light of one kind and four of the other kind, thrown behind others, with no price label and the packaging having obviously been opened and somewhat torn. But I nevertheless bought that single one and one of the others, even though I wanted to test them first and couldn’t find that spot where I could do so that I remembered seeing in other locations, and I again couldn’t get myself to ask. Either way, I also added some garlic and a discounted sweet pastry… And forgot all about those plates. And when I used the self-checkout, also using the 10 RON voucher received for finally doing another survey, I saw that the small light bulb had a higher price than what I had seen on the label from that part of the shelf. But I wasn’t sure what that label had actually been for, so I bought it anyway and then checked, once again failing to find a free cabinet that locked, waiting for a guy who had opened his but seeing that he was actually adding more things in, and then throwing the purchases in a cabinet that didn’t lock, rushing back and seeing that those labels were actually for different light bulbs. So I accepted that price and retrieved my things.
Since I mentioned that I finally had another one of those vouchers, I’ll add here that, back in November, I had received an e-mail announcing a raffle for those who’ll fill the next survey, but I never actually received an invitation for the survey, so in December I eventually sent an e-mail to ask about it and was told that I was still on the panel and should receive surveys every three months, and that I had supposedly received the last one on December 14, which obviously hadn’t been the case. And, if they should come every three months, I’m quite sure that I failed to receive at least one more before that. So I pointed that out, and while I didn’t receive any other actual reply, soon after that I received what was supposedly a “reminder” e-mail and could finally fill another one of those surveys, also receiving that voucher as a result.
To once again return to that day, I got back right at 8 PM and checked the site for the price of that light bulb, seeing that what was listed was just what I paid. Then I eventually went to wash, ate an orange after dad came back, then also had lunch… And at night I once again found myself needing to unclog the toilet, though at least I did it right away, when the water still drained away, and also used a glove, so I managed to avoid actually having my hand in shitty water.

On January 22, I woke up whimpering and would have cried if I could have done so, but I obviously couldn’t. And at night I started eating dinner at 3:10 AM, though I still managed to finish at 3:40 AM. In between, I noticed that the keyboard’s indicator LEDs were once again stuck, and I couldn’t recall whether I had checked after rebooting the day before, to know whether that happens right after rebooting or not. And I’m still uncertain, because I just rebooted again last morning and it didn’t happen, while the previous time it did. But unplugging it and then plugging it back in always fixed the problem so far.

On January 26, dad said that he was going to come with some products, a place that he had played at having been donated more than they could use… And I immediately saw why those products had been donated and why they were passing them on as well, since everything was expired, with the exception of some meat, which was expiring the next day. The sausages had been frozen, but just the small part of the packaging that should have listed the expiration date was torn away on all four packs, so that made me suspicious and I told him to mention it to them, and he was apparently told that they had expired two days earlier, even receiving a picture of a pack that still had the date. So, if that was true and they had been frozen, it was fine. But the real problem were the roes, since he had brought quite a large quantity and they had expired on January 21! And, unsurprisingly, some of them also looked bad. And there were also some fresh spices that weren’t exactly fresh anymore, though most of those were still usable. Otherwise, there was a large quantity of sour cream which had expired the day before, and there were also some spoiling mushrooms, so I decided to make sour cream with mushrooms and some of that meat, ending up starting to eat lunch when it was past midnight, finishing when it was past 1 AM, and then having a lot to wash in the kitchen. And my stomach wasn’t happy either, but the feeling appeared moments after I drank tea, so it was probably caused just by drinking after eating something based on sour cream. It still meant clogging the toilet again, but at least I once again used a glove when I unclogged it. As for dinner, I ate it in the kitchen, starting at 4 AM but finishing in less than 20 minutes… And I decided to risk having some of the roes that looked the worst, only throwing away the part that actually looked odd, spreading some of the rest on bread and microwaving for three minutes.

On the morning of January 27, when I woke up when dad left, I found that he had poured something in the toilet, and he later said that he hadn’t intended to do anything else, just wanting to pour that in and then flush, which’d have been pointless. So I let that solution work for a while, peeing in the sink, and when I finally got up, after tossing and turning for over two hours without being able to get back to sleep, and also having plenty of gas, I did what I could to clean the toilet, even though I definitely didn’t mean to have more to do with it again so soon. Either way, at least there was a little snow that day. And in the evening I made mamaliga, using that new cast iron pot for what I think was the fourth time, though there is a chance that it was actually only the third time. However, I then left it in the sink for a few days and when I got up on January 30 I saw small shards of enamel around it, and when I picked it up I noticed that they came from its bottom. I guess it might have been struck by something while it was in the sink, even if dad said that he didn’t touch it, but there have been more signs of the poor quality of the enamel since then, so it was probably a bad choice to buy it, and now it’s starting to rust in those two small places. But I’ll need to make do with it as it is and hope to manage to keep using it for as long as possible even so.

