We changed the clocks on Saturday night (strictly speaking it was Sunday morning). I love the lighter evenings that come with British Summer Time, but I absolutely hate losing an hour because it takes me weeks to adjust. I set my alarm clock for Sunday morning because I wanted to make absolutely sure that I didn't miss out on my usual Sunday morning routine and to make sure that I was wide awake in plenty of time to enjoy the omnibus edition of The Archers. We were awake by 8am and we enjoyed a nice relaxed morning, but this morning I was much more reluctant to get up, it felt like the middle of the night. Why do we have to be so tied to time?
To answer my own question, it is all the fault of the railways. In the middle ages towns and villages managed perfectly well with local time, set from a sundial, but everybody had slightly different local time. Mechanical clocks were created and they were also set using the sun and local time continued. When the railways developed it was very inconvenient to have various local times, imagine the timetable nightmares. The Great Western Railway was the first to adopt London Time in 1840, others followed and by 1847 most were working to London time, this is confirmed by the January 1848 edition of Bradshaws Railway Timetable (no Robbie's collection does not go back that far!). By 1855 most public clocks were set to GMT, but this held no legal status until the Definition of Time Act in 1880. There is a certain irony in all this, the railways 'invented' standard time with GWR leading the way, now time is their master and it seems that punctuality seems to create greater problems for FGW than for anyone else!
Monday 31 March 2008
Saturday 29 March 2008
Three to a seat
Saturday morning dawned a little too early for my liking, Robbie was far too cheerful and noisy, but at least he had made me a cup of tea and brought it back to bed. He was making train noises again, according to him it was the sound of a DRS Chopper starting up. It is just as well that he told me because it sounded more like Woody Woodpecker to me!
I tried to cling to sleep, but my efforts were futile because Robbie was chattering away happily about a rail tour that he is going on later in the year. When Robbie is excited he speaks even faster than usual and his accent is stronger. He assured me that this particular charter was going to be brilliant "because it is three to a seat". At least that is what I thought I said. I was horrified, thanks to Robbie I have come across more than my fair share of train enthusiasts and I wouldn't want to share a carriage with some of them, so the prospect of sharing a seat was truly appalling! I had a flash of sympathy for FGW passengers because that degree of overcrowding is a daily reality to some of them. Anyway it seems that my ears let me down - it's not surprising as they are severely over worked when Robbie is around! He had not said "to a seat" he had said "to the sea". It is a rail tour to the seaside.
www.spitfirerailtours.co.uk
I tried to cling to sleep, but my efforts were futile because Robbie was chattering away happily about a rail tour that he is going on later in the year. When Robbie is excited he speaks even faster than usual and his accent is stronger. He assured me that this particular charter was going to be brilliant "because it is three to a seat". At least that is what I thought I said. I was horrified, thanks to Robbie I have come across more than my fair share of train enthusiasts and I wouldn't want to share a carriage with some of them, so the prospect of sharing a seat was truly appalling! I had a flash of sympathy for FGW passengers because that degree of overcrowding is a daily reality to some of them. Anyway it seems that my ears let me down - it's not surprising as they are severely over worked when Robbie is around! He had not said "to a seat" he had said "to the sea". It is a rail tour to the seaside.
www.spitfirerailtours.co.uk
Bedtime Reading
Robbie and I had both had a busy week and by Friday evening we were worn out. Emily was working, and Mum's taxi was booked for 10pm, but she was out on time and we were home again by 10.30pm. After finishing a couple of jobs I headed off to bed. I was just settling down when Robbie announced that he had something that I would really enjoy. I wondered whatever he could mean - but life with Robbie is never predictable so I waited patiently while he rummaged through his bag and proudly produced the April edition of Railways Illustrated. I hadn't planned to spend an early night with my husband reading railway magazines and my quizzical expression elicited more information from Robbie. He said, "it has an article about Chris Gibb (Virgin Trains MD), you know how much you like him, but they haven't got his feet in the photo". I am used to translating 'Robbie speak' into English but that sentence took more effort than most.
It is not possible to like someone I have never met, but Chris Gibb does sound like a decent bloke. As someone who observes the railways from a distance, I like the fact that he speaks in plain English that everyone can understand and as far as I can tell he does what he says he will do. The straight answer seems as rare in the railways as it is in politics, so it is refreshing when you find someone capable of saying what they mean and when necessary calling a spade a spade. In the article he was eloquent about the farce at Rugby over the new year period "it was totally avoidable. It was a shortage of key people at the right time and Network Rail will be getting a bill from us for long term damage to growth".
OK, I did once say that he was easier on the eye than some of his counterparts from the other TOC's, etc. I wasn't commenting on his looks as much as his ability to smile and to look approachable. There are a number of faces in the railways that could have made convincing gargoyles! While on the subject of confession, Robbie is right that I did once say that Chris Gibb had very expressive legs. Back in the old days when he was MD of Cross Country I noticed that when he was photographed his feet seemed to be working to their own agenda. The photo with the Railways Illustrated didn't show his feet and was cropped oddly leaving people to wonder about his hands, but it had the trademark cheerful smile.
The article was a good read, clearly Virgin has some interesting plans for the future. I learned a little more about Chris Gibb too, apparently he has a passion for punk rock music, that didn't seem to fit with the photo of him in a fleece; but when I looked closely at his shirt and tie it was clear that there is a streak of anarchy within him. Not many people would be brave enough to combine a shirt with vertical stripes and a vivid red tie with crazy diagonal stripes. It seems that his role is to be known as Chief Operating Officer, a rather grim sounding title, I wonder who he will be operating on first - Network Rail Perhaps?
It is not possible to like someone I have never met, but Chris Gibb does sound like a decent bloke. As someone who observes the railways from a distance, I like the fact that he speaks in plain English that everyone can understand and as far as I can tell he does what he says he will do. The straight answer seems as rare in the railways as it is in politics, so it is refreshing when you find someone capable of saying what they mean and when necessary calling a spade a spade. In the article he was eloquent about the farce at Rugby over the new year period "it was totally avoidable. It was a shortage of key people at the right time and Network Rail will be getting a bill from us for long term damage to growth".
OK, I did once say that he was easier on the eye than some of his counterparts from the other TOC's, etc. I wasn't commenting on his looks as much as his ability to smile and to look approachable. There are a number of faces in the railways that could have made convincing gargoyles! While on the subject of confession, Robbie is right that I did once say that Chris Gibb had very expressive legs. Back in the old days when he was MD of Cross Country I noticed that when he was photographed his feet seemed to be working to their own agenda. The photo with the Railways Illustrated didn't show his feet and was cropped oddly leaving people to wonder about his hands, but it had the trademark cheerful smile.
The article was a good read, clearly Virgin has some interesting plans for the future. I learned a little more about Chris Gibb too, apparently he has a passion for punk rock music, that didn't seem to fit with the photo of him in a fleece; but when I looked closely at his shirt and tie it was clear that there is a streak of anarchy within him. Not many people would be brave enough to combine a shirt with vertical stripes and a vivid red tie with crazy diagonal stripes. It seems that his role is to be known as Chief Operating Officer, a rather grim sounding title, I wonder who he will be operating on first - Network Rail Perhaps?
Friday 28 March 2008
To Tell the Truth ...................
Robbie fell over as he was getting off the train yesterday morning. He had only bought a new suit a few days ago and I am ashamed to say that when he told me about the fall I enquired about the suit before I asked about him. The suit survived unscathed but Robbie hurt his hand and his dignity was seriously affected; the platform proved surprisingly resilient. It could have been much worse, I do worry about him, I wish we could find a way to keep him upright.
Why are men such dreadful liars? OK I know that is a huge generalisation, but I am cross so please make allowances. Just for once I am not having a go at Network Rail, but come to think of it the same thing applies to them, if they want to mislead us, at least they could make the effort to do it convincingly instead of treating us all as if we are fools! I was actually getting at Robbie. He knows from bitter experience that I have a built in lie detector and it is not easy to pull the wool over my eyes, but it doesn't stop him trying! This week I caught him in out, there was no disputing the 'evidence', it had his fingerprints all over it, but he clung stubbornly to his version of the situation. Establishing the truth really is like pulling teeth. It makes me so cross that he assumes I a stupid enough to accept his version, as far as I am concerned the original 'misdemeanour' is never worth a lie, because most things can be put right or overcome. I wonder if it is a case of arrested development, you know that phase when a toddler learns to play hide and seek and they think that if they can't see you then you cant see them - they don't realise that their rear end is poking out from behind the sofa for all to see! I wonder if men ever progress beyond that stage - or maybe they just enjoy getting caught! I have found that admitting a mistake or omission, apologising and asking for help to put it right will get a much more favourable response than denial or trying to blame the others. Maybe Network Rail should give it a try sometime, we would all be shocked into stunned silence, so at least they would have a quiet few days! Just for the record, Robbie has been forgiven!
Robbie was on form last night in terms of random statements. We has just been shopping at Morrisons and he got into the car after parking the trolley and said "I will have to wash my high visibility vest before April". I expect he was thinking about trains and charters, but it made me laugh because it made me think of Harry Potter and the invisibility cloak. Robbie is high visibility all the time, vest or no vest!
Why are men such dreadful liars? OK I know that is a huge generalisation, but I am cross so please make allowances. Just for once I am not having a go at Network Rail, but come to think of it the same thing applies to them, if they want to mislead us, at least they could make the effort to do it convincingly instead of treating us all as if we are fools! I was actually getting at Robbie. He knows from bitter experience that I have a built in lie detector and it is not easy to pull the wool over my eyes, but it doesn't stop him trying! This week I caught him in out, there was no disputing the 'evidence', it had his fingerprints all over it, but he clung stubbornly to his version of the situation. Establishing the truth really is like pulling teeth. It makes me so cross that he assumes I a stupid enough to accept his version, as far as I am concerned the original 'misdemeanour' is never worth a lie, because most things can be put right or overcome. I wonder if it is a case of arrested development, you know that phase when a toddler learns to play hide and seek and they think that if they can't see you then you cant see them - they don't realise that their rear end is poking out from behind the sofa for all to see! I wonder if men ever progress beyond that stage - or maybe they just enjoy getting caught! I have found that admitting a mistake or omission, apologising and asking for help to put it right will get a much more favourable response than denial or trying to blame the others. Maybe Network Rail should give it a try sometime, we would all be shocked into stunned silence, so at least they would have a quiet few days! Just for the record, Robbie has been forgiven!
Robbie was on form last night in terms of random statements. We has just been shopping at Morrisons and he got into the car after parking the trolley and said "I will have to wash my high visibility vest before April". I expect he was thinking about trains and charters, but it made me laugh because it made me think of Harry Potter and the invisibility cloak. Robbie is high visibility all the time, vest or no vest!
Thursday 27 March 2008
Over Dressed
Robbie went to a gig last night, to see a group called Be Your Own Pet, he has seen them before so he must have thought it worth the effort of going to the gig. He tends to like loud and tuneless music, there are a few groups that we both like, but generally if I like it he doesn't and vice versa. I picked him up at the station at midnight and he could hardly walk, his legs were killing him because of all that standing around. He insists that he is not too old to go to gigs, but I do worry about him, his legs hurt and his ears play him up for days afterwards, I can't understand why anyone would do that for pleasure!
Just when I was thinking that I was on a winning streak with Sam and his school shoes he found a new issue for me to worry about. He was obviously acting as Robbie's understudy this morning, still flitting around in his PJ's fifteen minutes before we needed to leave the house. He finally appeared in the lounge fully dressed, in fact he was a little too fully dressed, he had his uniform black trousers, white shirt, tie black blazer and lurid green belt! I insisted that the belt had to go but he was adamant that it would be fine, after another verbal spat I won and the belt was reluctantly returned to his bedroom to be reunited with his jeans. By the time I dropped him at school he managed to look approximately tidy and he was very reluctantly wearing his new school shoes. I wonder what new challenge he will manage to come up with tomorrow!
Just when I was thinking that I was on a winning streak with Sam and his school shoes he found a new issue for me to worry about. He was obviously acting as Robbie's understudy this morning, still flitting around in his PJ's fifteen minutes before we needed to leave the house. He finally appeared in the lounge fully dressed, in fact he was a little too fully dressed, he had his uniform black trousers, white shirt, tie black blazer and lurid green belt! I insisted that the belt had to go but he was adamant that it would be fine, after another verbal spat I won and the belt was reluctantly returned to his bedroom to be reunited with his jeans. By the time I dropped him at school he managed to look approximately tidy and he was very reluctantly wearing his new school shoes. I wonder what new challenge he will manage to come up with tomorrow!
Wednesday 26 March 2008
Mystery Men
Robbie was at work until late in the evening yesterday because he had to work from home in the morning while waiting for the Sky repair man to come and replace the sky box. We had no TV over Easter because the sky box turned up its toes, I didn't miss it that much but certain other people were having withdrawal symptoms. I am fairly happy as long as I have my radio, I can't survive without Radio 4. The Sky man turned up eventually and everything is back in working order, so when Robbie got home last night he parked himself in front of the TV and watched junk until 1.30am.
Talking of Radio 4 it was responsible for a serious rise in my blood pressure yesterday. The You and Yours program had a 'phone in' about rail travel, George Muir from ATOC, Nigel Harris from Rail magazine, Tom Windsor a previous rail regulator and the dreaded Iain Coucher from Network Rail were all there to answer questions. The first three sounded sensible and plausible, but yet again Iain Coucher sounded totally insincere and complacent. Someone who rang in had been prevented from getting to work that morning because of an engineering overrun at Shenfield. He did his usual splutter and stutter, then explained that the planned engineering work to work on signals had been completed on time but it just so happened that the very next signal to where they were working developed an unrelated fault and this caused the delay. Whatever! When Sam was younger he always blamed the squirrels for whatever he had done wrong, he was very convincing, but that didn't mean I believed him. The calls to the program were overwhelmingly critical, the only company to receive any praise was Virgin; whatever you think about their service you have to admire their PR!
