Moving On

There has been a long silence on the blog, over a week of saying nothing I wasn't able to talk about something that was happening, hence the reason for my silence but at last I can speak again. Robbie made the difficult decision that after almost fifteen years it was time to leave the company that he works for and set his sights on pastures new. It has been a very big decision and it has occupied our thoughts for months, but it was very important to do things properly and I couldn't mention it on the blog until everything was agreed with his employer and his departure had been announced. He is still technically with the company for a few weeks longer, but he is now using up leave, his last working day was last Friday.

In the weeks leading up to his departure there were several important jobs to be done including emptying his cupboard and his desk. It sounds simple enough doesn't it, but this is Robbie that we are talking about! It took a huge amount of effort but thanks to the effort of two wonderful 'helpers' his cupboard was emptied - it is just as well that my Ford Galaxy has the rear seats removed because the contents of his cupboard filled the car. I thought that was the end of it but more bags and boxes followed as he emptied his desk - even a tardis couldn't hold that much 'stuff' so we now have a a lifetime of timetables that were taking up house room. It seems that he has several copies of every leaflet ever published by a train company, he also has the largest mug collection known to man and other sundry 'junk' that will fill at least 20 archive boxes!! By junk I mean old tickets, reservation slips and assorted stuff that 'normal' people would throw away. I have tried to be understanding but it is difficult, I feel as if I am drowning in clutter. I am ashamed to admit that you can't actually see our garage any more, the utility room has become a store room and all things railway related have invaded the bedroom!! Just occasionally I crave a a bit of 'normality'. When I told Robbie how I felt he told me that in 100 years time it will be an important historical archive. I wasn't as reassured by that as he expected, after all in 100 years (or even 50 years) I will not be around.

In the Driving Seat 24.09.2007

The car is in full working order again, that's more than I can say for my bank balance, the car cost nearer to £500 than £400!! It was the power steering and several associated parts. The mechanic saved the old parts to show me, I can't believe such insignificant little bits can cost so much. At least I now have a garage that treats me like a human being and gets the work done quickly so I mustn't moan too much.

We had a lovely day at my mum's yesterday, we had a family day to say goodbye to Emily before she goes off to university. As always my mum thought she was catering for a multitude and there was far too much food. Even Robbie left food on his plate at lunch time and that is very rare indeed. Robbie has been a bit out of sorts over the weekend, he fell over on Friday and as well as hurting himself it made him very cross with himself. Just to make matters worse I have been continuing with the reorganisation of the kitchen cupboards and Robbie hates change - unless it is him doing the changing! My greatest transgression was apparently to buy a new tea towel that cost the huge sum of £1 and is slightly different to our usual ones. He claims not to like it, but it does the job and I suspect his real objection is that he didn't choose it. I guess you have to be a bit obsessive to do the sort of job that Robbie does, but this is ridiculous!

Obsessions 14.09.2007

Robbie has been at it again - getting obsessive. He is struggling to cope because I am re organising the kitchen cupboards and I haven't consulted him, so he is feeling really out of control. He has moaned about every new container or storage box and demanded to know exactly what it was for and why. It came to head when I bought a towel rail and he had a moan about it and demanded to know where I thought I was going to put it - I was so tempted to speak my thoughts! I think he got the message and he has been a bit more cautious about kitchen matters for a day or two. Instead he has directed his attention to socks. He claims that his new 'best' socks have been pilfered. Why is it always his 'best' socks that go missing? He went on and on about them being from M&S as if they should get preferential treatment. I have no interest in his socks, I just wash them, dry them and pair them up and I told him very clearly that if he was suggesting that I lost them in the wash he could do his own laundry in future. There was a sudden backtracking and a hint that Sam could be responsible. Two points cast doubt on this, I bought Sam 30 pairs of school socks for the start of term and if Sam tried to wear Robbie's long socks he would look ridiculous, they would go almost up to his thigh. I don't think they are lost at all just in the wrong place among Robbie's things. I explained all this to him last night and I thought he had dropped the subject, but I was woken at 1am by a searchlight shining directly into my eyes and a lot of movement on Robbie's side of the bed - he was looking for his socks!! I think he worked out that I was not happy and he beat a hasty retreat, by the time he came to bed I was fast asleep. Of all the things in this world to worry about why choose socks!