29-II-2000.
Went with Rick to see where the Smokin Joe's shop was. Wasn't too hard to find and wasn't too far either, just a block down the 29. He doesn't really smoke, except sometimes when he visits. Got some tobacco (by the cost of 16$ I'd say two 200g bags or one bag and one carton of cigarettes). Never went back to that tobacconist, stayed with Joe's even when I couldn't find their shop anymore, bought it online. Three days later, went to buy more.
My first full tank of gas for the new Corolla was 15,50$.
Zero is getting ready for the big move. Part of the office is already moving (Rick and me and few more guys start next week in the new place. Instead of the basement that we had in the old place, we'll have half of third floor (i.e. 2nd, by our counting) about twice as far away, closer to town, still on the same street. Perhaps I'd still be able to take the bicycle there...
These were shot, to the best of my knowledge, on 26th. The little Seiko isn't too bad at all, it's just... small. I see they advertise megapixel cameras now, and they are becoming affordable. We'll see.
Looking at the shitty colors now... partly caused by Seiko itself, it just couldn't do better, partly because the scenery actually is so dull grayish. I imagined that Americah would be more colorful...
It's becoming obvious that there are tables missing. The chick in the sweater is one Martha. Speaks somewhat slowly and doesn't seem too bright, but she's likable, comes across as fuckwilling and is actually nice to talk with.
Later I learned she was weaned off some narcotic, and this job is her work rehab. Zero gets some tax relief on account of that. The slowness of head is just a sideeffect. Who knows how she once was.
Bicycles everywhere, I'm not the only one. With, ahem, lots of up-and-down around here, which these young folks don't mind. I'm not necessarily the oldest guy in the office, but surely am among the 10%.
The kitchen was the discussion club. In the background two Luke H's, and the chick in the front is some Denise from New Zealand, who had the presence of mind to buy a bag of crayons, brushes, paper, scissors, glue for Lena to pass the time, while we were still in the hotel. A couple of months later she was gone, her husband or she got a better job somewhere.
More of Martha and bicycles. The other guy in a sweater (behind the right monitor) was some Hindu, by name Mohan, who came to work here and stayed for two days. I have no explanation, he simply came the next day and sort of did something, then didn't come back from the lunch break. He did come across as somewhat dimwitted, but whether it was because of tongue or head, I wouldn't know.
There's a shot with Felix behind his desk (with some beard on, so he doesn't look so chubby) with his bike and helmet leaned on this side of the desk. The helmet is not mandatory but is recommended, actually the campaign for wearing them is second only to the anti-smoking one (and to an extent to the ’got milk‘ one, which is more in huge pictures in grocery than on TV). Tried to use one myself. It's actually a styrofoam shell in plastic casing, but after a few tries I just gave up. It so thoroughly screws up my sound percepttion, that I couldn't decide what sound is coming from ahead and what from behind. Desoriented me totally. Safer without it.
Mentions: Felix Goncour, Jelena Sredljević (Lena), Rick Netter, Zero Distance (Zero), in serbian
13-XII-2019 - 23-XII-2025