Alaina Chesney Online

Well, its been a busy day yesterday! After posting my e-mail I sent to the cllrs about my concerns of my area, I got three replies from them all. And I am meeting one face to face on Thursday to go through all my concerns! I never thought I would get one reply, let alone the response that I did. One cllr even made an effort to find out about the cycle gates and this is the e-mail he replied with:

I cycled up Cumberland Street tonight and went into the park through one of the gates. This is something I do frequently, and I always struggle, like you, to get my bike through. However, when I read your email I made some enquiries and apparently there is a slot in the curved metail part of the gate.

You’re supposed to push the front wheel of the bike into that slot. Then you can shut the gate behind you, pull the wheel out of the slot and ride away. I tried it - and it works!

All those times I’ve struggled through those gates and never noticed the slot. So I’ve learnt something today! I think we need to get some sort of small sticker put on to draw cyclists’ attention to it.

Sent by Cllr Mike Barker. Read more about North Ward here: www.cllrmikebarker.blogspot.com

Fat Class last night (WW) and I lost another 2 1/2 lbs. This makes a whole 19lbs loss. I felt great and as my monday treat after weigh in I went for a dominos pizza - veg-o-rama. Bums. I really liked it as I tucked in, then 3/4 through I felt a bit ik and then realised how many points and how bad it really was. I felt awful and really upset all evening and still angry this morning. I think I will stick to better treats, and ones that give me more satisfaction and make me feel better inside and out! I feel bloated this morning from it, and I groggy. Its all the fatty white dough and cheese. Not eating that sort of food for nearly two months does have an effect I think. And I was more disappointed in myself than anything. So no more pizzas for me - just homemade wholemeal no cheese ones

To do a good April fools I would have to think of something creative and beleivable. Who to target - work, huw, dave or someone else. I picked Dave this year. I sent a text along the lines of:

”Ginny got out when I was in the backgarden and she is missing” - Ginny being my fiesty cat… also the escape artist.

Didn’t try it on Huw as he knew fine well if it had happened he be the first person woken up and dragged out of his room to help me find her. Also, he would already been greated by Ginny in the bathroom:

Dave was a good target, just enough to make him think its real. So i sent the text.

He replied with a simple do you want me to come help find her text. Then rang me the minute it was sent. He realise he been fooled - Horrah! One to me!

My photo has got pride of place on an online tour map site of Scotland. Specifically that of my marching penguins for edinburgh zoo I took last year. I am dead chuffed!

Go have a look: click here to see my photo of the penguins in pride of place on the website.

My mum and nan are going to make 100s of cat nip mice and pillows for the cat charity to sell on the stall in the summer shows in stockton. I needed to sort out the method and materials… so I took some snapshots and wrote the instructions out. I thought I could share them with you all - I know a few are keen knitters and crafts peeps read the blog.

Step One: Materials. You need:

1. felt of any colour, or any material really… I have used felt in the example, but my mum/nan will use felt, left over material, old tops and old curtains to make the toys. Any material to donate - please get in touch!
2. wool for the tail
3. cotton wool or left over felt/material
4. needle and thread
5. cat nip - teaspoon per mouse (anyone got a source of good cat nip?)
6. felt pen
7. cat toy tester - any cat will do, we used Thomas Storey.
8. scissors (adult supervision needed)

Step Two: Cutting the shapes

Cut an egg shape out of the felt - aprox 6 inches long, 4 inches wide. Fold the felt over, to form a half circle/egg shape.

Step Three: Sewing

Sew/stich the body up around 90% of it. Use a sewing machine if possible to make it stronger. Then once stichtech turn/push the material inside out.

Step Four: Pad/Cat Nip

Sprinkle 1/3 of the cat nip in the mouse first. Pad a 1/3 of the mouse full with cotton wool. Add some more cat nip, and 1/3 more wool. Then add the remaining cat nip and wool.

Step Five: Sealing

Cut about a 6inch length of wool for the tail. I tend to turn the end about one centimeter in on itself and stuff it in the end of the mouse. Then stich the remaining centimeter of the mouse up with the right colour thread - make sure to double/triple stich it as this holds the tail in place and is the weekest point in the mouse.

Step Six: Ears - the fiddly bit

Cut the ears - Cut a circle about the size of a penny out of felt. The cut it in half. You need to curve/cone the ears in on themselves to make mouse ears. Sew these carefully and strongly onto the mouse about half way up the body.

Step Seven: Eyes

You can create felt eyes, and stich/hot glue them on. I find this difficult and messy. So I use a black felt marker and draw two small dots for eyes near the ears. Much easier.

You now have one cat nip mouse.

Find a cat, like Thomas, and try it out.

Good Evening,

I obtained your e-mail addresses from the Darlington council website for my area. I have a few things I would like to put forward to you but don’t know which to address it to hence the mass e-mail. I live at 55 Cumberland Street, the side overlooking the cemetery/park. I have several points/issues that have been bugging myself in the last few months… they are as follows.

Road
I am growing concerned about the condition of Cumberland Street as a whole. In fact - it has concerned me for years. The road’s wear and tear is getting totally out of hand. Countless pot-holes, uneven patches of tarmac/asphalt and poor road drainage make driving and cycling in our street a ‘challenge’. How can the council justify putting in another speed bump and resurface the pavements in Oakwood Drive (off Salters Lane -  an estate younger than me!) and let our street have over dozen bumps, dents, pot holes in the last 2 years.
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Weight watchers jelly is not only zero points - but its vegeterian! w00t.

So needless to say dave has purchased me my well earned jelly reward. Bless - he is lovely to me!