21-XI-2008.
We bought the place at Undersville. Nice drive (just us two, Lena had school), had light snow first third of the way. Then clear but windy. Drove to another village nearby to get the paperwork done, as the agents' office was there. Got a potted plant, as usual (well, it's a second time, must be a tradition). The ladies there were just cool, with perfect southern drawl, excellent. Then had sandwiches in a Subway nearby. Interesting area, looks like hills of northern Šumadija, with just little more pine and oak and less of other trees.
Then we drove to our new old house. It being later in the afternoon, we surprised a girl who just ducked behind the kitchen (that is, where the kitchen should be) to pee. She thoroughly blushed and was visibly embarrassed, and I saw that she wasn't quite sober and that she was already formulating the news to tell her pals.
Slept the following two nights in a Super 8 in Martinsville, which is actually closer than the beach is here. It's half the price of Hilton in Blacksburg, don't see why. It's got TV with all the channels, microwave, fridge, iron and board, coffeemaker, even a safe. And the bed is anatomically five times better than the fluffy mostrosity there. Two minor things were missing - a coffee table and a comfy chair by it, which we were perfectly happy to be without.
Found a Keymart nearby, so bought something to eat, and found a gallon cask of sangria, nice package, so we celebrated.
I smoked. At the house, in the hotel. Not all 20 as before, but about a dozen for sure. Not bad, I actually liked it. Smoked the last one after what lunch we had. I'm writing this eight days later, didn't light another, didn't even think much about it. But I will, again, next time there. Nice to know I can switch anytime, that I wasn't really an addict, and that I can go back and forth as I like. Ender's friends still can't believe I went cold turkey; going cold/hot/cold would probably be too much to even think of :).
A propose smoking, this shot was made on 01-XI-2008., but I'm putting it here because of the place. We stopped for a coffee again, and it being a bit colder than last time, we decided to drink some inside, in exactly that glass add-on, where the smokers' zone was. We usually avoid such smoking ghettos because they're, as a rule, too small and unventilated, that's done on purpose to humiliate smokers. But this time it was still too cold outside, and it gets nicely warm under the glass.
Next table an older guy, thin and nervous, barely noticed his coffee, just smoked one after another and stared at Financial times. The crisis is on, who knows what losses he suffered and into what shit he fell.
Mentions: 01-XI-2008., Ender Aquila (Ender), Jelena Sredljević (Lena), Undersville, in serbian