05-III-2025.
I tried yesterday once more, to be able to say I tried, to call I.Z., even heard her voice for a second and then lost the connection. Now is it the network - it's displaying 3G, instead of the previously regular 4G, since last week (except from the garden, where it fell to 2G at times), or what, who'll know. Maybe to try from somewhere else, perfect my nearest tower is fucked up.
Yesterday Lena provided us with another cooking show, she made some sauce and fried batats in the oven, and the ordered roast chicken was already delivered. Tanja was on her hip, hanging in a sling, while she finely sliced the [chicken] thigh, mixed it with sauce and fed her. She's eating alright, ringing, has a hefty appetite.
Around this time I returned to UA, having promised myself to do it by first [of the month]. I paused at least three weeks, and somehow got already used [to absence]. Didn't reply to Alphonse's emails, because what he was explaining didn't make much sense, fuck his english, who knows what's each word meaning to him. When I got there, there was nothing new, except that m$ was slaughtering Skype in a few weeks, y'all move to [ox] teams... And now when I launched it to see should I notify anyone, it asks me to install the new version (!), which it never did before. If there was one, it'd put a tiny notification somewhere in a corner, and now it won't even let me connect with the old one. Which can't be older thant two days, as I updated the system overyester... well march to 15:00 (v. house dictionary), who knows what that last version may try to do before its seppuku. Adios, uninstalled without 'upgrade'.
We didn't do a popravni in the evening, i.e. pro forma popravni, it was good on sunday, this would be more of a make up for the entertainment we skipped, buf tinished the bottles left last sunday and overyester. There was a problem wich cigarettes this week, the papers were somewhat crumpled, as if the box was hit when reloading, which was no problem to her, she does that every day and has the skills honed. I got up randomly early twice this week - on other days I sleep in two parts, I wake up at dawn or before it, and then I jošim (v. house dictionary) in the afternoon - and I'd either make some thin[ one]s that'd burn in two minutes, or it'd be stuck and fill the paper only halfway. The crumpled one is smoke now, guess we're done with it.
I wanted to drop by gimnazija and contribute what I can, because today the [high school] students will walk to Stari Bečej, now called only Bečej, across Tisa. On our side of Tisa is Novi (new) Bečej, aka Turkish Bečej. Which is why I was never able to remember which is which, because this is the exception, goes contrary to the custom. Usually, if there was two places near each other, and one was called Hungarian (and the other Serbian), the first one would be renamed into Novi. Except here, the Novi is the hungrian one... Anyway, I didn't go because they were asking mostly for medical stuff, which we don't use (okay, she took two kids sized ibuprofens last week, which she didn't do for years, went through a round of sinus trouble). We have only alcohol, but that's methanol, poisonous and requiring special handling... And who know what medical staff may they have, could be someone there suspicious of anything lacking whatever certificates and other paperology. We agreed to go today.
I went alone instead, because she was making sarma, and no matter for how long it may be left to simmer, she felt uneasy leaving a hot plate on while leaving to town. I got there right on time, when I locked the bike across of vodotoranj, the gimnazijalci were just coming from behind it. I buzzed around, had a smoke on foot. Sat a little, not that I find it hard to stand (walk and bike were no problem), it's that I remembered my age and found it fitting to take a bench, nobody would mind. But didn't sit too long, two or three times a couple of minutes.
I asked some [lady] colleagues from the electro school how's my mašinska, though 'my' is questionable, considering that I returned the logbook into its socket back in 1986... „whoa, we weren't in the long term plan yet then... and mašinska is working, they aren't on strike“.
Of course, some very imaginative slogans appeared... Now that the large print is available, the people invest cash and effort and it seems to me they have very good fun. Alan Ford forever, I've seen this Grumf before...
The ProChoir sang Gaudeamus (again first two stanzas only, only ours was much better than that in Niš, they sang better, I made a video and it can be heard), then „For a million years“ (recorded one stanza), then „Earth/country“ by EKV - this time my throat didn't clench that much, I've developed some resistance.
And then it was the first time that I stood the 15 minutes' silence, with a thousand or two other people on the square. Don't know what's eerier, being among so many people without anyone even coughing, or that this merry and unbuttoned folk are suddenly capable of being so serious and disciplined, which was heretofore unimaginable to me. Nobody shushes anyone, no need to, everyone silent as one. Guess it's because it's nobody's orders, it's one of the traditions which got invented in these four months. Vučić's folk won't even come without being paid, and even then disperse before it ends, he loses half the audience during his speech. And these, look, come on their own and patiently stick to the programme.
When the silence ended and the whistles, drums and vuvuzellas thundered, someone tapped my shoulder - Zorica. Said she was literally behind me and didn't recognize me until I moved. That guy of hers is also around, said they'll walk with the highschoolers to Bečej, um, yeah, you two are the sworn walkers, when not on bicycles. I had to list all the grandchildren per daughters, to update her mental list. They stopped at three grandchildren, by first son, the second doesn't mean to multiply, they have a pooch and say they're fine with it. Well, what can you.
