Nice slow start to the day... I came down and heated water on the gas-cooker to wash up. Our gas boiler has gone wrong; it needs occasional re-pressurising (I don't understand this) and when Gill twiddled the knob yesterday, it came off. So we're not using the gas boiler at all, even for instant hot water. And of course, it's too hot for the stove, so we have no hot water except for doing it in a saucepan on the cooker.
I don't mind doing the washing up, even before breakfast. There is some sort of satisfaction with rendering a jumbled pile of used plates and mugs into neatly stacked and clean, ready to use crockery. I'm not so keen on doing cutlery, but that has to be done too. Also, I collect the rinse water and water the tomato plants with it. VERY satisfying!
Sorted out various hotel and BnB visits for later this year. This involved a couple of hours phoning and working out logistics.
Anyway, a good day, did quite a bit inside and visited B+Q for Gill who needed some lining paper to do a 'Red Indian' figure as a prop for a play. I also did loads of riddling of some very mature compost... yummy! (almost!)
After lunch the plumber came round and fixed the knob back on the boiler. I think it took less than 5 minutes. The bill will be in the post....
I got an exciting phone call from Mike at York (North Yorkshire!) Credit Union asking me what I was doing on Thursday... as there was a proposed meeting with an important person, and did I want to come to this? I said I was available, and Mike told me that the person was so important that I'd need to be security checked. Wow! I wonder who it is? I have my suspicions but will just have to wait and see.
I cooked tea, rice with onion, celery and some other bits, with added plantain which I cooked yesterday, with fresh home-grown broccoli, and a tomato and onion sauce. I loved the plantain... a really fruity addition to a slightly spicy rice dish. I hope I get some more of those in the compostables!
After tea I popped round to Lynn's to discuss the publicity needed for the LETS Healthy Living event in 3 weeks time, and spent an hour chatting to her.
Back in time for another hour or more in the garden, in at 10 and the internet was down.. I had a phone call from Ben and his was off too, so it must have been the exchange or something.
It came on just after midnight so I caught up then.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Monday, 29 June 2009
Monday 29th June 09
A productive morning as I removed my son's bike back wheel and took the tyre down to Cycle Heaven to get a replacement. I went via Hazel Court civic amenity site, cycling 4 sacks of drinks cartons (including 2 from school) and some electrical equipment rescued from skips and some other metal to get this all recycled. I had a little chat with one of the workers there, and said that officially, cycles were not allowed up there, and I'd been refused a trailer permit. I said I refused to tip all my recycling on the ground at the entrance as had been suggested, and the operative said that taking the recycling from the pedestrian area up to the recycling skips was a health and safety issue in itself.
So, feeling happy about the sensible attitude of the workers there, I went on to put two cheques in and on to Cycle Heaven. There I asked if I could have a large cardboard box, as our youngest needs to make a life-size prop for a school assembly, so I cycled home with a box that a bike was delivered in... excellent! Home via Country Fresh and Freshways, also found some more electrical equipment sticking out of a bin bag left for collection, so that will go for recycling soon!
Enjoyed my lunch and helped Maria with a self-employment query over the phone.
During the afternoon I tried to catch up on a load of paperwork, phoning etc, connected to my Fiddlesticks work. But when it cooled down a bit I went to do some compost riddling and loading up my new pallet bin. My favourite activities, with my robin friend filling its face with centipedes and little beetles. Lovely!
I popped out to the Co-op for some provisions for today's tea, and Gill put them together whilst I did more outside work, including picking loganberries.
On the way home from the shop I stopped to chat to a chap who's skip I'd raided, to thank him for the Freecycling opportunities it had afforded. Ended up having a good chat and he gave me some strawberries from his back garden. I might end up helping Mike with his garden, he's only just moved in and needs some help. Nice chap.
I came in to make some tea for tomorrow... onion and tomato base mix, and some plantain, gently fried in chunks. Probably will add it to rice.
Quiet evening, maybe a bit too warm... and that was without the stove! Enjoyed strawberries and loganberries with vegan ice-cream.... yummy!
