03-VIII-2026.
The number of cats keeps varying. Zelena.3 bore again, four grays in the tyre under the bench, seems to be their favorite spot, but then the Čerupač (plucker, aka Cherry Pie) and the little black one vanished. She saw the latter in Stole's garden, some fisix days ago, and then nowhere.
Last night, just for kicks, I finally donned that russian objective on the eos70, haven't used it for ten years (v. 30-VI-2012.), assuming it'll crap out like its predecessor, which showed focus on such lenses slightly closer than it really focused at. Tried now, made a shot of the left monitor up close, and lo, can see every pixel. But must focus through the prism, if I try the screen, there's a message „...not detected, press start for video“. Eh, well, won't use this to make video.
It got cooler in Seattle, Stanley is in that preferred sweater from mother-in-law, and Go in a light jacket over a top. Anita got serious, it's a whole month since she stopped making faces into the camera, and is also getting serious with her visual works, and has style. All the stuff from manga and games, but then they all did that at first and later moved to something else. Neša is growing into a real dude. Looking at the screenshots I made, he'll have large hands. He's thin so far, but who knows.
It's persistently hot here, luckily it's at least bearable at night. After the chat we finished various jučetina - she the one beer that was left over, I the remaining shot and a half, and we fell just nicely asleep. The airconditioner we turned on for tensome minutes, and then set the windows ajar. I did wake up, true, not soaking wet but feeling a degree or two less would be nice - naked, uncovered. The temperature in the house fell from 26,5 to 25,2 overnight, give what you may. By middle of first coffee (we both got up something after seven) we turned the airconditioner on. Outside, lightly cloudy. I won't look at the forecast, not to jinx it.
Of course, what scarce clouds gathered, dispersed by nine. At least I managed to scrub the still before the scorch began (the still's thermometer, under the apricot, measured 30, the alcohol one on the terrace 26, but that's because there was a slight draft through the house, and terrace is in the shade until noon). For lunch, sarma day three, and will be for tomorrow as well.
And I managed to murk my brain by napping, but at least I poured the tutifruti on time, and parked it to cool down. While rakija should, indeed, be drunk at room temperature, fuck that if the room is hot. She experimentally curled [her] hair with those boilable curlers, which we found in the old house. Turned out great, and I exactly predicted how Dragana will react when she sees [it]. She already finished sewing the black blouse and wanted just to put the snap buttons, but riveting didn't work, so she took to opening buttonholes, and got occupied with that... at 18:25 I told her it was time to go, eh fuckit, I'll don something else. And found a different top, who knows how old, first time see it, says she never wore it. Lo there, a surprise.
So we were a bit late departing, and with the temperature over 35, don't know by how much, we weren't hurrying. First a jaunt to Roda to get the wine and to sit in the lobby for a minute-two but it didn't help. While it's couple of degrees colder than outside, they always manage to keep the humidity high so the sweat doesn't evaporate; as soon as we left it felt better. At least I made this shot of a twig which grew under the playground's fence, when the twins played there last time it was about a meter and a quarter tall. I'm using this russian Geljios (helios...), including this. Too bad that the tree is on the north end of it, would make shaddow better if it were on [the] south [one].
Then we sat on the bench at the bus stop near špajiz... There we chatted with Simče, and he again remembered my old address, what with house number, and now knows only the general end. Well, I said, do you remember the last time (19-VIII-2020.) when you kept remembereing all of who where what, and I asked you who you worked for... Now just to spite you I won't tell you :). He's the same as he always was, just white haired.
So we arrived at Dragana's eventually at eight, no matter, we'll make it up... Shirt properly stuck on my belly. We sat under the airconditioner, but she said don't turn it on yet, don't let it catch you in the back, dry a little first, get acclimatized. I ednured some twenty minutes like that, and then said fire up the contraption, I'll never dry like this. And we're immune to draft, blow it bre.
