Finding The Right Words

Those of you who know Robbie will know that words are the one thing he is never short of. If fact the opposite is true, it is almost impossible to get him to shut up, he can talk endlessly about anything under the sun and you can rely on him to lower the tone whenever there is the slightest opportunity. He talks and talks and talks - he can fit more words into a minute than anyone else I know.

Being lost for words is a new experience for Robbie, but in the circumstances I am not surprised that he is struggling. He has been asked to speak at his friend's funeral, there is so much that he wants to say, but putting the feelings you have deep inside into words is not so easy, and finding exactly the right words to express how much Chris meant as a friend and colleague is difficult. It is almost impossible to sum up the qualities of a close friend in just a few brief sentences, but one thing is undeniable Chris knew how to live well. He loved his work, but it didn't rule his life, he filled his leisure time with all the things that were important to him. He packed a lot of living into not quite 40 years. I don't know if Robbie's words will adequately paint a picture of his friend, or express how keenly Robbie feels his loss. I can't do much to help, but I can at least make sure everyone will understand his words - I have be making him practice speaking slowly!

Paddling

I had big plans for Friday, I don't go to work on a Friday so it feels like 'my day'. I always look forward to Fridays but almost every week something happens to spoil it, but this week I really shouldn't have bothered to get out of bed.

Sam was grumpy as he got ready for school (which is nothing unusual) but we managed to leave the house on time. We had only got as far as the drive when Sam 'split his difference' and had to go dashing back into the house in search of more school trousers. Thankfully it didn't take him long to change and he got to school in good time. That is the third pair of trousers he has written off in the same way this year! I don't know how he does it, the trousers are not too small and I haven't noticed Sam waving his legs around like Kenny Everett so I guess it will remain one of life's unsolved mysteries. Oh well at least M&S have a 3 for the price of 2 offer on school uniform.

When I got home after dropping Sam off, I walked in to find that the washing machine pipe had come out and it had flooded the kitchen. I felt like running away. I spent the next couple of hours paddling as I mopped up the water and tried to sort out everything that had got wet. It was like fighting a loosing battle, I thought I would never get back to normal. The water had even got into one of the kitchen cupboards, I had to take a break before dealing with that, but I was still scrubbing late into the evening - it would have been easier to go to work!

Ups and Downs

Several weeks ago I wrote about the mishap I had with my mobile phone, it took a tumble into a (newly cleaned) toilet. I dried it straight away and then took it apart and placed it into a zippy bag full of rice to draw the moisture from the phone. It stayed in the rice for a fortnight, but when I tried the phone it still didn't work, so it went back in the rice for another couple of weeks then I too it out again, but the phone was still dead. Before I had a chance to put the phone back in the rice, Meg (the dog) stole the bag of dry rice and ate it all, I was scared she would get badly dehydrated but she survived with no ill effects, I guess I should be grateful that she didn't eat the phone!

The phone was an old friend, it belonged to Eric my first husband, he bought it in 2002 and when he died in 2003 I kept it. I know it is silly sentiment really, but it helps, there was a voice message on it that Eric left when he was messing around with his new phone and I was so sad to lose it. I had also lost lots of texts, my birthday calendar and loads of important numbers. I had another phone but it just wasn't the same. I had given up hope of recovering the data, but a friend said she would take it to a place that had helped her with her phone. Amazingly they got the phone working again, and when I got it back I had a huge grin on my face. In the next few days I will be backing up all the data! It has been a difficult week, but getting my phone and all the data back has means a lot to me.

A Day We Had Been Dreading

This turned out to be the day that we have been dreading for what seems like a very long time. Robbie's friend Chris died this morning. We knew that this would be the ultimate outcome, and no one wanted to prolong his suffering but when the time comes none of that makes it feel any better. This is a terrible loss for his family and for his friends.