So, feeling happy about the sensible attitude of the workers there, I went on to put two cheques in and on to Cycle Heaven. There I asked if I could have a large cardboard box, as our youngest needs to make a life-size prop for a school assembly, so I cycled home with a box that a bike was delivered in... excellent! Home via Country Fresh and Freshways, also found some more electrical equipment sticking out of a bin bag left for collection, so that will go for recycling soon!
Enjoyed my lunch and helped Maria with a self-employment query over the phone.
During the afternoon I tried to catch up on a load of paperwork, phoning etc, connected to my Fiddlesticks work. But when it cooled down a bit I went to do some compost riddling and loading up my new pallet bin. My favourite activities, with my robin friend filling its face with centipedes and little beetles. Lovely!
I popped out to the Co-op for some provisions for today's tea, and Gill put them together whilst I did more outside work, including picking loganberries.
On the way home from the shop I stopped to chat to a chap who's skip I'd raided, to thank him for the Freecycling opportunities it had afforded. Ended up having a good chat and he gave me some strawberries from his back garden. I might end up helping Mike with his garden, he's only just moved in and needs some help. Nice chap.
I came in to make some tea for tomorrow... onion and tomato base mix, and some plantain, gently fried in chunks. Probably will add it to rice.
Quiet evening, maybe a bit too warm... and that was without the stove! Enjoyed strawberries and loganberries with vegan ice-cream.... yummy!
Sunday, 28 June 2009
Sunday 28th June 09
No work today, but several possible appointments, the first and probably most important was a meeting at midday of the Low Moor Allotment Association committee, to which I had been invited as a special informant about the possibility of a compost toilet on the site. I was second on the agenda after the community policewoman and security.
I started with the statement that humanure can easily be composted if put with some carbon-rich materials such as sawdust or finely chopped straw, but care should be taken with how the resultant material is used, ie, on permanent plantings like hedges, trees, canes etc, but not salad carrots or lettuce... I then said that as far as I was concerned, there were two possible designs of a 'long drop', one with the chambers at ground level, and therefore the room with the pedestal in it at some height, needing steps and a ramp for wheelchair access, and the other option, which I've seen in a lottie in London, is to have the chambers below ground level, 'tanked out' (lined to make them waterproof) and the room with pedestal at ground level, and this room made of bricks, blocks or strawbales, and a secure lockable door. The chambers at ground level would be very easy to dig out, but the structure liable to vandalism, and probably too large due to needing a ramp. The below ground option is more accessible for users but more difficult to empty, needing a special shovel with the blade at right angles to the shaft, accessed through the opening above, which has the pedestal bolted to it when that chamber is in use, and has a cover bolted to it when rotting down. The below-ground version must also have passive ventilation chimneys to draw air over the pile and help dehydrate the manure and prevent odours coming up through the pedestal.
However, the below ground option might have a cost of £10 to £30 thousand, depending on how it was constructed, and there are the issues of who cleans it and keeps it usable, and the occasional task of digging it out. This latter task would be every few years, but the former would be at least weekly. The committee agreed to canvas opinion about whether a toilet would be welcomed on the site, to gauge need, and if there was deemed to be a need, then fundraising could begin and designs submitted. I really hope the questionnaire finds that lots of people would welcome a loo on the lottie, and I can get involved in designing and fundraising.
I got home at about 2pm for lunch, and at about 3.30 went for a cycle ride with my eldest son round to Hull Road Park where there was a YorkLETS social planned. Lynn was there with her two offspring, who are at the same school as my son, and Stephen and Alison were there too, with their son. On the way to the park, we discovered a puncture in my son's back bike wheel, so on the way back he had a lift on my rack and his bike went on my trailer. We'll fix it this week...
I did a load of home composting work after this, re-building a pallet bin which I completely took apart a few weeks ago, and riddling a large amount of quite dry compost which has been in a builders bag for a few weeks. The unrotted sticks etc are going back in the bottom of the newly built pallet bin, for drainage.
Came in for tea, I had a couple of reheated dishes from the last couple of days with two stale pitta breads. The rest of the family had something nicer and fresher, but I'm renowned for being able to stomach anything and not liking waste, so I'd rather eat something than compost it.