I remember we talked tensome minutes about vutra (weed), history of its prohibition, what was the pharmafia's interest to forbid it, and how the gimmick saying it's just an entry ticket to harder drugs is just that, a piece of propaganda. Actually just a small number move to heavier stuff, most of the folks stay on it and don't develop a habit. Take us, what little we had was interesting, the effect was mild and pleasant, and that was two years ago and since then nothing, we invest no effort in finding more. There Dragana chimed in with a story how one mom found her son with it, and berated him harshly, then told her ex to do him too, and he goes „well how much did he have?“ „a whole bag, I flushed it all“ „oooouch I could have smoked it myself“... (later I heard that the guy is a colleague from mašinska, the brother-by-uncle of G.M. from IV3)
The rakija flowed well, and she returned to the old format of glasses, those small ones she already managed to smash. The bottle was by her side of the table so I didn't see how much we downed, said almost half. The piglet [roast] she ordered from Bitević, he's now the owner of the once fuckodrome aka b'n'b across from once bager, they began delivering recently, and they were quite good so far, but today's piece they shoved on her was so loaded with greasy parts like she never saw before. So she dialed them and fucked their mothers a little, and they promised a freebie next time. Though, wdik (šgjz- šta ga ja znam, what do I know) it wasn't too greasy, but she said this is the better part, she already took out the excess. There was also lazy pie with cherries after, and these were in a kind of a jelly, with still whole cherries inside, so no bits were falling out, really good.
We asked about the doctor's opinion, what was on that disk we picked up last time, said „ah drop me off, he sent me to check the creatinine, and they held me four days in the hospital, so for nothing, with infusion to fix that. Actually three days it was supposed to be, but that [doctor of] my was on vacation, and no dežurni to sign me out on a sunday“. And there she confessed that her leg trouble began right after the vaccine, fuck Fauci and who knows what shenanigans were going on in there and in here. And there we remembered the many people we knew threw spoons quickly after the vaccine, and turned out we each knew a lot of those.
Right there Borče's pphone rang - Strle from Noo Joizy, we waved him like. Borče's grandson is a guest for a few more days and then goes back, but he passed some exams online from here, did that summer semester and still runs a very good chance to catch some freebie tuition or what may he get. And Borče already forgot he wanted to buy Nina's bicycle, and the photo from march he already promised to send twice, and then didn't.
Dragana packed us some of the piglet roast for the cats, said there's no chance she'll eat it all.
We split around two, made up the time. The cabbie was one who already knew us. The fare was raised a couple of weeks ago, then the union owner simply raised the tariff for use of the dispatching centre from 20 to 30000 dinars a month. But this may not be that union, this is 611, but I saw this guy apply the same trick as those must be doing, he like forgot to turn the meter on until about halfway. Don't know how much it clocked like this, she paid (500 dinars, she said later), but I'm sure he'll report, and pass cash, less than he charged. People manage.
Seems I went a bit overboard with wine, and not in the head, I was fully aware, it's that my stomach was complaining a bit, I dreamt something like heartburn, but a bit of shuffling my position in bed fixed it and I forgot.
Tuesday, 4th. Slept the afternoon through, croaked totally until half six. Just on time, so I was fully awake when Lena called, Tanja has a new pearl, „dad, relax“. Shes gnawing a carrot, trying to eat a whole sweet potato, miracles. Milan bought it all for me, boxes are waiting for me, just missing the dongle from eweezbisee to regular. Got one [wrong, I got a female normal to male see, this would need reverse, got that too, came with the charger], and don't need it, have a cable like that already. Then later it occurred to me that they are both mackies, and mac is the only one with see on both ends of the cable, and they probably have no idea that the rest of the world still uses the eweezbies with old plug on the computer end, and see on the gadget end - there, all the kids' contraptions, phones and tablets, had such cables.
Okay, so now to buy one extension cord of at least three meters for the left [one], and shelf supports, so when we bring it on sunday, to slowly make those shelves. We'll have to properly measure the space it will need, behind the boxes are the cables which I wouldn't like to bend, and also it's a bass reflex kind, so it needs some space to the wall behind. And no, changed that, we won't make shelves, there's the small table in the left corner, and the right one can go on top of the backrest of the couch, there's no more kids climbing on it.
The last intriguing detail is whether the card (aka mixette... whatever) will the driver for linux appear just like that, as it did for the late Štajnberg, or will I have to manage.