I should get back a little, however, to the early hours of January 29, when I once again ate in the kitchen, that being the only way to stick to the dinner schedule, which I barely managed even so, since I had some more of those expired roes, putting them on bread, splitting the bread on two plates and microwaving each one for three minutes, which seemed to be good enough. And it’s not like there are that many roes in those cheap “roes”, the vast majority of the contents being made up of water and cooking oil.
Moving on to the evening, I left when it was almost 7:30 PM, taking some trash and dropping it in a bin, after finding that the chute was clogged, and the plastic and metal, which I dropped in a recycling bin, around a man who was digging in it at the time. And then I went straight to that newer Kaufland, washing my hands, walking in the store a couple of minutes after 8 PM and seeing that an employee was placing labels with prices reduced by 75% in the bakery area. She hadn’t gotten to that bread yet and only one was left, so I took the price label and scanned it, confirming that the discount applied and then taking that last bread and putting it in one of those long paper bags, since no normal ones were left. A few other customers were there and the employee was urging us to take everything so she won’t have to throw things away, saying that the previous evening she had to throw away a lot, at which point I asked why don’t they just take or donate what’s left and she said that they’re not allowed to do either, which is really fucked up. Either way, I then scanned a couple of other labels that she hadn’t gotten to yet and grabbed some more bakery products, including a bread of another kind, which I put in a plastic bag, since at least some of those were left. And I also got five expiring packaged breads for dad and some carrots, lemons and radishes that had evening discounts.
When I was at the self-checkout, I used the scales from that area to weigh that second bread… Only to realize that it won’t help me make sure that it was what I thought it was, the other, similar kind having the same weight. But I was reasonably certain that I had identified it correctly, and I confirmed that when I actually ate it. Either way, the machine didn’t accept the radishes as the correct product, so I had to call an employee to override the error, which employee returned and asked whether I wanted help when the closing announcement came as I was bagging my purchases, starting to bag dad’s bread before I could say anything, but then being called away by another customer. And the inner doors were still open when I meant to leave through them, but some employees were struggling to lock the outer ones and they told me to use the emergency exit, which I did, after which I used one of those tables and quickly arranged the purchases.
Then I rushed to Carrefour, putting the purchases in a cabinet and walking in a little before 9:30 PM. There was no need to actually buy more of that food for Rocky, though plenty of it was left, and the other kind, which I should have actually bought more of, was gone, and when I asked an employee he said that he wasn’t working in that area, but if it’s on sale and no longer there, it must have sold out. So I just grabbed some garlic and another thing for dad, and when I looked for those bags of oranges that were on sale, I only found three left, and when I weighed them I found that all of them weighed less than the 2 kg that they should have weighed, one even only about 1.7 kg. But I still wanted one, so I looked at the other two, which weighed just a little less than they should have, and saw an obviously spoiling orange in one, which made me get the other… Only to find when I got back that it also contained one spoiling orange, though it wasn’t quite as bad as that other one. Either way, I rushed to the checkout when it was announced that the store had closed, then I retrieved what I had in the cabinet and took my time to arrange everything.
Dad was waiting for his ride to work when I got here, so we talked for a while and he took a banana, and I got back a little after 10:35 PM, with 15 kg. I then also ate a banana, plus a bag of corn puffs with powdered milk that I already had, and finished and posted that day’s post. It was almost 12:15 AM when I went to the toilet and to wash, and past 1:20 AM when I got back to the kitchen, after which I washed a part of what I had to wash, put the purchases in their place and took out the “stash” of that cat food, setting aside the cans that were somewhat less old, so dad will take them to my mother, and deciding to donate the remaining, older ones, especially since the total “profit” made from the rest of that “stash” fell just short of covering what I had spent on those. So those “investments” resulted in a small loss, of 0.99 RON, instead of a “profit”, but they were going to cover a donation and I was content with that… The problem being that those cans will expire next month and I’m yet to actually donate them, since I mean to donate them along with the remaining gel which had been purchased for Micky and I want to make sure that Liza doesn’t need it, but dad kept saying since the start of the year that he’ll take her to have some tests done and never did. But, to return to that night, I also dealt with one of my breads, took a pill, just in case, finally started working on the salad when it was almost 2:35 AM, and once again ate in the kitchen, between 3:25 AM and 3:50 AM, having more of those expired roes and once again microwaving for three minutes… Or at least I did that for the second batch, since I didn’t moisten the first few slices at all and those were burning after just over a minute, so I had to stop the microwave at that point and eat them like that.

This is how far I got just before dad got back, and since leaving just the last day of the month for another post made no sense but I knew that I wasn’t going to finish before midnight anyway, plus that I’m so messed up these days, I scheduled what’s above to show up at 11:59 PM and added that day when I got back on-line at night, modifying this paragraph at that time as well.

