Cav's Place

After the name of the publisher suddenly changed for the February 2021 issue, though it seems that the former publisher’s Romanian business had actually been taken over several months earlier, and following the information about who the owners of the new publisher are and their past exploits, there were reasons for concern for the future of the Romanian edition of National Geographic… Which concerns seemed confirmed towards the end of the year, the last few issues becoming difficult to find, and many messages stating that the last two were not even sent to subscribers, plus that the last issue displayed on the site was the September one, and the December one doesn’t seem to have been presented on any official channel.
Still, the December issue did exist, and could be purchased if you looked for it, but the January issue was nowhere to be found and those who asked said they were receiving no replies. That made things quite clear, but it was only on January 20 that the news that the publisher had filed for bankruptcy became better known, along with the fact that many had been suing for the money they were owned since December. And on January 31, the now-former editor-in-chief of the Romanian edition finally made the announcement that the edition will no longer be published, which announcement also appeared on the site today, or yesterday if you consider the hour.
So it was an expected development, but that makes it no less sad. Despite the change of ownership at the top as well, and the relatively recent changes to the structure of the magazine, increasing the space for brief articles and photo essays at the expense of the long reads, National Geographic magazine remained an increasingly rare example of quality in our media landscape… And I for one bought every single issue since the Romanian edition launched, back in 2003, and for many years it was the only magazine I still read, and in a way something I relied on, even if in some small way, so I’m wondering what to do next, since the English issue, while quite readily available here, costs three times as much, so switching to it is out of the question.

To continue from where I left off, on October 23 I left a bit after 4:45 PM, finally with just 20 bottles again, only adding 15 to the five extra ones that were untouched since I first put them in that smaller pocket of the backpack, since I meant to pick up five more on the way if I’d find clean ones in places where I wouldn’t feel watched. And that wasn’t an issue, so after first picking up a larger one I realized I had plenty of choice, the next four being small, clean and easy to flatten, in fact one already being rather flattened and another flattened really well by cars and yet still clean, plus that one was one of those made from recycled plastic that granted an additional product. And I had all five by the time I reached Unirii, so I went into that shopping center to pee and wash my hands.
Got to Orhideea at 6:40 PM and there was a line, so I waited in it, and when my turn came it was with the guy who had dealt with me before the previous two days. However, he had apparently “learned” from the other one, since he didn’t mention the raffle either, and again I also didn’t, though he also counted correctly that time, just giving me an extra cucumber for that bottle. Admittedly, he did ask for one more type of item after he had given me five, and when I told him that he went through them again and realized that I was right, so I’m not sure whether he had really lost count or pretended to, wanting to give me more again. But there wasn’t really anything else I’d have wanted to pick, and there had been no Kapia peppers or fibbers at all, so I got four Bianca peppers, weighing 334 grams, four carrots, weighing 437 grams, four onions, weighing 361 grams, four potatoes, weighing 625 grams, and five cucumbers, weighing 434 grams. And he also didn’t bother to staple the bag or ask whether I’ll go in, but I went in with it anyway, just to have a quick look, since I was in a hurry. Then I peed again and left just before 7:10 PM.
The reason for being in a hurry was that I also wanted to go to Kaufland that evening, so I used the route taking me to the Carrefour and Kaufland that are next to each other in this area… Only to realize on the way that I might have accidentally taken my certificate out of that notebook before leaving, that fear being confirmed when I checked, so I was worried that, even though nobody had stopped me to check until then, it’ll happen just that evening. But it didn’t happen until I got there, so I reached the mall Carrefour’s in a bit before 8:40 PM, just had another quick look, then went to Kaufland, being there at 9 PM and seeing evening discounts for bakery products, so I got a few buns, not being interested in anything else that was left, then grabbed the other things I wanted and was back out a bit after 9:50 PM. Not having the certificate made me worry even more on the way back, when a few police cars passed by, one stopping a car on the other side of the road, but none stopped for me.
I was back at 10:20 PM and dad showed me that he had been given a lot of nuts and grapes and wanted me to select them, and while I told him I had no time for that, he then talked to mother and said he’ll be going there to take some to her the next day, though the plan had been for October 26 until then. So, after showering, I had lunch, between 12:55 AM and 1:15 AM, and then took care of the grapes, having some while slicing bread, from 3:20 AM. Then I also mixed some cheese, taking care to not spill any only to stick the fork in it once I was done and having it tip over and throw out enough for a few bites, which on top of the waste meant that I had more to clean up. So it was 3:55 AM when I finally started eating dinner, and 5:35 AM when I got in bed. And I was also making a note of the fact that, though it hadn’t otherwise happened during that week, my feet were noticeably swollen again that night, albeit not terribly so. But at least they weren’t burning again. On the other hand, I’ll also add here that we still have a handful of nuts out of the part that we kept.