Chris was a very good friend to Robbie, in fact he probably understood Robbie better than anyone else ever will. They shared an interest in music, they would often go into Birmingham at lunchtime and come back with vinyl records and cds. They had a similar or at least an overlapping taste in music and they liked to go to gigs. Their shared interests didn't end there, they both shared a passion for the railways. For Robbie, Chris was the sort of friend who comes along once in a lifetime, he will be deeply missed and he will never be forgotten.

Fitting A Quart Into A Pint Pot

Robbie abandoned me in favour of a Deltic at the weekend so it was very quiet, but I had no time to relax. On Saturday morning I was up bright and early and before 9am Sam and I were heading for Leicester to perform 'mission impossible'. We had to transport three years worth of Emily's accumulated belongings back to Northampton. I may have a seven seater but a Pickfords lorry would have struggled to cope with that lot. Finally everything was crammed in somehow and we headed home. We are still facing the problem of how to fit all the stuff from the car into the house. Emily was very sorry to leave uni and say goodbye to all her friends, it is the end of an era, it really does seem as if those three years have gone past in the blink of an eye.

A Blind Eye

Robbie and I are different in many ways, he is louder than me in every sense, this is most obvious when it comes to clothes. I know what I like and I know what suits me and I tend to stick within my comfort zone, this doesn't usually involve loud colours and patterns. Anyone who knows Robbie will know that he is the exact opposite, he likes colour and he loves patterns, the bigger and bolder the better. It annoys me when Robbie tries to tell me what to wear, especially when he starts to offer advice on underwear. When it comes to fashion advice he is more Homer Simpson than Gok Wan!

I really try to live and let live, but it takes a super human effort not to comment on some of his more challenging fashion statements. This morning he headed off to work wearing a shirt that almost stopped me in my tracks. He must have had a whole shop to choose from so I can't understand why he chose that one. It is difficult to describe but he looked as if going to an audition for the Wurzels! I'm not going to change him so it is just a question of of perfecting a 'blind eye'. I am short sighted so when I take my contact lenses I don't see the detail, that makes him a little easier on the eye!

Anti Cat Device

The sound of silence didn't last very long. The house seems very busy during the day as both girls have finished university and seem to be constantly coming and going. Robbie is struggling with very painful and disobedient legs, it seems as if there is no let up to the pain now and he finds it hard to cope at times. We have reached the point where it is restricting the things he can do, which is very frustrating for him and it is hardly surprising that it gets him down. I wish I could put it right somehow.

When I was at the supermarket on Tuesday I bought an air freshener for the lounge. It was one of those that produce a puff of smell every little while, they were on offer. I decided to put it on top of the television to prevent the cats from sitting there. Before long Oreo was back on the TV with his head leaning on the air freshener, when it produced a puff of perfume he arched his back and spat at it then turned his back on it. Before long Dave had replaced Oreo on top of the television and the puff of perfume surprised him so much that he fell off the TV!!

The Sound of Silence

Sunday was taken up with doing the washing and getting everything back in order ready to get back to reality on Monday. Robbie really should have tackled the garden, we have only been away for a week but the hedge seems to have moved half way across the drive and the back garden looks more like a scene from Sleeping Beauty - wild and untended for 100 years! He promised that he would deal with it during the week, but I spotted several pigs flying past!!

Monday was strange, Robbie was back at work and Sam was back at school and when I sat down to make a start on my own work I realised that I had missed something while we were away - the sound of silence! I wonder if Robbie's colleagues noticed that their peace had been shattered when he got back on Monday morning?

Red and Green Not Fit To Be Seen

Oh my goodness, he gets worse. We were heading out to the supermarket and then to my mums and I happened to glance down to see the horror at the end of his legs. He was wearing red patterned shoes and lurid green socks with bright blue tops, a truly scary sight! to borrow one of my mum's sayings, it made him look 'half sharp' but he refused to change, so I was forced to walk around the supermarket with him. The other shoppers gave him some funny looks, they probably though he had escaped from somewhere!