On the morning of January 31, I got in bed at 5:20 AM, and when I woke up at one point and needed to pee I was so sleepy that I tried to get back to sleep without going, which obviously wasn’t going to work, so I eventually gave in and went a few minutes before 9 AM… And then I couldn’t get back to sleep, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was around 11 AM by the time I finally did fall asleep again, waking up when dad was getting ready to leave, around 1:45 PM. I tried to get back in bed one more time after that, but it was late and I didn’t really mean to fall asleep again, and I didn’t, just staying there and resting until I actually got up, a few minutes after 3 PM. Then I did 200 squats before having lunch, since the day before I had put them off until I ended up not doing them at all.
I left a few minutes after 6 PM, with five kefir bottles, since that 10% discount from Kaufland was for chocolate those days and I wanted to get one for dad, and a bag of trash that included what I had cleaned from the litter box. And, after deciding to not even check whether the chute could be used, that bag ended up slipping from my hand when I got to the bottom of the stairs, probably because I was wearing gloves. It didn’t burst, however, so I just picked it back up… Only to have it fall again when I was about to exit the building, at which point it did burst, so I picked it back up as well as I could and threw it in the bin from that entrance area, which I hadn’t initially wanted to use, and then I tried to pick up what seemed harder from what had spilled, throwing that in the bin as well before scattering what was left a little with my shoe.
Once I was outside, I made a few attempts to use snow to clean the glove which had come into contact with what had spilled, and then I walked to Obor, first going to Auchan and getting water for dad and a couple of other things. And I gave the store card to the cashier, but I didn’t see anything about it on the receipt and she obviously didn’t scan it, so the small amount which should have been added on it for that water wasn’t added. But I only confirmed that a few days later, and at that point I was wondering whether they had changed the system and that information simply wasn’t printed anymore, since I had the impression that the cashier had scanned the card, so I didn’t even ask.
Either way, I put the purchases in a cabinet when I got to Carrefour, but first went to the large pharmacy from there, since it was the last day when they offered 10 RON off a purchase of at least 50 RON in that location, so I had a list and tried to figure out what to get in order to have a total that’s as little over 50 RON as possible, and the fact that they didn’t have plenty of the things from that list complicated matters. They did have one product that I didn’t expect them to have, which helped, but I still wandered around, looking, adding up, asking an employee about some teas and having her check and say that they didn’t have either… I did notice that a guard was keeping his eyes on me, but it was even more unpleasant when he came over and said that he had been sent straight to me because I had been seen on cameras putting products into my bag. Well, of course I was putting the products in a bag, that’s where I put what I mean to buy, I never liked using baskets and since the start of the pandemic I’ve been avoiding them entirely, so I told him that, but he said that I had to use a basket, took me to them, made me pour the contents of my bag into one and said that I was causing problems for him, that his boss had asked what was he protecting, pointing out a woman who had just turned away after I had poured my things into the basket. Still, I looked around a little more, asked that same employee about another product, having her say that they didn’t have it without even needing to check, and when I went to the checkout and wasn’t sure where to put the basket after emptying it on the counter, that guard came and took it away, then waited close to the exit, asking me to not be upset when I shook my head at him on my way out.
I really needed to pee at that point, so I went straight to the toilet, adding those purchases in the cabinet after that. Then I entered Carrefour, just getting a little more garlic and four eggs with code one, since those sold by piece were small and there were no bio (organic) ones among them, so I decided to only get a few. But at least there were no problems with the self-checkout, and then I retrieved my things from the cabinet, added those purchases and put everything once again in a cabinet at Kaufland before walking back out, finding 1 RON on the floor, and then searching for the recycling machine, since it had moved. But I did find it, and it took those kefir bottles without problems. I still didn’t enter Kaufland at that point, however, since I also went to have a look in that Penny, though I didn’t find anything to get.
I used the toilet one more time when I got back to Kaufland, entering the store just after 9:30 PM… And being left with an even worse impression of the attitude of the bakery employees from that location when I had the one from that other location, from two days earlier, to compare it with. Two of them were placing price labels, the discount being 70% at that point, but it didn’t apply to bread, and an entire area had no labels whatsoever, and one of the two snapped at an old woman who had pointed something out and then was quite harsh with an Asian man who didn’t really know Romanian and was struggling to figure out the discounts. And she also told him that she only discounts the products that are left when she gets to them, so if he, or anyone, clears out a product before the label is placed, she’ll reverse the discount in the system… Which is messed up, seeing as the labels may be placed several minutes after the announcement is made, during which time the discount appears in the system and customers who scan the existing labels can see the new price, plus that this is not what happens at other locations. Either way, I just grabbed two small products the moment she placed the label for them, after which I also got some of those caramelized walnuts that I had been keeping an eye on for a while, since they kept expiring and being discounted, the 60% discount that I saw that evening being one that finally seemed high enough. And I also saw that the cheap yogurt was still at that discounted price and got some more, plus chocolate and deodorant for dad, and an employee was putting fruits and vegetables that already had evening discounts into bags, with massive additional discounts, so just before closing I hovered around her and got a few more things.
I probably got to the self-checkout after 10 PM, but the announcement that the store had closed came while I was using it. And that was the only functional machine that accepted cash and it wouldn’t accept that I had placed that voucher for the chocolate on the scales, so I had to call employee… But what was worse was the man who came next to me, buying two beers and maybe already being a little drunk. He placed his beers next to my items and stood right next to me, trying to press forward whenever I moved, asking that employee what to do to buy his beers and not seeming to accept it when she told him to wait, trying to scan just after I had finished scanning, before I could even pay, then once again just after I did pay, then yet again while I was gathering my purchases… I had to keep telling him to wait and he’d apologize in a stupid voice but keep at it. At one point, when he was pressed against me, I moved my foot a little on purpose and stepped on his foot. And at the end he was saying that maybe he hadn’t heard me telling him to wait because I had headphones… As if that made any sense… Either way, I then retrieved what I had in the cabinet, took some time to put the water in that “shopping backpack” and throw everything else into bags, placed the backpack on the larger cabinets in order to be able to put it on, and stopped once again when I was outside and arranged everything properly, finally leaving at 10:25 PM.
I carried almost 23 kg, but thanks to that backpack and the way everything else was balanced, I didn’t need to stop at all on the way back, getting here a little before 11:20 PM. Then I ate a banana and caramelized walnuts, put some of the purchases in their place, washed a few things, and went to shower at 12:30 AM, the fact that the water was usable but no more than that likely helping me get back in the kitchen a little before 1 AM. But I had a lot to wash and I also ate a bag of nicer snacks that I already had, so it was 2:30 AM when I finally started working on the salad and I ate dinner between 3:50 AM and 4:15 AM, once again in the kitchen, and yet again having some of those expired roes and microwaving for three minutes. And not going to the toilet before showering led to needing to go before bed, so I got in bed at 5:30 AM.

