Cav's Place

The first run I’m yet to write about was on December 2, when I got up when the alarm rang, at 1 PM, though that was after waking up multiple times from 10:30 AM or so, because of my mother cleaning and cooking and dad also leaving for a while at one point. Then I had the usual stuff plus pumpkin, with a large doughnut with added honey as the sweet thing, put on the full running gear, with a few things in the pocket of my tights, also took the jacket to wear on the way, tying it around my waist as I ran, and left at 3:30 PM, when the reported temperature was 11-12°C, supposed to drop by a couple of degrees by the time I’ll finish.
The time was 46:54.44, with sector times of 4:14.95, 5:01 (5:00.68), 5:46 (5:45.72), 4:28 (4:27.78), 4:53.85, 5:44 (5:43.12), 4:23.50, 5:04.35, 5:32 (5:31.37) and 1:49.12, making for lap times of 15:01.35, 15:05 (15:04.75) and 14:59.22. I just aimed to stay under 48 minutes at first, but after the first lap I rather switched to 47:30, even briefly considering 47 minutes but deciding that it was impossible. However, sector two of lap two made me wonder whether it was possible after all, and at the end of the lap I decided to go for it. The target times I had set were still for 47:30 though, and after sector two I knew I needed outstanding times on sector three and the final one to get under 47 minutes, but I felt I could push harder and did so, not thinking it’d work but realizing at the end of the lap that it had, not even requiring such a mighty push on the last sector anymore. So this was the first time I got back under 47 minutes since September of 2020… And, seeing as that evening I took the last of the iron, quite clearly the last at least for now, and possibly or even probably not only.
Pushing that hard did lead to feeling a certain pressing need even early on and on lap three it became quite an issue, but I managed… And I also had to manage all the work still being done. The scraped area still started after the bridge on sector one, though at least that part wasn’t fenced off yet, while at the end of sector two, under the bridge, it wasn’t fenced off anymore. It was fenced off earlier on sector two, however, on that long straight and not only there… And it also seems like they had removed the fence too early on an area, as you approach the bridge, since there are many foot and paw prints, and even a cyclist seemed to have ended up there for a couple of meters before turning away, and they didn’t bother to fix it. Back to what was fenced off, that was again the case for most of sector three, where they were painting the edges of the new surface. So I managed that time despite going the long way around a lot and being careful on sector one… And despite a number of issues caused by people, mainly on the long straight of sector two.
On lap one, a guy was barely moving and I reached him right when he was next to that stall that’s there, so I had no way to go on the grass either, and another person was just ahead of me as well, but I just managed to squeeze past them while just slowing, without actually stopping. And I managed to squeeze through without quite stopping a little later as well, a roadblock forming when I was almost at the bridge. Back to that straight, on lap two this time, a couple was ahead, holding hands and the guy also holding a bicycle, and someone else who came from the opposite direction barely squeezed through because they seemed to pull each other in opposite directions and therefore blocked even more of the path… And the girl seemed to have been amused by the moment and started slightly pushing and pulling the guy as she moved in the opposite direction to the pushing and pulling, so I shouted at them to make way and he apologized, twice, also pulling her visibly before the second time, maybe as a way to say that he was apologizing for her as well. Then, on lap three, several people formed a full roadblock on that same straight, so I took to the grass, going quite wide in order to be fully on it, not just with one foot, which also meant going behind a few things. I can’t recall whether the things were benches, trees or both, but I clearly was on the grass for a few seconds. And the last issue was on sector three of lap three, when a guy had left his large dog off the leash and it came running, having spotted another dog I had just passed, so I avoided it while the guy apologized to me in passing and then shouted at the owners of the other dog that his was well behaved… As if that even mattered when it was large enough to knock over even a grown adult…

Then I went to that Carrefour and grabbed a few things, had an orange after getting back, changed and went out again at 7:10 PM, after my parents left, dad taking mother back. The first stop was the Penny that’s close to the newer Kaufland, and what I noticed was that, even though I got there at 7:40 PM, that other store that’s there, which is supposed to close at 8 PM, was already closed again. Didn’t want anything from there, but I wonder what its real closing time is.
Either way, there was supposed to be garlic on sale at Penny, but I couldn’t find any, the one thing I did spot in that area being a label that still listed the old discounted price for pumpkins. It was a bit away from the place where the remaining pumpkins actually were, but I assumed it still applied and grabbed one, plus what I thought were two bottles of tomato sauce. However, there were two kinds there, looking exactly the same with the exception of one word on the label, and one of the kinds was not on sale and twice the price of the other, and I guess I somehow mixed them up when I walked away, despite looking carefully at first, because I ended up staring in surprise at the total when I got to the checkout… Which I guess happened often enough for the cashier to know just what the problem was as soon as she saw my look, telling me that I had picked one of each, so I said I had meant to get two of the discounted kind and she called someone to void the other one and gave me the change for what was left, albeit rounding down to the nearest 0.10 RON, so being 0.06 RON less than she should have given me… And when I checked the receipt I also noticed a higher price for the pumpkin.
Since I had to go back in for the other bottle anyway, I didn’t mention anything right away… Which proved to be a good thing, because when I checked again, meaning to actually grab the price label and show it to the cashier, I saw that a label with the price I was charged was actually right where the pumpkins were, that old one that was a bit away having likely just been forgotten there. It could still be considered a trick, and it obviously had tricked me, but since the correct label was in the correct place, it was my fault for missing it, and that price was still lower than anywhere else, so I shrugged it off, took that second bottle of tomato sauce… And had to stand in a significantly longer line in order to buy it, quite a number of people having suddenly showed up there. And I would have likely held that line a little longer if the cashier would have known the regulations of the campaign they were running, offering a free drinkable yogurt in exchange for three Tetra Pak packs, but when I pulled out the three I had, from some other kind of tomato sauce, she said that they didn’t accept those, only milk or something like that, so I just left.
Then I went to that Kaufland, put the purchases in a cabinet, washed my hands, went in at 8:15 PM and saw evening discounts in the bakery area and five of those breads still there, so I grabbed four, and a couple of other things. Then I wandered around a little and eventually also got some lemons and three discounted breads for dad, adding up to almost everything I had left. Still had one more look, wondering whether I could just squeeze something else in, but eventually made my way to the self-checkout, having no problems with the machine.
Though I initially put the tomato sauce and pumpkin in the backpack, it was that torn one, so on the way back I decided that having so much weight and bottles in it was too much of a risk and I just put it in the sturdier, albeit also torn, bag I had, so I no longer had to worry about it and reached the building at 9:40 PM. Then I had the sweet pastry I had bought, put things in their place, showered, and then made mamaliga, adding quite a lot of stuff in it, so there was a whole lot of it and it was also quite watery despite boiling for a very long time. Either way, I just barely managed to start eating in my room at 3 AM, though I had been cleaning what was left on the whisk in the kitchen for a few minutes before that.

Though I obviously didn’t run again then, I’ll also add December 3 here, when I had lunch right after waking up and was leaving at 3:05 PM. I still wanted that garlic, so after having a quick look in a Mega Image on the way I went to the nearest Penny… And realized I had forgotten to take those Tetra Paks again, since I had checked the regulations, seeing that there was no restriction on the kind, so I had meant to insist if they were going to refuse me again. But at least that made things simpler, and I found the garlic, so I got some of that, and also a cabbage, since the price was lower than what I had seen on-line. Then I went to Carrefour, deciding to not also check Kaufland on the way but making the little detour to check that Mega Image instead, the fact that I couldn’t find any of that cat food there either actually proving to be a good thing, a better discount appearing at Kaufland the following week. Either way, from Carrefour I just bought some expiring flour for mother, then found that the area around the stadium was closed off, so I had to go back a little and then around, but still managed to be back a little before 5 PM. The next breakdown seemed to be getting too hard to keep pushing away that day, but I somehow struggled on. Started eating dinner at 3:30 AM, though I licked a bit of some cheese again while moving and mixing, before that hour, then got in bed at 5:20 AM. And the following night I started eating dinner at 3:15 AM.

On December 6, the alarm woke me at noon, and that was after sleeping quite poorly in the first part of the morning, until the second time I went to pee, at 9:15 AM. Didn’t really need to go then, but decided to and it seemed to help, since I finally slept well after that. Then I had the usual stuff plus pumpkin, and a large doughnut with added honey as the sweet thing, and put on the full running gear, with the undershirt underneath and some things in the pocket of my tights. Also spent quite some time trying to figure out how to wear the thin thing received in the kit for the marathon, which I thought could go around my neck, since I still hadn’t washed those better ones, but I ended up just rolling it, so it wasn’t on my neck but at the base of it. Maybe that’s the point, so cold air won’t get under the t-shirt so easily, or maybe I’m missing something, but that was the only use I could find for it. Either way, I also took my gloves and jacket, tying the jacket around my waist as I ran but keeping the gloves on, since when I left, a bit after 2:45 PM, it was overcast and even a bit foggy and the reported temperature was 4°C, albeit supposed to increase by 1-2°C.
The time was 47:09.67, with sector times of 4:15.39, 5:05 (5:04.81), 5:47.25, 4:27 (4:26.63), 4:58.03, 5:42.84, 4:25 (4:24.13), 5:00.16, 5:41.00 and 1:49.43, making for lap times of 15:07.45, 15:07.50 and 15:06 (15:05.29). The initial target was again just staying under 48 minutes, and that didn’t change after lap one, but after lap two I started thinking of 47:30 and pushed all the way to the end. Had actually felt like I was exhausting myself on sector three of lap two, which made me worry about lap three, but when I saw the time I realized I had been pushing harder than I thought, so it was fine, and in the end lap three was the fastest.
Thought I’d be cold, even more so after seeing a couple on the way to the park who had quite clearly been running and their noses and faces were all red, their fists were clenched and they were walking like they were frozen from head to toe, but I didn’t quite freeze even when I took the jacket off before starting, and once I got going it was all right, remaining so even as the fog fell even more towards the end. Taking the left glove off to properly push the button each time and then putting it back on likely caused a small loss of time, but that shouldn’t be something significant, and while at first I was also worried because there were wet areas and even puddles, that proved to not be much of an issue either. However, on the long straight of sector one of lap one I slowed a lot because of a guy, and also had to go over the scraped part a couple more times, while on the long straight of sector two of lap one I had to take a few steps on the grass. And there were several other issues caused by people, but while a few came close, none were quite as bad as those. Otherwise, my right knee gave a few warnings on sector two of lap one, and on sector one of lap two there were some warnings from something that seemed to be below my left knee and I also felt the need to snap my back, the pain going to my right shoulder. There was also some pain around my appendix on sector two of lap two, but that was likely just gas, though for a little while on sector one of lap three my liver also gave some warnings.