Oh well it will be back to work tomorrow, back to reality. I will miss Robbie, but at least it will stop us arguing about silly things, last week we almost came to blows about Boris Johnson of all things and today his insistance on rearranging the trolley in the supermarket almost led to divorce!

All Good Things Must Come to An End

On Saturday morning we made an early start and after packing the car we were on the road by just after 8am. It was refreshing to get on the road again after the very narrow (and sometimes scary) Cornish lanes. I was very sorry that our holiday was at an end, but since we had to go home I just wanted to get the long journey behind me.

It seemed to take forever to get to Exeter but eventually we were on M5 and Exeter was behind us. We stopped at the services and managed to lose Robbie. Sam Laura and I had all got back to the car, as sat there enjoying a long awaited cup of coffee and a snack I saw three trains go past, but still no Robbie. I thought there must be something seriously wrong if Robbie was missing out on trains, they were only FGW but even so trains are like magnets to Robbie. I tried to phone him but there was no reply, I seriously considered driving off without him because I didn't want to lose the advantage of an early start. Eventually he appeared and all became clear, he had been to Mc Donalds to by breakfast and there was a massive queue. He knew better than to buy anything for me, so I drove of as the others tucked into stinky breakfast snacks. I wish I could train Robbie not to hum when he eats, it really drives me mad but he claims he doesn't know he is doing it.

Robbie survived and we made steady progress towards Bristol and then on to the M4, we made a brief second stop at a service station, this time Robbie only escaped my clutches long enough to buy a Rail magazine before being escorted back to the car. The rest of the journey was uneventful, I got a bit irritated with the sat nav because it wanted me to go a different way and I knew that my way was better. That woman gets a real edge to her voice when I don't follow her directions, in fact I am fairly sure that she sighs when she says 'recalculating'. My ideal sat nav would have the voice of David Attenborough, I would follow him anywhere. To be fair the sat nav is a whole lot better than Robbie because it doesn't shout out when it sees a train, it doesn't fall asleep when it should be looking at the signposts and it doesn't time every journey according to rail times!

We got home safely at about 2.30pm, so we made reasonable time. Sam insisted on being dropped off at his girlfriend's house and as soon as we got back Laura went dashing off to uni to see her friend before she goes home. I was too tired to face unloading the car, we just took the essentials inside and after a welcome cup of tea I went to bed for a well earned nap - I love my bed. I had been looking forward to seeing Emily, but I had to wait until the evening to see her. Meg (the dog) and Dave and Oreo (cats) were pleased to see us, but I think it will take Dave a few days to completely forgive me for abandoning him, he thinks he is my shadow.

Dolphins!

Friday 4th June

Another beach day, it was hot and absolutely perfect on the beach. The sea was calm and clear (but still chilly) and Sam broke the habit of a lifetime and allowed me to take a photo of him!

If only we could have another week like this but sadly we will be heading home tomorrow. Robbie was plastered in sun block, he was so white that he looked like ghost but he still managed to get his arms burned and he claims that his ears have caught the sun too!

At tea time we went for a walk towards Harlyn along the coast path. The skylarks were singing high above and as we sat there on the bench looking across at Harlyn so many happy memories came flooding back, we have had some very happy times here. Later in the evening some time after 9pm something very special happened, there were dolphins swimming in the bay, lots of them and we all saw them. I have never seen anything like that before, I don't know how many there were, there were lots, I could hardly believe my eyes.

I love Mother Ivey's Bay, it holds so many happy memories and it is a beautiful place to be, I will be sad to leave tomorrow but hopefully we will be back again next year.

Cold Feet

Thursday 3rd June

The weather forecast was very good and it was a shame to waste a good beach day, so we got ourselves organised and headed off to Padstow early so that we could get a good parking space (which didn't involve walking up a very steep hill). Sam wanted to buy a present for his girlfriend and Laura wanted to buy some rock and have a look at the clothes shops. I just wanted to get some nice photos and to enjoy the atmosphere in one of my favourite places. Robbie bought a pastie, but Laura and I preferred sausage rolls and Sam insisted on a chocolate brownie instead.