Somehow, despite being even shorter and rushing through even fewer events, Doomdark’s Revenge: The Icemark Chronicles seems to fit together somewhat better than The Lords of Midnight: The War of the Solstice. Not that it’s really worth reading on its own, or that there’s any shred of depth or development, plus that the writing style shows that the author is trying way too hard, but it makes you more interested in what follows, feeling more like the beginning of a fairy tale than just the backstory that belongs in the manual of a game from that period. That said, the first thing that I actually noticed was the need for editing. And no, I don’t see the idea of staying true to the original as a valid excuse for the fact that nobody bothered to at least fix the mistakes when the game, along with this novella, got rereleased.

Rating: 3/5

Since I had no green onions, I used one of the two better red onions that were left in the salad made in the early hours of March 14. Then, after having fallen asleep mere minutes earlier and actually not waking up when dad came back, he made some noise at the fridge and I did wake up, and also went to pee again, just in case. Just under three hours later I was woken up again, by noise from outside, but I also really needed to pee at that point, and just after I got back in bed I received an SMS from my provider, reminding me that it was the last day to recharge. I woke up again almost an hour and a half later, maybe just because another sleep cycle had ended, and I went to pee one more time, just in case. And when another hour and a half had almost passed, Liza woke me by going to the litter box, and I yet again went to pee, still just in case. Some two hours later I was awake one more time, and I looked after a couple of minutes and saw that it was 1:49 PM, so I decided to rest a little more and might have just fallen asleep again when the alarm rang, at 2 PM, and I got up. Then I had the usual stuff, but also mixed raisins in dark chocolate with the yogurt, cereals and almonds, and I had to search and dig those out, since they were behind most of the other things that I have in my room and I had forgotten exactly where, so I wasted plenty of time and the position that I had to be in was also bad for my legs. Either way, another sweet thing was a slice of panettone, with added honey, and I left a little after 4:25 PM, wearing the full running gear, with the slip of paper with the emergency information in the pocket of my tights. The reported temperature was 17°C, dropping by a few degrees by the time I finished.
The time was 1:47:15, with sector times of 4:22, 5:10, 5:57, 4:34, 5:08, 5:57, 4:39, 5:16, 6:07, 4:45, 5:18, 6:15, 4:51, 5:30, 6:17, 4:53, 5:34, 6:25, 1:58, 6:20 and 1:59, making for lap times of 15:29, 15:39, 16:02, 16:18, 16:38 and 16:52, plus 10:17 for the final portion. I was of course hoping to get under 1:45, but it was my first run of more than 16 km, and only the second of more than ten kilometers, since the marathon, so I was realistically aiming to stay under 1:47. But I wanted to cover the first lap in less than 15:30 and on sector three I found myself needing to push a little more than I’d have wanted at that point in order to just barely make it. Lap two made it clear that 1:45 was out of the question, going over 16 minutes on lap three, with poor times on every sector, made me realize that 1:47 was really in doubt as well, and lap four made it quite clear that it won’t be possible, so over the course of lap five I was thinking of 1:48, the bad time on sector two really disheartening me. At the start of lap six I knew that I had to push even in order to stay under 1:48, but on sector three I realized that I could think of 1:47:30, so I kept pushing and ended up halfway between the original target and that one… Which still means a poor time, and what’s more concerning is that it required more effort than such a time should.
There were some warnings from multiple spots on my left leg from the beginning, but they were never bad. A worse problem was the abdominal pain that also started almost right away and got worse for a while, but it was on the right side and too low to be from my liver, so it might have actually been reflected from my back, and over the first few laps I tried to snap my back and it eventually faded. Otherwise, on sector two of lap two I started feeling like I hadn’t left everything in the toilet, which feeling came and went after that, but it was never bad. And on sector three of lap two I again stepped with my right heel in that hole that’s under the lane, after which warnings from my right knee and right calf bone started appearing, those from the bone becoming reasons for concern as I continued, though it was all right in the end. Also, my hands started to go numb rather early on lap five, maybe even from sector one, eventually my arms were affected as well, and right at the end of lap six I also started to feel that my legs were burning.