Wensday, almost nothing. Just couldn't resist mounting the rings under the lens and went to fuck around with it. Now, and then who knows when... This is a spider on the terrace door, shot through glass. Glasses.
Thursday, groceries. We screwed by going to Lidl, they get replenished on thursdays and mondays, it's a rush, but okay, I still know how to spot a parking spot (sic!) from afar, no horrible deal. Got coffee, the last jar would be next tomorrow, one empty chicken to fill, soy sauce. Then to Roda, a bit colder than on monday, still stuffy. Bought just meat - močing (the beef parts with lots of tendons) and a whole pork shoulder, almost 8 kilos for just 9500, not too bad, and when she sliced it she said no water injected, nothing oozing like it does from Mrkšić.
Saturday. After last night's entertainment and drinks we slept quite well, but it got me up as early as at six. Made myself a coffee, made a couple of cigarettes, sat until seven, finally felt like sleeping more. But nope, by half eight I was up again, go back up. Remembered to collect what's out there by Mira Furlan, found one more album. Some time later, mrz played something by a zrenjaninski band „Lila Diva“, so let's see if there's anything more from them... aha, there's a game for zx spectrum, under three titles (two with „aka Lila Diva“). Seems the band named itself after the game, they're from eighties I'd say.
In the evening I simply fainted, felt so sleepy despite having a nap after lunch. And so I slept through the term when I should call the man about tobacco. Won't bother him on sunday, so it's monday or we should make do.
Sunday, of course straight to Belgrade. Poured in Čenta, never dearer, 240 dindgies liter of diesel, but okay, once in a month and a half, may the life go. While paying, I noticed that the card was the only one in [my] pocket, the other three bits of plastic were who knows where. Ummm.... (found later - not by bed, by toilet seat, on the armchair, the three suspect places where I may leave my shorts, nope, she found it in the Joda, dropped out when I was pulling out the key). My parking slot was waiting, wide at that.
Their apartment is in a state of minor chaos. The majstor finished the wall between the bathroom and Lena's office, the shower cabin leaked at the lower edge, grout was missing, dried out, so the wall soaked it. Now it's becoming a combined kid's room and office. Tanja's wee bed is already there and she slept in it last night. Some pieces of furniture are in the hall, to discard. Yeah, I said, I see on the pictures many things you had, clothes and whatnot, where do you keep them, this is only a hundred square[ meter]s. Eh, she said, just leave it by the dumpsters and it vanishes within thirty minutes, the Gypsies take it away as a matter of course. Of the stuff she meant to remove but keep archived, she gave us three of her drawings, framed under glass, family portraits - deda, baba, parents... the way we were sixteen years ago. And a huge portfolio, aye zero format, with drawings and other things from the academy preparation course 2010/11.
Her belly is strongly progressive, but she had a really good dress (won't go to waste, mom will inherit). The package with speakers was already ready, all complete. I opened only the card just to show to Milan that I won a bet against myself, the yooezby cable in it was exactly as I expected t, one end cee standard, other classic... They make both end cee only for macs. And he said the studio speakers were always an illusion, they are used to make the master recording sound right, and for publishing it's remixed so that it sounds well on the most popular device of the year - now probably earplugs and iPhone. Later I found the same story in the manual, just from a different angle, says not to tune it up too much to make it sound better, because it may make a weak recording sound good, and the listeners will get it so. Better to make the recording good, that's what you sell.
They adamantly refused to total the cost and take the money, no no this is on the house. Well said it's not any suprise package, I ordered, nope, never mind, house treat and period. Okaaay...