I found an orderly from gimnazija, to ask where can I pass a dime to them, says no thanks, no need, we have everything we need now. Ah, no, I said, this ain't finished today, you'll need it next time. Well, said he, we have a dežurni in the gimnazija. Okay, I went there, for once to enter the building when it's not any prom anniversary. The doorman was there with one cleaner lady, the dežurni was not around (met him on my way out), so I talked with the guy, said kids put him in charge of taking contribution, here he has the log... I asked, in a priestly manner, how much do people give, said „a thousand, two... the other day one woman came, gave all of fifteen thousand!“. „Here's three from me, anonymously, nobody knows me anymore anyway“.
Then I ran into Adža, or he ran into me, so we had a lengthy chat, even made a good selfie, easy to do in full sunshine. He told me the news, Sleš has died, this 31st of december. Ow fuck... Later I found on Fays (as much I could wade through the filters I put up), that it was really Adža who put an obituary for him there, with a set of four photographs, the older two of which were my work. One was what I used for that poster (v. 19-VI-1975.), in my only successful foray into silkscreen printing, and the other from the doček of 1976 on „Titanic“ 31-XII-1975.).
Went to the glassbox, lifted a wad of cash at the serekeš, and there I nearly fainted the iron, or some such combo - hungry, I guess. Sat on the cold marble parapet, a minute or two until that passed, then pedaled home for the sarma. Couldn't even eat both, left a half for dinner. Did the shots, then slept for three hours. In the evening she also took a nap, and then we finally passed that popravni, and tried that whiskey again. A shot and a half, can do that much even on an odd day, it does smack decently, and unobstructed by an appetizer of good rakija. While I wrote this, a week later, it occured to me that they recommend that the whiskey should be cold. Why, to have less smell? I asked on burundi, and sure enough, Vasa replied that it shouldn't if it's a good one; cooling is recommended only for the low grade, like Ballantines.
Shortened my beard finally, should have done two-three weeks ago, but my schedule was not heveled properly. In the evening, then, we checked on the 2019 apricot... well prescription grade, fuck the red label. The mellowing agent...
On friday we didn't go to the protest, though we planned to, because we both restarted the cough. Me not so horribly, just having those couple of fits in the morning when I even suffer a couple of seconds on low oxygen, until I grab a chance to take a proper breath... As if what slime there was, of the lighter kind, is gone already, and now there's the toil of scraping the bottom. She's more of a runny nose, consumes paper towels. At least the sarma was excellent the third day, as is proper. And she also made pancakes.
On eigth of march, day of international women, the programme on the webs is hilarious, watching Šarović interviewing the ćacis in front of the Presidency, and getting arrested... And in the middle of that Ipsos calls, doing a poll on the use of media... said just internet, nothing on paper or broadcast, no teevee no radio... just watching as Šarović is arrested. May I have moved some decimals in their stats.
Ninth of march, fifth day of sarma. Perfect. Such a, like, zen moment amidst this madness, so in Serbia so beyond. In the afternoon we drove to Lena and Milan to play with Tanja. She's not talking much and the tooth is not out yet, but then she's getting more and more skilled with her hands and feet, quick and strong. Just like each time, we got her properly tired, and what her sleeping pattern was in disarray, got back to normal when we left. On the trip back, we shopped just a little at Mere - the sour [water] and snacks mostly. Just when we got home and messaget Lena that we got home, my phone rang. Not the standard sound, but my old pestle ringing, that I recorded years ago, it started working out of the blue, just like that. Dragana is calling about tomorrow. Okay, deal.
I initially meant to carry the shooter for this frendz parti, so I didn't do the latest shots of Tanja, intending to do both later. But the weather was, as they say on Rhmz*'s site, „bright“, which isn't exactly cloudy but is far from the clear sky, we're being chemtrailed to the hilt („all into sixteen“), so there wouldn't be any proper shot with the full moon. And the timing is out of tune now. This winter our sessions would be on either full moon or none, but by now the full moon is on wednesday, so nothing. In Benu's pharmacy inside Roda they, again, had no 4x50mg ernafil, just of 100, so give what you give, I know how to split it, and comes even cheaper this way. By the railway crossing we sat on the bench to have a smoke, it's the first proper hit of springtime and it's perfect time to sit outside. Some character comes by, asks for a cigarette, said he dropped his key and phone, found the phone and didn't even notice the key, so he waits for his mom to come from work with her key so he can get into the apartmen, he had four beers and is now walking them off. Told him „I'm not beginning to drink until I see a clear path between glass and bed“. „Oooooooh this is wise! I'll have that in mind!“.