Later in the evening when the boys were in bed, Gill and I had a slow game of Scrabble whilst watching Blur and The Prodigy on telly, at Glastonbury Festival. I thrashed her this time!
I started with the statement that humanure can easily be composted if put with some carbon-rich materials such as sawdust or finely chopped straw, but care should be taken with how the resultant material is used, ie, on permanent plantings like hedges, trees, canes etc, but not salad carrots or lettuce... I then said that as far as I was concerned, there were two possible designs of a 'long drop', one with the chambers at ground level, and therefore the room with the pedestal in it at some height, needing steps and a ramp for wheelchair access, and the other option, which I've seen in a lottie in London, is to have the chambers below ground level, 'tanked out' (lined to make them waterproof) and the room with pedestal at ground level, and this room made of bricks, blocks or strawbales, and a secure lockable door. The chambers at ground level would be very easy to dig out, but the structure liable to vandalism, and probably too large due to needing a ramp. The below ground option is more accessible for users but more difficult to empty, needing a special shovel with the blade at right angles to the shaft, accessed through the opening above, which has the pedestal bolted to it when that chamber is in use, and has a cover bolted to it when rotting down. The below-ground version must also have passive ventilation chimneys to draw air over the pile and help dehydrate the manure and prevent odours coming up through the pedestal.
However, the below ground option might have a cost of £10 to £30 thousand, depending on how it was constructed, and there are the issues of who cleans it and keeps it usable, and the occasional task of digging it out. This latter task would be every few years, but the former would be at least weekly. The committee agreed to canvas opinion about whether a toilet would be welcomed on the site, to gauge need, and if there was deemed to be a need, then fundraising could begin and designs submitted. I really hope the questionnaire finds that lots of people would welcome a loo on the lottie, and I can get involved in designing and fundraising.
I got home at about 2pm for lunch, and at about 3.30 went for a cycle ride with my eldest son round to Hull Road Park where there was a YorkLETS social planned. Lynn was there with her two offspring, who are at the same school as my son, and Stephen and Alison were there too, with their son. On the way to the park, we discovered a puncture in my son's back bike wheel, so on the way back he had a lift on my rack and his bike went on my trailer. We'll fix it this week...
I did a load of home composting work after this, re-building a pallet bin which I completely took apart a few weeks ago, and riddling a large amount of quite dry compost which has been in a builders bag for a few weeks. The unrotted sticks etc are going back in the bottom of the newly built pallet bin, for drainage.
Came in for tea, I had a couple of reheated dishes from the last couple of days with two stale pitta breads. The rest of the family had something nicer and fresher, but I'm renowned for being able to stomach anything and not liking waste, so I'd rather eat something than compost it.
Later in the evening when the boys were in bed, Gill and I had a slow game of Scrabble whilst watching Blur and The Prodigy on telly, at Glastonbury Festival. I thrashed her this time!
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Saturday 27th June 09 Sheffield Green Fair
Woke late... Ali had said there was no chance of oversleeping as her daughter is always up early, but today she slept in til 9.20, went in to see her Mummy, Mum realised the time and told her to go and wake me up and the overnight PA, Kaisa.
I had a fast bowl of cereal and got myself ready for work, and Ali got herself together in record time... went to get the bus soon after 10 and got to the Green Fair venue really quickly, at about 10.30... so woke up late and got there early!
Had a quick mooch around and just before 11 went to get my Fiddlesticks clothes on, and by 11 was up on the unicycle and livening the place up a bit!
I had a busy day... lots of fairly unstructured circus workshops, reacting to the audience's needs and requests, and one particular chap stood out, a pre-teen who I'm proud to give a plug to; Kyle P. who started the day as a non-unicyclist and finished the day being able to unicycle about 10 metres. Brilliant! I think he should get along to Green Top Circus and learn more, he'll go far if he continues practising with the dedication he put into the unicycle today.
Was glad to meet my sister and brother in law too, and Anna had some good chats with Ali, which I was glad about. Douglas watched quite a bit of one of my workshops but I think he fell asleep a couple of times, it was that exciting!