On October 24, I left a bit after 5:30 PM, also taking the change, which I had tried to make as easy to count as possible, separating the coins by value and putting the 0.50 RON ones in a tube and the others sort of in rolls. And I again looked for some more clean bottles on the way, to be able to still keep those five spare ones in the backpack, but it seemed that some areas had been cleaned and I only meant to get small ones, so it wasn’t as easy and I just had three by the time I got to Unirii. Had seen a fourth in a police parking lot, but couldn’t take it over or through the fence and the entrance was on the other side, and while nobody was there at first, by the time I went around that fence a police car was driving in, so I gave up on that idea. Then I peed in that shopping center and just grabbed one more bottle on the way to Orhideea, changing my mind about another which I had meant to grab despite being larger, since it was a Pepsi bottle and when I had a closer look I realized it was too obvious that it hadn’t been washed, dark drops being visible inside. And it was getting late, so I even jogged for a while, on the last part of the route, which hurt my right ankle, since I was wearing the new shoes. But at least I found that fifth bottle in Orhideea’s parking lot.
I was late, walking in just before 7:25 PM, but still went to wash my hands first… Only to be told to put the bottles in myself, that guy who seemed to care more again being the one to deal with me and saying he knew I had 20. Then he asked what I wanted, but there weren’t many options left, so I said Kapia and carrots, then started looking while both guys were there, with my bag, being rather confused when they mentioned Bianca peppers but I didn’t see any. They also asked more than once whether I wanted potatoes too, but they seemed small and I didn’t say anything, so that one who seemed to care more asked the other to get closer, maybe to hide what they were doing, and they poured a crate of Kapia peppers in my bag, then added some carrots and I also asked for what were most likely parsnip roots, though there’s also a small chance they were actually parsley roots, and they added some of those as well before closing the bag. No mention of the raffle again, of course, and the other guy seemed rather surprised that I was going into the store, sounding like he was stating that I won’t, not asking whether I will, and after I told him I had to go in he stapled my bag, but just handed me the sticker, to put it on it myself.
Well, if I had told them that they had given me too many when I saw them pour what was left in that crate of Kapia peppers into the bag, when they didn’t ask me to pick anything else after those roots, which were the third category I had picked, I felt that they had in fact given me too little overall, thinking that I had likely received a double quantity of Kapia peppers but two categories less. So, when I crouched behind the crates of products that weren’t yet on the shelves in order to put that sticker on the bag and stuff it in the backpack and saw that those Bianca peppers they had mentioned were there, I grabbed one and threw it into the backpack. And they probably noticed that, the guy who had given me the bag looking at me oddly when I walked away, and I almost turned around to return that pepper, but eventually kept going, despite feeling awfully embarrassed for stealing it. And when I got back I saw that they hadn’t given me fewer products after all, having eight Kapia peppers, weighing 1.071 kg, two fibbers, which I hadn’t noticed at all at the time, weighing 340 grams, six of those roots, weighing 639 grams, and carrots weighing 655 grams, though the number is harder to list, since there were three whole ones, just a tip, which shouldn’t count, and two that weren’t whole but would probably be large enough to count separately, so at least four and more likely five. As such, the total was at least 20, and more likely 21, and I had received more products from the more expensive categories, making my theft, of one Bianca pepper weighing 110 grams, even worse.
Either way, after going in the store and picking up the other power strip dad had asked me to get, I took the bag with the vegetables back out of the backpack for a moment and managed to squeeze that Bianca pepper in it as well, between the staples. Then I got the other things I wanted, but somehow made a mistake while calculating the total despite even using the calculator on my phone, and more than once, so it ended up at 53.13 RON when I had wanted to just get over 50 RON, in order to be able to also give those coins and get the reward. And I also thought I had the 0.13 RON in coins, on top of the ones I had to hand over, I mean, but at the checkout found that I just had two 0.01 RON ones, searching myself for one more but the cashier eventually saying that it was fine as it was. And then, while at first I was confused about those additional 3 RON, I calculated again after throwing the purchases into bags and realized that it was the correct total.
That still left me needing to hand over those coins, so I went to the information desk and asked how badly will I be cursed out if I asked about that campaign, but the employee didn’t seem amused, just asking if I had a lot of change. And then, after I said I had the required 50 RON and a receipt for purchases of over 50 RON, pulled everything out and mentioned that I had tried to make the coins as easy to count as possible, separating them like that, she just quickly poured them all out and took the entire pile away, coming back a little later with the 50 RON bill, the gift card with 5 RON on it, and a list, asking for my name… And also ending up putting Lucian as last name and just Robert as first. I still can’t quite get how can people mix them up, but at least she corrected when I specified that Negut was my last name, then asked me to sign and sent me on my way.
After peeing again, I was finally leaving at 8:50 PM, so it was too late to be back for the start of the race. I still hurried, however, wanting to be back before dad left and just managing it, being here a bit before 10:20 PM, having carried some 13.5 kg. And there had been a potentially dangerous moment on the way, a guy who seemed really angry suddenly getting up as I was approaching the spot where he had been sitting, shouting and making angry moves and walking away, obviously furious, also kicking two garbage cans he passed by. But he was ahead of me, just kept walking and seemed angry with life, fate, something which had happened, not seeming to really be aware of anything else, so I just kept walking behind him and had no problems. On the other hand, since I had forgotten to bandage it again before leaving, the crack or cut on my right thumb had opened again while in Carrefour, and before getting there I had touched those bottles found on the street as well.
Otherwise, I had noticed that it was again “raining” in the fridge for the past couple of days, and when I had a better look that evening I saw that water had again gathered at the bottom and that drain was clogged, so I unclogged it and then took the water out, using the bowl dad had used for salad… And which I later also used for the salad I made that night, obviously after washing it thoroughly and even spraying with some alcohol. Either way, after removing that water I showered quickly, then microwaved one of the cakes purchased from Carrefour, since I simply didn’t feel safe eating it directly, and despite putting it on a plate it toppled over and the chocolate was spilling out by the time I looked again, so I lost a bit of that chocolate and also the cream at the top. Then I made mamaliga, started eating dinner at 3:40 AM and got in bed at 5:45 AM.

