28-X-1999.
At home, aman reports that some protests are underway, 38 days in a row. I knew something will start the moment we get our asses out. In Kragujevac, 80 days.
On business home front, USquad started calling itself that in emails. We were trying to figure out how to do the import of EONS data (tab delimited, or comma delimited, but with embedded CrLf characters inside apostrophe surrounded strings). I have already sped up the routine twentyfold by simply not reading it byte by byte (and even reversing at times, like the old routine did), but by reading the whole lot at once and then chopping it. It was still not up to snuff because of weird idiosyncrasies of this kind. Joška was on this one... well, he did have the most experience with this kind of shit.
After work, went with Rick to a little tobacconist shop to see whether they have some decent tobacco, as the Basic that we were smoking was not worth the 2,40$ a package (nor was Marlboro at 3,70$). Found Samson in 40g packages at 2,50$ or so... well, that package used to cost 2 DEM at 50g, but that was years ago. At least it smells right. The tobacconist is a Thai or Filippino and doesn't pronounce the trailing consonants, "ee we be fo tweni fye" or something like that. I understood much better next time.
Three days ago we spent 63,96$ at Harris Teeter but didn't make it a habit. Ordinary supermarket, with some half-assed attempt to hide the fact with fancy lights and kind of atmosphere, as if it justified the extra 15-20% extra on almost everything. If they at least had something that nobody else had (perhaps they did, but not among the stuff we buy)... so I guess we went here more(8th nov, 104,89$, 29th 42,09$). The epilogue of the story is that we took the store card (left the address) and they sent me, later, something to shave with (which I perhaps used, or gave to someone), and that was based on my purchasing habits. Because I passed the card to USquad guys. Same day, we spent 129,26 in Kmart, and I'd say most of it was the mirko, and the rest probably more kitchen stuff.
This is the day that Berix announced she'd drop by, and she being on Rob McBleam's framework conference in the city, I don't see how she may miss the date. And she appeared fair and square, and had some of that brandy, chatted with the girls and it was all nice and dandy. Feels good to meet someone you know.
We complained about the stupid lighters with safety breaks and ridiculous warning stickers. She said it's a safety feature, so the kids can't accidentally light it up and cause a fire. When she had one of those the first time, she couldn't find how to unlock it and light, so a six year old showed her how it's done.
Day later (now perhaps this visit was on 27th, as the directory where the photo is says, and this was on 28th?) I took Lena to a movie. We saw the „Sixth sense“, a cool smooth movie (and the AC was on in the theatre, it's still october...). The movie actually isn't that much, we've both seen better, but the experience of moviegoing was quite different than at home (where I don't quite remember whether she ever went).
On 30th I shot this birdie with the little Seiko, somewhere on a parking lot near Zero. With whatever closeup ability the little gadget could muster. And the bird had the patience, waited until I had a good shot.
News from home, Tereza wants to buy our sewing machine, needs one for the apartment in Pest. She got it eventually, don't know whether we charged her or not. They bought this apartment for their daughter
oma is pushing her paperwork, to get a visa etc, to spend the winter at her brother's in Germany. Dad went to the post office and, after some protest from the clerk, this should be handled by the recipient in person („but he's in Virginia“) he got l86 (186, IOW) dinars of parental aid for december 1997. German mark was 6,20 dinars then, it's 16 dinars now.
Mentions: aman bre, Cecilia Roxbury (Berix), EONS, Jelena Sredljević (Lena), Joška Apro, mirko, oma, Rick Netter, Tereza Mazek, USquad, Zero Distance (Zero), in serbian