Thursday 1st December 11

Gill woke me at 9 with an apology.  She'd sent our eldest to school without something important, rang him and said... on the spur of the moment, that I'd bring it in to him for 10am.

So I got up and had breakfast and took the thing in, came back via a woodpile which made the trip doubly worth it.

I spent a few minutes doing my computery stuff and having a coffee, and then got busy out the front, chopping up pallets and splitting logs, did some stacking too.  I also did some compost heap loading, and spent some good times outside, good for my mental health!

I was out the front with my chainsaw when Gill and the boys got home, and our eldest asked if I'd be able to take him to a meeting tonight at 7.30.  It was a visiting speaker, Anton Kimpfler.  He is an author and workshop leader, and this was a talk at The Stables.

So we cycled down together.  Anton Kimpfler is German, and needed a translator which made things interesting.  His talk was called 'Might and Misuse of Money: what can we learn from the worldwide financial crisis?' It was apparently based on a book he wrote 25 years ago.  He said that money itself was neutral, but the people who trade are capable of misusing it.  He told us about an Anthroposophical Bank, which he said was founded in 1968 but Wikipedia says 1974, and was the first 'ethical bank' and was a template for Triodos and The Co-operative Bank.  He also told us about a voucher-money system in Argentina where the design of the system meant there could be no speculation, and money circulated faster. And then there is the Chiemgauer Currency, started in a Waldorf School, which has seen huge success.

At the end of the talk, I was able to explain how LETS worked, and there was a bit of discussion before we cycled home. 

Thursday 10th February 11

A reasonable day, despite having a headache for most of it... lack of sleep I think.  I need to try to go to bed before midnight tonight....

So, in the morning Gill took our youngest into school... she tried to get ready in time for the bus but missed it and ordered a taxi, but that was late so she was in an annoyed mood as she left at 8.45.  She came back by bus. 

I had a bit of time on the computer commenting on a few websites and news articles about greening funerals, and then did some logging and stacking, and I've built a very good looking logpile.

In the afternoon I got 4 sacks of compost together for Keith, and I cycled down to Country Fresh and saw Shirley, and picked up 4 boxes/sacks of goodies plus a few groceries.

At about 6 I set off for a multiple use ride, taking 4 sacks of compost to Keith in South Bank, and I was let into his back yard and I took them in there for him.  Then I cycled on to Copmanthorpe and found the home of the first Freecycler who had left 4 old feather pillows for me, ones which were too manky to let someone else use.  I'll compost them.  Then I found Adrian's house, quite close, and picked up a saucepan rack thing, which hangs from the ceiling and has hooks and might help free up some space in our cramped kitchen.

On the way back, coming home via Bishopthorpe, I found a freshly roadkilled rabbit on the road, so I picked that up and when I got in, put it on Freecycle in case someone wanted to eat it.  If Freecycle won't post the message (some moderators can be a bit funny about some things!) or if no-one wants, I will compost it.

A much earlier night than usual...

Saturday 10th July 10

Busy day.... up at 8am to get 10 sacks of compost down to the Barbican Edible York raised beds. I took the first 5 down and then continued into town to refill the Suma account as we've got a delivery next week and we'll have to pay the driver a cheque.

I popped into Country Fresh and Freshways on the way back and then took that lot down the garden and collected the next 5 sacks, and took them down. Lots of cycling!

Back at 11.45 to get ready to go to Manchester where I'm meeting with friends and then staying with Mark and Janie before going to DAD on Sunday.

The train journey was uneventful and quick, and I met Laura in the station, and in Cafe Nero we met Nomi and Jess, Ian, Amy, Simon (his birthday), Fiona, Katie popped in... and out, and in again, and there were others who's names I have forgotten or didn't learn. Then at 5ish I got a train to Stockport and Janie picked me up and we drove to Marple. It was good to meet Mark her husband again, and their two sons whom I get on well with, and it was interesting coping with their two overenthusiastic dogs.

As it was a nice evening I helped cut their front hedge, using a, electric hedge trimmer for the first time I think. Fun!

Tea was nice, pasta and veg stew, and as darkness fell we had a bit of juggling fun.

Later when the boys were in bed, I showed Janie some assorted videos including the Ethical Man ones that I am on.

Tuesday 31st March 09

Another late start, but a productive day nevertheless.

Washed up, twice. (not the same stuff, just two drying-rack loads!)