At 1.30 I had been timetabled to go and speak on the main outdoor stage about low carbon living, so I had 10 minutes in which to explain about measuring carbon footprints and what makes up the biggest chunks of it, and therefore which bits to try to cut...
Ali volunteered on the gate and somewhere else for a couple of hours. Kaisa and 'Littleboo' arrived and my biggest fan spent a lot of the rest of the day with me, her disability not stopping her trying as many of the activities as possible. She's even found a way to hold the devilstick handstick in her hand which doesn't do as it's told... I'm really impressed by her desire to just get on with it!
Soon my last timetabled slot arrived, a 3.45 balloon modelling show/workshop inside St Mary's Church, this was well attended and loads of fun.
At 5, the finish time, I found my handler and got paid, and all four of us trundled down to the station where a Newcastle-bound train was waiting and I managed to get on it just as the doors were closing. There was a jolly and drunk chap Tony whom I chatted to, he was very amused by the Professor Fiddlesticks name.
I got home via Country Fresh, soon after 8pm. Had a mellow evening playing Scrabble with Gill and enjoying Glastonbury on TV. I beat her by just one point.
I had a fast bowl of cereal and got myself ready for work, and Ali got herself together in record time... went to get the bus soon after 10 and got to the Green Fair venue really quickly, at about 10.30... so woke up late and got there early!
Had a quick mooch around and just before 11 went to get my Fiddlesticks clothes on, and by 11 was up on the unicycle and livening the place up a bit!
I had a busy day... lots of fairly unstructured circus workshops, reacting to the audience's needs and requests, and one particular chap stood out, a pre-teen who I'm proud to give a plug to; Kyle P. who started the day as a non-unicyclist and finished the day being able to unicycle about 10 metres. Brilliant! I think he should get along to Green Top Circus and learn more, he'll go far if he continues practising with the dedication he put into the unicycle today.
Was glad to meet my sister and brother in law too, and Anna had some good chats with Ali, which I was glad about. Douglas watched quite a bit of one of my workshops but I think he fell asleep a couple of times, it was that exciting!
At 1.30 I had been timetabled to go and speak on the main outdoor stage about low carbon living, so I had 10 minutes in which to explain about measuring carbon footprints and what makes up the biggest chunks of it, and therefore which bits to try to cut...
Ali volunteered on the gate and somewhere else for a couple of hours. Kaisa and 'Littleboo' arrived and my biggest fan spent a lot of the rest of the day with me, her disability not stopping her trying as many of the activities as possible. She's even found a way to hold the devilstick handstick in her hand which doesn't do as it's told... I'm really impressed by her desire to just get on with it!
Soon my last timetabled slot arrived, a 3.45 balloon modelling show/workshop inside St Mary's Church, this was well attended and loads of fun.
At 5, the finish time, I found my handler and got paid, and all four of us trundled down to the station where a Newcastle-bound train was waiting and I managed to get on it just as the doors were closing. There was a jolly and drunk chap Tony whom I chatted to, he was very amused by the Professor Fiddlesticks name.
I got home via Country Fresh, soon after 8pm. Had a mellow evening playing Scrabble with Gill and enjoying Glastonbury on TV. I beat her by just one point.
Friday 26th June 09
Up ridiculously early as a very early meeting in Sheffield this morning... so up before the boys, breakfast, got various Fiddlesticksy things packed, loaded the bike and trailer, and woke the boys up to say bye... and down to the station to buy tickets and get the 7.44 train.
First part of the journey I just quietly read my NewScientist, but then chatted with a future student who was off to Birmingham University Open Day (some good chats about his hippy parents!) and a banker going for interview in Cheltenham to re-apply for his job, as the bank have slimmed down by half and everyone has to reapply. He seemed confident, and curious about cutting his oily footprint, since his job involved oil futures markets, and he was aware of 'peak oil' and Hibbert's Peak.
Sheffield came soon, and I didn't have long to wait until Ali rolled up with a car-full of PAs all helping her prepare to interview another batch of prospective Personal Assistants. The interviews were in the Friends Meeting House, 9 were scheduled but 2 didn't turn up, and in my opinion, all 7 who had been shortlisted for interview were very capable of doing the job. Three stood out as definites and one, a summer-only temporary was taken on there and then. Ali will have to work out timetabling to see how many of the others she invites to work for her. She has a 'Direct Payment' scheme which means she and her daughter are allocated a certain number of hours care per week, give a budget and told to get on with it! Well, almost!