Tanja didn't lunch yet, they kept pinching pieces of various jučetina all day, so it's Valter again, this time with a scooter. The little one rides it well. The temperature was marginally more bearable, just 36, and now we know the passages thought the Chinese wall (the nickname of the long building in blok 21), so we walked the best part through shade. This time we ordered two čorbe and somun, and of course she leaned on it, tore the somun herself and dipped it. At the time when we were waiting for ćevapčići, she already ate enough and lost patience, couldn't keep her sitting at the table, so we decided to just have them packed and go. And there the confusion ensued - I went in to the couriers' desk to ask about our waiter, and the girl there said she'll pass the instructions to him, and I went back out to our table, and Tanja was nowhere. Found her at the desk, she was by my feet and I didn't notice her. She managed to pull the same trick two-three more times before we were ready to go. Then along the way she tried to sneak into anything she could, which wasn't good - we went behind the shops, and some of them were under remodeling and their majstors piled up junk there, no sense to call the removal truck five times, they do it eventually when finished. Then we reached the playground by the school, and there she tried practically all the apparatus. She's just a couple of centimeters short to sit on a swing by herself, or needs to learn to pull herself up for that much, which will happen by springtime either way. Upon return she was almost trouble again, didn't feel like walking again. But baba told her to step with both feet on the scooter, and she pushed it. That she liked, but then tried out variants, like sitting on it with her legs on the pavement, dragging... That lasted tensome meters, because she had to lift her feet and move them forward. Luckily, this playground is mere 100m from their building, right behind.
Then Tanja and baba ate their eight ćevapčići („basice“, short of kobasice, sausages), with some white sauce, and I parked mine to eat when we get home. Tried to fake a nap, which Tanja efficiently sabotaged, I even got a foot over a cheek once :). Had coffee, Milan helped us carry the heavier parts to the car. Swung by Mere on the way back, they have sour [water] don't have water, eh.
Lena has, what with the current rush of events (she's officially on maternity leave since thursday until end of year), forgotten to remind Milan to drop by suplementarnica (many words with -nica are retail, so the word, despite being spanking new, never needed explanation), so I was left with three capsules of taurin. The default arrangement between me and myself was to not mention it at all, time to skip it, I was taking it since winter, it did what it could, and besides there's taurine in sardines, so can take a break now. The disturbance in the eye is much thinner now, and while it's still bending the lines, the curvature is of larger radius now, and I have no problem reading or driving. When my dear remembered this issue, she came to the same train of thought as I [did] :).
After we unloaded it all, I took to supper first, won't do on empty stomach. My five ćevapčići were, okay, their standard sarajevski recipe, all kudos majstors, but the somuns... that's not it anymore. And while I did tell them not to dip it into that disgusting pretop (re-melt), and they didn't, they were still somewhat greased-like. And okay, that can be forgiven eventually, not too bad while fresh. But the sauce, allegedly hot... the horror. It's not that it was barely hot, well sort of, to an extent, second [grade] of elementary [school], it's that they failed to hang the idiot who had the bright idea to mix ajvar with cream. No go, it's gross. What's next, sarma filled with icecream? I sacrificed one slice of somun to wipe the sauce with it and then somehow ate it.
To unpacking then. She said „you opened the box on the bottom side“. Look, I did, but actually that's better, and I went on self-assuredly, just like decades ago when I took out monitors and computers out, roll back all four sides of the lid, upend the box so the open end is on the floor, then slide the box up off it, the easiest way to do that. Put the left speaker on that wee table, gave it power, plugged it into the card, and then smoke break before I go on unplugging the old speakers. Right then Nina called. Good timing, I was just about to declare fifteen minutes of silence between old and new speakers, so good, we can still hear you. Nothing new on her side, no news is good news. Needs to take Raja to get some footwear, he feels like switching to regular, was always in kroksare so far, sometimes sneakers... and now it'll be sneakers too. Sanda got a new tooth in parallel with the old one, sprouted so fast, in maybe two days, and she didn't even feel it until biting felt weird. The teeth look the same.
The one news is that Rein and Fayes sold the house and emptied it, the son-in-law is coming for them and they're moving to Florida. So the remaining kind of kin in the end is just Eleese, whom they saw just once since the return. She's working somewhere, not even far from them.
Then I unplugged the old speakers, then plugged in the right new one. It was supposed to go to the couch backrest, but can't do that, it's too big and would fall. Then shelf it is - I pushed the old playstation aside. Connected everything, hid the cables, fire it up. And lo the miracle, it just works on first [try]. The lower styrofoam, of course, stays, the last thing I need is to have the largest wall in the house as a bass distributor, like the floor initially was under jaybeelles. Of course, she immediatelly remembered stuffing the rug under the speakers at Borče's... Eh, that was a clash of technologies.