Since I still had some bottles and the campaign moved to the second location from Bucharest, at Vulcan, between October 30 and November 5, on November 3 the alarm woke me at 10 AM and it was a bit after 12:35 PM when I left, also taking the recyclables and dropping them off in a bin on the way. I again left with 20 bottles, but those five were still in that smaller pocket and I again meant to pick up five more on the way, getting four before reaching Unirii and going in to wash one that was rather dirty, and obviously also to wash my hands, and also peeing since I was there. And then, after grabbing the fifth bottle as well, I washed again at a gas station I saw as I was approaching my destination. Then I did get a bit confused, but figured things out quickly enough and managed to follow the planned route. That meant going all around that area, since I only later realized that I didn’t need to do so, but at least I got there well enough, though it was almost 2:50 PM when I went in.
The two girls who were working in that area when I got there seemed quite nice, and while somebody had taken all the remaining Kapia peppers just before the turn of the person who was before me came, others were put in right away. Then, when the girls saw my full backpack, one said that the limit was 20 bottles per person, but I said I knew that and had exactly 20… And then I guess I ended up proving that I knew the campaign really well when a guard just threw some bottles in, one of the girls scolded her and said that they had to check them, the guard said that she had seen even oil and milk bottles being accepted that morning and I joined the girls in telling her that it was impossible, after which I also explained to her why oil bottles couldn’t be accepted.
Either way, then my turn came, I first asked for Kapia peppers and was given six, weighing 811 grams, the girl just continuing when I pointed out that I had been given too many, also giving me six tomatoes, weighing 1.047 kg, and five white onions, weighing 701 grams, the only thing she counted correctly out of those first four I picked being the beets, the four weighing 528 grams. As for the fifth category, four large celery roots were left, weighing what turned out to be 4.313 kg, and when I asked for them she asked whether I wanted them all, but after I said I did if it’s possible she said it certainly was, putting them in a second bag. Then I said I’ll be back on the last day as well and she told me to write my name and number on raffle ticket myself, so I finally got another entry and there were no more problems with it either. And she also asked whether I wanted help to get the bags in the backpack, but I told her to see to the next customer and eventually stuffed the first bag in, after failing to get the one with the celery to fit… Which celery bag had torn open when I picked it up, so I also took the stapler and stapled it closed again, then moved a few steps away, behind some larger products, and struggled a while longer, until I finally managed to get both bags to fit in the backpack.
Then I explored the store, finding that the discount for expiring products in that location was 65%, so I grabbed two things from there, plus a cabbage and a pumpkin… And then I also found that the self-checkouts in that location accept cash as well, which I’m yet to see in any other Carrefour. But the reason why I noticed that was that I was ready to pay by card, some of what I had deposited a week earlier still being in my account, so my mind was set on it and I ended up paying by card anyway, and in full, even though those machines also offer the option of partial payment, so I could have left an amount that I could then withdraw in full, since that needs to be a multiple of 10 RON, but I just didn’t think of it at that moment.
Either way, I then spent some more time struggling to see whether I could fit more in the backpack, but in the end had to settle for just putting those two expiring products there and the cabbage and pumpkin in a bag. But I couldn’t settle for not going to the toilet again before leaving, however, so when I couldn’t go there, the toilets being cleaned at that moment and a cleaner pulling the cart of supplies in order to block the door when she saw me waiting around, I went to use those from that Kaufland. They were rather dirty and there was no light in the stalls, but I had to deal with it, and was finally leaving the area at 4:30 PM.
On the way back, I finally stopped to get some sweets from a place near the Carrefour from Unirii, on the street. Kept meaning to try something from there and had set my mind on finally doing so as soon as possible after running the marathon, since I hadn’t passed through that area after it, so I asked for a mix, two pieces of two of the kinds and one of two others, and when those added up to more than the 15 RON I had meant to spend I decided to go to 20 RON, asking for enough of a fifth kind to be added to get there. I had meant to try two more kinds, and when I saw how much of that one was added I realized I could have done so, but what was done was done, so I left it at that, asking to replace some of that fifth kind with a piece of the sixth not seeming right and the total already being a little more than 20 RON anyway.
I still wanted to get some zacusca for dad, however, so when I didn’t find any when I checked that Mega Image, I decided to change the route in order to also reach that larger one from this area before getting back… And again proved that the shortest route is the one you know, since my attempt to get there a little bit faster likely resulted in walking a slightly longer distance, and in fact losing even more time because I decided to also check another Mega Image I happened to pass by, not finding any there either. But I did find plenty at that larger one, so I got five… And wondered whether to ask whether I could split the amount between card and cash, to clear what was left in my account, but there were many customers and I couldn’t get myself to do so, not wanting to complicate matters and hold up the line.
I was back a couple of minutes after 7 PM, having carried a total of 18 kg. Then I had a large quince and, some time later, some of the purchased sweets, though I had meant to try one of one kind and one of another but accidentally ended up eating both of a single kind. Either way, I then did two loads of laundry… And started feeling a little strange and after hanging them to dry, and since I continued to feel that way after showering and while making the salad, I eventually took a pill before starting to eat what was a mix of lunch and dinner, since it included a serving of pasta, at 3:20 AM. And my feet, which had been somewhat swollen when I woke up that morning, were clearly swollen again at night, though they had looked much better in the evening, after I got back. Either way, I got in bed at 5:30 AM.

Seeing as I’m again doing what I keep doing lately, adding what I have before midnight and then editing multiple times later, in order to add the rest, I’ll mention here that this is how far I got before going to bed in the morning, the part I posted before midnight ending after managing to fit both bags of vegetables in the backpack and the rest, starting with exploring the Carrefour from Vulcan, being added a few hours later. This left November 5 to be added the following night, so in the early hours of Tuesday.

