Wednesday 28 April 2010

Magnetic Attraction


Tuesday mornings are never wonderful, there is still too much of the week left, but this week Tuesday started badly and got worse. Sam reluctantly got up and got ready for school, he had the television watching Everybody Loves Raymond, I don't love Raymond, he gets on my nerves so I didn't look at the television, I was busy getting on with my usual morning routine. When I finally glanced at the television I saw a broad green line running right across the screen. Sam crumbled under interrogation and admitted that he had rolled a large magnetic ball baring across the screen. When asked why he said it just sort of happened when he was wondering if the ball would make a narrow line or a broad one! This is not his first encounter with television screens and magnets and I was seriously annoyed, but my response was nothing in comparison to Robbie's - it was a case of light the blue touch paper and retreat! The television has recovered now but it may take Sam a little longer to forget the incident.

The rest of my day was marred by doing battle with an incompetent insurance company and an even more incompetent phone company, difficulty booking the car in for an MOT, unwelcome political canvassers and worse of all a moron claiming to be from Southern Electric who I found in my garden who addressed me as 'darling'. I assured him in no uncertain terms that I wasn't his darling and there was absolutely no chance in this world that I ever would be! He then tried to insist that I was one of their customer - I am not their customer and if that scruffy, gum chewing yob represents their idea of customer service, I never will be!

After a day like that I hope Wednesday will be better!

Sunday 25 April 2010

Time Warp


This weekend has left me feeling as if I am living in a time warp. Yesterday Steve Davis knocked John Higgins out of the World Snooker Championships and Sam came home from from town proudly carrying two vinyl records! I blame Robbie for this sudden fascination with vinyl, several weeks ago he announced that he intended to review his seven inches, Sam found this hilariously funny and asked if he was boasting, but when he brought his usb turntable downstairs he was intrigued. He said that he had never seen an 'old fashioned cd player' before! Robbie played a few of his singles, then I was seized with the desire to revisit my music collection. It was so nice to remember those days but I have to admit that my teenage choice of music emptied the lounge! Anyway Sam has been bitten with the vinyl bug and yesterday he added two Queen singles to his collection.

Saturday 24 April 2010

On The Edge


Photo of Pitsford Water by Black Kite


I have had a whole week away from the blog, the longest time ever, and the cause of my absence was Robbie -he broke my laptop! He refuses to admit that it was his fault, but he had his hands on it (trying to install something that I didn't want in the first place) when it turned up it's toes. His denial is rather like the person who fired a gun saying that the gun was innocent it was the bullet that caused the problem! He then went on to make a bad situation worse by messing around with the hard drive when I told him not to, so now I have lost all my files. The title of this post could relate to me being read to commit murder, I certainly feel angry enough to harm him, but I am not dwelling on that, the title of this post is about my visit to the waters edge on Friday evening.

I have been abandoned once again, early on Friday morning Robbie packed his bags and informed me that he was going to play trains and he will not be back until Sunday, to say that I was unimpressed is an understatement! Later in the say I found that even the dog has a better social life than I do, she had been invited to a barbecue (with Sam) and she needed a lift. The barbecue was to be held at Brixworth Country Park at the edge of Pitsford Reservoir. Sam hurried me along and we arrived in good time for a 6pm start, unfortunately he had got the time wrong and we we over half an hour early. It was really nice to enjoy the warm evening and look out across the water while Meg investigated every smell and pretended that she was too sophisticated to play ball. It brought back so many happy memories, Laura's pond dipping party when she was about six, various events with brownies and bird watching with the children on lazy Saturday afternoons. I remember taking our old dog Jimmy for his last walk, knowing that he had to be put to sleep because he was in a lot of pain from cancer in his jaw, that was so very sad. Then when we got Meg, one of her first walks demonstrated her fear of sheep and her passion for chasing bicycles. She was re homed as a failed sheepdog and we understood why when a sheep looked through the fence at her and she hid behind me! She loves to chase wheels but footballs have always been her greatest passion, in her prime she was better at ball skills than Beckham!

Sam rang me to fetch him in 5 minutes, since it is almost half an hour away he must think I have a teleporter in the garage, but I got there as soon as I could. I found a talkative teenager and a very tired dog, she sprawled out and went to sleep on the back seat. Sam told me that she had been the centre of attention and had used her 'poor starving dog look' with such good results that she had eaten more than anyone else at the barbecue!

Friday 16 April 2010

An Image To Live Up To

They say that people get to look like their pets, but an incident a couple of days ago left me wondered if people become like the images that the media create for them? Spitting Image used to portray John Major as a grey man who tucked his vest into his pants and was totally boring. For a while it seemed as if the real man had morphed into his spitting image character, but he had the last laugh when it eventually came out that he'd had a long lasting affair with Edwina Curry. He wasn't such a grey man after that, to borrow a phrase from Fred Flintstone - that takes intestinal fortitude!



The road where we live is not a main road, but it is very busy and I usually I have to pull in near the house until the road clears, then I can swing the car out and reverse back onto the drive. A couple of days ago I was waiting at the side of the road when a mauve car drove slowly down the middle of the road. It caught my attention because the car was a horrible colour and I wondered what sort of idiot would drive down the middle of a busy road. He seemed to stay there dithering in the middle of the road for ages so I got a good look at the driver, I summed him up as a socks and sandals type. Finally he got out of my way and I was able to park on the drive, but as I got out of the car I heard tapping from further along the road. I looked in that direction and noticed that the mauve car had parked (miles from the kerb) and the driver (who surprise surprise was wearing socks and sandals) was attempting to erect a vote Liberal sign. If they can't drive and look as if they got dressed in the dark it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in their ability to run the country!

