Scary Shoes

Robbie enjoyed his birthday very much, it would have been nice to have him home a bit earlier, but things don't always work out as planned (especially when London Midland are involved!). We had a happy evening together and he was able to tell me all about his day, it seemed to involve a lot food so perhaps it is a good thing that birthdays only happen once a year! He had two breakfasts, a lovely lunch and his favourite meal in the evening, no wonder he was too full to have any birthday cake! So we decided to save the cake until today.

Life with Robbie is never dull, I have learnt to expect the unexpected, but last night I was lost for words. Watching Robbie try on his new Dr Martens was a surreal experience. He was wearing a white T-shirt and his favourite very bright and very baggy M&M design PJ bottoms when he decided to try on his new Dr Martens. The shoes are white with brown trim and in my opinion they are absolutely horrible, but Robbie fell in love with them and because I love him very much I bought them for him as an early birthday present. He sat for a little while just stroking and admiring the shoes, then he decided to try them on.


He deliberated about the colour of the laces for a few minutes, he asked if I thought the white or the brown laces would look best. It really made no difference, the shoes would still look horrible, but I chose brown, so Robbie decided on white. The shoes looked so wrong, the look was not helped by the black socks that he was wearing. Not to mention the M&M PJ bottoms. He walked up and down the lounge, one hand on his hip and asked me what I thought. I am rarely lost for words, but on this occasion I was speechless. What I was actually thinking was that he looked like a cross between Larry Grayson and Phil Mitchell, but perhaps it wasn't the moment to say so!

My heart sank when he announced that he would be wearing his new shoes to work today, I am not sure the railways are ready for a shock like that, but I couldn't change his mind. He is wearing them with jeans and a casual shirt, personally I think they are hideous but I will leave you to decide....... 

Robbie to the Rescue

I always enjoy Friday evenings, the weekend stretches before us and I can look forward to not getting up at the crack of dawn. We had not been home for very long when the phone rang with an SOS for Robbie. My friend Marion was having problems with her router and she needed to borrow Robbie for an hour or two. After our meal I dropped Robbie at her house, which is not far from where we live, that left me free to pop to the supermarket and then to get on with some cooking. I was expecting Robbie to take ages because Marion's computer has proved stubborn in the past. I was wrong, it only took him just over an hour, so when he rang I was in the middle of cooking. I was making cakes for Robbie, as requested. When I collected him he emerged from Marion's house clutching a tin full of cakes! There is something about Robbie that makes people want to feed him, its the only way I know to stop him talking so perhaps it isn't so surprising.

Saturday morning is always a time for random statements from Robbie and this morning was no exception. After we had almost had an argument about the London Mayoral elections, Robbie cuddled up to me and announced that he was missing his contact from Network Rail at Leeds. She is off sick and Robbie said it doesn't feel right not having her at the end of the phone. Oddly enough I hadn't planned to spend my extra hour or so in bed talking about Network Rail, but it seems as if work is never far from Robbie's mind.

We had the usual argument in the supermarket when Robbie repacked the trolley just to prove that he was in control. I put it back how I wanted it and he stomped towards the cat food telling me that I could keep the trolley. I took him at his word but within seconds he was back to take control once more. When we got home again he was doing a lot of clattering around and sighing in the kitchen so I left him to it. I ploughed my way through the ironing, so Sam and Robbie have another weeks supply of ironed shirts - if I had my way men would be banned from wearing shirts!!

Finally I had finished the ironing, sorted out the cat tray and supervised Sam cleaning out his guinea pig. I sat down for a well earned rest while watching I'd Do Anything - did I mention before that Sam had to point out to me the irony of Graham Norton searching for a Nancy! I was enjoying the show when Robbie, who is not the worlds most effective window, stood between me and the screen and began a detailed account of the freezer contents and a convoluted explanation of the way he had reorganised the storage space. He got really cross when I told him to go away and leave me to enjoy the television. He is a control freak when it comes to the fridge and freezer, he even leaves post it notes to tell people what to eat first! I don't know why he bothers because we all do as we like anyway. Why does he have to be so exhausting?

Wrong Time, Wrong Place. 27.01.08

For once we had a Saturday when I didn't have to drag myself out of bed ridiculously early to take someone to work or to catch a train or whatever. I spend a large part of my life driving my family here there and everywhere. For once I enjoyed a lazy start to the day and it was nice to have Robbie at home on a Saturday for a change. As usual it wasn't long before I was treated to one of Robbie's 'wrong time, wrong place' comments. I thought I finally had his undivided attention, but suddenly he informed me that his Hornby Blue Pullman was DCC ready - he had spotted it on top of the wardrobe! The trouble is once he starts on the subject of trains you cant shut him up and he started to ramble on about the relative merits of the Hornby Virgin Pendolino as against the Dapol version. There was only one course of action open to me, I sent him off to make a cup of tea!

The cats don't seem to mind listening to random information about trains, as long as he feeds them, so he stayed downstairs talking to the cats while i enjoyed a few minutes of peace and quiet with Radio 4. A bit later on I was busy with some paperwork and I noticed that Robbie was missing - I always start to worry when he goes quiet! He was having a chat with one of my friends on instant messenger, she wants to borrow him again, that man will do anything for cake!! There was only a brief respite from railway related ramblings, he pestered me all afternoon until I gave in and took him too the model shop to buy the new Hornby catalogue. It cost £8 just for the catalogue, but at least it kept him quiet for a while!

Borrowed 02.07.07

I think it was only yesterday that I wrote about Robbie's women. This evening I was busy typing up the website when an email popped up from one of Robbie's 'girlfriends' to ask if she could borrow him! I agreed of course and said she could keep him for a week if she liked, but people always send him back because he talks too much. She replied asking if I would mind if she made him a cake. It must be his aftershave, or perhaps it is his sparkling conversation

Sea Birds 01.06.07

Today is the first day of Laura’s birthday celebrations, her birthday is actually tomorrow, but we will be travelling home tomorrow so she decided to start the celebrations today! She chose three of her presents and all her cards to open today and she has saved the others until tomorrow morning. She chose well and found her main present – a new mobile. She spent the rest of the morning relaxing on the beach keying all her vital data to her new phone. Gone are the days Barbie and Sylvanian Families, it was so much easier when the birthday shopping could all be done at Toys R Us.

It has been a lovely day. I went out for a walk first thing the light is so good for photography on a clear morning. I am sure I could stay here for ever and never tire of the view and the feeling of being connected with the world around me.

We spent most of the day on the beach followed by a quick trip to St Merryn and then to Tesco to collect Laura’s birthday cake – a rich chocolate cake covered in slivers of grated chocolate.

Robbie and I walked along the coast path towards the lifeboat house this evening, it is so beautiful just sitting there looking out across the bay. We saw two of those black sea birds whose name reduces Sam and Robbie to the worst excesses of school boy humour, and usually results in a list of the rudest combinations of bird names they can think of. I wonder if Robbie will ever grow up!

Even later in the evening it was warm enough to sit outside and enjoy a cup of tea. Oh well, back to reality tomorrow.