I overheard Robbie making a series of work calls during the morning, he kept talking about Craig and Timmy and I began to wonder who they were, a gay couple perhaps? Did Robbie have a secret life? Eventually I asked about them as I hadn't heard him mention either of them before. It turned out that he was actually referring to a place, Craigentinny nr Edinburgh, apparently it is the place where the trains 'go to bed'.
East Anglian Daily Times
Talking of Radio 4 it was responsible for a serious rise in my blood pressure yesterday. The You and Yours program had a 'phone in' about rail travel, George Muir from ATOC, Nigel Harris from Rail magazine, Tom Windsor a previous rail regulator and the dreaded Iain Coucher from Network Rail were all there to answer questions. The first three sounded sensible and plausible, but yet again Iain Coucher sounded totally insincere and complacent. Someone who rang in had been prevented from getting to work that morning because of an engineering overrun at Shenfield. He did his usual splutter and stutter, then explained that the planned engineering work to work on signals had been completed on time but it just so happened that the very next signal to where they were working developed an unrelated fault and this caused the delay. Whatever! When Sam was younger he always blamed the squirrels for whatever he had done wrong, he was very convincing, but that didn't mean I believed him. The calls to the program were overwhelmingly critical, the only company to receive any praise was Virgin; whatever you think about their service you have to admire their PR!
I overheard Robbie making a series of work calls during the morning, he kept talking about Craig and Timmy and I began to wonder who they were, a gay couple perhaps? Did Robbie have a secret life? Eventually I asked about them as I hadn't heard him mention either of them before. It turned out that he was actually referring to a place, Craigentinny nr Edinburgh, apparently it is the place where the trains 'go to bed'.
East Anglian Daily Times
Tuesday 25 March 2008
Genetic Engineering
Sam and Laura are back at school this morning, they only had Friday and Monday off school because Easter was so early. They have another school holiday coming up in a couple of weeks. Easter has been a bit of a non event for us this year, usually we go to Plymouth to visit family, but with such a short holiday that proved impossible. It is lovely to visit family, but when we had snow on Easter Sunday I was quite relieved that we were at home, it is bad enough driving to Plymouth in good weather, I've had miserable journeys in driving rain and fog before, but thankfully I have never encountered snow.
Sam must be growing, when he put his uniform on this morning his trousers were perilously close to becoming 'ankle bashers' and they will certainly not last until the summer. His blazer is also looking a bit short, but that will have to last for a while longer. I am annoyed about his trousers, I bought him three pairs of M&S trousers for the new school year, they had plenty of growing room (or so I thought) and I expected them to last until the summer, but it looks as if we will have to go shopping in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully it will not be as traumatic as the saga we had buying shoes recently. I think I wrote about the visit to the shoe shop, but that was just the tip of the iceberg, for the next couple of weeks he refused to wear his new shoes. He wore his old shoes and then when I removed those he sneaked out in black trainers, he claimed the new shoes were tighter around his ankle and we had to have a 'frank exchange of views' before he surrendered and went to school in his new shoes. I feel as if I am running a laundry at the moment, Emily is home from university and I have been sorting out all the stuff that no longer fits Sam so I have piles of washing. I know it is mad to wash clean clothes before passing them on for recycling but I can't help it.
Robbie was late home from work again yesterday. He told me he had some exciting news and he had a huge grin on his face. He had been in contact with Wendy, his cousin from USA and she had met up with cousin Bobbie who reminded Wendy that various family members had worked for a well known company building locos. As you can imagine Robbie provided me with a full account of the various classes of loco that the company built, but I will spare you the details. He was delighted by this news and he has decided that trains must be in his genes! I wonder what is in my genes, endurance perhaps?
Sam must be growing, when he put his uniform on this morning his trousers were perilously close to becoming 'ankle bashers' and they will certainly not last until the summer. His blazer is also looking a bit short, but that will have to last for a while longer. I am annoyed about his trousers, I bought him three pairs of M&S trousers for the new school year, they had plenty of growing room (or so I thought) and I expected them to last until the summer, but it looks as if we will have to go shopping in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully it will not be as traumatic as the saga we had buying shoes recently. I think I wrote about the visit to the shoe shop, but that was just the tip of the iceberg, for the next couple of weeks he refused to wear his new shoes. He wore his old shoes and then when I removed those he sneaked out in black trainers, he claimed the new shoes were tighter around his ankle and we had to have a 'frank exchange of views' before he surrendered and went to school in his new shoes. I feel as if I am running a laundry at the moment, Emily is home from university and I have been sorting out all the stuff that no longer fits Sam so I have piles of washing. I know it is mad to wash clean clothes before passing them on for recycling but I can't help it.
Robbie was late home from work again yesterday. He told me he had some exciting news and he had a huge grin on his face. He had been in contact with Wendy, his cousin from USA and she had met up with cousin Bobbie who reminded Wendy that various family members had worked for a well known company building locos. As you can imagine Robbie provided me with a full account of the various classes of loco that the company built, but I will spare you the details. He was delighted by this news and he has decided that trains must be in his genes! I wonder what is in my genes, endurance perhaps?
Monday 24 March 2008
One Track Mind!
I forgot to mention that when we were in bed on Sunday morning, after Robbie's little gem about Argos he strayed onto the subject of trains. I was quiet for a few moments after his comment about the stretch mark, he really knows how to make me feel good! For some reason Robbie chose to fill the silence with a detailed account of the platform arrangements at Nottingham Station. He mentioned Sheffield and I commented that when I worked in Sheffield I used to travel there by train. He asked what route I took and I told him what I could remember, it was 1983 so I could hardly be expected to have total recall! Robbie insisted that I was mistaken about the route and he sat up and started to get out of bed. Talking more to himself than to me he said that he wondered if he had a timetable for 1983, and he was going to have a look. I fixed him with one of my best Paddington Bear stares and without a word he got back into bed and put his arm around me. With a tone of defeat in his voice he said he would look later. That man really does have a one track mind - a railway track!
Sunday 23 March 2008
Help he is Driving Me Mad!
Help he is driving me mad! No, I don't mean Sam, Robbie is doing my head in. We finally have a weekend together without him dashing off to play trains so I hoped we could have a nice lazy family weekend. Our 'us' time on Saturday morning was spoiled by a dispute about 'the human windmill' waving his legs around and taking all the duvet. When I finally thought I had his undivided attention he chose exactly that moment to cut his toe nails! I retreated to the bathroom for a nice relaxing bath, with Radio 4 providing a little sanity in the background.Saturday passed with Robbie eulogising about the marvels of Northern Ireland Railways. He went on and on about their various systems, I will spare you the details but top of his list of was that they don't have to suffer the tyranny of Network Rail! That makes him want to move to Northern Ireland right now! A bit later on he was sitting at his computer when he started to make strange roaring noises, I was just about to call for the men in white coats when he explained that he was making the noise of Castle Class 450's. Mistaking my horror for interest, he went on to explain the subtle difference between them and Thumpers - Im none the wiser, but if it pleases him to snore while he is awake I don't suppose I can do much about it.
Sunday morning was cold and snowy, I don't remember having snow on Easter day before! I decided that I was in no hurry to get up. Robbie put his arm around me, looked into my eyes and said "Argos tomorrow, they have a really good kitchen bin at half price". Great, looking into my eyes obviously makes him think of the kitchen bin! Sadly Robbie has never followed the adage 'when in a hole stop digging'. He continued to cuddle me and after a couple of minutes he said, "oh look, I've found a stretch mark" - It wasn't lost, unfortunately! I hope he has good health insurance because he makes me feel murderous at times. I wonder if anyone could train him, or maybe he is just unique!
Saturday 22 March 2008
Fighting Back!
According to Sam, he is perfectly normal and it is the rest of us who are a bit weird (his choice of words, not mine), maybe he is right. Living with a person who has Asperger Syndrome certainly tests the limits of my sanity at times; it can be frustrating, exhausting and isolating. I love Sam dearly and I am so used to his idiosyncrasies that I couldn’t really imagine him being just ordinary. He rivals Robbie when it comes to random facts; on Thursday he informed me that apart from humans, dolphins are the only other species that indulge in sex for pleasure. I will have to have a rethink, I’d always assumed that rabbits had all the fun! Sam is the only person I know who can talk more than Robbie, his specialist subject is films and comic books, but just like Robbie he will talk in detail about absolutely anything!
Shopping with Sam has always been ‘an experience’. Can you imagine a child with a compulsion for sorting being let loose in a supermarket, we could never get past the cereal section because he wanted to sort and straighten all the boxes. Shopping with Sam was a very time consuming activity! When he was three he went to the fish counter at Safeway (now Morrisons) on a behind the scenes visit with his nursery group and he has been fascinated by fish ever since. For years afterwards he would go up and look at the fish and `interview' the staff about what the various fish were and where they came from. I would attempt to ‘disown’ him and disappear to the next section but eventually I would have to drag him away. I really don't know what Sam found so fascinating about fish, perhaps it is his Cornish background showing through!
For years it was Sam’s ambition to be a trolley pusher at Safeway, but one day as we left the shop he spotted a sign displaying job vacancies, he said "Mum, if I can't be a spy I think I would like to work on the fish counter". Thankfully he has slightly different ambitions these days.
Shopping is still a challenge and it rarely passes without incident. Something about Tesco transforms him from a tolerable teen into an angry troll, come to think of it; the supermarket has much the same effect on Robbie! On Friday Sam and I had to pop into Morrisons for some bread and a couple of other items. Sam was being really helpful (there’s a first time for everything) and when we got to the bread section they had packed the bread on to the shelves so tightly that it was very hard to pick up a loaf without squashing it. I held the basket and Sam carefully eased the loaves off the shelf and checked the sell by dates. We were just selecting our second loaf when an old woman who was using her trolley as an offensive weapon came up behind us and shouted 'excuse me'. I looked behind me and checked that we were not blocking her way and Sam stepped a little closer to me. In seconds she shouted 'excuse me' again and attempted to shove Sam away from the bread with her trolley. I was incensed and told her she was a very bad mannered old woman. I pointed out that Sam was helping me, she had plenty of room to go past us and if she wanted to buy bread she should wait her turn. She was very offensive and threatening and as I walked away I told her to learn some manners. I was so angry that someone would treat Sam like that, especially when he was being so well behaved.
Sam was shocked into silence for a while afterwards; I think he was really shocked by the woman’s behaviour. As we drove home he told me I was ‘awesome’ and he said he didn’t know I could be so cross. Maybe I wouldn’t have stood up for myself as much, I am not a confrontational sort of person, but I couldn’t stand by and let Sam be treated like that!
Shopping with Sam has always been ‘an experience’. Can you imagine a child with a compulsion for sorting being let loose in a supermarket, we could never get past the cereal section because he wanted to sort and straighten all the boxes. Shopping with Sam was a very time consuming activity! When he was three he went to the fish counter at Safeway (now Morrisons) on a behind the scenes visit with his nursery group and he has been fascinated by fish ever since. For years afterwards he would go up and look at the fish and `interview' the staff about what the various fish were and where they came from. I would attempt to ‘disown’ him and disappear to the next section but eventually I would have to drag him away. I really don't know what Sam found so fascinating about fish, perhaps it is his Cornish background showing through!
For years it was Sam’s ambition to be a trolley pusher at Safeway, but one day as we left the shop he spotted a sign displaying job vacancies, he said "Mum, if I can't be a spy I think I would like to work on the fish counter". Thankfully he has slightly different ambitions these days.
Shopping is still a challenge and it rarely passes without incident. Something about Tesco transforms him from a tolerable teen into an angry troll, come to think of it; the supermarket has much the same effect on Robbie! On Friday Sam and I had to pop into Morrisons for some bread and a couple of other items. Sam was being really helpful (there’s a first time for everything) and when we got to the bread section they had packed the bread on to the shelves so tightly that it was very hard to pick up a loaf without squashing it. I held the basket and Sam carefully eased the loaves off the shelf and checked the sell by dates. We were just selecting our second loaf when an old woman who was using her trolley as an offensive weapon came up behind us and shouted 'excuse me'. I looked behind me and checked that we were not blocking her way and Sam stepped a little closer to me. In seconds she shouted 'excuse me' again and attempted to shove Sam away from the bread with her trolley. I was incensed and told her she was a very bad mannered old woman. I pointed out that Sam was helping me, she had plenty of room to go past us and if she wanted to buy bread she should wait her turn. She was very offensive and threatening and as I walked away I told her to learn some manners. I was so angry that someone would treat Sam like that, especially when he was being so well behaved.
Sam was shocked into silence for a while afterwards; I think he was really shocked by the woman’s behaviour. As we drove home he told me I was ‘awesome’ and he said he didn’t know I could be so cross. Maybe I wouldn’t have stood up for myself as much, I am not a confrontational sort of person, but I couldn’t stand by and let Sam be treated like that!
Friday 21 March 2008
The Tip of the Iceberg!
I was very tired on Thursday morning after dealing with the dog during the night. By lunchtime I could feel myself nodding off and I prescribed a cup of tea and a little rest, with Radio 4 for company of course. I had just settled down when I almost choked on my tea. The irritatingly complacent tones of Iain Coucher were intruding into the room. It feels as if I can't get away from Network Rail. It is bad enough listening to Robbie moaning about them every day, and I'd had a taste of their inability to cope with joined up thinking at Northampton Station the night before, so the last thing I wanted was that man intruding into my lounge.
I'm not sure what is going on in Northampton, maybe the council are challenging Bristol for the title of road cone capital of the UK. For months we have endured road closures and road works involving one of the most important roundabouts in the town. Work on the roundabout finished a couple of weeks ago and I breathed a huge sigh of relief, because it had cased me a lot of inconvenience. My relief was short lived, the roadworks have now radiated out to other equally inconvenient sites and the cones haven't gone, they have just moved down the road. The road outside the front entrance to the railway station is closed and they have dug a massive hole in the road, so I was forced to enter the station via the long stay car park at the back. It is an awkward entrance anyway, but visiting the station was turned into a near death experienced by having six massive lorries loaded with huge bits of track maintenance equipment, parked nose to tail along the narrowest and most dangerous part. They must have known in advance that the council planned to create a 'heffalump trap' at the front entrance, so you would have thought that even with their limited resources in the brain cell department, they could have worked out that this was not a good time to block the other entrance/exit.
