The obedient toad

I was on wheelie bin deliveries again today and found that I was due to deliver two new bins to the nasty man who I encounted last week.
Mindful that at our last encounter he had made sure I knew it was a private road and that I wasn't welcome I recorded on my delivery sheet that I was unable to deliver as vehicular access was denied by the customer

top referrer

it's getting near the end of the month and I have to say that young Morgetron has the narrowest of leads at present

observations on human behaviour

I was working on street cleaning (collecting junk that people leave in public areas)The team isn't called a street cleaning team or a refuge team no, it is the Chapeltown Pride team, many of the areas have their own 'pride' team and it's nice to see that people are proud of their area.

There is, however, one problem with this territorial display as observed today. At almost every halt my tow co-workers felt the irresistible urge to mark out their territory in that most ancient of ways. Any tom cats will be left in no doubt about who is the alpha male around there!

Gulp!

I have applied for a one year temporary post as librarian on the mobile library. Wish me luck toadfriends

Mystery

I'm working for the council tomorrow but mo-one will tell me what I'm doing, I love mysteries hehe.

Party, my place, NOW!

I've been feeling a little stressed of late but having friends around the world has been a great help from those who just call in once to the most special of my friends.

Rather than moping about I have decided to throw a party because it will give all my friends a chance to mingle.

So, bring a bottle, bring food, bring games and music, bring a friend but mainly, bring yourself.

ALL WELCOME and the spa pool and hot tubs are open

old friend

Having bid a tearful farewell to all my beloved wheelie bins (for now ar least) it was back with an old friend and strangely enough I was on the same route so I may as well just say ditto to that old blogging!
This time however, I had my smile sign up and I got some positive results.

naughty and nice

Being a public sevant I get to meet the public and I have found that the majority are decent enough people.

Today's score

naughty=1

nice = 4

the naughty one was a man who was quite abusive to me because I'd turned my lorry round at the entrance to his drive, he ranted at me and was quite foul mouthed so I smiled sweetly and said 'have a nice day'

The nice people where those that took time for a chat or just smiled back.

Stupid computer

my computer is really playing up, Msn won't work at all and I can't send e mails.
I'm sure it's something to do with the settings but I'm at a loss and it's so slow

Sigh

so apologies for my slow and stilted speech, it's not the drink, honest!

my longest ever birthday!

oh, bliss, yet another present in the post today!

A book and card from my wonderful cyber daughter, can't wait to read it.

why I don't take sandwiches to work

part of my job is to remove contaminated bins from properties and this isually means that they are dirty or perhaps have paint on them
but
last Friday I was listed to collect a contaminated bin and when I got to the property the bin in question appeared to be full of errrrrr, human sewage.
I discovered this when I opened it and the stench was terrible. I refused to move it and backed away gagging.
I have advised the council that they need a full clean up crew and that i wouldn't be eating anything with these hands until I've spent a good few hours scrubbing them.

further adventures of a toad and a bin

Here in the city of Leeds we are big on recycling and I spend much of my day delivering green recycling bins so that people can 'do the right thing' and save our planet.

Sometimes bins get damaged or worn out and I try to repair them but if they cannot be repaired I remove the broken one and leave a nice new one.

Old plastic bins are taken back to the depot and left in the corner.

Can you guess what happens to old and broken recycling bins?

answer later hehe and if anyone can give me a good answer they can be added to my prize list

the hated toad

Let's talk about wheelie bins.

In my city these bins have an electronic tag. The purpose of this is, eventually, to monitor the amount of refuge produced by each household so that the council can bill them if they throw ro much away. Part of the reason is to encourage higher levels of recycling but I'm sure it is more about revenue collection.
As always there are a number of people who see me as the devil's agent when I deliver the bins.
Ah well my skin is thick (and warty)and most people are pleasant.

how can I win her over?

If you have ever visited Tres Bizarre then you may have noticed that there are two lists of bloggers, the helium ones and THE ONES SHE LIKES!

I wonder if there is a way to be a helium member and still win Morgy's affection

a glamorous job

this week I am working for the local council again, this time delivering wheelie bins to households.
I have undergone intensive training today and now know how to assemble a wheelie bin.

My mentor was a lovely chap and what he doesn't know about wheelie bins isn't worth knowing. He also offered me a useful perspective. I have always wanted to travel widely and hoped my work as a driver would allow me to see more of the UK and possibly Europe, I told him this and he replied that this job was wonderful because it took him all over, yes, to the very boundaries of the metropolitan area!

Did you know that there are 4 types of lid available for the standard wheelie bin?

call me!

when i join a new community there always comes a time when people ask me

Why Toadee?