After the run, I went to that Carrefour and grabbed two expiring yogurts, a bio (organic) one and a protein one, and something for dad. Then I also went to Kaufland, and on the way I saw a cart on the sidewalk, with the coin in it, but I didn’t take it back to the store, despite considering it for a moment. So I just bought some more things for dad, the only thing I’d have gotten for myself being some tea, after seeing that the price listed on the label was a bit lower than elsewhere, but when I scanned it I found that the real price was the same old one, slightly higher than elsewhere, so I mentioned it in passing to an employee working in that area and obviously left it there. Then, after also having a quick look in the Mega Image that’s next to the pharmacy on the way back, I got back a bit before 6 PM, grated two apples, with sugar, showered and had a sizable lunch. And at night I just managed to start eating dinner at 3 AM.

On December 16, I got up when the alarm rang, at 1 PM, had the usual stuff plus pumpkin, with the last slice of the old cozonac, with added honey, as the sweet thing, but then I finished the transcript dad needed that day before leaving, at 3:30 PM, wearing the old running suit, which I had been wearing inside, also with the running t-shirt underneath the shirt and that thinner thing at the base of my neck. It was overcast, and in fact quite dark, and the reported temperature was 3-4°C, supposed to hold steady, so I obviously also kept the gloves on, and wore the jacket on the way, tying it around my waist as I ran.
The time was 47:43.13, with sector times of 4:19.13, 5:02.75, 5:59 (5:58.16), 4:27.66, 4:58 (4:57.72), 5:52 (5:51.81), 4:27.44, 4:56.22, 5:51 (5:50.34) and 1:52 (1:51.90), making for lap times of 15:20.04, 15:17.19 and 15:14.00. Considering the cold and the added clothing, I again just aimed to stay under 48 minutes, realizing even more clearly that it was the only realistic target after I saw that they had scraped pretty much everything and then also noticed that the fence started on the long sector one straight. I still hoped to surprise myself by doing better, of course, but got worried after seeing a sector one time that was slower than I thought it’d be. Then, after a sector two time that was fine, I was thinking that going over 5:50 on sector three would mean trouble, so when I saw that I didn’t just go over that target but in fact barely managed to stay under six minutes, I was thinking that it was the result of having stopped taking that iron two weeks earlier. So I knew I had to push and did so from lap two, being pleased with the first sector and even more so with the second, and the third allowed for a lap that was faster than the first, so I was hoping again, and then I ended up being even faster on lap three, so it worked out. It required pushing like crazy, however, and the sector three times were way worse than they had been recently, so I was still thinking that it might end up being the last time I’ll manage to stay under 48 minutes, my times being about to become awful again.
Then again, I doubt I’d have managed it even then if there would have been many people, especially considering that fence on the long sector one straight. But there weren’t, the one notable issue being a roadblock that caused me to slow a lot on sector three of lap three, since it seemed like something had been partially poured on the scraped area and I didn’t want to step in that. And there were a few other places where I had to carefully step on the scraped area, but I probably lost more because I kept going the long way around and avoiding the new surface more than I had to, since fences seemed to start and stop and the new surface didn’t inspire confidence when I glanced at it in some of the places that weren’t fenced off. There was also that tiny loss caused by taking the glove off and putting it back on to press the button at the end of each sector, but the more significant loss was caused by slowing to better see the time, a little at the start of sector two of lap one and more at the start of sector one of lap two, and then I even stopped for a couple of seconds for that same reason early on sector three of lap three. Otherwise, my right hip gave some warnings from the start, though it soon stopped, and that knee and ankle followed around the halfway point, though that wasn’t much of an issue either.

After getting back, I ate something sweet and some walnuts, watched something and left again a bit after 7:10 PM, taking the things I take to Kaufland. However, I first went to the larger Mega Image from the area to grab a catalog, since I hadn’t checked on-line, staying there to have a look through it before deciding I had no reason to actually enter the store and continuing on my way. I was mainly looking for food for Liza, which was on sale, but I grabbed a few other things as well… And meant to grab one more, but scanned the price and found that it was much higher than the listed one, and when I went back there, meaning to find an employee and complain, I saw that the price label had been removed, so they had likely been made aware of the problem and I just gave up on that product, eventually making my way to the self-checkout after waiting to see whether the bakery discounts would start at 8:30 PM but still seeing no sign that the bakery employee was about to place those labels when I passed by that area at 8:38 PM, and I had no intention to wait until 9 PM. However, scanning those 30 pieces of cat food one by one took a while and the announcement about bakery discounts came while I was doing that, maybe at 8:45 PM, so I put the purchases in a cabinet, washed my hands, went back and grabbed a number of things, most of them to be taken to my mother… Only for the self-checkout to run out of paper and fail to print the receipt. It actually listed an “unexpected” error, but I figured out what the likely cause was and told the employee when I called him over, and he put a new roll in. On the other hand, I couldn’t find the bin for masks, so I ended up coming back with the ones I had meant to throw away there, and got back a bit after 9:50 PM. And at night, though dad was here, working on the computer, I made mamaliga again.

On December 20, I woke up just after 12:40 PM, saw the time, decided against going to pee and might have managed to nap just a little bit more before the alarm rang, at 1 PM, and I got up. It soon started snowing quite heavily, but the forecast stating that it was going to stop by 3 PM seemed to have been proven correct when it did even before that time… But then it started again, albeit lightly and mixed, so it was sleet. Nevertheless, I had the usual stuff plus a small piece of pumpkin and also almonds, with regular biscuits with added honey as the sweet thing, put on the old running gear, with some things in the shirt’s pockets and both the running t-shirt and another old one under it, and also that thinner thing at the base of my neck, and left just after 3:30 PM. With a reported temperature of 1°C, supposed to hold steady or maybe drop to zero by the time I’ll finish, I obviously also wore the jacket on the way, though it was still tied around my waist as I ran… But just as I got to the stairs I realized I didn’t have the gloves, so I had to turn back and grab them.
The time was 47:24.01, with sector times of 4:20.42, 5:01.43, 5:49.13, 4:27 (4:26.41), 4:59 (4:58.65), 5:49 (5:48.97), 4:25.38, 5:00.00, 5:44.18 and 1:50 (1:49.44), making for lap times of 15:10.98, 15:15 (15:14.03) and 15:09.56. Considering the previous run, I didn’t really know what time to aim for at first, and I started a bit slower than I normally do, probably being a little confused by the big pile of some material, not sure if gravel or the new surface, which was there and meant that I couldn’t quite use the exact path I normally use for those first few steps. But sector two of lap one was all right, making me have hope for that lap again, and when sector three was also good I could start to actually calculate the times needed to stay under 48 minutes one more time. And from then on I pushed, managing nice times and even getting back under 47:30 at the end.
I quite clearly felt that I was no longer taking that iron, however, seeing as I again found myself unable to quite keep sprinting all the way to the end of the long straights, and I was also running out of energy on the second half of sector three of lap three and also the second half of the final straight. Then again, that was likely also caused by running out of breath, just the fact that my nose was running keeping my nostrils from sticking together at that point. Otherwise, my left hip started bothering me on the long straight of sector two of lap one and, while it never became a serious issue, it remained something I had to manage from then on. And my fingers and toes were freezing, but at least the sleet seemed to stop around the time I started running and there were even breaks in the clouds, so the light was good, and I also could avoid the puddles well enough. Likely slowed a little a few times to check that what I had in the shirt’s pockets was still there, however. As for problems caused by others, the fenced off area started right after the bridge on sector one, and in two spots the remaining room was so tight that I had to be careful to not trip over the fence on my own, so it was a relief that there were few people, only finding some ahead of me in that area on lap three, needing to take to the grass twice as a result. And I used that new surface in more places, though at least where it replaces a part of the paved area it’s better to stay off it, since it’s way too uneven and seems to give under your feet.

And this is how far I managed to get while I could stay on-line, before dad got back in the evening, so I posted this part then and what follows was added before I went to bed in the morning, when I also changed the time to 11:59 PM. Actually, the remaining part about December 20 was written before midnight, but the rest was written after that.