Anyway back to Mr Complacent on the radio. He managed to cure my tiredness because I was far too cross to be tired. He is still rambling on about what a good job they are doing and how everyone else was at fault regarding the New Year debacle. That old phrase comes to mind, There are none so blind as those who will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know.
As usual when the railways are mentioned in the media Christian Woolmer was wheeled out to give an expert analysis. He talked a lot of sense, but he hasn't really got the sort of voice that makes you want to listen, I guess he is the David Bellamy of the railway world - much better in print. His assessment of the cause of the previous delay and the potential for further disruption was much more plausible, I suspect we have only seen the tip of the iceberg so far! Even if Network Rail manage the Rugby shut down this Easter better than the New Year fiasco, weekend rail travel from Northampton to Birmingham will still be a bit like the dodo - a thing of the past!
Robbie's journey to work today (Friday) took three hours and put him in a foul mood, he arrived home at 9.40pm after an equally challenging return journey. I think we would all be a bit more forgiving about blocked lines and replacement coaches if we thought there was a realistic possibility of a better service after the upgrade, but if they don't tell the truth about the present why should we believe the promises about the future!
I'm not sure what is going on in Northampton, maybe the council are challenging Bristol for the title of road cone capital of the UK. For months we have endured road closures and road works involving one of the most important roundabouts in the town. Work on the roundabout finished a couple of weeks ago and I breathed a huge sigh of relief, because it had cased me a lot of inconvenience. My relief was short lived, the roadworks have now radiated out to other equally inconvenient sites and the cones haven't gone, they have just moved down the road. The road outside the front entrance to the railway station is closed and they have dug a massive hole in the road, so I was forced to enter the station via the long stay car park at the back. It is an awkward entrance anyway, but visiting the station was turned into a near death experienced by having six massive lorries loaded with huge bits of track maintenance equipment, parked nose to tail along the narrowest and most dangerous part. They must have known in advance that the council planned to create a 'heffalump trap' at the front entrance, so you would have thought that even with their limited resources in the brain cell department, they could have worked out that this was not a good time to block the other entrance/exit.
Anyway back to Mr Complacent on the radio. He managed to cure my tiredness because I was far too cross to be tired. He is still rambling on about what a good job they are doing and how everyone else was at fault regarding the New Year debacle. That old phrase comes to mind, There are none so blind as those who will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know.
As usual when the railways are mentioned in the media Christian Woolmer was wheeled out to give an expert analysis. He talked a lot of sense, but he hasn't really got the sort of voice that makes you want to listen, I guess he is the David Bellamy of the railway world - much better in print. His assessment of the cause of the previous delay and the potential for further disruption was much more plausible, I suspect we have only seen the tip of the iceberg so far! Even if Network Rail manage the Rugby shut down this Easter better than the New Year fiasco, weekend rail travel from Northampton to Birmingham will still be a bit like the dodo - a thing of the past!
Robbie's journey to work today (Friday) took three hours and put him in a foul mood, he arrived home at 9.40pm after an equally challenging return journey. I think we would all be a bit more forgiving about blocked lines and replacement coaches if we thought there was a realistic possibility of a better service after the upgrade, but if they don't tell the truth about the present why should we believe the promises about the future!
Thursday 20 March 2008
How will Ireland Cope with Robbie?
Robbie got to Ireland safely and when I spoke to him last night he chatted excitedly about the meeting he'd attended. Apparently they were given a cardboard cut out train, if only I had known that a cardboard cut out and a couple of pens would cause such excitement I could have saved a fortune on his birthday! He will be home this evening, and no doubt he will talk incessantly about trains for the next couple of days. Never mind, I will be glad to have him home despite the ear ache.
Robbie chose the right time to be away. I was woken last night at about 1.30am by a car alarm going off, it continued until well after 2am by which time Meg the dog had started to whine and make a fuss. Shortly after 2am I was out in the garden with Meg who proved very reluctant to return to the house. For the rest of the night she moaned and whined and scratched at the bedroom door asking to go out. I spent more time in the garden than in bed and it became obvious that she had a tummy upset. I wished Robbie was here, because at the very least he would have kept the bed warm! Meg seems a bit better this morning, but I am feeling rather tired.
Robbie phoned again told me about his breakfast in much greater detail than was necessary, he then provided a detailed account of the room layout and the performance of the shower, then just in case I was not already bored rigid he launched into a detailed synopsis of this weeks Archers storylines. It left me wondering how Ireland will cope with Robbie - they probably can't understand a word he says!
Robbie chose the right time to be away. I was woken last night at about 1.30am by a car alarm going off, it continued until well after 2am by which time Meg the dog had started to whine and make a fuss. Shortly after 2am I was out in the garden with Meg who proved very reluctant to return to the house. For the rest of the night she moaned and whined and scratched at the bedroom door asking to go out. I spent more time in the garden than in bed and it became obvious that she had a tummy upset. I wished Robbie was here, because at the very least he would have kept the bed warm! Meg seems a bit better this morning, but I am feeling rather tired.
Robbie phoned again told me about his breakfast in much greater detail than was necessary, he then provided a detailed account of the room layout and the performance of the shower, then just in case I was not already bored rigid he launched into a detailed synopsis of this weeks Archers storylines. It left me wondering how Ireland will cope with Robbie - they probably can't understand a word he says!
Wednesday 19 March 2008
Robbie went to see the children in Walsall yesterday, just a brief visit to deliver their Easter gifts, then back to work to finish a few things off because he is off to Ireland this morning. He was quite late home so by the time we had eaten I was quite tired and he made it worse by reciting packing lists over and over again. He will be back on Thursday evening so I don't think packing would have proved too taxing, it is just Robbie's way to speak his thoughts and he drives me mad, I had to beg him to shut up.
I correctly predicted that Robbie would want the white shirt that he wore yesterday to take to Ireland, so as soon as he got home I put a load of white washing on. I was too tired to stay up and wait to put it in the dryer so I left Robbie with clear instructions. I often go to bed before Robbie and I am usually asleep within a few minutes, but there is no guarantee of staying asleep. Robbie tends to appear like an apparition at the end of the bed, flapping his arms and sighing a lot - like Marley's ghost without the chains. He launches into conversation regardless of whether I am asleep or awake. Last night I became aware of Robbie's voice saying something about his balls not working anymore, I struggled towards consciousness wondering whatever could be wrong. Further conversation revealed that his shirts had come out of the dryer badly creased and Robbie was blaming the dryer balls (they work brilliantly by the way). I told him to put the shirts on a quick wash and then hang them on coat hangers to dry them over night. The apparition vanished or to be more accurate it stomped off and it was heard rampaging around the house for the next hour or so.
Robbie got to the airport safely this morning and the mystery of the balls was solved - they didn't work because he had stuffed the dryer so that the air could not circulate properly. When Robbie phoned from the airport I told him to take care and stay safe, he replied that he would be fine because he'd had three weetabix this morning - I don't think I will ever understand how that man's mind works!
I correctly predicted that Robbie would want the white shirt that he wore yesterday to take to Ireland, so as soon as he got home I put a load of white washing on. I was too tired to stay up and wait to put it in the dryer so I left Robbie with clear instructions. I often go to bed before Robbie and I am usually asleep within a few minutes, but there is no guarantee of staying asleep. Robbie tends to appear like an apparition at the end of the bed, flapping his arms and sighing a lot - like Marley's ghost without the chains. He launches into conversation regardless of whether I am asleep or awake. Last night I became aware of Robbie's voice saying something about his balls not working anymore, I struggled towards consciousness wondering whatever could be wrong. Further conversation revealed that his shirts had come out of the dryer badly creased and Robbie was blaming the dryer balls (they work brilliantly by the way). I told him to put the shirts on a quick wash and then hang them on coat hangers to dry them over night. The apparition vanished or to be more accurate it stomped off and it was heard rampaging around the house for the next hour or so.
Robbie got to the airport safely this morning and the mystery of the balls was solved - they didn't work because he had stuffed the dryer so that the air could not circulate properly. When Robbie phoned from the airport I told him to take care and stay safe, he replied that he would be fine because he'd had three weetabix this morning - I don't think I will ever understand how that man's mind works!
Monday 17 March 2008
Normal Service Has Been Resumed
I am pleased to report that normal service has been resumed, Robbie is his usual cheerful self again after a very challenging weekend. It was his birthday on Saturday, he was 36 and he was an absolute pain. I'm not sure what got into him, he said he wasn't happy about getting old and I came very close to solving that problem for him - there is only so much moaning one person can take in a day! He had some nice presents and cards, two expensive railway books from me, binoculars from the children, another railway mug and money. He'd asked for money because he is saving up for an a camera, not just any old camera, the one he has his eye on does everything except make a cup of tea - and it has a price to match, so he will have to save up. We had a lovely afternoon at my mum's, she spoils Robbie, she cooked him his favourite meal and she made him a lovely birthday cake, so he managed to feel a little better about getting old by the end of the day.
On Sunday I put him in a bad mood by listening to the morning service on Radio 4, I was enjoying it but Mr Moan announced that it was too 'happy clappy' and he sat up in bed with his arms folded and his bottom lip sticking out like a toddler having a strop. He irritated me so much that I was almost tempted to sing along and join in with the service, but maybe that would have been too much for him to bear. I had a couple of errands to do, but I when I got back I made sure that I had some peace and quiet to listen to the Archers. Robbie was kept busy with mending the fence (just the job for a rainy day) and then building his new bookcase (at last).
So now it is Monday evening and the bookcase is positioned neatly in the corner of the lounge with just two books on it. Having waited weeks for Robbie to build it, I thought it would be a simple matter to put the books on it, but there appears to be some delay. He says he has to work out how to arrange the books but I think he has suddenly realised that he will not be able to read his Quail Maps in bed anymore. I have a feeling that this isn't going to be as easy as I thought!
Favourite Railway Books
On Sunday I put him in a bad mood by listening to the morning service on Radio 4, I was enjoying it but Mr Moan announced that it was too 'happy clappy' and he sat up in bed with his arms folded and his bottom lip sticking out like a toddler having a strop. He irritated me so much that I was almost tempted to sing along and join in with the service, but maybe that would have been too much for him to bear. I had a couple of errands to do, but I when I got back I made sure that I had some peace and quiet to listen to the Archers. Robbie was kept busy with mending the fence (just the job for a rainy day) and then building his new bookcase (at last).
So now it is Monday evening and the bookcase is positioned neatly in the corner of the lounge with just two books on it. Having waited weeks for Robbie to build it, I thought it would be a simple matter to put the books on it, but there appears to be some delay. He says he has to work out how to arrange the books but I think he has suddenly realised that he will not be able to read his Quail Maps in bed anymore. I have a feeling that this isn't going to be as easy as I thought!
Favourite Railway Books
Brave or Stupid?
Robbie has been ranting about his socks again. He had a major 'man stress' about them on Saturday, claiming that all his best pairs of socks had been stolen. Yes, stolen!
I wonder who he thinks the sock snaffler might be. Sam has a whole draw full of socks so I doubt he has any inclination to 'borrow' Robbie's socks. The girls cringe at the thought of his socks and there is no way that they would touch them. I have better things to do than steal socks, so that only leaves the dog and the cats - unless the guinea pig is selling them on ebay! I know times are hard but I am not aware of a booming market in second hand socks and I doubt we are being targeted by a burglar with a foot fetish!
Robbie didn't think I was taking the matter seriously enough, so he gave me an ultimatum. Either I take better care of his socks or he will have to wash them himself from now on. Guess what, I chose option two! He will be dealing with his own smelly socks in future, and he can look after his own 'smalls' too, after all if there is a sock snaffler about it is only a matter of time until they progress to 'bigger things'.
I wonder who he thinks the sock snaffler might be. Sam has a whole draw full of socks so I doubt he has any inclination to 'borrow' Robbie's socks. The girls cringe at the thought of his socks and there is no way that they would touch them. I have better things to do than steal socks, so that only leaves the dog and the cats - unless the guinea pig is selling them on ebay! I know times are hard but I am not aware of a booming market in second hand socks and I doubt we are being targeted by a burglar with a foot fetish!
Robbie didn't think I was taking the matter seriously enough, so he gave me an ultimatum. Either I take better care of his socks or he will have to wash them himself from now on. Guess what, I chose option two! He will be dealing with his own smelly socks in future, and he can look after his own 'smalls' too, after all if there is a sock snaffler about it is only a matter of time until they progress to 'bigger things'.
Friday 14 March 2008
It's in the Genes
Robbie arrived home at 10pm last night, it had been a sad day and he was tired, but he had met up with many family members that he doesn't see very often. He said that after the funeral they were chatting about his uncle and the subject of hoarding cropped up, apparently he had a bit of a reputation for hoarding. Then the subject turned to Robbie's grandad and the marathon task of clearing his loft after he died. Apparently his grandad bought tools and paint brushes by the half dozen and squirreled the surplus items away in the loft because 'you never know when things like that will come in handy'. Of course it wasn't just tools, there were magazines and all sorts of odds and ends - so now I know where Robbie gets it from. Why did he have to inherit the hoarding trait, why couldn't he inherit the diy gene that his grandad, dad and uncles all shared!
As soon as Robbie got into the car I could tell he had been something with a very strong smell, at first he said it was a Subway roll, but then he remembered that he had eaten garlic mushrooms and scones (now there's a combination!). I didn't enquire further, I just tried not to breathe! He mentioned that he'd had a few pints (I already knew, I could smell it), he didn't too keen to define 'few' but he finally decided that it must have been three pints. I wasn't convinced by his maths but I knew it spelled trouble because he isn't used to it and it sends him to sleep. Sure enough he sat at the table with his laptop and before long he was sound asleep and leaning at a precarious angle. I kept waking him up but I couldn't make him go to bed so I gave up and left him downstairs. He came to bed at 3.30am after the dog woke him up!
