Venus Woman V Martian Man

Last week we needed to speak to both the ‘green’ recycle collectors and also the ‘paper and tin’ collectors. We had two different results for our requests mainly because I dealt with the ‘green’ guys and Barry dealt with the other chaps.

The problem with our green bin was that it was really to heavy to be lifted onto the back of the recycling lorry as we had been digging out turf in order to lay the new decking, and it was big time heavy!
Barry thought the best idea was to put it out and hope for the best and that they would take it! If they did not we would have a lot of work bagging it up ourselves and taking it to the council tip, not a prospect I relished.

I saw the lorry approaching the house and told Barry I was going out to have a word with the chaps. He thought I was wasting my time!
The nice young man approached and I swung into ‘womanly wiles’ mode. “I’m terribly sorry but I think I have over filled my bin, if you think its to heavy for you just leave it and I will take some out for next week,” Flash of blue eyes, and a touch of the mans forearm, “I don’t want you hurting your back now”

Well what strapping young man is going to admit that the bin is too heavy in front of five foot nothing (admittedly middle aged) helpless woman. “I’ve moved heavier than that, love” he announced and proceeded to load it on the back of the lorry with a manly flourish. “There you are love” Mission accomplished!

Now, I am a big recycler and compost as much household waste as possible and save all tins and glass and paper for the recycler’s. I compost some of the paper and cardboard but I have not got a great deal of space and only a tiny garden, so most has to go in the recycling bins.
The collectors have been leaving the cardboard behind over the last while which I have been getting frustrated about as it grieves me to put it in the normal dustbin.

Barry saw these guys coming up the road this time and went out to have a ‘chat’.
Well, I thought World War three had broken out as such a row ensued. He used the “why the hell haven’t you been taking the cardboard” technique, which really put the backs up of the lads on the lorry. I thought that minute my own husband was going to be recycled! He was in danger of being picked up and put in the lorry!

After a fuming Barry came back into the house with the said cardboard, quite luckily in his hand and not stuffed somewhere unmentionable! I had to make a few phone calls to find out the reasons why cardboard had not been collected.

It seems they had been taking it mistakenly previously, as the council as yet does not have facilities to deal with it. I had a long discussion about the benefits of putting in place these facilities, which apparently are in the discussion stage at the council and hopefully will be in place shortly.

Moral of the story, it is easier to get what you want without having a tantrum and stamping your feet! Maybe it is a girl thing. However I don’t think so as I know my boy’s have used the technique to good effect, maybe they had a good teacher.

End of Story for One.

I am sure Like me, a lot of people were delighted at the release of the British Navy personel from Iran last week. Glad that a young Mother was to be re-united with her young child, and all the sons given back to Mothers and Fathers returned to families.

The story then becomes very marred by the 'sell your story to the highest bidder' debacle. I made a point of not buying any paper with a 'sold' story or watch any documentary with any paid for footage. I did watch the news to make my informed decisions on the situation, but that was as far as I was prepared to go.

The very day of their release back into the arms of their very grateful families (Payment enough!) I was in the small town where I work at lunchtime, the main road had been closed an ITV newscrew were in attendance, the towns inhabitants stopped for a few very sad sombre minutes as the coffin of one of its Sons was carried through the sunlit spring flowered churchyard to be laid to rest after giving his life in service in Iraq. End of Story!