After the run I again went to that Carrefour and bought a few things, then came back, had lunch and went out again just before 7:20 PM, first going to Tei, for toothpaste and, since I was there, also another nose spray. I had checked the prices on the site, but finding no price label for that specific toothpaste and both price checkers apparently being out of order made me uneasy. It was fine in the end, however, the prices being those I had seen, so I continued to Penny, got what I meant to get, and then also went to Kaufland.
After putting my things in a cabinet, peeing and washing my hands, I found that the bakery discounts already applied and got a few things, including one bread of another kind, the evening discount not applying to the one I usually get from there, which had a regular 20% discount those days. Then I also got deeply discounted carrots and lettuce and wandered around a little, but when I couldn’t find the cheap kefir for dad, I checked the time, saw 9:11 PM and decided to hurry in order to get back to Carrefour before closing time, since I had seen one kind there that was at least cheaper than what was still available in Kaufland. Admittedly, I should have found cheaper kefir in Auchan, but I had quite a number of purchases and Auchan doesn’t have cabinets, plus that I hadn’t actually been there that day to be certain I’ll find what I wanted. But I had to leave Kaufland first and the self-checkouts were causing issues, so I first had to wait for the employees to help those who were ahead of me, then as soon as the first machine freed up another employee rushed to use it to purchase something before I could step in, and then I had problems of my own when my turn finally came. The machine didn’t like the fact that I placed the bag with all the bakery products on the scales at once, and while the guard said that the bag was the problem and told me to remove them from it, that didn’t help, so I also had to wait for an employee, the one from the information desk eventually coming, the one working in that area being busy with other customers. But at least she took care of that error and also entered the lettuce, and I saw that the discounts had increased for all of those products, and after she logged off to let me scan the carrots I could finally leave.
It was past 9:25 PM when I finally retrieved my things from the cabinet and walked out, so I didn’t have the time to arrange them better, just rushing to Carrefour… Which wasn’t easy when it was so slippery. There had been some ice on the way there as well, but on the way back it was a fair bit worse… And I also tripped when climbing stairs in the park, just as someone who was climbing down was telling someone on the phone how slippery it was. And three people climbing down the next set of stairs were stepping very carefully and tightly holding on to the railing. But I had to hurry, putting stuff in the cabinet and being in Carrefour at 9:50 PM, having just enough time to grab one of those kefirs and also two expiring bio (organic) drinkable yogurts, since those ended up being cheaper for the same quantity and dad had used that one I had eventually received for those Tetra Paks, so I thought those would also be fine, though after he used them he told me to not get any more of those for him. Either way, I was walking away from the checkout at 9:59 PM, so the store closed just as I got to the cabinet to retrieve my things. Then I could finally take some time to arrange everything a little better and was back just after 10:20 PM.
Dad was cooking at the time, annoying me with the mess. In itself, that actually wasn’t as bad as it usually is, but he hadn’t even turned the exhaust hood on and had been feeding Micky on the table again, her food ending up scattered on the table as a result. Either way, I eventually had the sweet pastry I had bought and an orange, but the water was quite cold, so I put off showering and cleaned what was in the kitchen until dad went to bed, setting a pot of water on the stove in order to wash with that. However, after leaving the water running while I cleaned the bathroom sink and bathtub and then finished in the kitchen and brought the pot, it got to a level I could have managed, even though it still felt quite cold except on my hands and feet. So I finally went to shower at 1:20 AM and in fact mostly used that water, only using maybe about a third of that from the pot from the waist up, before using soap and then for a first rinse of that area. Then I saw how much was left and used it for a first rinse of my legs as well, and another rinse of my genitals and butt, but it felt like I had rather spoiled myself with that. Either way, I was back in the kitchen at 1:40 AM and finally started making the salad at 2:15 AM, but I also dealt with the bread after that, so it was 3:50 AM when I started eating dinner, 5:25 AM when I finished and 5:50 AM when I got in bed. And I’ll also mention here that there were no visits recorded in either view that day.

As for December 31, I again got up at 1 PM, when the alarm rang, had the usual stuff plus almonds, with a slice of cozonac with added honey as the sweet thing, then put on the old running suit, which I had been wearing inside, also leaving the t-shirt and undershirt under the shirt even if I knew I was going to overheat, and left at 3:35 PM. It was overcast and the reported temperature was 4°C, supposed to hold steady, so I obviously also had the gloves and wore the jacket on the way. However, I had some things in the jacket’s inside pocket and as I turned it upside down in order to roll it and tie it around my waist before starting to run, they fell out, so I had to put everything back and then took no more chances, setting the jacket down in order to roll it safely.
The time was 48:54.10, with sector times of 4:12.76, 5:09 (5:08.31), 5:57.38, 4:38 (4:37.59), 5:09.69, 6:02 (6:01.44), 4:41 (4:40.97), 5:10.06, 6:00.15 and 1:56 (1:55.75), making for lap times of 15:18.45, 15:49 (15:48.72) and 15:51.18. So I wasn’t just a full minute and a half slower than the week before, but in fact this was the worst time, and actually the first one over 48:30, in two months a half, and also marked the first time I failed to stay under six minutes on sector three since then. If you just take the seconds into account, laps two and three were also the slowest since then, but if you look at the exact time and ignore longer runs, lap three was actually the slowest lap since September. And you actually need to go to that absolutely awful run from early September to find a slower sector one time than the one on lap three, again taking the exact time into account and not counting longer distances.
In part because I didn’t want to end the year with a bad time, especially after having done so well the week before, and in part because dad had bought two Penguin cakes for me along with the sweets bought for New Year’s, I had eaten one the day before and meant to eat the other that evening and wanted to do something to feel that I deserved them, I meant to use every last shred of energy, hoping to somehow get under 47 minutes one more time, or at the very least stay well under 48 minutes again, so I gave it everything from the start. The stage was being set up for the New Year’s concert, the only one being organized in Bucharest, and there were three bumps covering cables that I had to step over on the long sector one straight, but otherwise the fences were moved aside on that sector and there weren’t as many people as I feared, in fact far from it, so I was thinking that if I won’t cover that sector in less than 4:10, I’ll be in trouble… And I definitely was, because I gave it absolutely everything, needing to slow a little on sector two in order to recover, and then all I could do on sector three was stay under six minutes. So, though I completed the lap in less than 15:20, it was clear that I won’t be able to maintain that pace, so I had to give up on any targets actually worth considering and started wondering whether I could aim for 48:30 or I’ll need to struggle to even stay under 49 minutes, the latter obviously being the case in the end, and requiring pretty much all I had even so.
I had to slow because of a roadblock just before the long straight on sector one of lap two, and a worse roadblock made me briefly stop on sector two of lap two, but otherwise the main problem caused by people was that plenty insisted on walking on that new surface, so on what should now be called the running lane, even if the rest of the path was free, so I had to keep moving off it in order to get around them. But, with only two quite small areas still fenced off and I think two tiny pieces for some reason still only scraped, I did try to use that lane much of the time, when it was free and it didn’t mean going the long way around… Though sometimes I even tried to stay on it when it did mean that, leaving my usual path just to see how it went. So I also wonder whether using it makes me force my hips in order to lift my legs more, or something like that, since it feels much softer, seeing as my left hip started hurting a little from the long straight of sector one of lap two, remaining something I had to manage all the way to the end, even though it wasn’t a serious problem, and the right hip also gave me a few warnings over the course of the run. And there was some wind on lap three as well. In the end, however, the main problem was that I once again simply lacked the energy to keep pushing, or to sprint all the way on the long straights, making it quite clear that nothing was solved and the anemia returned in force after I stopped taking that huge dose of iron.

After the run I again went to that Carrefour, just quickly checking the expiring products and the bread area, not finding any for myself, only some white bread being unsliced, but finding a whole lot of a certain very good kind that I could get for dad, having a good discount. Considered getting four at first, but then I thought I might find some for even less in Kaufland and only got two, then jogged to the newer Kaufland, thinking I’ll have better odds of still finding what I was looking for there… Only to find the bakery area almost cleared, and definitely cleared of all bread except a few of one kind that I didn’t care to get and which was quite expensive anyway, the evening discount not applying to it. And there was no discounted bread I could get for dad either, so I just got some lemons and some more onions, plus some yogurt for myself, and then waited in line at the self-checkouts as 6 PM approached, that being when the store closed that day. I actually heard an employee ask another whether the checkouts were going to close automatically at 6 PM, but was told that they will at 6:30 PM, and either way it wasn’t my problem, since the time on my receipt was 5:50 PM and by 5:55 PM I had retrieved the bread and my gloves from the cabinet, arranged the purchases in two quite balanced bags and was walking away.
With no more reason to hurry, I took it easy on the way back, then had some walnuts, but decided against also having that second cake then, leaving it for dinner, since I definitely didn’t deserve it after the run. Then I showered and started making mamaliga again, adding quite a number of things in it again and not quite managing to finish it by midnight, so it ended up boiling for some 20 more minutes without me even stirring it anymore, since I was splitting my attention between watching some fireworks, both on TV and outside, and checking on the cats. Then again, somebody fired quite a load at 11 PM, so Liza had been hiding all the way behind the living room couch, actually going up against the wall, ever since then, and with the worst of it actually only lasting some five minutes in this area after midnight, but some people apparently waiting until around 12:20 AM and 12:40 AM, respectively, to make use of what they still had, she was there for a while, and also went right back after quickly eating what I had set out for her once things seemed to have gone quiet. Micky, on the other hand, alternated between looking curiously out the window and rushing under the living room couch, or at one point under the kitchen seat, but she wasn’t staying there for long, even ate when she was passing by her food, and returned to her normal behavior as soon as things seemed quiet again.
It’s a good thing my parents, and especially my mother, didn’t call that night, however, since I was at the very edge of a breakdown, even sort of having it in my mind, and anything of that sort would have triggered it completely. But as it was, once I knew that the cats weren’t going to die on my watch, I could focus on the mamaliga again, finishing it and then placing a plate on top of the pot, to keep it hot while also finishing the salad. Then I took those and the cake to my room and ate, being quite surprised when I finished and found only a couple of small burn marks on the bottom of the pot, since I had expected to have burned it quite badly after letting it boil for so long and not even stirring during that period, towards the end.