Yes, on November 5 I ran and fell, but it was the last day of the campaign and I still had plastic bottles, so I had to go out again and make one more long walk, and couldn’t even eat something first, needing the time to clean and struggle to bandage the wounds. Bandaging the elbow on my own was hard and I couldn’t quite do it, so when I put on the shoes a part of the cotton fell out, but that was actually a good thing, since it made me bandage the area a little better before actually leaving. And I first went out the door at 5:25 PM, but realized I had forgotten the money, so I turned around, leaving the small bag of trash I had taken on the hallway, which resulted in it spilling and having to gather the contents and only finally leaving the building at 5:30 PM. Then, after throwing that bag in the first bin, I used the better route, leading to the other entrance to that area and being a fair bit shorter at the end.
I got there at 6:55 PM and found that not many things were left, and cabbages were kept behind the panel, so I heard that they existed but couldn’t see them, and those working there were telling those who asked that they couldn’t give more of those, just one per person or so. But they were giving more from the other categories, so I first picked Kapia peppers and when I was asked how many and I said that the maximum was four, I was told that wasn’t the case, because it was the end and they didn’t have many different categories left, so they could give more. As such, and because white potatoes that were somewhat larger had just been brought, I changed my choice, saying that in that case I’d want more of those, agreeing when I was asked whether that’d be 20 potatoes, and actually being given 25, weighing 3.225 kg. And then I was surprised to still be asked about Kapia peppers as well, receiving 17, weighing exactly 2 kg, and when I told the girl that she was putting in too many she said that it was all right. After that, I was again left to write my information on the raffle ticket and put it in the box, and then the girl offered to help me put the bag in the backpack and I said I doubted that it was possible. However, I again went behind some products and tried, and while the injuries and bandages made it harder to move that arm and leg, after a while I managed to somehow stuff it in there, though I couldn’t fully close the zipper.
Then I grabbed a few expiring things and some food for Liza and used the self-checkout, making good use of the available options in order to clear all that was left in my account and then pay the rest in cash, though the system was different from what I was used to, from Kaufland and Auchan, so it took me a while to figure out how to put in the cash. Then I managed to fully close the zipper, peed and was out of that center at 8 PM, but only left that area an hour later, since I also checked out that Kaufland. With bakery products only being discounted by 30% at that time, at first I didn’t mean to get anything, but I waited for 8:30 PM and it was a good thing I did, since at that point I saw an employee scan those prices one by one and when I asked her whether the discounts increased she said they did, to 80%! And there were three of those breads left, so I got all of them, plus two pastries, and then decided to also add four lemons. That meant that I ended up walking past the bakery area again before going to the self-checkout, at which point I saw that the new price labels they were placing listed discounts of 71-72%, not 80%, and 72% was also what I saw at the self-checkout, but I shrugged it off.
I was back a little after 10:40 PM, having carried just 12 kg. My left ankle was bothering me a little, and I again had irregular heartbeats at night, but what made things much worse was the lack of hot water. So I had a very late lunch, finished just after 1 AM, then took care of the other things I had to do in the kitchen, started making the salad at 2:15 AM and started eating dinner at 3:45 AM. And then, since the site stated that the hot water should return at 7 AM and dad was supposed to leave at 7:10 AM, I stayed up and waited… Only to see the listed time change to 2 PM when I looked again before dad left, around 7:20 AM, and when I first checked at that point it was still cold, so I meant to give up and go to bed unwashed… Only to feel warm water when I washed my hands after peeing, at 7:30 AM, so I jumped in the bath and only finally got in bed at 8:55 AM.

Since I also calculated all of that, I’ll add here that, in total, I received 5.781 kg of potatoes, 5.719 kg of Kapia peppers, 4.313 kg of celery roots, 2.823 kg of carrots, 2.309 kg of Bianca peppers, not counting the 110 grams I stole, 1.67 kg of tomatoes, 1.27 kg of Granny Smith apples, 1.092 kg of Golden apples, 1.057 kg of fibbers, 992 grams of cucumbers, 766 grams of Idared apples, 764 grams of yellow onions, 701 grams of white onions, 700 grams of Gala apples, 639 grams of what were probably parsnip roots, and 528 grams of beets. And, while many could have obviously been purchased for lower prices from other stores during that period, at the prices they were being sold at in Carrefour on the days I received them, all of these were worth just about 130 RON, or more exactly 129.84 RON, not counting the 0.49 RON for that Bianca pepper I stole. And, as surprising as it may be, I still have three of those Granny Smith apples. Since apples store well and I have a lot of them, it’s possible that a few of the others are still there as well, mixed with the rest, but I’m mentioning these because I can be sure of it, since they’re so easily identifiable and I haven’t bought or received any more since then.

Again, without having played the game, I’m making assumptions, but if The Destiny Knight struck me as having failed to make proper use of the source material, in this case the impression was that the source material couldn’t be put together in book form, and even less so in a novella, offering too much breadth and too little depth to work with. That said, the author didn’t even seem to try anymore, appearing to have had enough, rushing through area after area, sometimes barely even mentioning them.
While, unlike Lady Svante, I’d use a term very different from “fascinating” for the fact “that the truth can be lost in so short a time”, the beginning seemed pretty good, promising another thrilling fantasy adventure but also having some words of wisdom related to our “reality” to add. However, with the possible exception of a few moments that can be considered exceptions, those expectations were not met, this novella being, at least in my view, by far the weakest of the series. The action offers few thrills, the locations and characters are spared too little attention to generate immersion, not to mention emotional involvement, and while the moments when Gillan breaks the fourth wall make good points about heroic fantasy tropes, and those used in games released in that period in particular, they stop there, and in a way are tropes themselves.

Rating: 2/5

Since I at least caught up to the end of December, I’ll now go back and finally get around to writing about last year’s long walks to “pay” with PET bottles, splitting it in two and covering the first five days now. That will leave the weekend, so the last two days from that first “round”, and the two days of November when I went to the location the program had moved to then, but whether I’ll get to those next week or not remains to be seen, since I’ll probably want to at least go through January’s runs then, unless I’ll have some more urgent things to write about… Which may well be possible, considering the current health concerns.

