Robbie is going to dump me again, I know it and he knows that I know, but I am not going to make it easy for him. It all started when he opened his post yesterday evening, I could see him getting twitchy and I knew he had something to say, but Robbie is not to good at getting to the point. The next couple of hours were spent with him edging around the subject and not actually finding the courage to come right out with it. I was busy filling in student finance forms for Laura, not exactly fun at the best of times and it involved me trawling through a load of old income records so I was becoming increasingly frustrated. It wasn't the ideal time for Robbie to try his luck.
First he mentioned that our holiday dates clashed with a diesel gala again and when I didn't respond he told me how much he loved going to Barrow Hill. Then the word Deltic seemed to crop up in every other sentence, and when he still got no response he plodded across the room to show me the leaflet for the diesel gala at Barrow Hill. Once again he told me what bad timing it was because it was the day we go on holiday to Norfolk. When I glanced at the leaflet and told him not to worry because once you have seen one diesel you have seen them all, I thought he would burst. After a few more heavy hints he gave up and fell asleep with his nose on the keyboard of the laptop, but you can be sure that the same subject will crop up again and again. He has set his heart on going to Barrow Hill, so one way or another that will involve me going on holiday without a husband (again!). Maybe I will have to find a replacement for when the real Robbie isn't available!
Showing posts with label diesel gala. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diesel gala. Show all posts
Friday, 19 June 2009
Monday, 28 April 2008
Coping Strategies
Recently a number of people have asked how I cope with Robbie, I don't really see it as coping with him, I want to be with him. You could just as well ask him how he copes with me! He is certainly more unique than most, and yes, I admit that he can be downright frustrating, but I think that has something to do with being male. On the whole I am supportive of his interests, after all while he is playing trains or going to gigs he isn't getting into trouble, and he could have chosen far more expensive hobbies. I guess the answer to how I cope with Robbie lies in the blog, when he frustrates me I write about it, it prevents me from beating him to a pulp! He has many good points too, but perhaps I don't write about those things as much - there are limits to what I want to share!
I don't really mind Robbie's railway obsession, we have enough common ground to make it work. I am very interested in history and railway history is fascinating, so there is plenty to keep me interested. I enjoy travelling by train and it is nice to go on journeys together, but most of the time I don't go with Robbie on his days out. I have things to do at home and I would get bored at diesel galas and model rail exhibitions. You have to be certain kind of person to enjoy trundling backwards and forwards over the same stretch of track all day just to travel behind different engines. The one good thing about railway open days is that they make Robbie seem incredibly normal, there are some very odd specimens around. I think it is the sandals and socks that I find most alarming! To be fair most railway people I have met are nice, but however normal they seem they all have that obsessive streak to a greater or lesser extent.
Robbie has mentioned that one or two of his colleagues partners have threatened to write a blog too. I could always offer a spot for a guest blogger!! Robbie showed me the first edition of their staff magazine, it made me rather grateful because Robbie's obsessions are much more normal than some. Imagine having to cope with someone who is so obsessed with bottle openers that his collection has taken over an entire house! At least Robbie can't bring a deltic home!
Robbie's next hospital appointment came through last Friday and typically the date offered was for the week of our holiday. He has managed to change it, but it means that he will have to wait until mid June to get the results of his MRI scan.
I don't really mind Robbie's railway obsession, we have enough common ground to make it work. I am very interested in history and railway history is fascinating, so there is plenty to keep me interested. I enjoy travelling by train and it is nice to go on journeys together, but most of the time I don't go with Robbie on his days out. I have things to do at home and I would get bored at diesel galas and model rail exhibitions. You have to be certain kind of person to enjoy trundling backwards and forwards over the same stretch of track all day just to travel behind different engines. The one good thing about railway open days is that they make Robbie seem incredibly normal, there are some very odd specimens around. I think it is the sandals and socks that I find most alarming! To be fair most railway people I have met are nice, but however normal they seem they all have that obsessive streak to a greater or lesser extent.
Robbie has mentioned that one or two of his colleagues partners have threatened to write a blog too. I could always offer a spot for a guest blogger!! Robbie showed me the first edition of their staff magazine, it made me rather grateful because Robbie's obsessions are much more normal than some. Imagine having to cope with someone who is so obsessed with bottle openers that his collection has taken over an entire house! At least Robbie can't bring a deltic home!
Robbie's next hospital appointment came through last Friday and typically the date offered was for the week of our holiday. He has managed to change it, but it means that he will have to wait until mid June to get the results of his MRI scan.
Thursday, 24 April 2008
Robbie the Red Head?
Robbie has been a bit challenging recently. In fact he was so challenging yesterday that I asked him if he liked the idea of having red hair – because if he carried on like that I would be seriously tempted to bury an axe in his head! Network Rail has been annoying him again and when they start messing around with his timetables it always makes him like this. I had to ban him from talking about Network Rail in the end because his language was far from moderate. I guess I should have just introduced a swear box, he would have been bankrupt within an hour. It must be very frustrating to have to deal with Network Rail every day, but when he gets home he needs to learn to forget about it. On the subject of frustration, he gets really cross with himself because his legs have been very painful lately and it makes everything just a bit more difficult. I guess my job is to help him to keep everything in perspective.