And now, although this is awfully long as it is, I’ll just add this part about today as well, starting with the early hours, when I started eating dinner at 3:35 AM even though dad was working, and that was after having lunch quite early in the evening. More notable, however, is that at some point in the morning I woke up screaming and whimpering, dreaming that dad was forcing me to let him buy something for me from a Mega Image, even if just a pretzel at half price, in order for him to get something for himself as well and not make it appear unfair in some way, and I just couldn’t take having more money spent or resources used for me anymore and was trying to get away, crawling away on the store floor while the employees were staring… And the dream images continued to blend with “reality” after I woke up, hence that reaction. And I also had a headache then, but actually managed to get back to sleep quickly enough… Only to still have the headache after I woke up for good, when dad left, though it had mostly gone away by the time I got up, after spending a little more time in bed. It did return, albeit at a lower intensity, after I got on the computer and resumed writing this post, but it eventually seemed to go away for good. And, to also mention these things, I had lunch after dad got back in the evening and, seeing as I’m posting this part just before getting to bed in the morning, I can also add that I just managed to start eating dinner at 3 AM.

In terms of length, maybe all three novelizations put together would count as one book, so counting each of them as a book read again feels rather like cheating. However, while I haven’t played the game to be certain, as far as I know it’s limited in the expected ways by both the hardware capabilities and the game design practices of its time, yet this first book actually delivers more than I expected from something using such a game as source material, being a good example of classic heroic fantasy. It could have lost itself in endless battles, twisty dungeons and confining corridors, yet instead it’s engaging and well written, the story and characters are fleshed out to an acceptable degree, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
You can easily see that it’s based on a game and maybe it could have been a little longer, including a couple more battles and areas, in particular the fact that Kylearan’s Tower is almost entirely skipped, with the exception of the boss battle, making me raise an eyebrow. But, again, if you take it for what it is, it’s more than good enough and makes you want to quickly move on to the next. So maybe the one complaint is that Isobel is awfully infuriating, and irredeemable as far as I’m concerned, even considering the end, yet even that is realistic and to be expected from a character of her class and background. But, since I mentioned classes, I was left wondering whether Dag was supposed to be a second fighter or something else.

Rating: 3/5

With the first run I’m yet to write about having been on December 2, I’ll still leave the long walks to “pay” with PET bottles aside, and of course also the hospitalization, but use this post for the odds and ends from before that date that I’m yet to write about. That includes three days from the first half of October, but I’ll get back to those after picking up from where I left off, after walking away from that area and putting the shirt back on, so I’ll finally finish with the day of the marathon, October 31.

The plan was to go to Victoriei and then just keep going all the way to that street that’s just before Victory Square, to then go to that pizza place and use some more of those points I had won, but after crossing to the other side of Unirii Boulevard I just continued on it until I ended up before the park and fountains, so I went into the Old City, meaning to at least cut a little through there… Only to end up rather lost, apparently first going one way, then the other, before finding my way out close to University Square, so I should have just kept going and used the main roads. But since I was there and passing by a used books store, I decided to have what turned out to be a quite thorough look, despite that fact that all the fluids were starting to make their effects felt and I started needing to sort of dance around with increasing desperation with every minute that passed. But I somehow managed to hold it in until I finished looking at everything I cared to look at, then rushed to the underground passage and fortunately found the toilets open.
After staying on the main road for a while, I quickly checked a Mega Image and then turned to smaller streets again, deciding to get one of those carrot and orange cakes, and also having a quick look in another place I spotted just before getting there. Then I finally reached that pizza place and walked in, the work having finally been finished, first asking why was one kind of pizza much cheaper than the others, including the Margherita, and whether it was smaller. Then, since I was told that they’re all the same size, I ordered one of those and another vegetarian one, also trying my luck again by asking whether they had any offer for those who had finished the marathon and being told that they didn’t. After that, while waiting, I started looking for the toilets, ending up asking another waiter and not understanding the directions he gave me, looking around the corner instead of going through the doors, so I turned back to look at him in confusion as he just stood there looking at me as well, seeming to not understand what I wasn’t understanding. But then the one standing at the door, who had taken my order, returned and I could ask her, and she explained in a way I could understand, so I went to pee again and also wash better, then after the pizzas were brought I spent some more time trying to stuff both boxes in one bag before giving up and using two.
After stopping again to try to arrange the boxes better as soon as I found a spot where I could place the bags, I meant to just keep going all the way to Obor, but when I saw a 0.50 RON coin in front of a Mega Image, after picking it up I decided to go in after all. What I wanted to get from Mega Image is something that’s not usually available in the small stores, and the pizzas wouldn’t fit in a cabinet, so I asked the guard what to do about them if I just wanted to quickly look for something and he told me to leave them on the first checkout counter, which was unmanned at the time. So I did that and had that quick look, and somewhat to my surprise found what I was looking for, so I bought it and then continued on my way, having quick looks at some of the confectioneries and pastry places I passed by but not meaning to get anything until I reached that new place from Obor, for another one of those apple and meringue cakes. And it’s a good thing that, even though I again needed to pee quite desperately by the time I got there, I decided to make that detour before going to Carrefour and Kaufland, because once I got there I saw that it wasn’t open, though the listed schedule stated that it should have been, so I knew that I had to look for something else in the hypermarkets instead.
After managing to get everything in a cabinet and rushing again to the toilet, I got a pumpkin and various expiring things from Carrefour, these being for dad with the exception of the piece of pie that I ended up getting instead of that cake. Then I retrieved my things from the cabinet and also went to Kaufland, and since I had a list of things to buy from there, including some more cat food, I first took care of that, then also got some cabbage, and also some cucumbers and green onions that were discounted even though it wasn’t that late, even the time on the receipt being only 6:40 PM.
With the pizzas needing to be kept more or less straight, some of the other things being placed on top of one of the boxes and sliding around, and the bag from the race kit being unusable, I had to figure out how to carry everything, the pumpkin and cabbage proving quite an issue, so after an initial attempt to arrange everything I stopped again after leaving Kaufland, spreading my things on a bench and taking my time to figure out something that seemed to work better… And that would have been the end of it if dad wouldn’t have called at 8 PM. He hadn’t called until then, but apparently decided to do so just then, when I was only some ten minutes away, the traffic was loud and even a tram was just passing by. And of course at first he hung up quickly, before I could manage to somehow free a hand to answer, then tried again but, again as usual, wouldn’t shout on the phone even when it’s obviously necessary, so all I heard were some unintelligible whispers until he hung up again… And then he called one more time, some five minutes later, and this last call was the real problem, because when I got the phone out of the jacket’s pocket, where I had placed it in order to be able to get to it faster, a hangnail broke off and I started bleeding quite heavily, all over the bags, jacket and phone, so it’s a good thing I was at least so close, because carrying everything suddenly became even more of a problem… As was getting my keys out and unlocking the building’s door.
Still, since I had told him that I was only a few minutes away and he had said he’ll wait, I assumed that I at least won’t have to struggle with the apartment door, so I rang the doorbell… Then knocked… Then rang some more… Until I gave up and struggled with the keys yet again, and then also with opening the door and walking in with everything, a bit before 8:20 PM, having carried 19 kg. As for the reason why he hadn’t answered, that was because he was in the bathroom, starting to take a bath, and when I reminded him what he had said he said he had waited until then, calling me when it started getting late and he really wanted to take that bath, so when he said he’ll wait, he meant he’ll wait in the bathroom… As if that made any sense… Or as if starting to take a bath just when he knew I was getting back after such a day and would want to take a bath myself made sense either. But I spent that time putting things in their place and cleaning up after him in the kitchen, then took that bath after he was done, and then made salad and, at 3:20 AM, started eating dinner, consisting of the carrot and orange cake, that cheaper pizza and the salad. Also took a cold pill, just in case, and finally got in bed at 5:30 AM.