The first day when the program was going to run in Bucharest was October 18, and the location for that first week, since that time around there were going to be two locations in Bucharest, was Orhideea, actually remaining so, unlike the previous year, when it was changed to Baneasa at the last moment. So, after that day’s run, I had watermelon and cake, changed and left again at 5:40 PM, with the first 20 bottles in dad’s large backpack, the limit still being 20 bottles per person per day. And the other limits also remained the same, four pieces of any one kind of fruit or vegetable and 20 total bottles, regardless of whether they were brought at once or on different days, in order to get an entry in the raffle.
Well, that watermelon took its toll, so I went into the shopping center at Unirii to pee, then reached my destination a bit after 7:20 PM. After spotting the place where I had to take the bottles, I noticed that things were a bit messy, a few other people queuing and the few who worked there not seeming that organized, and there was also the fact that the caps had to be taken off, which added to the time if they had to do that then and there, so I tried to help when my turn came, and obviously took them off before putting the bottles in the backpack from then on. Then I was asked for my name and phone number, for the raffle, so I said my full name… Which resulted in the girl writing Lucian as my last name and Robert as my first name, which I noticed when she handed me the ticket in order to put it in the box, and after I pointed it out to her she just crossed out Lucian and wrote Negut there instead. Either way, I then got four Kapia peppers, weighing 596 grams, four Bianca peppers, weighing 293 grams, four potatoes, weighing 926 grams, four carrots, weighing 461 grams, and four apples, I believe Idared, weighing 766 grams.
Then I went in and explored the place, but didn’t buy anything, since on top of not finding anything else to add, I only found exactly two LED tubes left and none of the large chocolates I wanted to get for dad, though there had been boxes and boxes of them when I had gone to the location from the park two days earlier, and I was relying on those to get to 50 RON and also take advantage of their campaign offering a 5 RON voucher, obviously on top of bills in exchange for the coins, if you make purchases of at least 50 RON and then give 50 RON in coins at the information desk. Then again, I’d have been wary to try it that day anyway, because I couldn’t spot any notification about that campaign there, so after getting back I sent them a message to ask whether it was still running and, if so, whether that location was also included.
Either way, after peeing again, I was leaving at 8:10 PM and reached the Carrefour from Unirii at 9:05 PM, having a look but not buying anything from there either, so I was out at 9:30 PM and back a bit before 10:20 PM. Then I took a bath, after which I made mamaliga, adding quite a number of things in it. Obviously hadn’t had lunch that day, and started eating dinner at 3:20 AM, then got in bed at 5:30 AM.

On October 19 I again left at 5:40 PM, but took 25 bottles, since I had five wine bottles I wasn’t sure they’ll accept, so I added five more, in a separate pocket of the backpack, in case I’ll need them. I didn’t, however, since I got there just after 7:15 PM, first went to pee, then gave the bottles, and while the guy had a look when I gave him the first of those five, he said those were also fine, so I kept the other five in that other pocket. And I got four Kapia peppers, weighing 291 grams, and four Bianca peppers, weighing 340 grams, but when I asked for tomatoes I was given five, weighing 623 grams, then the guy suggested carrots and I accepted it, getting five of those as well, and large ones, weighing 741 grams, while for the last product I selected apples, but at least three kinds were available that day, so I was asked to pick one and I believe I picked Gala, and ended up with five of those too, weighing 700 grams. Then, for the raffle ticket, I made sure to leave Lucian out and specify which was my first name and which was my last one, so there won’t be any more confusion, not that I could really see how they could be mixed up in the first place.
Had a look through the store that day as well, but again left without buying anything, walking out just before 8 PM… And only noticing after that, when I stopped to have a better look at what I had received and put the tomatoes on top, that I had been given a fifth tomato, carrot and apple. And then I again also checked the Carrefour from Unirii, getting there just before 9 PM and finding and buying an expiring apple tart that seemed nice and was actually discounted by 50%, the discount for expiring products that aren’t fruits or vegetables or from the bakery area otherwise being 30% in that location, strangely.
After leaving that store a bit before 9:25 PM, I was back a bit before 10:15 PM, just having an apple before showering and some chocolate after that. And then I had a lot to clean after dad, who had cooked that day, on top of putting away what I had brought, and I also cooked at night, making rice, so I again mixed lunch with dinner, as I used to do in the past, and only started eating at 4:40 AM, clearly the latest time yet. As such, it was past 6 AM when I finished… And that was after I picked up the salad bowl and it slipped. Nothing broke, fortunately, but it also knocked the cream cheese off my desk, which also fortunately just bounced away to and on the floor, didn’t land upside down, somehow didn’t splatter at all and no dirt seemed to have ended up in it either, but I still had to stop and pick things up and clean a little, to be sure. Either way, I was finally in bed at 6:25 AM.