Put a load of spare glass jars in the recycling.

Took the second lot of planks up Hull Road to the people who will be able to re-use them.

Emailed round the Hull Road Planning Panel members to remind them about the meeting tonight.

Mended my son's bike light.

Did some paperwork connected with the Planning Panel and cycled it down to the Council, also visited the Co-op Bank and my building society.

Came back via Country Fresh and Freshways.

Did a bit of composting and some weeding.

At 6, Gill fed me... cauliflower and macaroni cheese. Then at 6.20, rushed off to the Planning Panel meeting at Tang Hall Community Centre and dealt with about 5 applications, with 3 other Panel members.

Home via a friend who has recently been bereaved, to give her my condolences.

A relatively quiet evening. Listened to two radio programmes on BBC iplayer. Started a Facebook version of the No Miles High Club for people who don't fly, won't fly...

Monday 4th August 08

Nice slow wake up, actually read for half an hour before getting up... trying to catch up on NewScientist which I'm 4 weeks behind on...

But up at 9 and breakfasted with the boys, and at 9.30 looked at the computer to see if the events at St Nicks were suitable for them. I rang up and found there was space available, but when I told them to get dressed I was met by a wall of resistance, neither wanting to do anything 'so early'. I tried to persuade them but it is impossible to make children do what they have decided they are not doing.

So I went into town to pay in a cheque, get a cheque out, buy coffee and some other bits, and to St Nicks to swap the Comp 250 compost bin given up by Kate for a normal dalek bin, which she and I much prefer. So came home with shopping and a compost bin, for about midday, and the kids had been playing nicely in the garden, were about to have lunch, and then have 50 mins each on the computer.

A good afternoon, including a gardener in a flat-bed truck with a small load of Sycamore logs which he was only too happy to get rid of... Gill went into town despite being in pain (it is gradually getting better) to see if she could get some children's clothes, as our boys keep growing!

When she got back I went to visit Anna B, a friend from York in Transition who wanted confirmation that her compost heaps were ok... which they were! She swapped the advice and mixing for a few alpine strawberry plants. I cycled back via some logs, and came back to find Gill had made tea for the boys.

I cooked tea for Gill and myself, and then went out to the LETS meeting. Only 3 of us turned up. But it was a good meeting and we got quite a lot done, despite the lack of core group members filling available posts. However, YorkLETS will fold if we don't have some more volunteers to share the jobs that need doing if the system is to continue.

Home at about 10pm, with a couple of discarded conifer trees and a broken half-barrel from the pub... I offered to recycle them and they were happy that they weren't going to have to go to the skip-site!

Wednesday 13th February 08

First thing I did after an early breakfast was to move some chopped and split wood to the logstore around the back, as we are expecting a parental visit on Saturday, and they like to park their car in our front garden... which is currently full of logs, something they once complained about! So on Saturday, I'd like them to be able to park there.... and get no complaints!!! However I have a substantial amount of work to do before they are able to do that!

Gill and the boys got ready for a day out, and I cycled off to town to get a cheque out to pay the deposit for the front door, which I got from our savings in York Credit Union. Also visited Barnitts to get a file for sharpening my chainsaw, and popped into Cycle Heaven to get my bike stand tightened up, as it had become very loose and was interfearing with the wheel. Then picked up some stuff at Martins and then on the way home met Ben who asked me if I could load my traile up with some stuff he wanted taking to the University, so we cycled down there together, my trailer with a large parcel and luggage rack with two more. Home at midday.

Gill had taken the boys to Knaresborough on the train, so I had a peaceful hour or so with the stove and the computer...

Then had lunch and did some work outside before coming in and making tea for them, a stew with some good spices in, which when they came in after 4pm, I added some pasta to, which made it child-friendly.

I went to post the cheque to the door people and buy some bits and bobs in the Co-op, then to Summerfield to get my youngest son some goats' milk which he has instead of cow as it results in less allergies for him. On the way there I met a friend who was very interested to hear that we were going to replace our front door... and she was interested in having it if we had no use for it, as hers has no glazing and she wants to have more light in her hallway. It would be good to get it reused!

In the evening I got a phone call from Phil who is off to France in a couple of days, so he came round and had a glass of ginger wine and a chat, and looked at my soil sifter.

Had an attempt at Skype with webcams but it wasn't working well and kept freezing and not working that well. Hopefully we'll be able to get it sorted.