Tuesday 26th January 10

A much better day. I got a lot done. I spent most of the morning sorting out the paper part of my accounts, getting them ready for electronic submission.

I popped out at lunchtime to get bread and pasties from Thomas The Baker, and then after lunch, in response to an email which was offering Freecycled materials for a forthcoming York in Transition Beehive Making day, I cycled down to town.

On the way I stopped at a skip and the man emptying the house said I could have a look through, and I found a large number of low energy lightbulbs in their boxes, a toasting fork and a freeview box. I also found a passport, so I took that in order to send that to the passport office, but a nosey neighbour over the road came out of her front door and shouted at me to not take the passport or she would tell the police. I gave it to the man cleaning out the house... I wonder what he will do with it? In retrospect I ought to have told her to mind her own business and taken it to the police myself.

I went via Alligator to get peanut butter, mayonnaise (yummy vegan stuff!) and marmalade for Gill, and then on to Kings Manor, where Dave, an archaeologist, met me, and showed me the materials he was happy to get rid of. These were four very large sheets of hardboard. I tried to get them on my trailer but they wouldn't go on without dragging on the ground... so after two tries, I broke each sheet in two and reloaded them. I still had difficulties getting these to St Nicks for storage... very unwieldy and good at slipping off. But, slowly and carefully, I cycled up to St Nicks and asked Ivana where they could be stored, and disposed of them. Whilst there I met Sarah, another Freecycler, which was nice.

Home via Freshways, and back to home where the dreaded paperwork was waiting. So I did half an hour chainsawing to use up the daylight.

After tea I went onto the computer again and worked slowly through the hmrc self assessment stuff... too slowly for the website as I had to re-log in twice, as I was reading explanatory notes. Also it was very frustrating as I tried to put some notes in boxes where it asked if I wanted to put more information... but it wouldn't accept my text. Eventually I had to put my notes in a file and attach it to the submission. I was able to pay my tax online, and by 11pm I had done it all!

A very good feeling, relief and happiness, a weight off my shoulders. Gill fitted the freeview box to the TV in the front room, and it works fine, although there isn't a remote for it, so we have a single remote control for two TVs. I think that needs sorting!