We had a break for lunch, extended by one of the no-shows, and went on til after 4, and we left the building on the dot of 5pm. We then collected Ali's daughter from after school club and went home, where there were four local pre-teen girls waiting to play with her. One was Polish and chatted away to Ali's Polish PA. I did a bit of unicycling at their request, and let them do some devilsticking, then made them all a balloon model as a present.
Ali decided to take us to the Norton Pub for eats which was nice, I had veggie lasagne, chips and onion rings. And a Koppaberg Pear Cider, yummy!
Arrived home in time to watch Glastonbury on't elly. Ali and I both miss John Peel.
Tried to have not too late a night as I'm performing at Sheffield Green Fair tomorrow.
First part of the journey I just quietly read my NewScientist, but then chatted with a future student who was off to Birmingham University Open Day (some good chats about his hippy parents!) and a banker going for interview in Cheltenham to re-apply for his job, as the bank have slimmed down by half and everyone has to reapply. He seemed confident, and curious about cutting his oily footprint, since his job involved oil futures markets, and he was aware of 'peak oil' and Hibbert's Peak.
Sheffield came soon, and I didn't have long to wait until Ali rolled up with a car-full of PAs all helping her prepare to interview another batch of prospective Personal Assistants. The interviews were in the Friends Meeting House, 9 were scheduled but 2 didn't turn up, and in my opinion, all 7 who had been shortlisted for interview were very capable of doing the job. Three stood out as definites and one, a summer-only temporary was taken on there and then. Ali will have to work out timetabling to see how many of the others she invites to work for her. She has a 'Direct Payment' scheme which means she and her daughter are allocated a certain number of hours care per week, give a budget and told to get on with it! Well, almost!
We had a break for lunch, extended by one of the no-shows, and went on til after 4, and we left the building on the dot of 5pm. We then collected Ali's daughter from after school club and went home, where there were four local pre-teen girls waiting to play with her. One was Polish and chatted away to Ali's Polish PA. I did a bit of unicycling at their request, and let them do some devilsticking, then made them all a balloon model as a present.
Ali decided to take us to the Norton Pub for eats which was nice, I had veggie lasagne, chips and onion rings. And a Koppaberg Pear Cider, yummy!
Arrived home in time to watch Glastonbury on't elly. Ali and I both miss John Peel.
Tried to have not too late a night as I'm performing at Sheffield Green Fair tomorrow.
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Thursday 25th June 09
Gill did the early morning stint and after taking our youngest to school she went to town. I spent some time on the computer and some time in the garden removing a shrub from quite near the house using the wrecking bar. Gill wants to make a raised bed there so the area needs clearing.
At 1pm, a researcher called Triona came round who's looking at the phenomenon of 'Freeganism', and as I am not averse to skip diving, I volunteered to answer her questions. So I spent a couple of hours chatting and responding to some photos she'd sent to me by email. She is also going to talk to some 'ordinary' people, non freegans, about their views of the activity.
Sometime after the boys had come home, I decided to break up 3 chairs which have been sitting in the back garden, broken, for a while, and to allow my eldest son to utilise some of his energy I asked him to do most of the destruction. I took off the upholstery, binned the synthetic fabric, collected the ?natural fibre filler, hessian and other material for composting, removed nails, tacks and springs for recycling, and he smashed the wooden bits up with gusto. Nice to get some help!
Then spent quite a bit of time down the garden, pulling up ground elder and nettles, chopping back brambles and spotting a wasps nest in one of my mature compost heaps. Oh dear. What to do?
Came in at 10ish and went on the computer, played Scrabble on Facebook and was saddened to hear of the death of Michael Jackson. I grew up listening to songs off Thriller, and still think that it is a brilliant album. Every song a hit.
At 1pm, a researcher called Triona came round who's looking at the phenomenon of 'Freeganism', and as I am not averse to skip diving, I volunteered to answer her questions. So I spent a couple of hours chatting and responding to some photos she'd sent to me by email. She is also going to talk to some 'ordinary' people, non freegans, about their views of the activity.