Now that I finally finished with that day, let me get back to October 5, when dad said that mother had told him to get watermelon as well, and also bread, though those hadn’t been on the list she had given me, which I had taken care of after the previous day’s run. So that spurred me into action and I said I’ll go out that evening and get those as well, and since that meant I was going to shower again anyway, after getting back, I decided to also clean my room before leaving, at 7:20 PM.
Went to the Carrefour and Kaufland that are next to each other, first checking prices in Carrefour, then getting the bread for mother from Kaufland, then returning to Carrefour to also get a bread for dad and some potatoes, then going back to Kaufland, peeing and washing my hands and then being there just in time for the 9 PM discounts, getting a bread for myself and two other things from there, then taking my time picking a watermelon. Struggled with that watermelon for a while, first trying to put it in a smaller bag and then in my backpack, but eventually had to give up and leave it in a larger bag.
I still had a bit of time, however, so I also went to the Mega Image that’s across the road from there, for some more of that zacusca, just managing to stuff everything in a cabinet, since that location has some slightly larger ones there. I was in at 9:40 PM, got the zacusca and also found that in one of the bags of discounted carrots there were carrot pieces that otherwise were quite good, the others having mostly whole ones that were actually spoiling, so I bought that as well and just as I got back to the cabinet the cashier told the guard to get ready because it was 9:55 PM. So he blocked the doors, then helped me get the potatoes in my backpack, since I was struggling, then opened the doors so I could leave, and I was walking away just before 10 PM.
Didn’t walk far at first, however, stopping just a few steps away, to check that I had everything and try to arrange things better, and then doing so again after crossing the road. But I was eventually back a bit before 10:40 PM, having carried 14 kg. Then I had a small apple and a sweet pastry before eventually also changing my sheets and taking the blanket out, putting it back in use. Then I showered, got back in the kitchen at 1:15 AM and started eating dinner at 3:30 AM. My right foot was burning again, but I’m thinking that what made me make a note of this back then is significantly less than what I’m feeling now…

The next day I skipped over so far is October 10, when there were no visits recorded. Otherwise, after the irregular heartbeats I made a note of having the previous night continued when I happened to wake up that day, still feeling them even at 12:15 PM, when I last went to pee, they did seem to go away when I actually got up, around 2 PM. Had lunch not long after that, then only started eating dinner at 3:20 AM, after going to shower at almost 1 AM and then washing and cleaning things in the kitchen. And those irregular heartbeats returned that night, and continued throughout the next day.

As for October 12, I was out at 7:10 PM, and since I was looking for green onions I first checked the Shop & Go on the way to the Carrefour from the park. Then I went there and saw that regular onions were on sale, so I got some of those and a little bit of garlic, trying multiple scales after noticing that two added a bit to the weight. Then I made a little detour to have a very quick look in the Mega Image that’s next to the farmers’ market and then continued to Kaufland, also checking a Shop & Go on the way. There were no green onions in that Kaufland, however, so I just grabbed some oats for dad and the last bread of the kind I get from there, evening discounts already applying, then decided to change the plan, going to that newer Kaufland as well instead of Auchan.
Lost a little more time on the way, first having a quick and pointless look in that Profi and again going the wrong way for a little while after getting back out, and then also very quickly and just as pointlessly checking two more Shop & Go locations I passed by, but when I got to that Kaufland I saw evening discounts for fruits and vegetables and also a few bundles of green onions left, so I grabbed two of those first… And the last 1 RON bill I had fell from my pocket when I took out the phone to check the time. But I realized it soon after, rushed back to that spot and found it still there, on the floor, close to an employee who was working with some boxes. Then I wandered around a little, calculated what I had left and what I could still afford, found grapes for a pittance that looked good and got some, then saw that the prices of the vegetables had dropped yet again, at 9:30 PM, and also got a lettuce with root. Then I again tried to calculate how much I had left and what I could get without using any of the 0.50 RON coins, but somehow made a mistake, so if after also adding a bundle of carrots with leaves I thought I just had to find 0.03 RON at the self-checkouts, I actually needed 0.13 RON… And didn’t find anything anyway, so I had to use one of those coins after all. And the machine told me to scan the product first after placing the grapes on the scales, so I had to call an employee to override that.
After arranging the purchases in a bag, with what I had bought earlier that evening being in the backpack, I went to wash my hands, walked out at 9:55 PM and got back here just before 10:40 PM. Then I ate a cake brought by dad, showered, took care of something else I had to do and got back in the kitchen at 1:10 AM. There was a lot to do there, however, so it was 4:15 AM when I finally started eating dinner, and that was even though I forgot to put any seasonings in the salad and didn’t go back to the kitchen to do so, not wanting to lose even more time. But at least 4:15 AM wasn’t even at that point the latest time I had started eating dinner, and I finished at 5:10 AM and got in bed at 5:35 AM. The irregular heartbeats continued, and I noticed a few even while I was still in my room, after showering, and more after that, while I was in the kitchen and then while eating.

Now I’ll skip all the way to November 23, when I was careful and there was no more blood in the toilet, but I had a huge amount of gas all day and didn’t sleep much, being unable to get back to sleep after waking up a bit after 9:30 AM. And my mother was here and annoying me and I rather cracked in the evening, having to isolate myself, curling in a ball under the blanket. At least I napped then, but I stayed in my room after that as well, not eating that night… Which at least allowed me to add that last part to the post about the marathon, considering it completed after that, though it’s only with this post that I finally finished with that day.

On November 24 I started reading The Sixth Extinction. Otherwise, something was wrong with my stomach in the evening, a lot coming out the rear end after lunch, though I was very relieved that there was no blood, at least. And I still had old celery root and mayonnaise to finish, so I wanted to start eating dinner a bit earlier, but after crawling in bed after midnight and waking up at 1:20 AM, I only did so at 3:35 AM… And I had burned my tongue as well, in the evening, on the biscuits I had microwaved.

All I want to add about November 25 is that I timed the squats again, seeing 2:09 even though I did them in the kitchen. Then I’ll skip to the early hours of November 27, when I had a late shower, getting to the kitchen close to 1:30 AM, starting to eat dinner at 3:30 AM despite having had an early lunch, in the afternoon, and getting in bed at 5:20 AM. As for that evening, I managed to finish the book, then cooked something, then told dad that I was going to want to get on-line before midnight, to post the quick review. And since he said he was going to bed anyway and it was 11 PM, I calmly went to my room, to write it while eating lunch, and when I was done, at 11:50 PM, I just connected… Only to see that his computer was still connected as well, so I rushed to the living room to remind him of what he had said… Only for him to say that he had never said he’ll go to bed and was waiting for midnight, though as I was about to repeat exactly what he had said he drifted off, possibly realizing he was wrong, and immediately turned off the computer, though of course the “damage” was already done. Either way, I then started eating dinner at 3:05 AM. Could have started before 3 AM, but decided to mix and then arrange some cheese, so it was before 3 AM when I licked a bit of that.

On November 29 I left at 5:25 PM, taking the recyclables and making a little detour to drop them off in a bin. I was going to Obor, but also meant to once again check that location of the Library that was closed whenever I did, forgetting that it was a free day for state institutions, so it was of course closed yet again. Then I checked three Mega Image locations from the Obor area, including that big one, but didn’t get anything from any of them, the first purchases of the evening being from that Penny, frozen beans for dad and a small but passable pumpkin that somehow still had the previous week’s discounted price. Carrefour was next, and after putting those purchases in a cabinet I went to wash my hands and decided to pee as well, then got onions, an expiring bio (organic) yogurt and a similarly discounted piece of kadaif. Then I continued to Kaufland, washed my hands again, and confirmed that bread doesn’t get evening discounts there, and at 8:30 PM the employee grabbed it off the shelves anyway. But I made use of the evening discount for two other bakery products, then grabbed a heavily discounted cauliflower that was admittedly starting to go bad and also some canned sardines.
Even though I again took quite some time to arrange everything, making better use of the backpack, I was still out a couple of minutes before 9 PM, and entered the building at 9:45 PM. Then I had a late lunch, and writing some more to add to the post about medical matters meant it was late when I finally went to shower, finishing at 1:40 AM and starting to eat dinner at 3:30 AM, though I again licked a bit of cheese a little earlier. But at least I finished that post that night.

On the evening of November 30, I ended up spending four hours in bed, struggling to just barely hold back another breakdown caused by dad cooking and then complaining when I went to the kitchen in the evening and washed something. Meant to floss and brush my teeth and then read, but ended up needing to just crawl in bed, and when I somehow managed to briefly fall asleep I dreamed that I was having that breakdown, though at least that only happened in the dream. And even though I was thinking I won’t manage to go to the kitchen that night, I eventually managed to crawl out of bed, actually went there a little before 1 AM and even managed to clean up more of the mess dad had left than I thought I would. Still, that meant it was 3:25 AM when I started eating dinner, and that was after again having an early lunch, after waking up, and only got in bed again at 5:30 AM. In between, however, I also finally added the Romanian translation to the Goodreads version of the quick review for The Sixth Extinction, dealt with some more things in the kitchen and also flossed.

As for December 1, I knew that dad was going to bring mother again, but since they were first going to buy a new toilet tank to finally replace the broken one, I thought they’ll arrive later. However, they arrived in the afternoon, also put things in the kitchen and started working in the bathroom, so I didn’t really manage to do any of the things I had planned for that day other than making a full backup… And also had to hold it in again, which definitely isn’t a good idea when you have problems in that area. Either way, I had lunch in the evening, started eating dinner at 3:15 AM and got in bed at 5:20 AM.

This is a collection of texts from the Starea Natiei (State of the Nation) show, and I rather added it to get free shipping for the other books ordered, though supporting a rather good show and maybe the only remaining Leftist TV show host around here was a nice bonus. The texts are from five years ago, but while the details refer to that period, the general ideas are just as true now, and in some cases unfortunately even more so. Yes, the texts are short and therefore don’t go in depth or offer detailed arguments, but they tackle important topics, are written well and make points I can get behind. And since I prefer to read, not caring to watch or listen to people speaking, and definitely don’t want to waste time with skits, this also allowed me to see that the quality I had seen when I somehow happened to catch a piece of the show is the rule for them. That doesn’t change the fact that I disagree on some topics, mainly their support for the “right” to not vote and yet still complain afterwards, or for the most part their opposition to deficit limits or military spending and exercises, but those, while important, are just a few issues among many and, if anything, the fact that they don’t change my overall opinion only proves that it’s not solely a result of agreeing with everything.
But I used the plural and this leads me to the one thing that did make me raise an eyebrow: The show’s host is the only author listed on the cover and spine, and apparently also in the National Library’s records, yet the first page lists him and Mihai Radu as authors, and the foreword not only does the same, but actually states that the texts on the show are written by Mihai Radu and Gabi Drogeanu, while Dragos just edits them. Sure, it’s a matter of marketing, and in the end between him and his team, but it strikes me as particularly unfair from someone who otherwise so firmly advocates fairness.