As soon as Robbie got into the car I could tell he had been something with a very strong smell, at first he said it was a Subway roll, but then he remembered that he had eaten garlic mushrooms and scones (now there's a combination!). I didn't enquire further, I just tried not to breathe! He mentioned that he'd had a few pints (I already knew, I could smell it), he didn't too keen to define 'few' but he finally decided that it must have been three pints. I wasn't convinced by his maths but I knew it spelled trouble because he isn't used to it and it sends him to sleep. Sure enough he sat at the table with his laptop and before long he was sound asleep and leaning at a precarious angle. I kept waking him up but I couldn't make him go to bed so I gave up and left him downstairs. He came to bed at 3.30am after the dog woke him up!
Thursday 13 March 2008
Interesting Choices 13.03.08
I mentioned The Grinch in my last post and it reminded me of a very odd conversation I had with Sam the other day. He told me that at school he had to prepare and deliver a presentation on someone who had made a significant contribution to society. Sam had decided that everyone would talk about Winston Churchill and people like that so he chose someone less obvious. His first idea was Hugh Hefner, I had never heard of him, but Sam patiently explained that he was the creator of the Playboy empire. I asked what he had done for society and with an almost straight face Sam said that he must have made a lot of men very happy! I couldn't help wondering about the women, but It wasn't appropriate to address that question at the time.
Sam went on to explain that his friend decided to talk about Hugh Hefner so he chose Quentin Tarantino. That was another person I had never heard of, I ventured a guess that he may be a ballet dancer, but Sam assured me that he was an actor and film director, I guess that explains it, I can't sit still long enough to watch a film. Sam assured me that his films were too grim for me anyway, but he said Robbie would know all about him. It is nice to know that my son is capable of original thought, but when there was a world full of people to chose from I can't imagine why he seriously believes that those two people made a significant contribution to society! You may be wondering what the Grinch has to do with all this, well he cropped up at the end of the conversation. Sam said that he regretted his choice and he wished he had chosen Dr Seuss because then he could have done the presentation in rhyme. I wonder who I would have chosen!
Sam went on to explain that his friend decided to talk about Hugh Hefner so he chose Quentin Tarantino. That was another person I had never heard of, I ventured a guess that he may be a ballet dancer, but Sam assured me that he was an actor and film director, I guess that explains it, I can't sit still long enough to watch a film. Sam assured me that his films were too grim for me anyway, but he said Robbie would know all about him. It is nice to know that my son is capable of original thought, but when there was a world full of people to chose from I can't imagine why he seriously believes that those two people made a significant contribution to society! You may be wondering what the Grinch has to do with all this, well he cropped up at the end of the conversation. Sam said that he regretted his choice and he wished he had chosen Dr Seuss because then he could have done the presentation in rhyme. I wonder who I would have chosen!
Family Ties 13.03.08
I got fed up with all the commentary on the budget yesterday, I didn't expect anything good to come out of it, so he managed to live up to my (very low) expectations. I don't suppose it is Alistair Darling's fault that he looks like the Grinch, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence!
It is the funeral for Robbie's uncle today, so Robbie will go to work as usual and then head for Norton Canes just before 11am. He couldn't find his black tie among the vast Burgess tie collection, I don't think he looked terribly hard. I said that a black tie was not essential and a dark one with a sober pattern would be OK. He gave me a hard stare and said 'not for a Burgess funeral' and he told me that he would buy a black one. I don't suppose Robbie possesses a sober tie anyway, his taste is veers more towards the loud and lurid.
It is the funeral for Robbie's uncle today, so Robbie will go to work as usual and then head for Norton Canes just before 11am. He couldn't find his black tie among the vast Burgess tie collection, I don't think he looked terribly hard. I said that a black tie was not essential and a dark one with a sober pattern would be OK. He gave me a hard stare and said 'not for a Burgess funeral' and he told me that he would buy a black one. I don't suppose Robbie possesses a sober tie anyway, his taste is veers more towards the loud and lurid.
Living Dangerously! 12.03.08
I told Robbie about my computer problem yesterday evening as we were on our way to the supermarket. I was astounded by his response especially as he had experienced his own computer troubles fairly recently. He said that he he'd been wondering where that collar stiffener had gone and that I would have to get it out as he needed it. He then went on to wonder out loud how he could find a replacement if he couldn't get the original back. I don't think he needs to worry about collar stiffeners, the sort of stiffness on my mind was rigor mortis, I felt almost murderous!
Robbie was in high spirits (despite the loss of his collar stiffener) because his new briefcase had been delivered. I think it was another birthday present to himself - it is his birthday on Saturday. He has almost as many briefcases as Laura has handbags, but I did manage to force a major concession - he has agreed to throw his old briefcase away!
Robbie was in high spirits (despite the loss of his collar stiffener) because his new briefcase had been delivered. I think it was another birthday present to himself - it is his birthday on Saturday. He has almost as many briefcases as Laura has handbags, but I did manage to force a major concession - he has agreed to throw his old briefcase away!
The Revenge of the Shirt! 11.03.08
Robbie likes watching a dreadful television program on Monday evenings, and having endured an hour of 'TV to top yourself by' earlier in the evening (Emmerdale and Eastenders) and I didn't have the inner strength to tolerate Skins later on. I decided to retreat to bed with my laptop and Radio 4. I had hardly started writing when the laptop made a couple of very odd noises, then it carried on as normal. I thought perhaps I had imagined it, but when I changed position it made the noise again, so I turned the laptop upside down to look at the base and it started to make a dreadful noise, like the noise made by those clip things that boys like to put on bicycle wheels. On closer inspection the cause of the problem became evident, there was a little plastic strip like a mini plant label, and it was catching in the fan. I could see it well through the wire mesh below the fans, but I would have to open the back to get it out - not a job for 11pm. I had another look this morning, I haven't decided what to do yet, but I have identified the offending article, that dreadful rainbow striped shirt is taking revenge on me for being so disparaging about it. The little plastic strip came from the shirt collar! I think I have worked out how it got into the computer but getting it out will be a bit more complicated. I hate that shirt, it has caused nothing but trouble since he bought it.
Not So Hidden Secrets 10.03.08
Some people are so careless about what they leave in their pockets and at the bottom of abandoned carrier bags. I always make a profit on the laundry, I put all the lost coins in a jar to boost our spending money when we go on holiday. I check carefully, but it is surprising how often a tissue sneaks into the wash, it's so frustrating because it takes ages to get all the bits off!
This morning I was sorting out the hall, to be honest it looked more like Steptoe's yard than a hall. Why do people abandon shoes, coats and bags all over the place, in fact why do they need so many bags and pairs of shoes in the first place? Having plodded up and down stairs delivering Sam and Laura's belongs to their rooms I was left with a selection of Robbie's bags, there was the casual rucksack, the laptop bag containing his old computer, his retired briefcase which he can't bear to part with, then there was a suit cover and a couple of carrier bags. On closer investigation I found that one carrier bag contained Robbie's (still dirty) travel mug and a magazine, the other proved more interesting it contained an opened package, lots of bubble wrap and a receipt - another accidental purchase perhaps? It turned out to be a very recent receipt for a very expensive (and unauthorised) item, two items in fact, two model railway carriages! £55 for two carriages!! Oh well, it looks as if he has bought his own birthday present, at least it has saved me a job!
This morning I was sorting out the hall, to be honest it looked more like Steptoe's yard than a hall. Why do people abandon shoes, coats and bags all over the place, in fact why do they need so many bags and pairs of shoes in the first place? Having plodded up and down stairs delivering Sam and Laura's belongs to their rooms I was left with a selection of Robbie's bags, there was the casual rucksack, the laptop bag containing his old computer, his retired briefcase which he can't bear to part with, then there was a suit cover and a couple of carrier bags. On closer investigation I found that one carrier bag contained Robbie's (still dirty) travel mug and a magazine, the other proved more interesting it contained an opened package, lots of bubble wrap and a receipt - another accidental purchase perhaps? It turned out to be a very recent receipt for a very expensive (and unauthorised) item, two items in fact, two model railway carriages! £55 for two carriages!! Oh well, it looks as if he has bought his own birthday present, at least it has saved me a job!
Things That Go Bump in the Night! 10.03.08
Robbie seemed to have a good time 'playing trains' on Saturday. He didn't get home until after midnight and I had been very clear that if he wanted to go 'out to play' he would have to go to and from the station by taxi, I tolerate 5.30am starts and late finishes on weekdays but my weekends are precious and I am not keen on loitering at the station at midnight. I headed off to bed at 11.30pm and soon after midnight I heard what sounded like a taxi outside, shortly afterwards I heard what sounded like Robbie coming through the front door and a selection of other lumps and bumps, so I was fairly confident that Robbie was home. I wasn't too surprised that Robbie didn't come up to tell me he was home because he probably thought I was asleep. I continued reading until almost 12.30am when I heard the phone ringing downstairs, Robbie hadn't answered it but I assumed he had fallen asleep (he usually does). I was up, out of bed and galloping down the stairs, after all if someone was ringing at that time of night it must be an emergency and I was worried in case it was Emily. The phone had stopped ringing before I got there but someone was knocking at the door - it was a cold and cross Robbie! Someone had left the key in the door! I don't think it was me, but I can't be certain. Robbie burst in, invented several new words and headed for the kitchen. I wasn't going to hang around for him to bark at, and I went back to bed to continue reading. In due course Robbie appeared with cup of tea and an explanation. I had given him a stern warning not to wake the whole house when he got home, so when he found himself locked out he didn't want to make too much noise. He didn't ring the bell or the phone, he knocked on the door and sent me seven texts, the problem being that I don't take my mobile to bed because it makes those annoying scanning noises, and after years of being on call at night the slightest noise from the phone has me on instant alert. I am still cross with Robbie for not just ringing the house phone or the doorbell, trust him to turn a simple problem into a drama!
'Me Time' 08.03.08
Robbie is out playing trains again today, he has gone to Carlisle on a charter, he mentioned something about tractors but I am not sure of the details because I tend to 'tune him out' when he goes on and on about trains (or anything else for that matter). He had to leave soon after 5am and he assured me that he wouldn't wake me up, as always that proved a forlorn hope, the sound of Robbie galloping around the house was enough to wake the dead, but just in case anyone in the street was still managing to slumber he shut the door with such force that we thought there had been another earthquake!
I had expected him to encounter some sort of hold up, he always seems to attract trouble when he travels north. Today he had hardly left the county before he encountered problems, a cable fire between Birmingham International and New Street had caused chaos. He rang me to tell me about it, but I begged him to just give me the abridged version, so I am a bit sketchy on the detail, but I know that they got away safely in the end.
I decided that I was going to have some 'me' time too, so after providing Laura with a chauffeur service to and from the hairdressers I settled down to some family history research, but it was one of those frustrating days when I just kept hitting brick walls. Laura had gone to town to buy yet more shoes (something else for me to trip over in the hall) and Sam had scurried off to his room allegedly he was going to rediscover the carpet and have a general tidy up, but judging by his lack of progress I suspect he was watching a DVD. At least I had a couple of hours of peace, I gave up on the family history because it was making me frustrated, but I managed a few more chapters of A Presumption of Death by Jill Paton Walsh and Dorothy L Sayers, I have read it at least twice before but it is just as good the third time.
Robbie will not be home until after midnight and I don't suppose his arrival will be any quieter than his departure, but if the wakes me up to tell me about his day I may not be responsible for my actions. Tomorrow I intend to listen to the Archers omnibus before I even think about the routine of the day, and Robbie can make me lots of cups of tea to make up for abandoning me today!
I had expected him to encounter some sort of hold up, he always seems to attract trouble when he travels north. Today he had hardly left the county before he encountered problems, a cable fire between Birmingham International and New Street had caused chaos. He rang me to tell me about it, but I begged him to just give me the abridged version, so I am a bit sketchy on the detail, but I know that they got away safely in the end.
I decided that I was going to have some 'me' time too, so after providing Laura with a chauffeur service to and from the hairdressers I settled down to some family history research, but it was one of those frustrating days when I just kept hitting brick walls. Laura had gone to town to buy yet more shoes (something else for me to trip over in the hall) and Sam had scurried off to his room allegedly he was going to rediscover the carpet and have a general tidy up, but judging by his lack of progress I suspect he was watching a DVD. At least I had a couple of hours of peace, I gave up on the family history because it was making me frustrated, but I managed a few more chapters of A Presumption of Death by Jill Paton Walsh and Dorothy L Sayers, I have read it at least twice before but it is just as good the third time.
Robbie will not be home until after midnight and I don't suppose his arrival will be any quieter than his departure, but if the wakes me up to tell me about his day I may not be responsible for my actions. Tomorrow I intend to listen to the Archers omnibus before I even think about the routine of the day, and Robbie can make me lots of cups of tea to make up for abandoning me today!
Finicky Felines (and Others) 07.03.08
A few days ago a friend delivered some car magazines that he had been saving for Laura. He had put them in a box, the sort that fruit is packed in; the magazines were soon spirited away leaving the empty box which was quickly taken over by the cats. Robbie put the cat blanket over the box and the cats became a permanent fixture in the hall. One day Dave the cat even moved it closer to the radiator! It was getting on my nerves so I bought them a cat igloo made of a nice cosy brown fabric I hoped that they would like it and then I could put the box out for recycling. The cats had other ideas, they have refused to use their new bed, and every time I try to take the box away they look at me with such sad eyes that I can't do it
Sam needed new school shoes - again, so last week we headed to the shoe shop to look for a new pair. It is not one of my favourite jobs at the best of times, but Sam was finding it especially difficult to stay 'on task'. He tried on several pairs, but the ones he liked didn't fit and the ones that fitted didn't suit him, finally we settled on a pair that he liked and I could tolerate and they seemed to fit very well. Suddenly Sam's eyes settled on a pair of Sketchers that he absolutely had to have. I am not sure why my children have a weakness for Sketchers, I can't see the attraction - maybe it is an age thing! Like Robbie, Sam and the girls have a passion for footwear. Anyway Sam was focussed on a pair of trainers that were hardy more substantial than plimsolls, but they possessed a price tag that made my eyes water. I explained the difference between 'want' and 'need' and as he already has two or three pairs of trainers he doesn't need any more. I don''t like having to say no and Sam doesn't like having to hear it, but it is a learning process and a necessary part of life. We bought the school shoes and Sam was not a happy chap on the way home, but when he recovered his temper he seemed please with the school shoes. He wore them for a couple of days, but now he is back to the old shoes 'because they feel better'. Why is life so complicated?