On the way back we made a quick trip to Tesco to get more capsules to treat Robbie's 'man flu' and a few other essentials. Robbie has now infected Laura and me with colds, he is still sniveling but now he has another injury to take his mind off it. This morning he sliced a lump off his lip while shaving, his cry of agony was a little over the top, but it does look painful.

We were back at the beach by lunchtime, it was almost too hot to sit outside for long but the sea is still a bit chilly until you get used to it. Robbie and I went for a walk along the beach but I was the only one who got my feet wet!

Birthday Girl

Wednesday 2nd June

Laura's long awaited birthday turned out to be a beautiful day. The sun streamed into the bedroom and woke me up rather earlier than I had planned, so I wandered through to the kitchen to make a drink. I love those quite stolen moments before the day begins, I pulled back the blinds and gazed out across the bay as the day was waking up. If I could freeze time it would be a moment like this in May or June when the days are long and the promise of summer stretches ahead.

Before long Laura got up and Robbie who has 'man flu' shuffled into the lounge to suffer in comfort. I shouldn't be unkind, he really does have a bad cold and it is especially miserable to feel unwell when you are on holiday. I had set all Laura's presents out on the dressing table and in a few short minutes the parcels which had been so lovingly wrapped had all be opened. Laura got money, jewelery, some Hello Kitty toys and several DVDs, including Top Gear, Loose Women and Outnumbered. She seemed very happy with the DVDs so at least I got something right. Her main present was a bracelet, she seems to like that too. I can't help wondering where those nineteen years went, suddenly I feel very old.

We spent the day on the beach, it was lovely, but I was very careful not to get too much sun. Laura is very lucky to be able to spend her birthday on the beach. We went out for a meal this evening, it was a lovely family time, I wish Emily had been with us but at least we were able to phone her.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Tuesday 1st June

It rained during the night and it was a dismal start to the day so it was an ideal opportunity to go to Newquay and take a look at the shops. By the time we got there it had stopped raining and we spent an enjoyable morning visiting all our favourite places. The old Woolworths building has now been redeveloped and the new shops have put the heart back into the shopping area.

Robbie needed to buy some body spray because his aftershave was in the rucksack that he accidentally left behind. On the subject of aftershave I was not best pleased when Robbie confessed that he'd had his aftershave confiscated at the airport because he'd tried to take it in his hand luggage. It costs a fortune and it is really hard to get hold of, I went to a lot of trouble to get him that for Christmas. Anyway back to the present, Robbie chose some body spray and I am already regretting it, he uses so much that you need breathing apperatus. How do I make him understand that in this case less is more?

It turned into a beautiful sunny day so after an outdoor lunch at Subway we headed back to the beach via Tesco to get Laura's birthday cake. It is her birthday on Wednesday and there is no way that she will let us forget it!

It was a lovely evening, I got some really nice photos as I walked along the coast path and on the way back I heard the skylark singing. It sounded as if it was bursting with joy, unfortunately I didn't feel on top of the world because Robbie was having yet another strop!

To the Beach

Monday 31st May

We spent the day without Robbie because he was still in a strop and spent most of the day curled up on the bed wallowing in his bad mood. His loss, I had a lovely day. After a walk up to the shop I sat at the table outside to eat my breakfast and`then to write some postcards. It was so peaceful, I could look out at the beautiful view and watch the antics of the blackbirds who were singing loudly to mark out their own territory. We spent a lovely time on the beach, I wandered down to the rock pools and even dipped a toe into the sea, the water was cold but beautifully clear.

Later in the day we drove to Constantine to post the postcards and have a look at the shop. Sam has worked his way through his box of cereal already so he needed more and we bought some scones to enjoy with a nice cup of tea, I am not usually keen on Cornish cream but a little bit with jam on a scone is rather nice.

