03-VII-2015.

So we just decided that all work and no play ain't good for the spirits, so we took a little trip. To Palić, where the children went four years ago and had lots of fun. First we took a different road, following the right bank of Tisa, via Čurug, where I never was. Actually, once in 1992. I drove through, when there was something to do in Žabalj and I was in Novo Miloševo, so I got that gift of a new road I never drove before. Got me completely confused, as the entrance and exit are completely symmetrical and the main street is long and hypnotising, so about halfway through I wasn't sure I' going in the right direction, did I make a stop and started backwards? Not that I remember but... I was so happy to see the šećerana in Žabalj (yes, they have one too).

Interesting places, and this side of the river is definitely greener than ours. First went to Subotica, to the same spot where the universe's center of gulaš lies and where we ate imperially five years ago. Had lamb gulaš and this time took a bunch of photos, it being around noon and the light excellent. Bought a pair of sandals, knowing that being used to clogs isn't quite enough, they're fine to walk around the house, go down the street, ride a bike, just anything short and mid distance. Still, it doesn't work too well for long walks, specially where there's lots of pebbles on the path, after a dozen missteps which skew your ankle it gets quite tiresome, and I definitely didn't want any socks, so shoes are out and I'm not wearing sneakers for the last dozen years. So sandals it is. Still not perfect, these are covering too much and the leather goes up an extra millimeter up the right ankle so it's almost chafing it, but other than that they're excellent for longer walks.

Then we took for Palić but first visited a big DIY shop to get the new band for our band saw, and the rubber band to line the upper wheel. Found myself a perfect shovel-spade, of the kind I had in the US, which has a footrest, so I can press it like a real spade, and yet it's slightly rounded so I can shovel the dirt in the same go.

The trouble with shovels and spades here are that the spades are completely flat, so they're basically for digging only; most of them don't have any kind of foothold, so whenever the soil is a tad harder it's irritating the sole of the right foot. The shovels are just as flat, but at least bent at a correct angle so to be practically parallel to the ground. However, both have short handles, about 120cm, which forces you to bend to get any work done. Which is perhaps okay for less than an hour, but... I remember the old shovel left by Deks, which had properly bent long handle, that thing was perfect. So in the following weeks I visited a guy on the big market at home, and ordered such a long handle, perhaps 20cm longer than regular. Perfect, I get so much more done with less effort. Okay, maybe just as much effort, but this is hands and upper body muscles, not backache.

Then we went to the lake, strolled around, washed out feet in the lake, found a place to sleep and walked all the way to Abraham, which is a famous tavern, still holding its reputation. The barbecue was excellent, only - too bad - they had only small beers, american sized. The waiter agreed with my complaint, and said that 0,33l is still good - they now have Heineken in 0,2l bottles. When I asked whether it comes already fit with a pacifier, he went into the kitchen to laugh it off. We were quite thirsty from all the walk, so I think we went for three beers each (dark, nikšićko, actually bottled in Apatin).

During dinner phoned Škrba to ask him where the fuck is that shop in Szeged. Caught him by surprise*, and also her. because she was taking a leak and coming back thought I heard her coming and was talking to her - didn't see me holding the phone. I use the cell phone so rarely that it didn't cross her mind at all.

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* or rather „in the surprisedness“, in an imitation of LML's imitation of his colleague from Second [gimnazija], who spoke with heavy hungarian accent, always on first syllable with random lengths in the latter ones, so „caaaught me in the surpriiiisedness“, comes from „where does a sniperist shoot from - from unnooooticedness!“.

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Mentions: 22-IX-2016., 20-XI-2021., Walnut, gone, 07-VI-2023., 21-VIII-2023., 20-IX-2024., 21-X-2024., gimnazija, Gradivoj Škrbić (Škrba), Jene Čokai (Deks), LML, šećerana, in serbian

16-IV-2017 - 10-VII-2026