Sam needed new school shoes - again, so last week we headed to the shoe shop to look for a new pair. It is not one of my favourite jobs at the best of times, but Sam was finding it especially difficult to stay 'on task'. He tried on several pairs, but the ones he liked didn't fit and the ones that fitted didn't suit him, finally we settled on a pair that he liked and I could tolerate and they seemed to fit very well. Suddenly Sam's eyes settled on a pair of Sketchers that he absolutely had to have. I am not sure why my children have a weakness for Sketchers, I can't see the attraction - maybe it is an age thing! Like Robbie, Sam and the girls have a passion for footwear. Anyway Sam was focussed on a pair of trainers that were hardy more substantial than plimsolls, but they possessed a price tag that made my eyes water. I explained the difference between 'want' and 'need' and as he already has two or three pairs of trainers he doesn't need any more. I don''t like having to say no and Sam doesn't like having to hear it, but it is a learning process and a necessary part of life. We bought the school shoes and Sam was not a happy chap on the way home, but when he recovered his temper he seemed please with the school shoes. He wore them for a couple of days, but now he is back to the old shoes 'because they feel better'. Why is life so complicated?
Legs Behaving Badly! 06.03.08
I took Robbie to the hospital for his tests this morning. I was asked to go in with him which turned out to be a very good thing. He had to take off his shoes and socks and pull up his trouser legs, then he had to lie back on an adjustable chair like the ones dentists use. The tests only took about fifteen minutes and I don't think Robbie found it too painful, but it did make his legs jump about a bit. The conclusion was that the nerves in his legs are not too far from normal, well normal by Robbie standards anyway. He likes being unique and his legs are no exception, one is longer than the other and one foot is four shoe sizes bigger than the other, so I think 'unique' just about sums it up. They have concluded that the problem is probably the result of nerve damage in his lower back due to his spins bifida, and this is preventing the nerve messages reaching his legs. They wanted to do an MRI scan to get a better idea of what is going on, but Robbie said he couldn't cope because he is claustrophobic (allegedly). I intervened at this point and Robbie finally agreed that they could arrange an MRI scan, after all if women can cope with giving birth and the many other indignities we encounter, I am sure he can cope with one MRI scan. He will just have to close his eyes and imagine that he is on the bottom bunk of the sleeper train!
Robbie was upset afterwards because it is very unlikely that there will be anything they can do to stop him falling over or to ease the pain, and it makes him frustrated. I think it is always better to know, and it has ruled out a separate cause for the falls so we are a bit further forward. Now we have to wait for the MRI scan appointment and in the meantime Robbie will continue to act like superman to prove that he is OK, but don't worry I have warned him that wearing his pant outside his trousers would be taking it too far - it would be more Homer than Superman!
Robbie was upset afterwards because it is very unlikely that there will be anything they can do to stop him falling over or to ease the pain, and it makes him frustrated. I think it is always better to know, and it has ruled out a separate cause for the falls so we are a bit further forward. Now we have to wait for the MRI scan appointment and in the meantime Robbie will continue to act like superman to prove that he is OK, but don't worry I have warned him that wearing his pant outside his trousers would be taking it too far - it would be more Homer than Superman!
Signs of Spring 05.03.08
Robbie's injured hand and foot must be better because they didn't get a mention yesterday. Network Rail was back at the top of his list of subjects to complain about and his leg was causing him a lot of pain so that got a mention once or twice too. He has an appointment at the hospital on Thursday to test how the nerves in his legs are working (or something like that). I don't suppose we will know anything more on Thursday, I expect he will have to wait weeks to see the consultant again. By the time they finally get around to deciding what is making his legs misbehave they will probably put it down to old age!
We had snow yesterday, there wasn't much and it didn't last for long but it was very cold. When I took Meg for her morning walk she seemed not to notice the cold, she wanted to stop and sniff almost every blade of grass and she gave me the most reproachful look when I insisted on hurrying along because I was freezing. It was just as cold this morning but Meg had her strategy sorted out and there was no way that she was going to be hurried. Each time I tried to pull her lead she pulled back and when I insisted she sat down and looked at me with a defiant glint in her eye. Despite the cold there are signs that spring isn't too far away, the evenings are getting a little lighter and flowers are appearing in the garden, we already have some daffodils out, they are in a sheltered position near the hedge so I guess that makes them a little earlier. Speaking of the hedge, it will not be long before it needs cutting, so we will have to get the hedge cutter repaired (he cut the cable off last year) but after Robbie's recent mishaps I am not too confident about letting him loose with the hedge cutter!
We had snow yesterday, there wasn't much and it didn't last for long but it was very cold. When I took Meg for her morning walk she seemed not to notice the cold, she wanted to stop and sniff almost every blade of grass and she gave me the most reproachful look when I insisted on hurrying along because I was freezing. It was just as cold this morning but Meg had her strategy sorted out and there was no way that she was going to be hurried. Each time I tried to pull her lead she pulled back and when I insisted she sat down and looked at me with a defiant glint in her eye. Despite the cold there are signs that spring isn't too far away, the evenings are getting a little lighter and flowers are appearing in the garden, we already have some daffodils out, they are in a sheltered position near the hedge so I guess that makes them a little earlier. Speaking of the hedge, it will not be long before it needs cutting, so we will have to get the hedge cutter repaired (he cut the cable off last year) but after Robbie's recent mishaps I am not too confident about letting him loose with the hedge cutter!
Putting His Foot in It. 04.03.08
Robbie has been in the wars over the last couple of days. On Sunday he plunged his hand into the washing up bowl and cut a chunk out of his knuckle. He raged around moaning about the stupidity of putting a knife in the washing up bowl, he had a point, but most people look before they leap! It was a nasty gash and it was in an awkward place but it hardly warranted all the drama and comment.
By Monday evening Robbie's 'war wound' had been more or less overshadowed by the events of the day and Robbie had ventured back into the kitchen. Suddenly there was the unmistakable crashing sound of breaking glass followed within a split second by a volley of expletives. I knew instinctively that it was either one of my glass saucepan lids or a casserole dish, it is never just a glass that can be replaced easily and with little expense. He told me later that it was a saucepan lid that some 'idiot' had booby trapped so that it jumped out of the cupboard at him!
Robbie hopped into the lounge and waved his foot at me, there was hardly anything to see but he was sure he had glass in his foot. On close investigation (with a needle) I could see the glass but it wouldn't come out. I had visions of a night at casualty with Robbie and his foot, that prospect spurred me on to 'do the deed' at home. Eventually I got a flat sliver of glass out of his foot, it had gone in deep and had turned so that it was hard to get out. He seems fine now, there is only a tiny little wound but it was deep do he will have to make sure it doesn't get infected. Somehow I doubt that this incident will stop him from trotting around the house in PJ's and bare feet but you never know!
By Monday evening Robbie's 'war wound' had been more or less overshadowed by the events of the day and Robbie had ventured back into the kitchen. Suddenly there was the unmistakable crashing sound of breaking glass followed within a split second by a volley of expletives. I knew instinctively that it was either one of my glass saucepan lids or a casserole dish, it is never just a glass that can be replaced easily and with little expense. He told me later that it was a saucepan lid that some 'idiot' had booby trapped so that it jumped out of the cupboard at him!
Robbie hopped into the lounge and waved his foot at me, there was hardly anything to see but he was sure he had glass in his foot. On close investigation (with a needle) I could see the glass but it wouldn't come out. I had visions of a night at casualty with Robbie and his foot, that prospect spurred me on to 'do the deed' at home. Eventually I got a flat sliver of glass out of his foot, it had gone in deep and had turned so that it was hard to get out. He seems fine now, there is only a tiny little wound but it was deep do he will have to make sure it doesn't get infected. Somehow I doubt that this incident will stop him from trotting around the house in PJ's and bare feet but you never know!
The Waiting Game 03.03.08
I went to hospital today. My GP had referred me 'just to be sure' or so she said. That was weeks ago, in fact the symptoms first started to bother me in early December. I'm not good at waiting, and finding myself in limbo land waiting and wondering wasn't helping at all. My appointment came through for late April and it seemed like such a long time to wait, but on Friday they rang to offer me a cancellation. So this morning found me worrying quite unnecessarily about what I should wear for my appointment. I am constantly amazed by my ability to obsess about trivia. It really didn't matter what I wore because I was obliged to swap my own clothes for a distinctly unflattering cape type gown. The embarrassment of meeting the consultant only bruised my dignity, next on the agenda was a mammogram and the bruises from that were much more tangible. I'm sure they could have found an easier way to deal with such things by now. If men had to have their most sensitive parts clamped in a vice like grip between two plates while standing in a contorted position in order to achieve a diagnosis, I think they would soon apply their minds to a better way of doing things. I wonder why we just put up with the pain, maybe for the same reason that we meekly queue up to use public toilets - we just get used to it.
When they had exhausted all possibilities in terms of indignity I was sent off to wait in the waiting room while the consultant reviewed the images. I read the ancient copy of Woman's Own from beginning to end and I was just about to embark on a detailed examination of the notice board when I was called back into the consulting room. I didn't like the sound of this and for a fleeting moment I considered making a run for it. The consultant wasn't happy with the pictures and had asked for them to be done again - such joy! They had come up with some variations on the original torture treatment, this time I had to stand on one leg with one breast cramped so tightly that it made my eyes water while the other breast was flung over my shoulder - well, it felt like that anyway! Back in the waiting room I aged visibly as waited for the consultant to review the new pictures, it really was starting to bother me. Eventually I was informed that they were happy and there was nothing to worry about and with a grateful sigh I headed home.
When they had exhausted all possibilities in terms of indignity I was sent off to wait in the waiting room while the consultant reviewed the images. I read the ancient copy of Woman's Own from beginning to end and I was just about to embark on a detailed examination of the notice board when I was called back into the consulting room. I didn't like the sound of this and for a fleeting moment I considered making a run for it. The consultant wasn't happy with the pictures and had asked for them to be done again - such joy! They had come up with some variations on the original torture treatment, this time I had to stand on one leg with one breast cramped so tightly that it made my eyes water while the other breast was flung over my shoulder - well, it felt like that anyway! Back in the waiting room I aged visibly as waited for the consultant to review the new pictures, it really was starting to bother me. Eventually I was informed that they were happy and there was nothing to worry about and with a grateful sigh I headed home.
Getting Old 03.03.08
Robbie and the children do a pretty good job of making me feel old, but just in case I hadn't got the message Radio 4 managed press the point with a program about one of my childhood favourites, Paddington Bear, who is celebrating his 50th Birthday this year! I first encountered Paddington Bear at School. As a young child I loved to be read to, and in those far of days when the government were too busy dealing with other matters to meddle with education, my school nurtured a love of books that has remained with me ever since.
When I first started school at the age of four I wasn't to keen on learning to read. We had little red check gingham bags which hung on the backs of our chairs to hold our reading books. The reading books were deeply uninspiring, they were about Dick and Dora, their friends May and Jesse and their dog Gyp. I suspect those books came out of the ark and as a child growing up in the 1960's I didn't know anyone called Dick or Dora and certainly not May or Jesse, I didn't identify with them and I couldn't care less about what the words meant because it was so boring. We had better reading books later on, I think those were called Wide Range Readers, finally there was something worth reading and suddenly I could read.
School lunch was a very formal affair with all sorts of rules to be observed, but afterwards we had a period known as ‘rest’. It was one of my favourite parts of the school day; we all went to the school hall and rested on rugs while stories were read to us. I was introduced to The Borrowers, Milly Molly Mandy, Dr Doolittle, Sam Pig, 101 Dalmatians, The Country Child, The Moomins, My Naughty Little Sister and my dear old friend Paddington Bear. I loved them all and I can remember them very clearly so many years later, but the strange thing is that I never grew out of Paddington. I can picture myself in my college room working at my desk listening to my favourite Paddington story on my casette player and laughing out loud at his antics. I have gone on to share his exploits with my own children and I have a feeling he will still be going strong for many years to come.
When I first started school at the age of four I wasn't to keen on learning to read. We had little red check gingham bags which hung on the backs of our chairs to hold our reading books. The reading books were deeply uninspiring, they were about Dick and Dora, their friends May and Jesse and their dog Gyp. I suspect those books came out of the ark and as a child growing up in the 1960's I didn't know anyone called Dick or Dora and certainly not May or Jesse, I didn't identify with them and I couldn't care less about what the words meant because it was so boring. We had better reading books later on, I think those were called Wide Range Readers, finally there was something worth reading and suddenly I could read.
School lunch was a very formal affair with all sorts of rules to be observed, but afterwards we had a period known as ‘rest’. It was one of my favourite parts of the school day; we all went to the school hall and rested on rugs while stories were read to us. I was introduced to The Borrowers, Milly Molly Mandy, Dr Doolittle, Sam Pig, 101 Dalmatians, The Country Child, The Moomins, My Naughty Little Sister and my dear old friend Paddington Bear. I loved them all and I can remember them very clearly so many years later, but the strange thing is that I never grew out of Paddington. I can picture myself in my college room working at my desk listening to my favourite Paddington story on my casette player and laughing out loud at his antics. I have gone on to share his exploits with my own children and I have a feeling he will still be going strong for many years to come.
