Sunday 13 March 2011

Cycling and recycling

Time for the year's first Dad'n'Lad cycle. Not far - I'm still suffering from saddle-soreness from yesterday's short ride. This happens every winter as the rump muscles soften from disuse. A few breaking-in journeys are required to restore toughness to the saddle area.

Eddie delighted me by volunteering to go (usually he needs to be coaxed or dragged); the +16C warmth and the feeling that spring is just around the corner prompted him to ask whether he could accompany me.

We had intended to go and see how the motorway building was going on at Węzeł Lotnisko, but impassably muddy tracks and ul. Karnawał's complete closure dashed our plans. So we pressed on northwards to the DHL logistics centre on ul. Osmańska (which I'd never been to before). Seeing the size of the place and the number of trucks and trailers standing there made me realise the importance of air freight as part of the global logistics mix.

And back home for lunch, having cycled a grand total of 14km (not even as far as home to office). In two weeks time the clocks go forward and I'll get back into my (almost) daily cycling routine. I just hope for dry weather so that all the non-asphalted roads around Jeziorki, in particular ul. Poloneza and ul. Oberka, will dry out.

Mobilised by the knowledge that the recycling place in Ursynów is paying 30 grosze a kilo for old newspapers and cardboard, after lunch (cod, potatoes, asparagus, spinach, brocolli, salad, fruit salad), I started sorting the waste. More than I thought. I reckoned yesterday 10kg of old paper and cardboard - but it looks like there at least ten times that! There was 40kg of old newspapers and magazines alone, and there's another 13 bags of unsorted cardboard. Another bag of aluminium cans is also worth a fair bit. So - what a discovery! Rather than paying someone to take my rubbish away, I actually end up getting paid for it - as long as I sort it. Now, all that's needed is someone to pay for the glass and the plastic, and I'm in business!

This time last year:
Winter still holding out in the forest

This time two years ago:
Little car, huge price

This time three years ago:
Old school Łódź

6 comments:

Paddy said...

Where's the recycling centre? Thanks,

Paddy

Paddy said...

Just seen the other post.

adthelad said...

What about the place in Piaseczno that takes glass, plastic and paper? I left the address on your comp. last time I was round.

basia said...

Our clocks went forward this weekend. Today will seem extra-long: dusk at around 19:20.
Our temps still have a long way to go to match +16, but we actually have sunshine today after 5 days of rain and grey weather.
The "Lenting" is still going strong, though my girlfriends can't believe I have given up alcohol. :)

Anonymous said...

You will be rich !

adthelad said...

I'm still curious as to the Piaseczno place - I suppose you'll let me know some time.