What one man can do!

30 November

There is a large sycamore tree across the rear here in our community area, and it still has leaves on it. That is a bit of surprise really cos last year it had dropped them all by mid-November. All the other deciduous trees have lost their leaves, so why just this last one I wonder. Anyway …

Earlier in the year we bought Tom one of those small two-ring table top cookers for his flat. A few months later he decided to up and move to Antrim, so we had the cooker back here. Since then it has sitting here getting in the way and looking out of place. Last week I offered free to the local Streetwise group and it was picked up this morning. That’s the second item we have rehomed in this way the other being a black leather rocking/swivel chair that was only being used to fill a place in the living room. The only person to have used it was Tom when he came over here for the odd meal.

Streetwise is a useful local site that helps keep us up to date with what’s going on. One member is our local councillor, who won the seat from a Tory simply because he showed up for important environmental meetings and events where the Tory didn’t. Well, Keith is a Green Party member and stood as such, so by winning he has hopefully taught the main parties a lesson.

Keith speaks out on any issue where the environment is under threat and so keeps us informed too. He has also shook up the whole council a good deal too by videoing the council meetings and posting them on YouTube. The rest of them don’t like it but it is legal and they can’t do anything about it. I think the single biggest issue he took on was the so-called town plan. This plan had been delayed and delayed but because Keith didn’t let them off with their excuses, and their secrecy over it, it was finally published earlier this year; only around five years late. Surprising what one determined man can do eh?

As time goes on I get more and more confused over HS2. As far as I understood it, nothing certain has been decided and the official ‘Go head’ has not been given. So how can Greasy George announce that part of it will be brought forward by six years to 2027; and that’s the opening date, not the start date. To me that shows that the whole thing is a done deal and only needs to be rubber stamping by a vote in Parliament. Now the folks who live on the planned route from Brum to Crew don’t have as much time as they had hoped before they lose their homes. Considering the recent court case where compensation was paid to some property owners over it, I wonder what effect this will have and how much more that is going to cost them later.

As I said yesterday, I’ve been trying to get some refills for my digital pen – and very trying it is too. Our local stationery shop doesn’t stock them and from what I’ve seen on the Staples website, neither do they. I’ve even looked on the Staedtler website and the only refills I can find there are for pencils and colour inks, I only want a dark blue or black. This was an expensive pen when I bought it and if I can’t find refills then I’ve lost a lot cash again. I’ve not given up though, I’ll see what I can find elsewhere.

Jan is off getting ready to go and get Kile from school. His nan has just called to say he is ill and needs to go home. I hope he’s not playing silly sods again, as he has been the last few weeks.

Today’s photo is of course … 

Kile in pixel-packing mode.

Today’s funny …

At school, Little Johnny's classmate tells him that most adults are hiding at least one dark secret, so it's very easy to blackmail them by saying, "I know the whole truth." Little Johnny decides to go home and try it out.
Johnny's mother greets him at home, and he tells her, "I know the whole truth." His mother quickly hands him $20 and says, "Just don't tell your father." Quite pleased, the boy waits for his father to get home from work, and greets him with, "I know the whole truth." The father promptly hands him $40 and says, "Please don't say a word to your mother."
Very pleased, the boy is on his way to school the next day when he sees the mailman at his front door. The boy greets him by saying, "I know the whole truth." The mailman immediately drops the mail, opens his arms, and says, "Then come give your Daddy a great big hug!"