On October 20, I got up when the alarm rang, at 12:30 PM, since the plan was to also walk the rest of the route that was displayed at the time for the marathon. Then, seeing as there had been no reply to the first message, I again asked Carrefour whether they could answer my question about that campaign, but they told me they were still looking into it. They eventually did reply, confirming that it was still running and also in that location, but that was at 4 PM, so I only saw that after getting back, since that day I left at 3:05 PM, again with 25 bottles, taking five more wine bottles and also keeping those five spare ones, just in case.
I got there a bit before 4:40 PM and, since one of the guys was dealing with another person and the other was on the phone and just telling someone what he was doing and that the person in question could also bring bottles and get vegetables and apples, as long as they’re not vinegar or oil bottles, when I gave him mine I asked about the vinegar and he said that vinegar, oil and milk bottles are not accepted. Then, seeing that they had no Kapia peppers at that moment, I asked for fibbers, again not noticing that I was given five, weighing 717 grams, but I did notice that I was given more Bianca peppers, actually counting seven after I got back, weighing 605 grams, and I pointed out that he gave me too many, but he said I was the first person to point that out to him and it didn’t matter, then gave me eight, weighing 558 grams, when I asked for cucumbers, and while I just got three Golden apples, weighing 436 grams, he gave me five Granny Smith apples, weighing 688 grams, and those were more expensive. And he also offered to help while I was struggling to fit everything in the backpack, which made me feel awkward, and he couldn’t really help at that point anyway because the bag couldn’t fit without first moving some things around inside it… But then he offered again after I did that, so it was a relief that I managed to get it done just as he was reaching over.
Then I went in and bought the LED tubes and the extension cord dad wanted, and also lemons… Which led to a problem, because for some reason at that location customers still can’t weigh the products themselves, though they changed that policy quite a long time ago in all other locations that I know of. There are a couple of scales that can be accessed, but they’re only meant to be used by those who make deliveries, and I was warned about that when I used one to check the weight, but I was just checking the weight, so I did what I had to do in order to get as much as I wanted and then went to one of the scales operated by an employee in order to get the label with the price.
After peeing and leaving a bit before 5:50 PM, I got to the spot where that section of the route would start a bit before 6:20 PM, though it could be said that I had started walking it on the way to the store, having paid attention while I was in the area that was to also be a part of the marathon’s route. Then again, most of that entire section was known, also being part of the route of the half marathon, and the part that wasn’t was also used the first time, but I nevertheless wanted to walk it carefully, making mental notes of how bad the pavement was in Cismigiu Park, of the long climb on the way back on Elisabeta, and of the spot where the road narrowed because some work was being done in an area that we were to pass through twice, at a point that the fastest runners were certain to reach the second time before the slowest will pass the first time.
Unrelated to the marathon, I’ll add that my back was complaining almost that entire time, and the backpack didn’t really allow me to snap it without forcing it or have a good posture, so I just had to deal with it. Otherwise, since I passed by it again, I finally had a quick look in that Zero Waste store, seeing a fair price for soy, but that was about it when it came to the products, what caught my attention more being that I also saw some books and wondered why they were there, whether they could be loaned or what, but couldn’t get myself to ask. And one last thing to add is that a girl who was riding a scooter fell right in front of me in Cismigiu, so I asked whether she was all right a few times and a woman who was also passing by did the same, but she seemed more worried about us than about the fall, so we walked away, and when I turned to look again I saw that another woman came to her and they stayed together, so maybe that was her mother.
I think it was just after 9:05 PM when I again reached the Carrefour from Unirii… Only to struggle for quite some time to get the backpack to fit in a cabinet, the LED tubes being the problem. They seemed to be just a little bit too big, so it seemed close enough that I kept trying but just couldn’t do it, and after a while the guard came over and told me there was no way to fit them in there and put some stickers on the backpack’s zippers, also saying that at 10 PM he’ll be closing and leaving, so anything still in the cabinets at that hour will be lost. Either way, I got that chocolate that was no longer available at Orhideea and a bag of corn puffs, then saw that the eggs sold by piece were discounted again and even bio (organic) ones were in that pile, so even though an employee came twice to also take some while I was doing so and also commented a little, and it was 20 minutes before closing when she came the first time, I took my time to check them all and select all 11 of those that weren’t cracked and two more with code one. Then, after taking the time to arrange everything in a bag, I was out of there at 9:55 PM and back at 10:45 PM.
Well, when I tried the LED tubes, they didn’t work. And dad tried to help and just got in my way, messed things up, annoyed me and got annoyed by me. But he eventually went to bed and I went to shower when it was 12:30 AM, so I didn’t even go to the toilet first, and it was past 1 AM when I got back to the kitchen and had lunch, with a whole bag of bagels, 250 grams, instead of bread. But at least I figured out that the tubes weren’t working because they had the contacts on a single side while our fixture has them on both… And I also noticed cracks in one tube, which I’m quite sure weren’t there when I bought it, and I had no idea whether it was the one I tried in different places or the one dad removed from the bathroom, and also couldn’t say for sure that those cracks weren’t present when I got back with the tubes, since they could have also been caused by my attempts to make them fit in that cabinet at Carrefour. And those cracks became more of a concern when dad woke up and went to the bathroom while I was making salad, I asked whether he’d try to rewire the fixture or I should try to return the tubes and he told me to try to return them. Either way, after also weighing what I had received and washing what was left in the kitchen, it was past 3 AM when I started making said salad, 4:15 AM when I started eating dinner, 5:15 AM when I finished and 5:55 AM when I got in bed.

Taking the LED tubes I meant to return, but also the light bulbs and small electronic parts we had to throw away and the paper, on October 21 I left a little after 4:50 PM, dropped off the paper in a recycling bin on the way, got to Orhideea a little before 6:30 PM, dropped off the other things in the appropriate bins and then, seeing nobody at that desk, I asked the employee from the room behind it about returns and she told me that the one who should have been at that desk was at the next one, where the cigarettes are. So I went there, told her I wanted to return something and she came to that desk, I gave her the tubes and the receipt and she marked them on it and gave it back to me along with the money, not even seeming to care when I said I was returning them because I realized I needed double sides ones, and definitely not pulling either of them out of the packaging even a little bit.
Then I went to give the bottles, seeing no other person there at the time and the one guy working in the area sitting down. However, a woman with a huge bag came as I was handing him my bottles and it seemed like she was also a regular, which made me wonder why did she bring so many more than she could get rewards for and I ended up telling him that I had gathered enough from my parents to come every day, at which point he told me to come in the morning and I said I couldn’t. Then a guard also came and asked if he could go ahead, since he just had four bottles, likely found around the area. So it was after him that I got to say what I wanted, and that guy counted correctly, so I got four Kapia peppers, weighing 393 grams, four Bianca peppers, weighing 362 grams, four potatoes, weighing 431 grams, four onions, weighing 403 grams, and four Golden apples, weighing 656 grams. But then he asked whether I really wanted to enter the raffle for a cleaning set, and when I said I thought something else was also available, he said reusable bags, saying no when I said I thought it was a scooter or something along those lines. And he really didn’t seem to want to bother with the ticket, so I reluctantly gave up on entering… And he handed my bag to the woman who had that large number of bottles, who then handed it to me. I still rather wanted to enter the raffle, however, regardless of the prizes, thinking that if one of those who had given me more products would have done this it’d have been fair enough, but when I received just what I was supposed to, then I was also supposed to get an entry, so I hovered around for a while, meaning to ask if it’d be so much trouble to get a ticket after all, but a few more people came and the guy was clearly going to be busy, so I eventually gave up.
Went into the store that day as well, again wandering around for a while, seeing that the price of lemons had dropped even more, so I shouldn’t have bought any the day before, and I also meant to get some bread for dad, but the lines were long and I gave up on that idea as well, again leaving without purchasing anything, peeing and walking out a bit after 7:10 PM. And I came straight back, just making one unintentional detour, being lost in my thoughts and forgetting to cross in one place, realizing it and going back after a couple hundred meters, and a very small intentional one, quickly checking this nearby store before getting back a little after 8:50 PM. Then I had a late lunch, after midnight, started eating dinner at 3:25 AM and got in bed at 5:25 AM.