A Scary Thought. 02.03.08
At last a weekend without Robbie dashing of to 'play trains'. It was nice to have a bit of time to ourselves without having to dash around. After so many very early mornings and late nights it was nice to have a lazy start to Saturday morning, but Robbie's dad had other ideas, he phoned soon after 9am and was scandalised because Robbie was still in bed! We were awake and listening to Radio 4 (with a cup of tea of course!) and I was determined to read my family history magazine before tackling the next round of the laundry marathon and all the other jobs that seem to compete for my attention. Sometimes it is nice just to have time to talk without having to watch the clock.
Robbie did his usual 'wrong time wrong place' thing when he announced that there was an interesting article in one of his railway modelling magazines about buildings for a railway layout based on shops in Northampton - I could hardly contain my excitement (yawn). It wasn't quite such a turn of as when Barry Doe popped up in conversation, I like reading his column in Rail magazine but I certainly don't want to think of him when I am in bed! I am probably doing the poor chap an injustice but something about his head and shoulder photo in Rail always makes me imagine him wearing bicycle clips. Usually the mention of his name causes Robbie to swear so it was a shock to find Robbie conjuring him up at the most inappropriate time.
Yesterday I took some time to work on my family tree and after months of frustration (and with a bit of help from a friend) I have managed to trace back another two generations. I may have mentioned before that I have been researching someone called Jones who married someone called Johns, his father it turns out married someone called Jones so it has been like looking for a needle in a haystack when tracing this particular line, but I have now got back to 1790's so I am quite pleased.
Robbie promised to build the bookcase that we bought several weeks ago to house his massive collection of railway books. I am certain he said it would be done by Saturday evening, but his words proved about as reliable as Network Rail promises, it is now Sunday evening and the bookcase is still in it's box awaiting the attention of Bob the Builder!
We had tea at my mums today because it is Mother's Day. Mum seemed very pleased with her presents, plants for the garden from my brother and DVD's from us. I had nice presents from the children too, but the nicest thing is to be together and to enjoy a few hours of family time.
Robbie did his usual 'wrong time wrong place' thing when he announced that there was an interesting article in one of his railway modelling magazines about buildings for a railway layout based on shops in Northampton - I could hardly contain my excitement (yawn). It wasn't quite such a turn of as when Barry Doe popped up in conversation, I like reading his column in Rail magazine but I certainly don't want to think of him when I am in bed! I am probably doing the poor chap an injustice but something about his head and shoulder photo in Rail always makes me imagine him wearing bicycle clips. Usually the mention of his name causes Robbie to swear so it was a shock to find Robbie conjuring him up at the most inappropriate time.
Yesterday I took some time to work on my family tree and after months of frustration (and with a bit of help from a friend) I have managed to trace back another two generations. I may have mentioned before that I have been researching someone called Jones who married someone called Johns, his father it turns out married someone called Jones so it has been like looking for a needle in a haystack when tracing this particular line, but I have now got back to 1790's so I am quite pleased.
Robbie promised to build the bookcase that we bought several weeks ago to house his massive collection of railway books. I am certain he said it would be done by Saturday evening, but his words proved about as reliable as Network Rail promises, it is now Sunday evening and the bookcase is still in it's box awaiting the attention of Bob the Builder!
We had tea at my mums today because it is Mother's Day. Mum seemed very pleased with her presents, plants for the garden from my brother and DVD's from us. I had nice presents from the children too, but the nicest thing is to be together and to enjoy a few hours of family time.
A sad day..... (written by Robbie) 29.02.08
As many of you know my uncle Brian has not been very well for a number of weeks now, and sadly this morning at approximately 07.00 he passed away. He was always a quiet person in some respects, but would always be a wealth of knowledge if you ever asked him something. It's unfortunate that since my Nan died a number of years ago the family doesn't really meet unless something major happens, but that's life I suppose but somethings I will never forget.....
Naked Women 29.02.08
Robbie is always keen to stress that he is not a train spotter - he just happens to carry around a special notebook to note down train numbers! In order to prove how 'normal' he is he takes every opportunity to tell me about people with stranger obsessions than his own. In the past he has told me about a roundabout spotter, an escalator spotter and last night he told me in detail about a man who is a franking machine spotter. This does not make Robbie seem more normal, it just proves that he has some very odd acquaintances!
The Invisible Man Speaks 28.02.08
Well, I finally understand why Network Rail keep their chief executive hidden away from the public. Iain Coucher popped up on Radio 4 this morning to comment on the massive fine imposed on Network Rail by the Rail Regulator. The kindest thing I could say about Iain Coucher is that he lacks presence. There he was with that insipid little voice stuttering and clearing his throat, still trying to shift the blame and justify the unjustifiable. He showed no sign of caring about the disruption to passengers caused by the fiasco at Rugby at New Year, not to mention the additional disruption because they are falling behind with the work. He seemed equally careless about wasting taxpayers money. Perhaps someone should explain to him that in this day and age we are lied to by experts on a daily basis and his attempts at spin were at best feeble. Wouldn't it have been refreshing if he had said, we got it wrong, we let everyone down, we are sorry and we are doing x y and z to put it right, that really would have been worth the headlines.
Listening to the reporting about the £14 million fine imposed on Network Rail it seemed as if I was in a crazy Alice in Wonderland world. I guess the Rail Regulator has his hands tied by the government, but I have met earthworms with more backbone! I don't suppose Network Rail care a jot about the fine, either the government will give them more taxpayer's money so that they can spend what they originally planned or the travelling public will suffer because the Rail Regulator has £14 million of the money that Network Rail should have spent on maintenance and major projects. I think it is called smoke and mirrors!
Personally I would like to see Iain Coucher and his minions spend a day in the stocks outside Euston Station so that they would be forced to listen to the views of commuters, it wouldn't cost much and it would please a lot of people. Assuming that we have to work with modern day punishments I think the only way to get Network Rail to sit up and take notice is to hit senior managers in the pocket. The whole senior management team should lose their bonus and a proportion of salary, it should be possible after all a lowly checkout operator on minimum wage has to make up discrepancies from their salary if the till is short.
Do you remember the fairytale about the emperors new clothes? See what you make of my modern day interpretation.
A Government who cares too much about PR and too little about railways hires swindlers (you know who!) and they promise to build the finest Railway for the cheapest price. This work, they tell Government, is invisible to anyone who was is either stupid or not fit for his position. The Government is nervous about being able to see the work so it creates Network Rail to deal with the swindlers. They see nothing yet praise the work. When the swindlers report that the work will soon be finished, the Government allows itself to take all the glory on a PR campaign. During the course of the campaign, a Train Operating Company shouts out, "But no work has been done!" The public realises the Train Operator is telling the truth and mocks the government. The Government, however, holds it's head high and continues the PR campaign placing all the blame on Network Rail who in turn blame the swindlers. The Government punishes Network Rail by taking away the tax payers money that should have been used to improve the Railway. Network Rail punishes the swindlers by giving them even more contracts!!! The question is, who is the loser?
Listening to the reporting about the £14 million fine imposed on Network Rail it seemed as if I was in a crazy Alice in Wonderland world. I guess the Rail Regulator has his hands tied by the government, but I have met earthworms with more backbone! I don't suppose Network Rail care a jot about the fine, either the government will give them more taxpayer's money so that they can spend what they originally planned or the travelling public will suffer because the Rail Regulator has £14 million of the money that Network Rail should have spent on maintenance and major projects. I think it is called smoke and mirrors!
Personally I would like to see Iain Coucher and his minions spend a day in the stocks outside Euston Station so that they would be forced to listen to the views of commuters, it wouldn't cost much and it would please a lot of people. Assuming that we have to work with modern day punishments I think the only way to get Network Rail to sit up and take notice is to hit senior managers in the pocket. The whole senior management team should lose their bonus and a proportion of salary, it should be possible after all a lowly checkout operator on minimum wage has to make up discrepancies from their salary if the till is short.
Do you remember the fairytale about the emperors new clothes? See what you make of my modern day interpretation.
A Government who cares too much about PR and too little about railways hires swindlers (you know who!) and they promise to build the finest Railway for the cheapest price. This work, they tell Government, is invisible to anyone who was is either stupid or not fit for his position. The Government is nervous about being able to see the work so it creates Network Rail to deal with the swindlers. They see nothing yet praise the work. When the swindlers report that the work will soon be finished, the Government allows itself to take all the glory on a PR campaign. During the course of the campaign, a Train Operating Company shouts out, "But no work has been done!" The public realises the Train Operator is telling the truth and mocks the government. The Government, however, holds it's head high and continues the PR campaign placing all the blame on Network Rail who in turn blame the swindlers. The Government punishes Network Rail by taking away the tax payers money that should have been used to improve the Railway. Network Rail punishes the swindlers by giving them even more contracts!!! The question is, who is the loser?
The Earth Moved Last Night! 27.02.08
Robbie has been very tired recently. In the evenings he likes to sit on a hard chair because it is better for his back, he usually sits in 'his spot' in the corner, with his laptop on the table in front of him. I have been keen to keep him at arms length since his trip to Edinburgh at the weekend, his breath absolutely stank when he came back. I am not sure what he had eaten but the dreaded word haggis was mentioned, after that I didn't want any more details, but it wouldn't have surprised me if he had eaten a whole bulb of garlic, he could have stripped paint with that breath. By yesterday morning I could just about tolerate him next to me but when he got home last night he stank again, he had 'accidentally' bought a subway roll with an evil smelling filling, so I was delighted that he chose to sit in the corner a safe distance away from me.
He is like the dormouse from Alice in Wonderland who slept through the Mad Hatter's tea party, rousing occasionally to share a random piece of information before dozing again. Robbie's random fact for the evening was that he forgot to have a dessert on Saturday because he was too full. Imagine that - Robbie wasn't hungry!! During the evening as Robbie dozed he gradually tipped forward until his nose rested on his laptop. I woke him several times but he wasn't a happy chap so in the end I gave up and left him to it.
I woke with a start to the sound of a huge lorry speeding down the street, the room shook and I went to the window to see if the lorry had hit a building. The street was calm and I couldn't quite make sense of it, I snuggled back into bed still unaware that what I had heard was an earthquake. There was a second thunderous noise a few minutes later, it wasn't an after shock, it was Robbie coming up the stairs to bed. It seems that the earthquake had succeeded in waking him up!
He is like the dormouse from Alice in Wonderland who slept through the Mad Hatter's tea party, rousing occasionally to share a random piece of information before dozing again. Robbie's random fact for the evening was that he forgot to have a dessert on Saturday because he was too full. Imagine that - Robbie wasn't hungry!! During the evening as Robbie dozed he gradually tipped forward until his nose rested on his laptop. I woke him several times but he wasn't a happy chap so in the end I gave up and left him to it.
I woke with a start to the sound of a huge lorry speeding down the street, the room shook and I went to the window to see if the lorry had hit a building. The street was calm and I couldn't quite make sense of it, I snuggled back into bed still unaware that what I had heard was an earthquake. There was a second thunderous noise a few minutes later, it wasn't an after shock, it was Robbie coming up the stairs to bed. It seems that the earthquake had succeeded in waking him up!
Getting Naked 25.02.08
Robbie caused consternation at work this morning when one of his colleagues found discarded clothing on and around his desk. They had conjured up images of an intruder who got into the office at the weekend just to get naked and zoom around on the swivel chairs but the truth was a little more down to earth. Robbie had changed at work on Friday before heading off to Liverpool to see his beloved Royal Scots Grey. He assures me that he changed in private and he didn't do a Homer and stalk through the open plan office in his knickers, he just carelessly abandoned his clothing on someone's desk. That must have been an incredible start to his week for his colleague, turning up to work on a Monday morning to be confronted by Robbie's washing!
On the subject of washing, I have won my battle with the European Washing Mountain and all Sam's belongings have been washed, ironed and put away. The washing machine nearly had a nervous breakdown, but it is finally done - until the next time. Our own little 'Mr Trebus' has wasted no time in cluttering up his bedroom again since he got back from Austria - I found two pots of honey up there today. I heard on the radio that due to longer lasting paint they will finally be able to take a break from painting the Forth Bridge. Unfortunately bringing order to Sam's bedroom looks as if it will be a never ending task for many years to come.
Robbie was late home tonight, and when he finally turned up he couldn't stop talking about the N word - Network Rail! Do you think they have ever been named as the other party in divorce proceedings before - or will ours be the first?!
On the subject of washing, I have won my battle with the European Washing Mountain and all Sam's belongings have been washed, ironed and put away. The washing machine nearly had a nervous breakdown, but it is finally done - until the next time. Our own little 'Mr Trebus' has wasted no time in cluttering up his bedroom again since he got back from Austria - I found two pots of honey up there today. I heard on the radio that due to longer lasting paint they will finally be able to take a break from painting the Forth Bridge. Unfortunately bringing order to Sam's bedroom looks as if it will be a never ending task for many years to come.
Robbie was late home tonight, and when he finally turned up he couldn't stop talking about the N word - Network Rail! Do you think they have ever been named as the other party in divorce proceedings before - or will ours be the first?!
To Ski or Not to Ski? 24.02.08
Sam arrived home on Saturday afternoon, I was really looking forward to having him home again. He had only been gone for a week but when he got off the coach he seemed taller and more grown up than I remembered. His face was tanned and he looked happy to see us, his first question was fairly predictable - "What's for tea?" The luggage was unloaded from the coach and we headed home with Sam's huge case bursting with enough washing to keep me busy for a week! In fact the only thing that remained neatly folded was the black bag that I had given Sam to put his dirty washing in. Typical boy!
I had taken advantage of Sam's absence to sort out his bedroom, to reorganise his clothes storage and to remove all the clothes that he has grown out of. So many things were crumpled or out of place that by the end of the week it felt as if I had laundered every single garment that he owns. It is so frustrating to see how many things no longer fit him, it seems as if I only bought some of them a few months ago, but at 13 he is doing a lot of growing.
He said he had a good time in Austria, and I think he was quite pleased that he was better at skiing than he expected. Interestingly he said he wouldn't want to do it again, but that doesn't matter, it is nice that he has had a chance to experience skiing. He said the food was really bad, but he is not very adventurous when it comes to food. It is great to have him home again.
