Tuesday 8th March 11

A good day as a lot got done.  Gill took our youngest into school in a taxi, and I got up as Hector was due to arrive at 10am to replace our sink and to put up a shelf.

I've met Hector through YorkLETS, I supplied a couple of bags of compost to Bronwen his wife, and saw that Hector did all sorts of jobs, including plumbing and joinery, for half Yorkys and half Sterling.  So we booked him to come and install the Freecycled stainless steel sink and drainer, and put up a shelf as we desperately need more storage space in the tiny kitchen.  We do such a lot of cooking and food preparation, this kitchen just isn't really suitable.  But there's not much we can do... and another shelf is a good move.

Once he'd got the old sink off, he could tell that the new sink fitted the hole -just - and that he needed some silicone sealant, some pipework to put the half-sink bowl (where a macerator could go) to attach it to the U bend, and brackets to hold the shelf up.  So I went to B+Q, and eventually got everything I was looking for.  I found a large plank in the garage, something I'd salvaged a long time ago, and Hector cut it down  to the right length, and it's now up over the top of the gap which connects the kitchen to the living room, the missing wall which is partly responsible for the lack of storage space.

Gill went to town with our eldest after lunch, to eventually pick up our youngest.  They went to Barnitts for something. I stayed in until Hector had finished, and then got my 30 sacks of compost up to the front, where I piled them all into a builders 'dumpy' sack, which holds a cubic metre.  The 30 sacks take up more than that volume.  They'll be collected on Saturday when I'm away, and used for Edible York's raised beds.  I emailed Chloe to ask if she wants the other 20 sacks brought to the front too.  They are destined for the Barbican beds, whereas the 30 sacks will go to Peasholme Green.

That took quite a while, but I also riddled a large pile of mature fine compost and got 11 carrier bags of sieved or 'graded' compost together.  This will mostly go down to Country Fresh.  I might offer some to Freshways too.

I really enjoyed washing up tonight.  The new sink is a bit of a novelty, and isn't fully plumbed in yet... Hector is back for an hour or two tomorrow.  But I like our nice shiny new-to-us sink.

Sunday 20th February 11

A nice long lie in, which considering I went to bed after 3 last night, meant that I got 7 hours sleep.

Breakfast with Country Tracks.  Lunch at 2pm, listening to Gardener's Question Time. 

After this, collected a sack of compost which I'd selected for Bronwen and Hector and delivered that, then cycled on down to Peaseholme Green to see the raised bed that the Council have given to Edible York.  Chloe had told me that they'd offered to remove the shrubs, and she'd expected them to be dug out.  However, the bushes have been cut off level with the ground.  This means they will re-grow, and if they are to be taken out, it will be a lot more difficult to do, as shrubs and bushes are MUCH easier to remove if there's something above ground to hang on to!  However, a couple of hours with my wrecking bar, a good sharp spade and maybe a bit of help, I reckon I could get them out... most of them anyway.  I'll tell Chloe that I'm willing to do it, or help do it.  It may be that the Council will respond to her asking to remove the roots.

From here, I cycled up Foss Islands Road to Heslington Road and popped in on Rich, who was feeling positive after last night's gig at Fibbers... which I hadn't been feeling enthusiastic enough to go to.  I bought some groceries and picked up a sack and a box of compostables.

When I got in, I did a small amount of work in the garden, and came in to watch Ski Sunday, and shelled pumpkin seeds.  I did a lot of writing this evening, something on the benefits of growing foodplants for a friend's website, and emails to support two friends who have stopped going out with each other, and the break-up is very painful.

Later on, enjoyed watching Jack Nicholson playing a very unpleasant bigoted OCD sufferer in As Good As It Gets.  Gill and I both think it's an excellent film.