I slowed to wait for an opening in a roadblock on the first sector and once again on the second, on sector two of lap two I briefly stepped off the path twice in order to get around people, on sector three of lap three I had to quickly avoid a kid who was riding something that I don’t quite know the name of, on sector one of lap four I slowed a lot or maybe even stopped for an instant because of a roadblock, and right after that, on the long straight, came the one moment when I felt that I fought against the wind. Also, on sector two of the final portion, I hesitated because of a misunderstanding with a guy on an electric scooter, and right before the end of that sector I briefly stepped off the path, albeit on the inside of a turn. And six people were on the stairs when I started the last sector, so I was a little slower than I’d have wanted, since I had to wait for a way through. And there were quite a number of people in general, so I had to weave and go the long way around a fair number of times, and it’s also possible that I forgot one or two other notable problems, maybe on laps five and six. In addition, I think on sector three of lap six, I felt like I had stepped in something hard but brittle, which made me worry about my right shoe, thinking that it might have been a shard of glass or something of that sort. But the real problem was that I just couldn’t go any faster…

After having lunch, finishing the tea and making another, I changed and eventually left again. That was a little after 8:20 PM, but after a few minutes I realized that I hadn’t disconnected the computer, so I jogged back and did that, actually leaving at 8:30 PM. And my nose, which was really irritated after the run, got better quite quickly after I went back out, though that right nostril was once again quite a problem over the following days, and my upper lip was also rather chapped. Either way, I first went to Carrefour and got a few things, and while I was getting garlic a woman was telling two men that those who hadn’t served in the military will get called up for service, which caused one of them to laugh like crazy and shout, making fun of the other one, who was supposedly going to get called up in that case. But that’s a known piece of fake news and I found myself saying so, but only the guy who was being made fun of seemed to pay a little attention, so I gave up and just shook my head, letting them continue in that manner. Otherwise, I meant to use the two vouchers that I still had at the self-checkout and as soon as I tried to scan one the machine told me to wait for an assistant, so I raised my hand, one came over, and for her it just worked right away, without logging on or doing anything else.
I then rushed to Kaufland, put the purchases in a cabinet, washed my hands, and it was past 9:15 PM when I walked in… And that bread seemed to be the one product from the bakery area with no discount… And when I took the label and scanned it, I actually saw that the price was even higher than the listed one, so it had increased but the label hadn’t been changed. But I got a few other things, plus some beets that also had an evening discount, on top of the regular one that they had those days, and I was still looking through the expiring products when it was announced that the store had closed, so I rushed to the self-checkout… Which said that the bakery products weren’t the correct item, probably because one bun seemed to actually be two of them stuck together. But it was one piece, and probably not quite as large as two separate ones would have been, so I wasn’t going to enter it as two, and the employee who came after I called one over had a quick look and logged on in order to override the error without commenting about it. Then I washed my hands again, since they were dirty because of the beets, and arranged the purchases, walking away when it was past 10:10 PM and also checking that Mega Image. I initially meant to put the bag that hangs from my neck in a cabinet, but I realized that I had no 0.50 RON coin, so I took it back and entered with everything, seeing plenty of discounted bakery products and getting some more, including a bread that I could use. I also looked through other expiring products, searching for some on the shelves, in order to find the prices, and eventually just got two packs of gum for dad… Which actually had an additional discount as well, which hadn’t been marked on the shelf, so I ended up paying a little less than I thought I would. Either way, I thought about arranging my purchases better when I left, but I quickly gave up.
I got back a little after 11:20 PM, talked a bit to dad, took out the purchases… And I accidentally dropped my headphones when I took them off, and when I tested them after that I thought that the left one sounded a little off, though they seemed fine since then. Either way, I ate some citrus fruit, maybe a mandarin orange, a sweet pastry and a large bag of corn puffs, washed some of what I had to wash in the kitchen, put the garlic in its place and finally went to the bathroom when it was past 12:50 AM. I initially meant to just wash, but once I was there I decided to very quickly go to the toilet as well, and I was done around 1:35 AM. However, after gathering my clothes from the balcony, dressing, taking something that I had purchased to the balcony and doing a few other things, it was close to 1:55 AM when I actually got back in the kitchen. And I had more to wash and the remaining purchases to put in their place, and I sliced a bread for dad as well, so I “cheated” in order to even be able to say that I started eating dinner at 4 AM, since in fact it was almost 4:05 AM when I really did. Either way, I finished eating at 4:45 AM and got in bed at 5:50 AM.