I had taken advantage of Sam's absence to sort out his bedroom, to reorganise his clothes storage and to remove all the clothes that he has grown out of. So many things were crumpled or out of place that by the end of the week it felt as if I had laundered every single garment that he owns. It is so frustrating to see how many things no longer fit him, it seems as if I only bought some of them a few months ago, but at 13 he is doing a lot of growing.
He said he had a good time in Austria, and I think he was quite pleased that he was better at skiing than he expected. Interestingly he said he wouldn't want to do it again, but that doesn't matter, it is nice that he has had a chance to experience skiing. He said the food was really bad, but he is not very adventurous when it comes to food. It is great to have him home again.
Royal Scotts Grey 24.02.08
Robbie went to see his Uncle on Friday. It was one of those uncomfortable situations where he needed to visit, but once there he felt lost for words. There isn't very much that you can say to someone who has only just been told that their time is very short, perhaps just being there was enough. I spoke to him afterwards and I think he was quite shaken by seeing his uncle looking so poorly.
On Friday evening he travelled north and stayed overnight somewhere near Liverpool ready to make an early start for the charter trip in the morning. I was woken at 7.13am by a text from Robbie to tell me that Royal Scots Grey was purring nicely - do I care? After plotting my revenge, I curled up under the covers determined to have another half hour in bed before facing the demands of the day. After that he got so caught up in the day's activities that he forgot all about me, but I was busy with my own activities.
On Sunday Robbie began his very slow journey home. Network Rail must have known that Robbie was heading back from the North and they did their best to keep him off the rails, he encountered delays and replacement busses and took almost as long to get back from Liverpool as Sam took to get back from Austria! Hopefully he will have taken some nice photos, I have been so busy with washing that I haven't had a chance to look at the camera yet.
On Friday evening he travelled north and stayed overnight somewhere near Liverpool ready to make an early start for the charter trip in the morning. I was woken at 7.13am by a text from Robbie to tell me that Royal Scots Grey was purring nicely - do I care? After plotting my revenge, I curled up under the covers determined to have another half hour in bed before facing the demands of the day. After that he got so caught up in the day's activities that he forgot all about me, but I was busy with my own activities.
On Sunday Robbie began his very slow journey home. Network Rail must have known that Robbie was heading back from the North and they did their best to keep him off the rails, he encountered delays and replacement busses and took almost as long to get back from Liverpool as Sam took to get back from Austria! Hopefully he will have taken some nice photos, I have been so busy with washing that I haven't had a chance to look at the camera yet.
A Busy Weekend 22.02.08
Well, Robbie has gone for the weekend. After work today he is heading off to see his other woman - Royal Scots Grey (an engine!). I don't mind, it makes him happy and at least he doesn't expect me to go with him. He was really looking forward to this weekend, but sadly some family news has overshadowed everything. His Uncle is dying and is not expected to live more than a couple of days, so Robbie is going to see him this afternoon.
Getting Old? 20.02.08
Robbie said that his work colleagues have accused him of getting old - don't they have mirrors in Birmingham? On second thoughts, judging by some of the sights I have seen at New Street, they probably don't have mirrors. Apparently it is Robbie's choice of podcasts that led them to suggest that he was old and boring. I can't see anything wrong with Farming Today, the Archers and Woman's Hour, in fact we have Radio 4 in every room at home (even the bathroom). Anyway he can't be old, because that would make me even older and I'm not ready to deal with that yet.
Robbie says that people at work start doing strange things when they get old, like having pictures of their partners on their desks, wearing those horrible brown suede shoes and horror of horrors they listen to Radio 2! Robbie may be a bit 'unique' but I haven't noticed any dodgy footwear, he is certainly not a Radio 2 person and I hate having my picture taken so there is no danger of us becoming the next Howard and Hilda just yet!
Judging by Robbie's mates I think the railways attract more than their fair share of 'characters' and young or old they are a little odd. This evening Robbie was chatting online to a friend who happily announced that he had been playing with battleships in his bath! All I can say is ...beware of men in white coats!
Robbie says that people at work start doing strange things when they get old, like having pictures of their partners on their desks, wearing those horrible brown suede shoes and horror of horrors they listen to Radio 2! Robbie may be a bit 'unique' but I haven't noticed any dodgy footwear, he is certainly not a Radio 2 person and I hate having my picture taken so there is no danger of us becoming the next Howard and Hilda just yet!
Judging by Robbie's mates I think the railways attract more than their fair share of 'characters' and young or old they are a little odd. This evening Robbie was chatting online to a friend who happily announced that he had been playing with battleships in his bath! All I can say is ...beware of men in white coats!
Too Hot? 16.02.08
Dave the cat went back to the vet on Monday morning. His ulcerated paw is much better and I was delighted to hear that the vet doesn't need to see him again unless it starts to get worse. I seem to have spent far too much time at the Vet's on the last few months. The relief was short lived, Meg the dog started vomiting soon after I got home, I wasn't too concerned at first, but she has was still poorly today, so it looks as if I will be seeing the vet much sooner than expected!
I am missing Sam so much. I had a very brief text from him today to say that it is too hot and he hasn't broken any bones yet! I'm not sure why he thinks it is too hot, but I suspect he just hates having to wear his ski jacket - he never wears coats and he never seems to fee the cold. On the subject of coats, Robbie told me a couple of days ago that someone at work had a red duffle coat, I hope it hasn't given him any ideas. Could you imagine Robbie in a red duffle coat? It would be Homer meets Paddington Bear!!
I am missing Sam so much. I had a very brief text from him today to say that it is too hot and he hasn't broken any bones yet! I'm not sure why he thinks it is too hot, but I suspect he just hates having to wear his ski jacket - he never wears coats and he never seems to fee the cold. On the subject of coats, Robbie told me a couple of days ago that someone at work had a red duffle coat, I hope it hasn't given him any ideas. Could you imagine Robbie in a red duffle coat? It would be Homer meets Paddington Bear!!
The 'Robbie Effect' 16.02.08
The 'Robbie effect' on the railways is becoming rather worrying and people have started to notice. Every time he travels north he seems to jinx the network and either he gets delayed or the whole system grinds to a halt. He has run through most of the possible causes of delay from livestock on the line to high wind, floods, land slip, a bridge bash, power failure and assorted accidents. He went to Crewe yesterday evening to a retirement 'do' and he rang me several times detailing his return journey. He wanted a lift and we have major road works near the station so I needed to allow for a longer journey time to get to the station. I had already left the house when he sent a text to say that he was delayed due to a fatality at Nuneaton, I didn't pick up the text until I got to the station so I wasn't best pleased. I went home and had the added pleasure of driving back to the station later on to fetch him. That poor person, it is a horrible way to meet their end and terribly upsetting for the driver and those who have to clear up.
So once again Robbie has travelled north and once again there was a delay. Is he jinxed? Why does it always happen when he travels? He would hate it, but to avoid the 'Robbie factor' it may be worth Network Rail imposing a travel ban and paying for him to go everywhere by taxi. They should understand the concept, after all, they are the cause of so many other passengers being forced off the rails and ferried around by bus and taxi.
So once again Robbie has travelled north and once again there was a delay. Is he jinxed? Why does it always happen when he travels? He would hate it, but to avoid the 'Robbie factor' it may be worth Network Rail imposing a travel ban and paying for him to go everywhere by taxi. They should understand the concept, after all, they are the cause of so many other passengers being forced off the rails and ferried around by bus and taxi.
The Painstaking Process of Packing. 16.02.08
This was written on Thursday morning.
The packing for Austria continues, I think Sam is more or less ready now - and I am totally exhausted! Last night I labelled all his clothes and got everything folded ready to be put into his case, I still have a couple of pairs of jeans to turn up and a few things to iron, but that shouldn't take too long. Last night I took Sam out to buy the ingredients for his packed tea, etc. He is surprisingly rigid in his ideas about packed food, if it should be hot he will not eat it cold, so that rules out sausage, sausage rolls and all sorts of other things. He likes BLT sandwiches, but not unless they are very cold, the same goes for yoghurt, and similar things so we can't pack anything like that. In the end he bought a couple of cereal bars, some wholemeal snacks, some fruit and a jelly. According to Sam the only thing that will stay at it's optimum temperature on the coach is honey, but he can't bear to eat it in sandwiches, so today I have to pop out and get him a mini pot of honey and some Rivita and he will have to take a knife and do it himself! I don't suppose he will starve, so I'm not going to worry about it.
His school is making the arrangements excessively complicated. I have to deliver Sam in full school uniform with his luggage and his regular school bag. He has to do a full day at school but he can change into his own clothes at lunchtime, I then have to wait outside school at 3.35 collect his school bag and school clothes. It is potty, it is all about putting ticks in boxes so that the school can meet the government's mindless targets, there is no consideration for parents or pupils.
Saturday morning.
Well, my hopes of being almost ready for the trip proved very wide of the mark. Sam was allowed to take a rucksack and a small pillow as hand luggage and the rucksack needed to contain his packed food. He had packed his own bag and it was already bursting at the seems before I had even attempted to pack his food. I had to investigate but when I attempted to move the bag I could hardly lift it. I removed assorted unnecessary 'essentials' but I was speechless when I found that Sam had packed his safe complete with combination lock! I have worked with enough probation clients over the years to have picked up a few 'skills' and managed to open the safe to reveal to pens, a lip moisturiser stick and a selection of sweets. Much to Sam's disgust the safe was 'grounded' but he took most of the contents. He and I conducted a bit of a war of attrition regarding the packing, I packed, he re-packed, I put it back as I left it and he modified it again. This continued several more times, the main argument centred around a a 4 gang extension lead, three jars of honey and a years supply of Lynx toiletries that Sam was determined to take! He is so like Robbie sometimes! We also had a bit of a performance regarding his passport and health card, but finally he and his luggage was safely delivered to school. I returned at the end of the school day to collect Sam's school clothes and bag and as I left the boys were boarding the bus ready for their very long journey to Austria.
The packing for Austria continues, I think Sam is more or less ready now - and I am totally exhausted! Last night I labelled all his clothes and got everything folded ready to be put into his case, I still have a couple of pairs of jeans to turn up and a few things to iron, but that shouldn't take too long. Last night I took Sam out to buy the ingredients for his packed tea, etc. He is surprisingly rigid in his ideas about packed food, if it should be hot he will not eat it cold, so that rules out sausage, sausage rolls and all sorts of other things. He likes BLT sandwiches, but not unless they are very cold, the same goes for yoghurt, and similar things so we can't pack anything like that. In the end he bought a couple of cereal bars, some wholemeal snacks, some fruit and a jelly. According to Sam the only thing that will stay at it's optimum temperature on the coach is honey, but he can't bear to eat it in sandwiches, so today I have to pop out and get him a mini pot of honey and some Rivita and he will have to take a knife and do it himself! I don't suppose he will starve, so I'm not going to worry about it.
His school is making the arrangements excessively complicated. I have to deliver Sam in full school uniform with his luggage and his regular school bag. He has to do a full day at school but he can change into his own clothes at lunchtime, I then have to wait outside school at 3.35 collect his school bag and school clothes. It is potty, it is all about putting ticks in boxes so that the school can meet the government's mindless targets, there is no consideration for parents or pupils.
Saturday morning.
Well, my hopes of being almost ready for the trip proved very wide of the mark. Sam was allowed to take a rucksack and a small pillow as hand luggage and the rucksack needed to contain his packed food. He had packed his own bag and it was already bursting at the seems before I had even attempted to pack his food. I had to investigate but when I attempted to move the bag I could hardly lift it. I removed assorted unnecessary 'essentials' but I was speechless when I found that Sam had packed his safe complete with combination lock! I have worked with enough probation clients over the years to have picked up a few 'skills' and managed to open the safe to reveal to pens, a lip moisturiser stick and a selection of sweets. Much to Sam's disgust the safe was 'grounded' but he took most of the contents. He and I conducted a bit of a war of attrition regarding the packing, I packed, he re-packed, I put it back as I left it and he modified it again. This continued several more times, the main argument centred around a a 4 gang extension lead, three jars of honey and a years supply of Lynx toiletries that Sam was determined to take! He is so like Robbie sometimes! We also had a bit of a performance regarding his passport and health card, but finally he and his luggage was safely delivered to school. I returned at the end of the school day to collect Sam's school clothes and bag and as I left the boys were boarding the bus ready for their very long journey to Austria.
Early to Rise 14.02.08
On Wednesday morning I came back from takind the dog out at about 6.45am to find Sam sitting on the sofa fully dressed and ready for school, he even had his rucksack on his back. I was rather surprised because he is not usually that keen on mornings. A few minutes later he told me we would have to hurry up or we would be late. I told him it was only 7am and he was horrified, apparently he had misread his clock and got up a whole hour earlier than he needed to. He felt cheated and blamed his clock for misleading him. I blame my clock most mornings, when I wake up at 5.30am it still feels like the middle of the night!
Robbie has been a bit of a misery over the last couple of days, he is busy at work but his leg is really misbehaving at the moment and it makes everything that bit more difficult. I suppose we should be grateful that it is just his leg that's plauing up - the rest of him can be fairly challenging at times!
Robbie has been a bit of a misery over the last couple of days, he is busy at work but his leg is really misbehaving at the moment and it makes everything that bit more difficult. I suppose we should be grateful that it is just his leg that's plauing up - the rest of him can be fairly challenging at times!
Packing 13.02.08
Sam is preparing for a ski trip to Austria, or to be more accurate I am busy getting everything ready for his trip. Sam took me to town on Saturday and bought several UMD's for his PSP (they are like mini DVD's) he then dragged me off to another shop and prevailed upon me to purchase a PSP game to keep him occupied on the long journey to Austria (24hrs). It seems that was his sole contribution to packing. He has asked me several times if I have packed yet, he has even been fairly specific about the food he wants to take with him, but the packing is my job. At least if I do it he should end up with suitable clothing and hopefully he will have everything he needs.