The usual answer is along the lines of

I look like a toad, I act like a toad, hey! I AM a toad

I didn't realise how repetitive and predictable I was until my daughter started calling me turdee
I asked her why and she said

well dad, you look like a turd, you smell like a turd, OMG you are a turd


I love her wicked humour!

and she said i wouldn't dare call myself turdee on the internet

beg, nag, plead

I would love to find out how it feels to be popular (note the very subtle emotional blackmail) so I would be obliged if you could pop over to blog interviewer and give me a thumbs up (you can do it every 24 hours!

VOTE NOW

according to my visitors book I have had 15 visitors in the last 2 months, I'm sure that's nor right so it must mean some of you aren't going there
IT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE!

Grow up! (flash 55)

Grow up, feel the pain
of labouring in vain

Hear the ticking of the clock
growing faster, keen to mock

See the leaves fall from the tree
wondering how long spring will be

Believe that you just can't win
with your spirit lost within

Chase deadlines until your dead
where once you chased dreams instead

A difficult day

Today we had my brother in law's funeral. The service was well done and some of his friends spoke about him.

The gathering afterwards was a chore because of the inter-family disagreements. It came close to fighting. What a relief when it was over.

After a long session in the pub we are back home and most of the family have collapsed on their beds (alcohol will do that to you!)

Late birthday

I received a birthday package from new Zealand yesterday

3 wonderful books

lip salve (well it is cold here!)

a wonderful postcard of the NZ national bird in the bush (wonder if one in the hand would be worth 2 of them?)

and the cutest card ever

thank you KB, you know me so well!

Apologies

I want to offer my sincere apologies and much butt kissing to those who have won prizes from me over the last 5 weeks.
I didn't send them out originally because of the postal strike in the UK and then it went clean out of my head (if you were inside my head you'd want to get out too)

I have a list of prize winners and prizes will be sent out in chronological order.

I may be slow but I'm still moving!

Making friends 2

Regarding my previous posting about Chelsy Davy's struggle
A few points here

I personally (and I mean that literally) drove around that area a week ago clearing rubbish and there wasn't that much (most of it was litter from the student population e.g. pizza boxes and drink containers)

Many students in Leeds live in new, very pleasant apartments so her bow towards fitting in probably missed the mark.

She will not make many friends in Leeds because most of the population of Leeds (including the student population) do not frequent the VIP areas of London nightclubs on a weekend.

Just a note. I don't trust newspapers much so I do not necessarily believe that the views expressed are those held by Chelsy.

Making friends 1

I noticed an article in the Mail on Sunday (hard to miss it was a double page spread) The article was about Chelsy Davy (the girlfriend of Prince Harry) and her struggle with adapting to life in Leeds where she is attending university.
Apparently she lives in a shared house with two other students in an attempt to 'fit in' but there are reports that the area she lives in is shrewn with rubbish and is not a 'nice ' place.

Paper boy

recently my daughter started a paper round and, because I'm over-protective, crazy and a big softy, I have been helping her out.
She does the round on her bike so I jog along trying to keep up. This arrangement has several benefits, I get up at a reasonable time on weekends, I get fitter, I learn to appreciate my local area and discover parts I never knew existed and I get to spend time with my daughter.

The one disadvantage so far is that my jeans are getting a little loose around the waist and it's difficult to jog with your jeans heading for your ankles.

Gifts for the after-life

What a wonderful idea! So many cultures have felt that it is important to leave items at or in the grave to assist their loved one in the next life.

Today we went to the chapel of rest to visit my brother in law, there was some conversation about what items could be placed in the coffin with him.
Most of the men present agreed that he would appreciate a porn magazine. My niece (his daughter) wants to give him a photograph of the two of them and a bottle of tomato ketchup (he put the stuff on everything!)

flash 55 - leaving

You left without warning
leaving memories
As the door closed on your life
only echos of your life and love remain

In the silence
we feel you near
and as we open pain filled hearts
memories and love fill us, renew us
and forge anew the links of love
bestowing on you a precious immortality

My birthday

My birthday started at the stroke of midnight with two e cards from New Zealand. I was lucky enough to be on line and able to actually communicate for once(computer had a head of steam)and my birthday was launched by by very good friend KB.
Was woken by the kids who presented me with socks, chocolate, smellies and clothes, it was a little awkward because I felt for my niece who suddenly doesn't have a dad to lavish with presents.
I spent most of the day around the house and sorting out family business around our bereavement and then in the evening there was a small party which was a quietish affair and again weird because my children were so possessive of me.

I wanted to post a picture but I'm once again having computer problems

and the winner is..........

the winner of top referrer to my blog for october is SnowElf

Missy Continues ro be the actual top referrer but as she has held this position since I first started doing this I wanted to give someone else a chance to shine.