In the first moments of March 23, dad once again turned his computer on without letting me know. I got on-line while he took a bath, and he turned it back on without a word after coming out. I heard something, checked and saw that it was on-line, so I disconnected quickly and went to him, saying that he had told me just days earlier that he doesn’t connect without asking first, but he said that he had taken a particularly long bath and I should have known that he’ll come out of the bathroom at some point, plus that sometimes I even say that I don’t get on-line while he takes a bath. I pointed out that I hadn’t said that then, and knowing that he’ll come out at some point doesn’t mean that I also know exactly when… Only for him to just say that he’ll know that next time… As if… And, of course, he won’t accept the blame for anything. And I also asked how long had it been since he had turned on the computer and he said five minutes, but I the checked the next evening and saw that it had been over ten minutes.
Either way, I then took it a little too easy and started eating dinner at 3:05 AM, but it wasn’t even 3:35 AM when I finished. I once again had no green onions, however, and my sleep was also rather agitated, though I guess it wasn’t that bad overall, and I got up after happening to wake up, thinking that the alarm, which was set to ring at 2 PM, was about to do so, checking the time after a few minutes and seeing 1:56 PM. Then I had the usual stuff, with two of those expired nicer biscuits, with added honey, as the sweet thing, and left at 4:20 PM, wearing the full running gear. The reported temperature was 18°C, and it was about 17°C when I finished.
The time was 46:39.69, with sector times of 4:10.95, 5:03.00, 5:48.00, 4:23 (4:22.27), 4:50.57, 5:41.00, 4:23 (4:22.50), 4:54.28, 5:37.25 and 1:50 (1:49.87), making for lap times of 15:01.95, 14:54 (14:53.84) and 14:54.03. I pushed from the start and on the long straight of sector one I already felt that I couldn’t keep up that pace, but that sector’s time was a little better than I thought it’d be, I managed to not slow more than I meant to on sector two, and sector three was once again better than expected, and so was the lap. I was still just aiming to stay under 48 minutes, however, even being worried that I’ll slow too much from then on, but I found myself pretty much in runner’s high and continued to be pleasantly surprised by the sector times on lap two as well. Sector two was particularly surprising, but sector three and the lap were also nice. As such, after the end of lap two I was pretty sure that I’ll stay under 47:30, but I wondered whether I could also get under 47 minutes and the first sector of lap three seemed to just give me a slight chance, which chance seemed to improve after sector two. At that point, I thought that I’ll be too tired for anything better than 1:53 or so on the final sector, so I was wondering whether I’ll be fast enough on sector three of lap three to afford 1:55, but that sector was much better than expected, and in fact that final sector was also a little better, and the overall time was just great.
There was some pain around my left ankle from the start and I was getting worried on sector two of lap one, but on sector three of lap one I had a moment when I seemed about to get dizzy and after recovering I felt that I was pretty much in runner’s high, so over the course of lap two I didn’t feel much of anything else, only starting to notice things again towards the end of sector one of lap three, after realizing that I was getting a little thirsty. After that, I noticed warnings from the muscles from both of my legs, but that ankle seemed fine, and while I felt like I was starting to run out of breath as I continued on lap three, I kept pushing. Otherwise, while there was a fair amount of weaving and going the long way around, there were no notable problems caused by people. And, while it had rained the previous day, the lane had mostly dried, so I just avoided the areas where it’s too uneven or there are holes underneath. But the wind was a problem, including on long straights. I noticed it most of all on both of the long straights of lap two, but there were plenty of places where I fought it.