And this is how far I got before getting in bed Monday morning, what I managed to post before midnight actually stopping when I got back here on October 20, the last paragraph about that day and the part about October 21 being added a few hours later. So it would be much fairer to end the post here and leave the rest for another, but the plan also included October 22 because there’s a lot to write about that day and a post including all of the remaining five days would be far too long, so stopping here would likely require splitting this into three posts, as I did in 2020, when in fact I just had seven days to write about, while now I’ll have nine, but when I’m barely staying at the very limit when it comes to personal posts, needing to throw something non-personal here as each week’s first post, I just can’t spare the additional slot, so I’m again doing what I’ve been doing lately and editing one more time, adding this final part the following night, so in the early hours of Tuesday.

On October 22 it was close to 4:40 PM when I went out, first going to Tei for some things dad wanted, though I also meant to get a couple for myself. That large backpack full of plastic bottles was a problem and I first tried to stuff it in a cabinet at the Mega Image next to the pharmacy, but it didn’t fit, so there was no chance of it fitting in the smaller ones available at Tei. I did try there too, just in case, but obviously had to give up and ended up leaving it with the guard watching the cameras. And the next problem was that the fact that there had been no line didn’t mean that there weren’t many customers, but that they had just decided to allow everyone to go in right away, so it was really crowded.
After grabbing the teas and what was the third option for something dad wanted, since it was the last on the shelf and I wanted an “insurance” in case I won’t find any of the first two, I looked for the first option, but didn’t ask when I couldn’t find it, the site listing it as unavailable as well. The second option should have been available, however, so when I couldn’t find any after thoroughly searching that shelf I grabbed one of the regular ones, so it’ll be clear what I was referring to when I’ll ask whether they still had any of the “Complex” as well. But the employees were busy, and the first free one I found, after wandering around for a while, said she worked with cosmetics and told me to find one working in that area. And when I stood next to one who was at a computer, helping another customer, she even told a coworker who came to ask something that she didn’t have time, so I walked away to keep looking, eventually approaching two who were talking to each other… Only for one to say that she’ll need to find a coworker from that section and take me right back to the one at the computer. So I waited for her to get to me, and while at first she just told me where that shelf was, when I told her there were none on it she took me to yet another employee, who was just a few steps away, and who just handed me one from the basket she had, so I guess she was just about to place more on the shelf. There was no price label for that product on the shelf, however, so I first used one of the price checkers, being surprised to see that the price was the same as for the regular version, then put what I thought was that regular one back on the shelf and went to grab the other things.
Well, at the checkout, the total was higher than what I had calculated, indicating that the discount hadn’t been applied for two things I got for dad, and when I pointed that out I was told that those things had been discounted a month or two before, which was wrong, since that discount had applied on October 16 and I had also checked on the site before leaving, and in fact once again after I got back that night, and it was still clearly listed. And there was the note on the shelf as well, so when the cashier insisted that the discount no longer applied, I told her I’ll bring her that note and ran to do just that. And when I got back she first told me a different total, one that indicated that one of the two had been discounted, but not both, so I handed her that note… Only for her to point out that it was for a different product, so I had somehow grabbed the wrong one. I still knew I was right about that discount, but nevertheless apologized and said that in that case I don’t want those two anymore, at which point she said she couldn’t just remove them, but had to cancel and then scan everything again, so I held up the line even longer.
After I was finally done, I retrieved my backpack and then went to the seats that are there, at first using the two free ones to arrange the purchases in a bag. Another person came and stood next to me while I was doing that, however, so I squeezed everything on one seat in order to let her sit on the other and rushed, forgetting that I had thrown that thing I had needed to ask for in a pocket and only realizing that it wasn’t in the bag after I walked out and checked it again. So I started searching myself, found it in that pocket… And realized that it was the regular one! So, assuming that it had been accidentally switched at checkout, maybe because the next customer also had one and had placed it there when I ran to grab that note, the cashier perhaps taking the wrong one when she scanned everything again, I turned back… Only to see that a long line had formed. Still, after trying to stand in it at first, I decided to walk up to the guard and tell him there had been a problem, and he told me to go in and talk to the one monitoring the cameras.
After I did that, he called someone, who came and said we should look at what the camera had recorded. So we did… Only to see nothing wrong, which left me very confused. At that point I said I hadn’t found that item on the shelf and had been handed one by another employee, so how could that happen, but she said I had received what I had placed there, so it was my fault and shouldn’t say it’s theirs. That’s fair, of course, though I’m not sure she understood what I said, possibly understanding that I had knowingly taken the regular one when I couldn’t find the “Complex”, or that I had seen that I had been handed a regular one before getting to the checkout. Either way, it was fortunately a sealed product, so she said they could make an exchange and I left my other purchases with the guard and followed her to that shelf… At which point I finally realized that I must have accidentally placed the “Complex” one back there instead of the regular one, because she grabbed it right from that spot and handed it to me.