Borče came to us from behind at the traffic light, so we arrived there all together. Good atmosphere, didn't even bicker much. He was even allowed to recount, slowly and pedagogically, the story of his baptism on the Holy mountain... and how on third day, when they disembarked the ferry on their way back, he spotted a female person and was astounded by his own reaction. Ow fuckit you were for barely three days in male company... had longer in the vojska. Yes, exactly that was curious, how he did not think of the female gender at all in those three days. And there he went on positing that men always observe females as sexual object (completely omitting the fact that Dragana had a shirt with a wide cut, so it was somehow her left shoulder that was prominent more often than the right [one]... which I can't not notice, I love to see a nice shoulder too), where we all promptly and loudly objected to the use of word 'object'. Told him that if he needs a thing, to take a dildo and shove it wherever he wants. I do look for beauty wherever I can spot it, and sex is always on my mind, but there's no object, these are live humans, the sex is not something you do to a thing, you have a live creater with whom to... Object can't say that it won't, a human being surely can, there's no joy if you aren't equal... And, amazingly, I wasn't alone in that, it was him in his stance. Must have read an explanation from some shrink and believed it...
She roasted nothing, but ordered mixed meat... well, anyway, we had a good break since the last barbecue, can do again now. But she made some caked, something like koh (a spongy dough soaked with sweet juice-like mix, including lemon), but its topside charred a bit when the thermostat in her oven stuck. Didn't notice that in taste at all, was all good. Made a couple of shots, with my phone, nothing much, it's a feeble shooter, but there, have a trace.
We stayed until half two. Asked the cabbie whether the guys who drove the students back from Vršac really got fired. He played dumb, didn't hear anything about it, but by the time we got home, we were both firing barage against Vučić, can't go wrong there.
On tewzday we talked with Lena, at the usual time. All fine, Tanja lively, now routinely crawls over mom's legs and keeps beelining towards Api, whether to pluck his hairs or to steal his toys. No teeth yet.
On wensday (12th) after the first coffee we drove to Miletićeva, and bought 3,5m of upholstery cloth, and in seven hours reupholstered six chairs, and the remaining three the next day. The division of labor was what it always was - I'm removing the old and later screwing it back, while she's cutting and tacking. The stapler is shit, the one from Lidl which she took because it came with a set of other useful stuff, and as a spare. The old blue one is much better, and it did the job again.
Speaking of Lidl... torn the third of their shirts now. One at the elbow, where it may be under tension when I sleep in it, the other above the pocket (where there's no tension at all, maybe somehow in sleep), and this one also at the elbow. I wore it so for some four days, under the sweater. Also a vineyard sheers, on 4th of march, the nut which holds it together, fell off. Because the nut contains zero steel, it's some soft poop. Found a normal nut. As for shirts... the one I bought at a stall on the [green] market seve years ago looks better than these from Lidl which don't last beyond ten washes.
Then in the evening Nina called, chatted mostly about how job is complicated because of too many midwives, at least thirty companies pass the data to each other. The latest is that now in, guess, Newport they have water meters which aren't just read remotely, but can open and close the valve so, and now they can shut off those who didn't pay. Of course, not everybody, they pick 150 of the worst and shut those off. At least five reports need to be synchronized there - who the debtors are, who's selected for shutoff, who was shut off already, who paid meanwhile and needs to be turned on, and who was turned on. And then there's the adress changes, where the meter, of course, didn't change the address, the tenant is what changed.
Sanda and Linda were in the frame at times. Linda was sitting by her and drawing something (didn't see whether on paper or tablet), while Sanda circled around, climbing the couch - armres, back, the other cat in the window, down, repeat. We saw Violet briefly, and we didn't see Raja but heard that he's in the mood for a haircut. The last one was back on 16-II-2024.... Good work, didn't need any maintenance for thirteen months.
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* „Republički hidrometeorološki zavod“ - the state weather forecast institute. Which I learned to pronounce the serbian way, taking the r as a vowel and no schwas between the consonants. Try that if you run out of booze.
Mentions: 19-VI-1975., 31-XII-1975., 16-II-2024., Alan Ford, Alphonse D'Alchembert, Api, blockade, burundi, dežurni, doček, Dragana Vitas (Dragana), frendz parti, gimnazija, house dictionary, Jelena Sredljević (Lena), Linda Sredljevich Aquilla (Linda), Majkrosoft (m$), Mališa Borkovski (Borče), Mika Zelenić (Sleš), Milan Nastić, MPSŠC (mašinska), Nevena Sredljević (Nina), popravni, rakija, Ryu (Raja), Sanda Sredljević Aquilla (Sanda), sarma, serekeš, Stanimir Hadžić (Adža), Tanja Nastić, UbiquAgora (UA), Violet, vodotoranj, vojska, Zorica Škanata, in serbian
5-III-2025 - 19-X-2025