I had a quick look in Mega Image on the way back, despite not having a mask, and then I showered right away. Later, I ate an apple and a part of a sweet thing, did laundry and cooked something, and while cooking I also had a little over half of a bag of bagels, eating the rest of it instead of bread when I had lunch. But that was after it was done, so it was close to midnight when I started eating lunch and almost 12:30 AM when I finished, and I soon went back to the kitchen, to make the salad for dinner, though I first decided to also do the day’s squats after all. On the other hand, I put a few slices with something on them in the microwave while I finished slicing the rest of the bread and I guess that I sprinkled too little water on them, or left them a little too long for that amount of water, and on top of the bread getting rather burned, the small plate that I used didn’t take it and cracked, though what was strange was that I heard the noise that indicated that it had cracked just after the microwave had stopped. It’s still usable for the time being, probably as long as I won’t use it for anything like that again, but it remains to be seen for how long even so.

On March 30, I got up when the alarm rang, at 2 PM, but I was once again awake for a few moments at that point, after having woken up a little earlier, seeing that it was 1:41 PM, deciding to crawl back in bed, and probably napping just a little more before waking up again. And earlier that morning I had been woken up by a call from the NGO organizing yesterday’s tree planting event, asking me to confirm that I’ll take part, but I managed to get back to sleep well enough after that. Either way, I then had the usual stuff, with a large doughnut, with added honey, as the sweet thing, and left a little after 4:20 PM, wearing the full running gear. The reported temperature was 12-13°C, holding steady.
The time was 1:17:13, with sector times of 4:18.04, 5:02.16, 5:50.19, 4:22.50, 4:59 (4:28.22), 5:43.18, 4:26.28, 5:00 (4:59.44), 5:52.91, 4:38 (4:37.44), 5:14 (5:13.96), 6:02, 4:39, 5:15 and 5:53, making for lap times of 15:10.39, 15:04 (15:03.90), 15:18.63, 15:54 and 15:47. I checked and memorized the exact times as long as the stopwatch displayed them, so until an hour had passed. The goal was to get back under 1:18, but the initial target times added up to 1:18:20, so it was nice when the first lap was ten seconds faster than the target for it. However, I doubted that I’ll keep that up… Until I saw that I was even faster on lap two, putting me safely ahead of the target for that point. And I continued to be significantly faster than planned on lap three as well, so 1:17:30 seemed likely and I even started wondering about getting under 1:17. Lap four showed that I was going past the usual distance, however, getting much slower even from the first sector, so I pretty much put aside those thoughts of getting under 1:17, but still pushed hard on lap five, initially to make sure that I’ll stay under 1:17:30, and on the last sector in order to stay under 1:17:15, which I just managed.
There were warnings from the back of my right hip at the start, but they went away quickly, though from lap two they were replaced by some from the back of my left thigh, which continued for a while, though they weren’t bad and eventually they also died down. A faint pressing need first appeared on lap two, but it became more notable from the end of lap three and, while the intensity varied, it didn’t go away after that. And there was abdominal pain, I think on lap five, as I was pushing, maybe from the start of sector two, if not from the end of sector one, but I realized that it was mainly reflected from my back and it got better after a little while, after I managed to snap my back. Otherwise, I again stepped in that hole that’s under the lane, on sector three, maybe on lap three, though I’m not quite certain, and I did so almost fully, just slightly more with the back of the foot, so I just avoided tripping, but it was definitely jarring. And it was quite windy and on each lap I was fighting against it pretty badly after the bridge, on sector one, just where the slope goes down a little and in that turn, and it remained notable on that long straight as well. I also tended to feel it on the long straight of sector two, with the possible exception of lap one, and in some other places as well, albeit not as badly.
As for people, there was some weaving and going the long way around, but the one real problem, on sector two of lap four, cost me at least a couple of seconds, though at least it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. A little kid didn’t seem to know which way he wanted to go, twisting his body to look and stretch his arms in one direction but walk in the opposite one, across the lane, and the two adults who were with him kept their eyes on him and took up much of the path, asking him where were they going, and I had my attention focused on them and wasn’t sure which side to pick, eventually deciding to go around them on the side where the older woman was… And suddenly finding myself facing a guy on an electric scooter who had obviously done the same thing… At that point, we both had to keep going in the same direction, since the other would have meant slamming into those people, and then we only had time for one move of the silly dance, both of us choosing to turn hard towards the edge of the path and fortunately managing to stop right in front of each other. Some of those small bushes were also there, so I couldn’t go off the path right away either. Otherwise, there was a moment when I hesitated a little, because of a dog with a long leash, on sector three of what I think was lap five. It might have been lap four, but I’m quite sure that it was lap five.