Rating: 4/5

Though it’s still under the desk instead of back in its place inside it, last evening I finally worked up the courage to plug the computer back into the UPS and test it, letting it run on battery for ten minutes, and then seeing that it charged back up at a normal rate. Seeing it at 57% after the ten minutes gave me the impression that it drained a bit faster than before, but I can’t be sure, and the listed estimate used to be 24 minutes, if I remember correctly, and now it’s 25, and losing 43% after ten works out to 23:15, but it actually just dropped from 61% to 57% as I was under the desk to turn the power strip back on, so it’s probably pretty much the same… But I’m starting with the end, so while I’m here let me also mention that last evening dad made homemade pizza again and I had that for lunch, but then still cooked later in the evening, for the next days, then showered, getting back to the kitchen at almost 1:25 AM and starting to eat dinner at 3:05 AM.

And now I’ll go two months back, to the early hours of October 19, when the UPS again reported that the battery was disconnected as I was eating at night, again fixing itself after exactly ten seconds, and that was despite having passed a self-test since the first time that happened. So, before going to bed on the morning of October 25 I ordered the replacement battery from the same place I had replaced the battery and repaired the UPS at the first time, and a few minutes before noon I was woken up by the call confirming that it was ready to be picked up. I asked to make sure that it was that specific model, being told that it was just that one, and whether I could come two days later and also bring the old battery to be recycled, the answer to both questions being yes, but forgot to ask whether they still offered any discount for recycling the old battery.
Either way, I didn’t go back to bed after that, yet still didn’t do the laundry, forgetting that I had planned to take care of it that day, since I at least needed the running gear to be washed. Then again, I wouldn’t have had time for it anyway, spending a good part of that day transcribing the “interview” dad took of my grandmother so he’ll put her story together for her 100th birthday. Then I had lunch in the evening, napped for up to an hour late in the evening, when I took a break, and only got back to the kitchen after I was done, at 1:30 AM. And there was stuff to wash, of course, and the slice or crack on my right thumb was troubling, so I bandaged it more thoroughly and tried to spare it, making me even slower than I normally am. So I started eating dinner at 3:50 AM and got in bed at 5:30 AM.

On October 26, I was woken up by the UPS again beeping and reporting that the battery was disconnected. Though it again recovered after ten seconds and I had meant to sleep more, it was past 3:30 PM already, so it was late enough and I got up, again meaning to do the laundry. However, I decided to wait for dad to get back, to ask whether he had something else to put in… Only for him to say that it was a holiday and that the day also held a personal significance for him, which I won’t mention here, so if I really must, I should just put my things in the machine, but none of his. But I wasn’t going to run the machine just for the few things I had, so I eventually decided to leave it for another time and run the next day in the old running clothes, which I had been wearing inside.
With that morning run planned, I had a pretty strict schedule for that evening and night… Only for the power to fail at 10 PM. With my concerns about the UPS, that was a serious reason for concern, but it did its job perfectly, since I left the computer running for a full ten minutes, hoping that the power will be restored, before finally shutting it down. And the power returned around 11:10 PM and at 11:15 PM I got back to my room to turn the computer back on, and once it reported that the battery was fully charged again the UPS was surprisingly, and very likely wrongly, estimating that it could keep it running on battery for 36 minutes, 50% more than before.
That wasn’t the end of the problems, however, since the oven also turned itself off again that night. It had been hard to make it stay on when I placed the pumpkin in, needing to turn it up for that, and it turned itself off when I turned it down, so I initially left it at a high level when I tried again, but when I saw the temperature reach 230°C I again turned it down, waited for some 30 seconds and then went to the toilet… Only for it to quite obviously turn itself off pretty much as soon as I left, since I was there for a while and it had clearly been off for quite a long time when I got back. But at least, as it was fortunately always the case after that quite scary first time, it was fully off and there was no smell of gas. I was still worried, however, again opening the window and waving it around a little, then going to the living room to light a lighter and carefully approaching with it before finally turning it back on. And, just to add to the worries, when I got back to my room the UPS again reported that the battery was disconnected, again for the usual ten seconds. And I eventually turned the oven off again before the pumpkin was done, leaving it there and getting in bed at 4:30 AM.

After that morning run, I jogged back, so I only wore the jacket, and also the mask, on the way to the park. Then I had watermelon, watched the press conference for the marathon, finally did another full backup, turned off the computer and UPS and removed them from the desk, removed the battery from the UPS, took the plastic and metal and the old battery and left again at 1:40 PM, dropping off the plastic and metal in the first bin and then going straight to pick up the replacement battery, deciding to not make the small detour to my bank’s branch from the mall from the park, thinking that I’ll certainly find another on the way even though I hadn’t checked before leaving. And I did find one, but it was closed for remodeling, and the announcement listed “nearby” locations that were quite far and in the opposite direction, none being ahead, and when I checked after getting back I saw that there are no other branches at all in that entire part of the city. And that place still only accepts payments by card, so I needed to deposit the money first and had no choice but to pick one of those locations and walk there and back, losing some 40 minutes because of it and only reaching my destination just after 3:25 PM. And the employees were still joking around, with each other but also at the expense of the customers, since when one asked me to come and pay another asked why and said something about the site stating that all sales were free that day, then apologized and supposedly realized that the free day was the next one. But I didn’t bite, just paying, checking the new battery against the old one, to make sure it was the exact same model even though the color was different, and taking both back, since I had asked whether there was any discount for leaving the old one and the guy just looked at me oddly.
I was walking away ten minutes after getting there and then went to Auchan, finding the bread I want from there, and also getting another for dad and another bottle of vinegar. Also saw beets and wanted some, but decided to wander around the store first, looking for anything else I’d want, and when I finally decided to go to the checkout I forgot all about the beets. And I paid by card, since I hadn’t had smaller bills and had deposited a fair bit more than necessary, and was out a few minutes before 5 PM. Also meant to go to the Carrefour from the park on the way back, but even though I didn’t cross and cut through the park in order to do so, as I approached I decided against it yet again, being back just before 5:45 PM.
Since in an earlier discussion he didn’t seem to know the difference, I showed dad the UPS and the battery… Only for him to lash out at me for replacing the battery without testing the old one first, telling me to tell him what he had to buy so I’ll be able to test batteries, which would have obviously just added to the expenses, and when I said that batteries are supposed to be replaced every two to three and a half years and that one was almost three and a half years old he kept saying that old products last longer and shouldn’t be replaced just because you’re told they should be, though that rule doesn’t apply to batteries. He was, however, right when he asked what if the problem was with the UPS itself, but since he dismissed the idea that the battery had to be replaced anyway, even after I told him that I had been told that not replacing the battery in time had damaged the UPS the first time around, and that doing so allowed me to see whether there was something wrong with the UPS as well or not, I pretty much cracked and told him to leave me the fuck alone, which made him angry as well, or angrier than he already was, I guess.
Either way, I then had lunch and put in the new battery, tested it quickly with the kitchen phone, blew and wiped the dust off the UPS a little, then cleaned the dust inside the computer, put it and the UPS back in the desk, turned them on, saw an even less likely estimated time on battery, 40 minutes, and then went to shower… Only to hear the UPS beep while I was on the toilet. And then it did it twice more, reporting that the battery was disconnected for those same ten seconds three times in 30 minutes. So I delayed the shower, telling dad that he had likely been right in saying that the problem was with the UPS and asking whether he could spare a power strip, then turned the computer off again, removed the UPS from the desk and put it under it, with the computer plugged straight into the power strip and just the monitor in the UPS, to still test it in that manner, after also blowing into the contacts and using a toothpick to try to clean them a little. And I also set the UPS to stop beeping, so those errors won’t bother me anymore.
Otherwise, I think I saw a bit of blood on the toilet paper, but at least there was none the next day. Either way, then I finally showered, though I guess I was so messed up that I grabbed the training suit I meant to put on and threw it in the laundry basket, then realized it, took it out, decided I wasn’t going to wear it after it was there, put it back, then changed my mind again and took it out one more time, putting it on after all. And I started eating dinner at 3:05 AM. But I’ll also mention here that cleaning the computer reduced the CPU temperature by over 10°C… But also caused a fan to be a bit noisy again, or to make the side panel vibrate. It used to do that, but at some point, long ago, I somehow managed to make it stop and hadn’t touched it since.