Sometime after the boys had come home, I decided to break up 3 chairs which have been sitting in the back garden, broken, for a while, and to allow my eldest son to utilise some of his energy I asked him to do most of the destruction. I took off the upholstery, binned the synthetic fabric, collected the ?natural fibre filler, hessian and other material for composting, removed nails, tacks and springs for recycling, and he smashed the wooden bits up with gusto. Nice to get some help!
Then spent quite a bit of time down the garden, pulling up ground elder and nettles, chopping back brambles and spotting a wasps nest in one of my mature compost heaps. Oh dear. What to do?
Came in at 10ish and went on the computer, played Scrabble on Facebook and was saddened to hear of the death of Michael Jackson. I grew up listening to songs off Thriller, and still think that it is a brilliant album. Every song a hit.
Wednesday 24th June 09
Up fairly early as I was taking our youngest to school. It is Gill's birthday but I hadn't sorted anything out as I hadn't had time yesterday. She had an appointment and left at 8.30, and arrived back with a headache and went to bed.
I went to town to deliver the Planning Panel paperwork and went to the market to see if I could find something for Gill... no luck. So I cycled on to Alligator and found some marmalade, chocolate, vegetarian jelly powder and a card made by Brenda Tyler, a friend of mine. Then in Country Fresh I got some marigolds... not gloves (!) but flowering plants, a tray of 12, as well as assorted veggies, fruitees and compostables.
I had a late lunch and Gill went to pick up our little one. Both boys signed the card and we sang Happy Birthday to Gill and gave her the presents and I think this cheered her up. However, she had said she would do the parents evening at Archies, so I made tea for the boys.
Gill got in and had some too, and we had a peaceful evening. I did quite a bit of compost heap loading, then came in and prepared a large number of apple rings and red peppers for drying. I also posted messages on Freecycle for a mirror, ceiling light and candlesticks, all rescued out of a skip. I got requests for them very quickly, but I had put on that I would wait to see as many answers as possible and then decide... so a decision in a few days.
Gill had requested that I have a real game of Scrabble without me also playing more Scrabble games on the computer. Which was probably a bad idea as all my energies went into the one game and I beat her 420 vs 248. But we both enjoyed it, regardless of the score. I was lucky with my letters, including putting down all of them on the last go to make POLICERS. Gill really enjoyed playing real Scrabble without the interference of the laptop being on, and it has been a few months since we played. When we first got together, 16 years ago, we played Scrabble nearly every night....
But after the game I switched on to write my blog. Mr. Habitual.
I went to town to deliver the Planning Panel paperwork and went to the market to see if I could find something for Gill... no luck. So I cycled on to Alligator and found some marmalade, chocolate, vegetarian jelly powder and a card made by Brenda Tyler, a friend of mine. Then in Country Fresh I got some marigolds... not gloves (!) but flowering plants, a tray of 12, as well as assorted veggies, fruitees and compostables.
I had a late lunch and Gill went to pick up our little one. Both boys signed the card and we sang Happy Birthday to Gill and gave her the presents and I think this cheered her up. However, she had said she would do the parents evening at Archies, so I made tea for the boys.
Gill got in and had some too, and we had a peaceful evening. I did quite a bit of compost heap loading, then came in and prepared a large number of apple rings and red peppers for drying. I also posted messages on Freecycle for a mirror, ceiling light and candlesticks, all rescued out of a skip. I got requests for them very quickly, but I had put on that I would wait to see as many answers as possible and then decide... so a decision in a few days.
Gill had requested that I have a real game of Scrabble without me also playing more Scrabble games on the computer. Which was probably a bad idea as all my energies went into the one game and I beat her 420 vs 248. But we both enjoyed it, regardless of the score. I was lucky with my letters, including putting down all of them on the last go to make POLICERS. Gill really enjoyed playing real Scrabble without the interference of the laptop being on, and it has been a few months since we played. When we first got together, 16 years ago, we played Scrabble nearly every night....
But after the game I switched on to write my blog. Mr. Habitual.
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