Repeating, repeating repeating ... ... ...

22 October

When the outside works were being inspected by the council earlier in the summer before hand over, Jan pointed out there was an issue with the guttering and downpipes. The work over the last couple of days has seen the guttering sorted out but when we do get any rain in the winter, followed by a freeze, then the area outside the rear doors is going to become a mini ice-rink. What needs to be done is that the drains need to be extended so that the down pipes can be linked straight into them instead of letting the water flow and collect on the surface. Of course, being the council they won’t spend the money on that until someone gets hurt.

Sometime ago now one our neighbours fell outside her flat and ended up in hospital with a broken hip. For years now a number of us have been complaining about the very green trees along the boundary line between us and the houses alongside, with fallen cones being just one issue of note. After Kath fell over, one of her sons threatened the council that if they didn’t get those trees sorted out and removed, they would sue them. The next day we had a group of guys here sweeping up and cutting back the trees. Five of them have been marked up for immediate removal. We are still waiting for that to happen.

The money that the council wastes is colossal. They spend a fortune on make-do repairs which last a short time instead of spending out to do the job properly and thereby saving repeat repairs. Having been council tenants for so long now, we have got used to the waste, but why should we have to put with it. And it’s not just the borough council either, Warwickshire County Council is just the same, and from what I’ve seen on telly and read in the papers, it’s the same all over the country, probably the world. And it’s not just down to party politics either; Dorktown has a Labour council, WWC is tory run. If there is any difference between them, then is about who can waste the most amount of cash!

We are due to have Kile this weekend but he’s not allowed to come to us now. His behaviour has been so bad just lately that he’s grounded for this weekend and will only be allowed to leave his bedroom for toilet breaks and at meal times. We are fully in support of his mum on this, after all, we went through exactly the same with his dad at that age, so how can we not support her. Hopefully this will teach him some sense. He likes coming here because he gets peace and quiet and can help himself to nicey things in the fridge when he likes, most of it is bought for him anyway.

Night before last I started reading The Deathly Hollows for the second time and continued with it last night. I always find it amazing that I forget so much of the story. There’s bits n bobs in there that I keep coming across that I had forgotten about, and end figuratively scratching my head over; like Fleur’s parents arriving at the Burrow for her wedding to Bill Weasley. I don’t even remember seeing them in film either. Ah well …

Of course the Potter series isn’t the only series of books that I have read at least twice. The Tom Clancy Ryanville are another. Then there’s the Asimov Foundation series, well, the first three anyway. James Herbert’s books have been read at least twice, the early ones at least. And another series I’ve read twice is EE ‘doc’ Smith’s Lensmen series. I’d actually forgotten about those up till last night when I started wondering about the review I will post about the one I’m reading on me Kindle, The Synchronicity War Part 1 by Dietmar Arthur Wehr. This series has the makings of being another series, at least equal to Smith’s.

Another series that I would love to get my hands on again is the Perry Rhodan books. I came across them while I was station in Cambridge and by the time I left there I had 37 of them. They are published in Germany and from what I remember they are written by a series of different German writers. Whatever, they are great stories, real space operas of the sort by Smith. Actually, when I think about it, there’s a lot of other writers I wouldn’t mind reading again, all of the sci-fi writers, Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein, Cooper, Shaw … … …

So for today’s picture … 

A squirrel.

Today’s funny …

Lady sits down on a train. Man sitting next to her turns to her and says, “Lady, that is the ugliest baby I have ever seen. That baby looks in a mirror, it’s going to shatter. You oughta put a bag on that baby’s head. That baby is just ugly.”

The woman, horrified, stands up and shouts for the conductor. “Conductor, this man has insulted me.”

“I’m so sorry, ma’am,” the conductor replies. “What he did is totally unacceptable on this train. I will deal with him later, but for now, please come with me. We’ll give you a nice seat in the first-class carriage — and a banana for your monkey.”