Though the UPS reported that the battery was disconnected again on the morning of October 29, clearly confirming that the problem wasn’t with the battery, I had the marathon to focus on, so I just hoped that there won’t be any more power issues and only sent an e-mail to ask about having it looked at in the early hours of November 2. And by the time I woke up I had a reply, so I held off going to the toilet a little longer in order to read it, after having held it in the night before as well, and that resulted in blood dripping into the toilet, though at least it stopped quickly.
Since I got to that date, I’ll also mention that the cardiology appointment made the second time I went to Coltea was for that day, but I just ignored it, not even canceling. Instead, I left at 3:15 PM to drop off the UPS… And got a bit lost as I tried a different route, not wanting to have to pick my way through the work being done on the sidewalk in that area again. However, before getting lost I spotted a small pastry place, meant to get closer for a look, quickly stopped when a dog started barking and ended up saying that I’ll get something on my way back when the guy opened the window to say that the dog was chained, though it was in fact behind a fence, and asked what I wanted. So, if the initial plan didn’t include returning the same way, I made use of the fact that I got lost to keep my word, getting back there and buying a pastry even though I had finally figured out which way I was supposed to go a bit earlier. But that guy made things quite awkward, since when he asked I said I didn’t want it heated, since it was going to be cold again long before I’ll get home, but he started heating it anyway, saying that he’ll just heat it a little bit when I repeated that I had said no… And then he put it on an envelope and handed it to me, so I asked what was I supposed to do with it like that and he placed it in it instead. The envelope, likely waxed, was actually a good substitute for a paper bag, but the size and the fact that it was cut on one side on top of being open meant I couldn’t really keep the pastry in it. Still, by that point I just wanted to get out of there, so when he also placed napkins in front of me and asked me to take one, I just did so and walked away, struggling to figure out how to make that pastry stay in the envelope on the way.
All of that meant that I reached my destination at 4:35 PM, and the schedule listed on the site states that the service area closes at 4:30 PM. But I had been told that somebody will be there to receive it even if I’ll be a little late, and either way that schedule is for the battery service, which I found is different from the UPS service when I walked in, pulled the UPS out of the backpack and got told to go back outside and take it to the place that has the big sign. So I did so, telling the guy who was there that I had sent an e-mail and he remembered, took the UPS, asked what brief description of the problem he should list on the documents and said he’ll call me. Considering the previous experience, leaving it there with the new battery inside was not something I was comfortable with, and I had asked in that e-mail whether I could take it there without it, but he said it’s recommended to bring the battery as well, so they’ll be tested together, and in the end that’s what I did… Though just before putting the UPS in the backpack I had marked the battery and also took a picture of the serial number, to be able to check when I’ll get it back.
By that point I really needed to pee, so I went to a nearby gas station to take care of that, and washing my hands meant that I could handle that pastry better after I got back outside, carefully wrapping it in that napkin before putting it back in the envelope. Then I went to Auchan, finding that some of the teas I’d normally get were on sale and buying some, as well as some of the things my mother had asked for. Couldn’t also get bread, however, none of the things they make there being available and that entire area being closed off by health inspectors, and I had in fact seen on the news that four of their stores had that area closed off after inspections, so I guess that was one of them. And the 0.50 RON coin I should have received as change got stuck in the machine, so I struggled to retrieve it until someone, not sure if a cashier or a guard, eventually asked whether it had something to give me and managed to pull it out with a pen after I told her what was happening.
Then I also went to that Penny, finding no free cabinets with keys, so I had to just leave my things in an unlocked one while I got one more thing for my mother. But that wasn’t the end of it, since I decided to also go to the Carrefour from the park and then continue to Kaufland as well. So, after peeing again once I reached that Carrefour, I was relieved to find unsliced bread of the kind I get from there and grabbed one, paying by card and therefore being able to use the self-checkout. Then I checked the evening discounts in Kaufland, but it was too late to find anything I wanted, so I just grabbed one more thing for my mother and another bag of cat litter, since it was discounted, had no issues with the self-checkout, struggled to get the cat litter in the backpack and was out of there at 8:55 PM and back here at 9:30 PM. Then I had a quince and a pastry bought two days earlier and it was 3:15 AM when I started eating dinner, in the form of the vegetarian pizza bought two days earlier and a salad. Got in bed at 5:30 AM… And realized that my legs weren’t burning, and in fact hadn’t burned after the marathon either.

With no word from them until then, on the evening of November 10 I sent an e-mail to ask if there were any news about the UPS, since if it couldn’t be fixed or it’d cost too much I wanted to look for a replacement on Black Friday, that being on November 12 here. Then I baked pumpkin that night, but first put the seeds from the previous one in their place, so it was past 12:30 AM when I went to shower, almost 1:30 AM when I got back to the kitchen and 2 AM when I could start making the salad, after actually starting to bake the pumpkin. And the temperature was again too high in the oven, and when I turned it down it again turned itself off and wouldn’t stay on at a low enough level, so I had to make do with it as it was and eventually started eating dinner at 3:55 AM. It was 5:30 AM when I got in bed, after moving the pumpkin on a plate, so it won’t stick even worse to the tray, and putting it back in the oven, leaving it to cool there.
Back to the UPS, after waking up I saw a reply to that e-mail, being told that it could be fixed, but for a price that’s similar to that of the cheapest new ones available, and if you add the battery it’s close to what I paid for this one in the first place, admittedly with a Black Friday discount and seven years ago, what’s supposedly its replacement, this model being discontinued, being about 50% more now, and about two thirds more than the total I’d have ended up paying, and it didn’t have Black Friday discounts anywhere. So I mentioned that the amount was much higher than I expected, then timed my squats, for the first time in a long time, seeing 2:17 even if I was still being careful with that knee, a scab forming there after the fall. Also had lunch in the evening and popcorn later, then put the pumpkin seeds to dry and decided to also have a few walnuts, so it was 2:30 AM when I started making the salad, and I had spoiling stuff, mainly cucumbers, to deal with, so it was 4:05 AM when I started eating dinner, finishing at 5:15 AM and getting in bed at 5:45 AM.

It was after Black Friday, on November 13, when I received another reply, consisting of an offer to repair the UPS at cost, reducing the price by just over a third, in exchange for a review, specifically for the UPS service, not for the store itself. And I did have the past experience to write about, the UPS itself having been repaired quickly and cheaply and lasting close to three and a half more years before something failed again, so I could accept and do my part without lying, writing a 5-star review that night and not mentioning the mess with the battery, since that doesn’t actually have to do with the UPS being repaired, just adding that I hope to be able to say that their work is just as good in a few years.

Seeing as they import original components directly and considering the current problems with shipping and the time of the year, and the fact that when I mentioned this the guy confirmed that it might take a while, plus that if they really made no profit from this job they had no reason to not take their time with it, I expected to have to wait until January, but on December 10 I was woken up by the call letting me know that my UPS was ready to be picked up. But that was at 1:20 PM, and it was raining too, so I said I’ll probably get there the next day… Which was Saturday, so I was told it’d be better to wait until Monday, then asked for the required information so they’ll have the invoice ready, to speed things up. And then the guy called back a little later, saying he forgot to mention that they only accept payments by card, but I already knew that, and it should have been obvious, seeing as I had purchased that replacement battery. But at least that second call offered me the opportunity to ask whether I’ll get it back with the same battery, and he said I will and that nobody did anything to the battery. Then I got back in bed for another hour or so, though I doubt I fell asleep again.

On December 13, I left a few minutes after 3 PM and made that detour I had decided against the first time around, having a quick look in the Carrefour from the park and then depositing the needed money at my bank’s branch from there, using one ATM for that and then deciding to use another to check the balance. Then I reached that place at 4:15 PM, seeing on the way that the branch which had been closed the first time around had opened, but of course I hadn’t wanted to risk it. Either way, a different guy was there, he gave me the invoice and told me to go and pay, but the cashier wasn’t there, so I waited a little… During which time one of the guys was telling something to the others about everyone knowing everyone else somewhere and said that in such places if you hear that a chick’s fucking you want to fuck her too, then apologized for his foul mouth when he was made aware that they had a customer, though I’d say that the sexism would have been the bigger issue. But at least that meant that everyone was suddenly all too aware that I was waiting there for a cashier who didn’t seem to be around, so another guy came and took the payment in her place, then I went back and received the UPS, one more guy having joined that first one and asking whether I wanted to test it. And I should have done so, as that’d have made me aware of the empty battery right away, but since I was thinking of the original problem I said that it appeared randomly, after a while, so a quick test wouldn’t tell me much and I’ll test it at home, and only wanted to get it in the backpack before leaving. I did quickly check to make sure that the same battery was inside, then just put the UPS directly in the backpack, though I had plastic bags I wanted to put it in first, since it had rained before I left and would drizzle more later.
Less than ten minutes after getting there, I was walking away, but then I stopped at the nearby Lidl, mainly looking for a place that was certainly dry, to be able to place the UPS in those bags after all. And, after struggling to do that for a while, I put the backpack in a cabinet and decided to have a look inside as well, even though I boycott Lidl, being by far the chain that relies the most on imported products, and obviously didn’t buy anything. Then I went to Auchan, receiving a call just as I was about to get there that turned out to be a wrong number, or more exactly someone who had been given a wrong number, since he checked that he dialed the number he meant to dial, but I obviously wasn’t the person who had given it to him. Either way, after peeing and washing my hands, I got a few things from Auchan and then went to that Penny as well, again trying to hand over the three Tetra Paks I had. After the cashier had rejected them the first time I tried, in another location, on December 2, I had read the terms and conditions, knew I should give them to the guard and was ready to argue if he’ll reject them as well, but he accepted them right away, calling someone to give me the ticket for the free product… And also using his coin for the cabinet I had stuffed my things in, as I was searching for the one I had and he told me to just leave the door unlocked since he was there to watch over things, but I said I didn’t want to, finally finding the coin only to see that he was faster than me… Not that I was going anywhere, since I still had to wait a little for that ticket. Then I got onions and some little bagels, and also took the free product, which was one of the only two remaining ones at that time.
Then I decided to also go to Carrefour and Kaufland again, choosing those two that are right next to each other. So I first checked Kaufland, put my things in a cabinet, got peppers for dad and found evening discounts, including for pumpkins, so I grabbed the one passable, albeit small, one I could find among the bad ones that were otherwise left. There was no discount label on some pastries my mother usually wants, however, so I asked whether those were also discounted and the employee said that if there’s no label there’s no discount, and as I was grabbing two of another kind another employee actually came to ask about those as well, being told that they were left to be discounted at 9 PM. So I wandered around until then, since it was just after 8:30 PM at that point, but all of those pastries were gone by the time I passed by that area again when it was close to 9 PM, so I slowly made my way to the self-checkout with what I had, having no issues with the machine but also seeing no additional discounts.
Carrefour was next, so I again put my things in a cabinet and checked the expiring products, getting bread for dad and something sweet for myself from there. But I also saw eggs and took a carton that seemed all right at a quick glance, but after stopping a few steps away to check it more thoroughly I found two cracked eggs, one of them badly, so I put it back and started checking another egg by egg without taking it from that area. I noticed that somebody was standing nearby as I did that, but didn’t pay much attention until I realized that he was actually watching me closely, at which point I glanced that way and realized that it was the employee working in that area, and one of the eggs from that carton might have also been cracked and I was too uncomfortable to even try to wipe what was on it and have a better look, and obviously couldn’t just switch it with a good one from another carton, so I left the whole carton there and wandered away, at which point the employee started rearranging the cartons. I wasn’t about to give up, however, returning after getting the raisins for my mother, finding that carton again and quickly replacing that egg as well as another one I hadn’t gotten to check the first time around, just to be sure, before the employee also got back… And he followed me when I again went a few steps away to have another look, asking what was I doing with the carton. So I said I was doing the same thing I had been doing before, checking it, and he told me to take it back to the refrigerated area, and that it’s discounted because it’s expiring, so if I don’t like it I should get some good ones, and also added that eggs keep disappearing. I didn’t bother to remind him that yes, the discount is because they’re expiring, not because they’re cracked, and obviously wasn’t going to respond to his thinly veiled accusation of stealing, just walking away with that carton, at which point he left me be.
Then I retrieved my things and was out of there at 9:55 PM, so it was too late to go around the stadium and had to use the longer route. But I had dad’s large backpack, so even though I was carrying 20 kg, it really didn’t feel like it and I got back at 10:20 PM. Then I grated some apples, with sugar, had a lunch that was bigger than intended since the food I had left was quite clearly spoiling and I had to finish it, finished that after 12:30 AM, went to shower at 12:45 AM and it was after 1:20 AM when I finished, but still had something else to do first, so it was actually 1:40 AM when I got back to the kitchen. And there was more to do there as well, so I started making the salad at 2:15 AM and started eating dinner at 3:25 AM. As for the UPS, didn’t even try to turn it on that night.

