new job!!

Well, that wasn't why I was going to blog just now, but as I haven't mentioned it...
I've got a 6 month secondment (I get to do another job for a while, and come back if I don't like it, or they can keep me for a bit longer if they have the money... ) in Waste Management, helping to encourage the good people of Cardiff to recycle more, and throw away less. Tough job, but it HAS to be done. I've just stood and watched while some 'colleagues' (other people who work for the council, who I thankfully don't know), throw a load of stuff from my neighbour's house onto the back of a tipper lorry. They had actually come along to prune back the overgrowth from the access lane down the side of his property, but he obviously said, er, like, could you take this lot away too, cos I can't be bothered to do anything about it myself. There were green bags in there (which should have recycling in), but didn't. There was allsorts - I was able to see this because one guy ripped open the bag and riffled through it! People use the green bags for waste, cos they get them free from the Council; black ones you have to pay for. But you can't then put them out to be collected cos they haven't got the right things in them. There were piles of wood, 2 pieces of plasterboard, 2 washing up bowls.. and all of this will go to Landfill now.
I know it's hard, I know it's inconvenient to try and take your unwanted stuff somewhere....
There has to be a way of making it easier to get rid of these items.... Cardiff is already doing far more than most cities I've heard about, but we're also about to start building landfill site No2, cos this one won't last past next year!

Sorry to rant on...

Anyway, Alex and I went to Baby Gym this morning - brilliant fun. Held at the Welsh Gymnastics Centre, they've got lots of mats, bars, a trampoline and a big mat like they have at competitions ( I didn't realise it was sprung/bouncy as well). Excellent fun, and not very formal. Lots of informal play, and a few bits of listening to the teacher and copying her, playing with hoops and bean bags. Alex loved it, and I'm pretty shattered too after running after him!