Then we went to the same checkout to make the exchange, but that was a lengthy process, since it first required returning the first product, which involved calling another employee who brought some notebooks and wrote down some information, then giving my name and address and signing some forms. Also, while waiting for that other employee, the one who had taken me back there placed the product and the receipt on the belt and then left for a while, during which time I picked them up, not wanting to take any more chances, but when she came back she scolded me for touching them, saying that I’ll again say that something went wrong, so I just stood there after that, only providing the necessary information when asked. But at least the actual exchange was simple, also because both items had the same price, and when it was done I again apologized for the entire mess, saying I had no idea what was wrong with me that day. And after the cashier said that I was probably tired, I guess I ended up immediately proving her right, because I almost left my notebook there, and my ID card and certificate were also in it, so it’s a good thing she pointed it out to me as I was about to finally walk away. Then again, while obviously also being tired, considering those walks and that I was getting less sleep, and that those walks had also started right after that series of three runs in five days, I’m quite sure that the main reason for all of that was the need to interact, my brain having more or less shut down while I was searching for an employee to ask about that product, leading to being less and less aware of what I was actually doing.
Either way, the whole thing took 25 minutes and it was almost 6 PM when I was finally out again. And my brain really wasn’t working anymore, which led to going the wrong way at the first intersection, realizing it after a bit, going back, again going the wrong way a little later, again going back, and only finally finding my way after that. So I had to hurry, dropping the plan to look for some more bottles that seemed clean enough on the way, just peeing at Unirii and getting to Orhideea a bit before 7:40 PM.
Both guys were there at the time, but I again ended up dealing with the one who had been there the day before, and he just asked how many bottles I had and took me behind the panel, telling me to dump them in a bag, not counting or checking, and also not even mentioning the raffle, and after the previous day’s experience I didn’t either, though it again wasn’t because I was given more than I should have been, because he counted correctly and I got four Kapia peppers, weighing 557 grams, four Bianca peppers, weighing 375 grams, four carrots, weighing 529 grams, four potatoes, weighing 574 grams, and four Granny Smith apples, weighing 582 grams. But at least he backed me up when another employee who came to bring some more carrots while I was there asked if I hadn’t already been there that day and I said I hadn’t, but had been the day before.
After quickly going in and getting some bread for dad and also some expiring food I found, I peed again and left at 8:20 PM, continuing to rush, since I needed to also reach Penny. And I guess it’s a good thing I did hurry more than I absolutely had to, since it was only a few minutes after 9:30 PM when I got there and yet the guard, who at least wasn’t that same one who had apparently considered me very suspicious two weeks earlier, told me to hurry because they were closing. But I got what I wanted and was out in 15 minutes, and at least I wasn’t searched again. Then I took some time to count the coins I had left, twice, and was back just before 10:20 PM.
After first having some watermelon, I showered, then had lunch, starting at 12:50 AM and finishing at 1:25 AM. There was more to do after that, however, and having skin that was cracked and peeling off my right thumb made it harder, but I started eating dinner at 3:40 AM, finished at 5:15 AM and got in bed at 5:35 AM. Something I only realized after waking up was that I had forgotten the staples I had removed from the bag from Carrefour on the kitchen table and only half of them were still there at that point, so I was worried about the cats, but there fortunately didn’t seem to be any problems.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that the former chairman of the UK’s vaccine task force stated that mass vaccinations should end and COVID-19 should be treated more like the flu, now, at the height of the fifth wave, this sort of mindset is starting to spread among European decision makers, including calls for the public to accept that this virus will add to the overall suffering and death from now on as inevitable and to replace legal requirements with advice and guidance, just kindly asking people to think of how their actions might negatively impact others, as if that ever worked! And now even The WHO, in its latest meeting, allowed for isolation and quarantine to be scaled down and recommended reducing restrictions on mass gatherings and migrations and international travel, despite unanimously agreeing that the COVID-19 pandemic still constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern!

You’d think that, if humans would actually be intelligent creatures, capable and willing of using reason, we’d use this experience to improve public health, reducing the burden of disease, the overall suffering and death, by applying some of the measures used in case of COVID-19 to other easily transmissible and/or serious diseases instead of the other way around! That would definitely include free treatments and vaccines in case they exist, along with coordinated international efforts to rapidly develop more and better ones, which should be the rule anyway, and it’d also include testing, but in case of such transmissible diseases it must also include legal requirements for people to behave responsibly, avoiding activities and actions that carry a significant risk of infecting others and severely punishing those who’d be proven to have carried out such activities while infected.
And it was also a good opportunity to limit travel, and air travel in particular, implementing and maintaining permanent policies that would indeed also limit the spreading of various diseases, but have even greater benefits from an environmental point of view. And I could continue with reducing the need to commute and that of human interaction for typical day to day activities, leading to more automation, as long as it’s done in the right way and offers more control and freedom for people instead of taking it away, and working more and more from home where work will still be required, and most preferably greatly reducing the need for people to work in the first place, leading to that elimination of the need to “earn a living” that’s so necessary.

But, of course, what hasn’t always been sacrificed on the altar of the economy, of money? We keep sacrificing the entire world, the ecosystem and other species, along with countless human lives, in every sense of the term, so public health is just one aspect that’s already included in the “deal”, isn’t it? And why use this crisis as an opportunity to make things better when we could use it to make things worse, at least for the large majority, with the same rich and powerful likely to still be the only ones to benefit, as always?