Then Go called so she was the first one heard from the new boxes. They're fine, no news, except Anita started making dad jokes. I failed to memorize, but got it delivered the next day:
- why shouldn't u trust stairs?
- cus they're always up to something
Then I treated for being innovated* :). We played select stuff from our [play]list, until the bug resurfaced, when it tries to play fortyeighth song out of fortyseven... What, didn't fix that yet? Went back to the big list, where the bug also exists, the code is one and the same, but hasn't surfaced yet on 28000 item list). Went to bed at guess half three. I'll have to read the manuals, seems it's overemphasizing the medium range.
And I downloaded the manuals in the morning. There wasn't much that I didn't know already. Aha, found the high pass switch, it adds or subtracts 2dB of sounds above 2 kilohertz, that one was in wrong position. Here and there on some recordings it's pouring over at around 1000 hertz, maybe that's the frequency where this room is strong. I already looked up what'd be a good equaliser for linux, and it seems every sound system on it has its own, so I should find which one mine uses. I'll sample it more first, waiting for a reference recording, something I remember well, see how it compares to remembered sound. Apart from that, this sounds perfect - as I already bragged to oldwave, the right box is half farther (measured by slippers, foot ahead of foot) and a meter above the left, and I still hear the middle right in front of myself, and I don't need to dial it down when she's speaking to me, and at the same power I can still hear it well in the bedroom - with the old ones just some bits would be louder than the air pump fo the aquarium.
Day went mostly in lunch (light beef čorba and podvarak), afternoon nap and listening, and for supper I mixed up another popara from the unsmeared pieces of yesterday's somun. Opened up some golijski cheese - what we had open went into overyester's pizza - and chopped the remainder of the butkica, one egg, all proper... But the somun was spoiling it, the greasy-like-hood was not baseless. First time ever that I left half popara uneaten, treated the cats. I'm not getting these guys, the čorbica is always good, the ćevap always exactly the sarajevski, and of everything else they managed not to fuck up only raw onions.
And then it was the high time to acquire tobacco, having missed out on friday and saturday. And then couldn't get him on the phone. Rebooted it and still nothing, tried twice from the landline, there at least I got a canned „you can't momentarily get the dialed number, try again“, aha and why I have the ring signal, eh? Sent him a message, and he did call, barely audible. On third try we somehow agreed to meet at ten. Ten to ten he called our landline, just as barely audible as on mobile, as if his microphone was dialed down to two. We just smoked the last two cigarettes. So I went, wrapped up the transaction, returned, and went on imitating a charge trumpet, „cavalry came exactly on time again“.
Tuesday, woke up as if hungry, half seven. I know, it'll pass by half coffee. Went to decant and remembered I forgot to weigh myself yesterday, okay, now. Slightly below 81. Whoa! More than year and a half since I saw that the dial in that position. Went back to bed, but nope, sleeping not functioning, I lied at half two, um, another leak and recheck the scale, was I dreaming? Well, wasn't...
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* „ponoviti se“ - to benew oneself, i.e. to acquire something new - clothing, car, anything that's not bought often
Mentions: 30-VI-2012., 19-VIII-2020., Anita Jennifer Berger (Anita), bager, butkice, čorba, ćevapčići, dežurni, Dragana Vitas (Dragana), Dušan Starkić (Strle), Eleese Aquila (Eleese), eos70, Gorana Sredljević (Go), IV3, Jelena Sredljević (Lena), Joda, majstor, Mališa Borkovski (Borče), Milan Nastić, MPSŠC (mašinska), mrz pladžer, Nenad Berger (Neša), Nevena Sredljević (Nina), oldwave, Ostoja Čaković (Stole), rakija, Reinaldo Aquila (Rein), Rosanda Aquilla (Fayes), Ryu (Raja), Sanda Sredljević Aquilla (Sanda), sarma, Stanley Berger, špajiz, Tanja Nastić, tutifruti, ZX Spectrum, in serbian
3-VIII-2026 - 12-VIII-2026