It took most of the day, but Robbie eventually got out of his strop and was forgiven

Too Hot to Handle

Sunday 30th May
I woke up, made a drink, showered and then walked up to the shop to get the paper while Robbie was still dead to the world. I wonder what he did in Ireland to make him so tired?

It was a nice day, and we just enjoyed the freedom to do as we liked, we didn't go far, just a quick trip to Tesco to buy Shampoo for Laura, she had forgotten hers and couldn't cope with an inferior brand for a week!

I enjoyed the day, there is something relaxing and therapeutic about being by the sea, listening to the gentle lapping of waves mingled with bird song. There are loads of very vocal blackbirds and if you listen carefully you can hear the skylark singing as it soars high above. There was no hint of the drama that would unfold later that day. Sam and Laura had already eaten and we were going to have chicken and bacon pasta bake. Robbie put the oven on and as usual he was flitting around with a tea towel in his hand, unfortunately he put the tea towel on the hob and it caught fire because Sam has accidentally left one of the burners on low. There was no real harm done, just a cremated tea towel and a serious scare, but it caused a panic and Robbie is still sulking a whole day later!

Getting There

Saturday 29th May

It was a reasonably good journey. We stopped at the services on M4 and Robbie managed to sleepwalk to the Gents and back but within seconds he was comatose again and his latte travelled all the way to Taunton before being tipped away. This time he didn't stay awake long enough to go into the services, he was sound asleep again as we travelled into Cornwall. Sound was the operative word, the soundtrack was really irritating, I tried to throw a deaf ear and focus on Radio 4, but Sam who was sitting behind Robbie was almost overcome by the temptation to silence him.

We arrived in Padstow early enough to have our choice of parking spaces, just as well as the spaces are a bit tight and parking a seven seater can be challenging when it is busy. It was at this point that Robbie discovered that he had forgotten his rucksack containing his wallet, money, bank cards, passes, ipod and charger, phone charger and the countless other essentials that he drags around with him. Predictably he had a strop, he sat there arms folded and lip sticking out a mile, he even tried to blame me for making him forget it, but I have to admit that he got over his strop fairly quickly. We had a picnic breakfast, then we had a look at the shops and had a wander around Padstow before having lunch at our favourite cafe by the harbour.

We arrived at the Caravan at about 3pm, it is a new one this year and very nice. The view as ever is wonderful but by the time we had unloaded the car and unpacked I was too tired to take much notice of anything and I was fast asleep long before the Eurovision Song Contest came on television - I'm sure I didn't miss much!

Ready at Last

Friday was a bit of a blur, packing, getting the car ready and filling it with fuel as well as last minute shopping. By 7.30pm everything was packed, the house was a tidy as I could manage and I tucked myself into bed to get some sleep before the long drive to Cornwall. I planned to get up at 2am so I needed a very early night. I'd not heard from Robbie but Laura was on standby to pick him up if he managed to get home without incident.

The call of the bathroom woke me up at midnight and as I sleeply emerged from the bathroom Robbie came bounding up the stairs wearing some new PJ bottoms, they had Batfink on them and they were startling to say the least. I went back to bed and reluctantly got up again at 2am. Robbie was still up, he was too scared to go to be because he knew he wouldnt get up again. I had to hurry him along because he was still running on Irish time and at that speed the holiday would be over before we got there!

I packed the flasks and food for the journey, then I packed the final items into the car while Robbie downed tools and made himself a bacon sandwich (at 3am!). Finally Laura and Sam and I were ready in the car and after sitting in the car waiting for Robbie for what seemed like hours we drove off towards Cornwall. By the time we reached the end of our road everyone else was asleep and I was left with an increasingly stressy sat nav for company. I knew the best way to go and each time I ignored the sat nav I could hear the edge in her voice as she announced that she was "recalculating".