The trip was expensive and when you add on the cost of ski clothes, money for meals, pocket money and all the other bits and bobs he needs it proves very expensive indeed, so I hope he makes the most of it. I am not sure how he will take to skis, he is not the most co-ordinated man in the world, but maybe he will surprise me. There again, he may come home with a few 'war wounds' who knows. It will be very odd without him next week.
The trip was expensive and when you add on the cost of ski clothes, money for meals, pocket money and all the other bits and bobs he needs it proves very expensive indeed, so I hope he makes the most of it. I am not sure how he will take to skis, he is not the most co-ordinated man in the world, but maybe he will surprise me. There again, he may come home with a few 'war wounds' who knows. It will be very odd without him next week.
If...... 11.02.08
If I failed to meet my targets at work I would wave goodbye to my bonus.
If I continually failed to meet my objectives ...........
If my leadership was inadequate.....
If my inaction damaged the reputation of the company ....
If I was invisible when problems arose and I left my minions to face the music ................
If I didn't learn from my mistakes.....
If I tried to shift the blame to everyone else ..............
If I was responsible for appalling customer service, arrogance, and woefully inaccurate information..........
If these failures were compounded by massive budget overspends, huge fines and compensation claims ......
I would be sacked!!
So how did they get away with it?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/money/2008/02/11/cnrail111.xml
Who created this monster and who was so keen to have a scapegoat that they failed to impose and maintain adequate regulation?
Here's a clue
If I continually failed to meet my objectives ...........
If my leadership was inadequate.....
If my inaction damaged the reputation of the company ....
If I was invisible when problems arose and I left my minions to face the music ................
If I didn't learn from my mistakes.....
If I tried to shift the blame to everyone else ..............
If I was responsible for appalling customer service, arrogance, and woefully inaccurate information..........
If these failures were compounded by massive budget overspends, huge fines and compensation claims ......
I would be sacked!!
So how did they get away with it?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/money/2008/02/11/cnrail111.xml
Who created this monster and who was so keen to have a scapegoat that they failed to impose and maintain adequate regulation?
Here's a clue
The last time I encountered this sort of madness I was reading Alice in Wonderland!!
Too Much Detail - Again! 11.02.08
It has been a strange morning. Long before 6am Robbie came to sit on the bed to chat about trains. Apparently he has been offered the chance to be involved with another charter trip, he rambled on about tractors, but I'm fairly sure he was talking about engines rather than Massey Ferguson's or John Deere's. He wanted his pass signed and he obviously thought he would need to grovel, but at that time of the morning I wasn't too interested in what he was planning to do, it was the free 'respite' that attracted my attention. I readily agreed, in fact I even asked if he could stay a bit longer!
I took Emily to Kettering station at just after 6am and Robbie came with us as he was heading for a meeting in London. He talked non stop about train timetables all the way to Kettering and every attempt to shut him up proved futile. Just before I dropped them off at Kettering Robbie announced that it was his 10th anniversary, ten years since he started working for CrossCountry. The journey to Kettering was OK but the journey back was more challenging because thick fog had developed in the short time since I drove there, I don't enjoy driving in fog.
I received an excited phone call from Robbie when he got to St Pancras. Believe it or not he actually rang just to tell me that the toilets at the station were now free!! He obviously took full advantage of the facilities because he described them in great detail. My week will be so much better for knowing that!
I took Emily to Kettering station at just after 6am and Robbie came with us as he was heading for a meeting in London. He talked non stop about train timetables all the way to Kettering and every attempt to shut him up proved futile. Just before I dropped them off at Kettering Robbie announced that it was his 10th anniversary, ten years since he started working for CrossCountry. The journey to Kettering was OK but the journey back was more challenging because thick fog had developed in the short time since I drove there, I don't enjoy driving in fog.
I received an excited phone call from Robbie when he got to St Pancras. Believe it or not he actually rang just to tell me that the toilets at the station were now free!! He obviously took full advantage of the facilities because he described them in great detail. My week will be so much better for knowing that!
Saboutaged by Sat-navs? 10.02.08
So Network Rail think that Satellite Navigation systems are at the root of their problems?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/09/nsatnav109.xml
I'm not convinced; I manage perfectly well with a map, a bit of forward planning and a window, and I have never gone too far wrong! There again, Network Rail don't have a great track record when it comes to forward planning or seeing what is right under their nose, so it hardly surprising that they think we all 'drive by numbers'. If there really is a problem with lorries going around bashing bridges to the extent that they claim then I think there may be more plausible reasons. I would guess that incomprehensible road signs play their part, also I think that foreign lorry drivers may be at fault. Many do not speak English and they may struggle to understand our road signs and some may not be familiar with our measurements either so warning signs may mean very little to them. On the way into Kettering they have a sign with a sensor to tell lorries that they are too big and get them to turn off before they get stuck under the bridge. Maybe a few more signs like that may help. Perhaps Network Rail should start to think outside the box and come up with some imaginative ideas to prevent future accidents. If there really are all these cars and lorries causing so much disruption to the railway, Network Rail should be suing the drivers involved and it is a pretty safe bet that if sat-nav is at fault the motor insurance companies would pursue the sat-nav providers. It may be an alien concept to Network Rail but a certain amount of common sense is essential when driving (and a little more of it could work wonders on the railways too!) so maybe an IQ test should be compulsory for all drivers. If nothing else it would reduce traffic congestion over night!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/09/nsatnav109.xml
I'm not convinced; I manage perfectly well with a map, a bit of forward planning and a window, and I have never gone too far wrong! There again, Network Rail don't have a great track record when it comes to forward planning or seeing what is right under their nose, so it hardly surprising that they think we all 'drive by numbers'. If there really is a problem with lorries going around bashing bridges to the extent that they claim then I think there may be more plausible reasons. I would guess that incomprehensible road signs play their part, also I think that foreign lorry drivers may be at fault. Many do not speak English and they may struggle to understand our road signs and some may not be familiar with our measurements either so warning signs may mean very little to them. On the way into Kettering they have a sign with a sensor to tell lorries that they are too big and get them to turn off before they get stuck under the bridge. Maybe a few more signs like that may help. Perhaps Network Rail should start to think outside the box and come up with some imaginative ideas to prevent future accidents. If there really are all these cars and lorries causing so much disruption to the railway, Network Rail should be suing the drivers involved and it is a pretty safe bet that if sat-nav is at fault the motor insurance companies would pursue the sat-nav providers. It may be an alien concept to Network Rail but a certain amount of common sense is essential when driving (and a little more of it could work wonders on the railways too!) so maybe an IQ test should be compulsory for all drivers. If nothing else it would reduce traffic congestion over night!
Robbie - or Possibly Joseph? 10.02.08
Robbie wore 'that' shirt today, the one that I wrote about a couple of weeks ago! You know the very expensive shirt that includes every colour known to man. I vowed that I would never be seen outside the house with him if he was wearing that thing, but we were going to Homebase to buy a bookcase and there was no way I was going to lift that that into the car on my own. Anyway Homebase staff have never been especially helpful to me so why shouldn't they be exposed to 'the walking test card' if I have to put up with it! The bookcase is for Robbie's railway books, I had to give in and agree to another bookcase because there are so many books in the bedroom now that they will be taking over the bed!
Robbie settled back into the car having safely stowed the bookcase in the boot and it seemed to be the right moment to make my point. I asked if he knew the Bible story about Joseph and his coat of many colours, he said that he did, so I told him that he probably had a shirt just like that to go with it! Emily and Laura are deeply unimpressed with the shirt, Emily commented that she would have thought they could have included a couple of buttons since the shirt was so expensive!!
Robbie settled back into the car having safely stowed the bookcase in the boot and it seemed to be the right moment to make my point. I asked if he knew the Bible story about Joseph and his coat of many colours, he said that he did, so I told him that he probably had a shirt just like that to go with it! Emily and Laura are deeply unimpressed with the shirt, Emily commented that she would have thought they could have included a couple of buttons since the shirt was so expensive!!
Back to the Vet 10.02.08
Dave the cat had the procedure on his poorly foot on Friday. It had to be done under anaesthetic so he had to spend most of the day at the surgery. Everything went according to plan and when I fetched him in the afternoon he was surprisingly lively. He swore at the nurse and he was a bit of a misery until he got home, he aimed straight for his bowl and demanded food, after that he seemed much more cheerful. I was told that it would look worse for a few days and it did look pretty grim on Friday, but it is already much better than before, so hopefully we will finally get his paw to heal.
Gremlins 08.02.08
My computer has been rather wayward in the last few days. My stored log on information kept getting lost and all sorts of odd or unexplained changes had really started to bug me. I began to wonder if my computer was possessed or if someone was hacking into it, so I decided to have an in depth look 'behind the scenes' to see what was really going on. It was a long and very boring job, but I traced the culprit - it was Robbie!! He obviously enjoys living dangerously! I have willingly shared my computer with him since his went wrong but I am not sure what led him to believe that he could fiddle with my settings! He had altered the configuration and I had stuff opening automatically at start up, he had even emptied my recycle bin. Allegedly all this was 'accidental' but I'm not convinced, he just cant resist twiddling with things. My computer is almost back to normal now, but I think Robbie's ears are still ringing, so hopefully he will not feel the need to twiddle with the settings in future.
One of Those Days 06.02.08
It was one of those days. Robbie's first text of the day got him into enough trouble to last a week. Last month he promised me that he would seriously modify his language but this mornings text conveyed his feelings about Network Rail in the most strident terms. A couple of phone calls followed Robbie was ranting so much that he was almost incoherent but eventually I understood that none of their voyagers had been able to leave the depot at Central Rivers due to a total power failure. Robbie was so cross, everything was a total shambles, the departure boards at New Street announced that train after train had been cancelled and there was absolutely nothing they could do about it until Network Rail got their act together. I didn't realise that so many trains went off to Central Rivers for the night, it conjures up images in my mind of Thomas and his friends all tucked up in their sheds on the Island of Sodor
My own morning was a bit challenging too. Dave the cat went back to see the vet and we have arranged for him to go in on Friday to have treatment on his bad foot. As well as his usual supply of steroids and antibiotics the vet prescribed a probiotic because his other tablets upset his tummy. The vet said it would be simple to administer the dose from the syringe type dispenser into the side of his mouth. It proved easier said than done. He clamped his mouth shut, swore menacingly and lashed out with his claws. I don't give up easily and I eventually got the required dose into the cat's mouth, that was when the fun really began. Dave sneezed or spat the medication back at me! It cost more than powdered gold and I ended up wearing it - such gratitude!
My own morning was a bit challenging too. Dave the cat went back to see the vet and we have arranged for him to go in on Friday to have treatment on his bad foot. As well as his usual supply of steroids and antibiotics the vet prescribed a probiotic because his other tablets upset his tummy. The vet said it would be simple to administer the dose from the syringe type dispenser into the side of his mouth. It proved easier said than done. He clamped his mouth shut, swore menacingly and lashed out with his claws. I don't give up easily and I eventually got the required dose into the cat's mouth, that was when the fun really began. Dave sneezed or spat the medication back at me! It cost more than powdered gold and I ended up wearing it - such gratitude!
All Change 06.02.08
Yesterday proved disappointing for Robbie. He took the 'sick' laptop to PC World in Coventry as arranged, but yet again they proved that they were a complete waste of space. We would have got more sense if we had asked our cat to diagnose the fault! So now it is 'plan B' we will speak to an independent repair company to see if they can help.
Despite his frustration Robbie was surprisingly chatty in the evening. He had bumped into an old colleague today and he always enjoys meeting old friends - even the annoying ones. When the CrossCountry franchise transferred from Virgin to Ariva a number of colleagues moved on to new ventures or transferred to 'the Dark Side'. Robbie has bumped into a several of them during his travels recently. Last week he was most impressed that one loud and irritating excolleague appears to have been 'tamed' in his new post. He has been instructed to mute the volume and now he has to make do with sign language and notices, I bet keeping his lip buttoned is killing him. They even have him wearing a shirt and tie - but he still wears an anorak! The old colleague that Robbie met yesterday now works for Network Rail (well, somebody has to!) and it seems that he feels the need for a disguise because he is growing a beard, but true to form for Network Rail it is still a work in progress!
Robbie was working on some important notes last night, I stayed up until midnight but he was still busy so I left him to it. I was woken shortly after 2am by Robbie, he was in agony and seemed rather disorientated. Apparently he had fallen asleep over the computer and had been woken abruptly by the cat, this had made him jump and he'd had a few seconds of panic while he tried to work out why he was at work in his PJ's! He eventually realised where he was, and staggered up to bed, but he was in pain because he had been hunched in an awkward position. I couldn't help laughing about the cat having to wake him up, I expect he was keeping the animals awake with his snoring!
Despite his frustration Robbie was surprisingly chatty in the evening. He had bumped into an old colleague today and he always enjoys meeting old friends - even the annoying ones. When the CrossCountry franchise transferred from Virgin to Ariva a number of colleagues moved on to new ventures or transferred to 'the Dark Side'. Robbie has bumped into a several of them during his travels recently. Last week he was most impressed that one loud and irritating excolleague appears to have been 'tamed' in his new post. He has been instructed to mute the volume and now he has to make do with sign language and notices, I bet keeping his lip buttoned is killing him. They even have him wearing a shirt and tie - but he still wears an anorak! The old colleague that Robbie met yesterday now works for Network Rail (well, somebody has to!) and it seems that he feels the need for a disguise because he is growing a beard, but true to form for Network Rail it is still a work in progress!
Robbie was working on some important notes last night, I stayed up until midnight but he was still busy so I left him to it. I was woken shortly after 2am by Robbie, he was in agony and seemed rather disorientated. Apparently he had fallen asleep over the computer and had been woken abruptly by the cat, this had made him jump and he'd had a few seconds of panic while he tried to work out why he was at work in his PJ's! He eventually realised where he was, and staggered up to bed, but he was in pain because he had been hunched in an awkward position. I couldn't help laughing about the cat having to wake him up, I expect he was keeping the animals awake with his snoring!
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