The original plan for this post also included writing about volunteering to make packages again, which I did on December 14, but it’d be a new longest ever post by far if I’d do that, and it’s again written over multiple days and edited to add the rest as it is, with what I managed to post before midnight stopping on November 2, in fact at that coin that got stuck in the machine at Auchan, the rest of that section being added some ten minutes later, the rest of what’s above this point being added some hours later, before I went to bed that morning, and this part being written and added Tuesday, since Monday I had no time to write.
True, what’s above got as far as getting back the repaired UPS, but since five more days passed until I actually used it again for the computer, I’ll add the rest here as well, and that rest does start in the early hours of December 15, so I’ll get some other things out of the way as well and include everything from the moment I got back on the evening of December 14, a few minutes before 8 PM. Kept myself busy, putting things in their place and taking care of other matters I had been putting off until dad left, and then decided to also take the pumpkin seeds I had set to dry and munch on the somewhat nicer corn puffs I had grabbed from Carrefour on the way back while selecting which of those to put along with the others, eating those that seemed split or starting to sprout and discarding the empty husks, since I hadn’t done that before setting them to dry. And I took my time, and the fact that I kept ignoring a certain pressing need I had been feeling all day and which only got worse after getting back eventually bit me, since I think it was just after 11:30 PM when what I thought was just gas proved to be more than that and I had to drop everything and rush to the bathroom, fortunately finding that just a trace had ended up on my underwear. So I cleaned up, then put the remaining seeds on a smaller plate and took it to my room, where it still is even now, quickly washed the underwear in question and went back to the bathroom to do things properly, though little else seemed to be coming, and then shower. I was finally out again at 1:10 AM, but first checked some things on-line and only got back to the kitchen at 1:35 AM, then took care of some other things and first meant to finally start making the salad at 2:10 AM.
Well, that’s where the part about the UPS comes in, since I decided to plug it in and test it quickly, meaning to then let it charge while I’ll work on dinner. However, when I plugged the kitchen TV into it and then unplugged it, it immediately turned off, beeping in a way that, after checking the manual, I found meant that the battery was empty. So I connected it to the computer and saw that it was indeed reporting that the battery was at 1%, which quickly dropped to 0% and stayed there for the half an hour or so I spent looking and checking, turning the service on and off a number of times, so I won’t risk having it turn my computer off for some reason. Then, wanting to check whether the problem was with the battery or with the UPS itself, I put the old one in and saw that it reported it was at 17%. It had been fully charged when I removed it, but being old and having been disconnected since then, having it discharge on its own wasn’t surprising, so I let it charge while making the salad, checking an hour later and seeing that it was at 39%, so it was charging exactly at the rate it was supposed to. So I put the new battery in again and finally started eating dinner at 3:55 AM, finishing at 5:20 AM. At that point, an hour and 40 minutes after being put back in, the new battery was reporting 17%. Then I also did a partial backup, just in case, finally got in bed when it was almost 5:50 AM… And immediately got back up, hearing something pop, going to check and finding that the light bulb dad insists on leaving on in the hallway burned out, so I removed it and put it in a bag before getting back to bed.

After waking up I checked again and saw 49%, almost 11 hours after the new battery was put back in, getting to 50% for a moment but then dropping back to 49%. So I tried to see if it held at all, plugging the monitor into the UPS and then unplugging the UPS, seeing it drop to 37% right away. After plugging the UPS back in after less than a minute, I sent the guy an e-mail explaining the issues and asking whether they had given it back to me with the battery completely drained and whether that could have reduced its capacity. Then I saw the battery recharge at a normal rate to 49%, but then it stopped again, still reporting 49% some two more hours later, so I put the old one in again. And that old one was listed as being at 49% as well at first, though it was at 39% when I removed it, as I said, and it didn’t seem to be a case of the UPS remembering the value it had reported before the switch, as in that case it should have eventually dropped before going back up, but instead it immediately started charging more and sustained that normal rate all the way to 100%.
Otherwise, dad had told me that he had an interview to take that day and will need me to transcribe it right away, but he came much later than he said he would and had two interviews, the second almost twice as long as the first, so I’d have had no chance to transcribe all of that before the following evening, which was when he needed it, but he said he only needed the first one and the first part of the second until then, so about 55 minutes, and while I didn’t think I’ll manage even that at first, my plan for the following day including a run, I got right on it and actually finished the first interview at 1:25 AM. But when I got to the kitchen I obviously first had to clean up after him, and also talked to him a little, so I started eating dinner at 3:30 AM and it was after 5:05 AM when I finished, transcribing about half of that first part of the second interview as I ate. Got in bed at 5:25 AM, making a note of the fact that my legs were again quite swollen and the skin seemed to be flaking off them, assuming that’s dry skin and not something else. And they were clearly burning again, and have been since then, but that area of my back where I have that bone spur is also burning at times, and now that I think of it I guess it’s been doing that for a while, so maybe the doctors from Coltea were right when they told me, when I was discharged, that the burning is caused by my spine.

Moving on to the early hours of December 17, right before going to bed I put the new battery back in, seeing it start at 70% even though, as I said, it had been at 49% when I took it out. But that did seem to be a case of a wrong initial value, because I went to bed at 5:20 AM but, after having made mamaliga that night, I kept waking up to pee, so I checked about an hour and a half later and saw it at 66%, and a little over an hour after that, at 8 AM, it was at 63%. However, around 3 PM, when I checked again after getting up, the battery was at 98%, so I sent another reply to that guy, who had admitted that it might have been fully discharged during testing, to say that I thought batteries lose their capacity if allowed to get below 50%, so they probably shouldn’t be fully discharged while testing either. But he had also told me to let it fully charge and then test it, and bring it to them if it won’t work or if it won’t stay at 100% after getting there, so after it did finally reach 100%, I did test it, first putting it through a stress test, with the speakers and a hand mixer that has 250W listed on it. The fact that it held was good, but it drained very quickly, getting to 62% in two minutes even though I was varying the mixer’s speed, so it wasn’t at maximum all the time. Still, who knows how much that mixer actually uses, 250W possibly being the power generated, and the battery did finally recharge to 100% at a normal rate after that, and the next day I finally worked up the courage to plug the computer in it again and do the relevant test, which I wrote about at the beginning of this post.

It was before I did that relevant test that the guy replied again, to tell me not to worry because only repeated discharges cause problems, but of course it was the fact that the results of my test were so normal that finally calmed me down to some extent. After all, with battery problems both times I had the UPS repaired there, I have no reason to trust them when it comes to batteries. But that previous experience still makes me trust them when it comes to the actual repairs, so let’s hope it’ll last at least as long this time around as well… Though it is seven years old now, so if it’ll fail again, especially if it’ll be in some different way, I won’t have real reasons to blame them for it, or at least not without evidence that would be next to impossible for me to find either way. And I’ll also mention here that fortunately, and quite unusually, there were no power failures, not even brief ones, during the 52 days that my computer spent unprotected by the UPS, the last one being the one mentioned in this post, the day before before I picked up the new battery and then ended up unplugging the computer from the UPS.