I pretty much ran back as well, ate lunch, changed, and left again at 8:05 PM, with those things that I take to Kaufland… Only to realize right after walking out and locking that I had forgotten a bag of trash, so I dashed back in to get it, and then I threw it down the chute. Either way, I first went to Carrefour, with those things in the backpack, and just grabbed some spoiling black radishes, the self-checkout machine refusing all 0.01 RON coins but otherwise working. Then I dropped those things in the bin at Kaufland, washed my hands, entered the store, with the radishes in my backpack, just before 9:25 PM… And when I scanned the label for that bread, the scanner said that it couldn’t find the product, and since it had no discount label I didn’t try to check at a self-checkout as well, just getting a number of bakery products that were discounted, some expiring bread for dad, and what I had gone there for. I rushed to the self-checkout after the closing announcement and I ended up being a little confused by the total, so I took a little time to check, then checked more thoroughly after leaving the checkout area and confirmed that it was correct. Then, after going through the first set of doors, I placed my things on those cabinets and arranged them, and I think that it was almost 10:15 PM when I walked out.
I then went to that Mega Image, put the bag that hangs from my neck in a cabinet, and checked the discounted bakery products, finding and grabbing one of those apple pastries and some sweet pastries for my mother. Then I saw expiring glucose as well and got two more, after having bought two others for a slightly higher price a few days earlier, though at least those had a deep regular discount and weren’t expiring. Either way, I also wanted to check the price of an expiring bar… And saw deep discounts for many products of their own brands, so I ended up buying some, for dad, mother, and one even for myself, even though they’re imported. And I eventually decided to grab one of those expiring bars as well. Then, since they split those expiring or spoiling products from the rest, when I told the cashier that I also had 0.30 RON, so she’ll just have to give me bills as change, she said that we’ll sort it out at the end… And didn’t notice that I actually did place those coins on the counter while she scanned the other products, adding what was actually 0.40 RON to what she asked for those other products of their brands. I was a little confused at that point, seeing that I was ending up paying more than I had calculated, but then she saw those coins and handed me a 0.50 RON coin, telling me to take it because she had charged me as if I hadn’t given those to her, so she ended up giving a little extra change. But at that point I said that I’ll check the receipts and took a moment to do so before stepping away, then I did it again, more carefully, in front of the cabinets, before retrieving that bag. I took my time to arrange everything after walking out, and it was a couple of minutes after 11 PM when I walked away.
I got back at 11:30 PM… And found that dad had burned his sandwiches in the microwave, after I had told him to not microwave them. He had made two in the sandwich maker after coming back from work and then left them there while he slept, and after getting up he said that he’ll eat them as the second course, before leaving, but then I saw that he had placed them in the fridge, and when I asked him about them he said that they were too hard and he’ll microwave them, supposedly in order to soften them. I was rushing to finish getting ready for the run at the time, so I told him that microwaving will make them worse, but when he said that they’ll first get better, if he’ll eat them quickly, I didn’t insist, assuming that he had a method to make that happen… Only to learn that he had apparently just contradicted me for no reason, not even knowing that he should moisten them, and he had set the microwave for a long time as well, saying that some four minutes must have passed until he noticed that there was smoke everywhere and they were pretty much burning. I was worried about that glass thing that he had placed them in as well, but it seems to have been strong enough and didn’t crack. But there was still plenty of smoke, and he obviously threw away those charred remains, and when I said that I’ll charge him for throwing away food, he said that it wasn’t his fault and, of course, blamed me for not telling him that they’ll burn. Even after I pointed out that I had warned him and he had told me that they’ll get softer at first, he blamed me for not insisting, and when I said that I had assumed that he knew better, he said that I should have known that he didn’t. As if that makes any sense… Plus that, as I already mentioned, I was in a hurry to leave.
Either way, I eventually spread out the purchases, put a few in their place, talked to dad about those that were for my mother, ate a banana and that apple pastry, and finally went to shower when it was almost 12:55 AM. Then, after talking to dad some more, it was past 1:40 AM when I actually got back in the kitchen… And I had a big mess to clean up and things to put in their place, putting the sugar in the cabinet and pouring some in what we keep the one we use in took a long time, and I also moved something from mother into a smaller jar, so it was 3:10 AM when I started working on the salad and 4:40 AM when I finally started eating dinner, finishing at 5:30 AM and getting in bed at 6:10 AM.

This is clearly intended to serve as the backstory for the game, not to be a novella to read on its own. Taken like that, as something that would belong in the manual of a game from those days, it definitely does its job and then some. But I didn’t read it because I’m just starting to play the game, so I’ll also review it as a regular novella or short story, in which case the impression it leaves is far poorer. While it can be somewhat engaging for the half an hour or so it may take to read, all the events and revelations it rushes through over such a brief span of time are basically just there to tick some boxes, and it may be said that this even applies to the one section where the author seems too determined to prove that he can use the sort of phrases that tend to be seen as typically belonging in books. So, again, do read it before playing the game, but don’t expect to be left with anything from it otherwise.

Rating: 2/5