Wednesday 14 April 2010

Startled By Socks

Robbie is sulking because I have complained about his socks! I am fairly used to his rather loud choice of colours and patterns, but I think things have gone a bit too far. When we went to the park at the weekend I glanced down and noticed that he was wearing his see through Converse trainers with luminous yellow socks, it was a little alarming to say the least. I think he must have chosen those socks to go with his high visibility jacket!

That was not the most alarming experience with socks recently, a deeply disturbing episode happened the previous week. I usually go to bed earlier than Robbie - because he prefers to talk to the weird ones on one of his railway forums rather than enjoy my company. Anyway I went to bed just before midnight, I left the bedside light on but I snuggled under the duvet and went to sleep. Considerably later I was woken when something snatched the duvet from above and I was left to freeze. I opened my eyes to see Robbie standing on the bed wearing only a pair of luminous green socks (with orange heels and turquoise toes). He had decided that the duvet needed shaking because he thought it had gone a bit thin at the top and he was genuinely surprised by my furious response. I was ready to harm him!

My biggest objection to the multi coloured socks is that they are a pain to wash, I can't wash the yellow ones with the pink ones, and the green ones can't go in with anything else. Worse still he insists on rolling his dirty socks together in pairs, I love Robbie, but I really don't want to get up close and personal with his dirty socks! I think I will get him a wash bag to put his dark socks in, so they will stay together without being rolled up. As for the alarming colours, I can't stop him wearing them, but if they are that important to him he can wash them by hand.

Sunday 11 April 2010

Spoiling the Moment

Robbie was in so much pain on Friday evening that he didn't know what to do with himself, I wish I could make it easier for him, but nothing seems to help. On Saturday morning we enjoyed a lazy start to the morning cuddled up listening to the radio. For once I had Robbie's undivided attention, but he managed to spoil the moment by telling me the price of season tickets to Birmingham from various random places. Why would anyone want to go to Birmingham anyway!

We had a nice afternoon, we went to the park and to the museum in the park, Robbie's legs were hurting him and he had to stop a couple of times but we didn't let it spoil the day. I think his favourite exhibits were a nameplate for a railway engine and a Bassett-Lowke model train, there was a mettoy train set too. I love having him at home at the weekend but perhaps it is a good thing that the weekend is only two days because he wears me out!

Thursday 8 April 2010

Wishes Do Come True


I was busy writing a couple of evenings ago when a horrible though popped into my head. I looked up and asked Robbie what he had done with his flasher mac. I was met with a rather sheepish look and a reluctant confession, apparently he left it on the train a couple of months ago and it got stolen. I could easily believe that he could leave it on the train, he must have the most well travelled clothes in UK but I couldn't believe that anyone would steal it! Who would want a flasher mac - Inspector Gadget perhaps! I asked if he had checked lost property and he said that he had checked at Euston, Northampton and Birmingham without success. I hated that coat and many times I wished he would lose it, but now I hope he finds it again because if he doesn't he will spend £50 on a new one and I can think of a lot better things to do with £50!

Wednesday 7 April 2010

Election Blues

The general election has only just been announced and I am fed up with it already. At the weekend I was driving along when I spotted a spotted a terrifying poster of Gordon Brown with the most creepy expression, I think he was meant to be smiling but it was painful, he would not have looked out of place in an advertisement for a constipation remedy. I had to keep my eyes on the road but Sam said it was a Conservative poster to remind us that Brown had created record youth unemployment. I think they should ban scary election posters, but there again another 5 years of Gordon Brown is a scary prospect. It is such a pity that they don't have the Monster Raving Loony Party anymore, I think they would have got a lot of votes, they could probably have done a better job than the so called serious politicians!

Tuesday 6 April 2010

Space Baby Boots

Robbie had promised me a train free weekend and he did surprisingly well at keeping his promise, but being Robbie it was just a case of swapping one obsession for another - we went to a Dr Martens 50th birthday exhibition. I have to admit that it was quite interesting, but Robbie got over excited. It was bad enough wehen he was drooling over a display of DM laces but when he cought sight of a pair of Space Baby DM boots he made such an exhibition of himself that I thought he would get us thrown out!

Friday 2 April 2010

I Met A Man Who Wasn't There

Robbie has been frightening me in the middle of the night - it is OK you can read on it is nothing rude! Two weekends ago Robbie went off to play trains wearing his high visibility coat, he says it is very warm and comfortable (but when he wears it he reminds me of a Smurf). When he got back from his trip he asked me to wash his coat, so the next day I washed it following the label instructions to the letter. The coat had to be drip dried so I sprinted upstairs with it and hung it over the bath. That evening when I got back from work Robbie had hung the coat on the bathroom door and there it has stayed for a fortnight. I often have to visit the bathroom during the night, I plod along the landing in the dark close the bathroom door and jump out of my skin because there is a 'man' wearing a high visibility jacket behind the door! It reminds me of the rhyme 'When I was going up the stair, I met a man who wasn't there, He wasn't there again today, I wish, I wish he'd go away'. I wish Robbie would put his coat away!