Having decided against the axe, I was left with only one way to silence Robbie – to feed him! I made him some Rice Crispy Cakes (one of his favourites) because a couple of weeks ago he had mentioned that he would like some. I also made him some rice pudding because he and Sam like it; we don’t usually have a dessert so he needn’t think I’m going to make a habit of making puddings. He was too cross with himself to be appreciative, the rice pudding was too dry and the Rice Crispy cakes didn’t have enough chocolate – when did Robbie become Jamie Oliver! A frank exchange of views became necessary and afterwards he was considerably more appreciative.
This morning he was running late and he got himself into a mega strop. His world stopped because someone had stolen his pants – why would anyone want them! He was just looking in the wrong place, but that put his whole morning routine out and things went from bad to worse, he spilled coffee on his tie, lost his travel mug - and his temper! I gave him a lift to the station to help him to catch up with himself and he gradually calmed down. He admitted that there is another cause to his frustration – his Model Rail magazine has not been delivered on time! It sounds trivial, but to Robbie it really is a big deal, you should hear him going on about it. I got a smile out of him in the end when he admitted that he has found his own way of cheering himself up – he’s going to a diesel gala at the week end. Well, at least he’s predictable!
Having decided against the axe, I was left with only one way to silence Robbie – to feed him! I made him some Rice Crispy Cakes (one of his favourites) because a couple of weeks ago he had mentioned that he would like some. I also made him some rice pudding because he and Sam like it; we don’t usually have a dessert so he needn’t think I’m going to make a habit of making puddings. He was too cross with himself to be appreciative, the rice pudding was too dry and the Rice Crispy cakes didn’t have enough chocolate – when did Robbie become Jamie Oliver! A frank exchange of views became necessary and afterwards he was considerably more appreciative.
This morning he was running late and he got himself into a mega strop. His world stopped because someone had stolen his pants – why would anyone want them! He was just looking in the wrong place, but that put his whole morning routine out and things went from bad to worse, he spilled coffee on his tie, lost his travel mug - and his temper! I gave him a lift to the station to help him to catch up with himself and he gradually calmed down. He admitted that there is another cause to his frustration – his Model Rail magazine has not been delivered on time! It sounds trivial, but to Robbie it really is a big deal, you should hear him going on about it. I got a smile out of him in the end when he admitted that he has found his own way of cheering himself up – he’s going to a diesel gala at the week end. Well, at least he’s predictable!
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
A Personal Choice 05.05.07
Do you remember the deal I struck with Robbie to allow him to go to the diesel gala. He completed the first part of the bargain on Thursday and he has another week to complete part two. Thursday was an interesting day, I took Emily to vote for the first time. Listening to her talk about the experiences of her friends (other first time voters) I realised that with all the heavy handed government control of education, they have missed the basics. Nobody has ever explained to them how to vote, I don't mean who to vote for, I mean the process of going to put your cross on a ballot paper. Consequently the vast majority of her friends didn't vote, and of the couple who did, one spoiled her paper and one accidentally voted for the wrong party (because she didn't think that you were allowed to vote for 2 counsellors from the same party!). The right of every adult to have a vote was something our ancestors fought for and it is terribly sad that so many people do not bother to vote. From my point of view, I always seem to end up worse off whoever wins, but that's another story!
Saturday, 16 February 2008
Fast Forward 21.04.07
Robbie had one of his little strops on the train last night. He had planned to go late night shopping for shorts so that he could wear them to the diesel gala on Saturday. Being a man he had omitted to communicate his intentions to me (his personal chauffeur) and I had arranged to do something else. After a bit of juggling, I found time to take him shopping and after long deliberation he bought two pairs of shorts. Back at home he held the shorts up and asked if I liked them. Being a truthful sort of person I couldn't manage a blatant lie and I muttered something about the 'interesting colour'. Robbie forced the issue and eventually I admitted that I didn't like them. Still not satisfied he demanded to know why, until we were on the verge of an argument. I suggested that he should try them on as that was the only way to know for sure if they suited him. He tried them on (in the lounge!), it would be untrue to say they didn't fit, they did, but they restricted his ability to walk and talk to such an extent that parts of his anatomy were at risk of permanent damage. Apparently it is my fault that they have to be taken back! Yorkshire will still be treated to a view of the Burgess knees because I reminded him that he had a more suitable pair of shorts and they have the added attraction of allowing him to breathe.
I went to bed before Robbie last night. he was busy planning the contents of his rucksack for the morning. He called after me to promise that he would be careful not to wake anyone up when he got ready in the morning. Considerably later I was awoken by Robbie apparently jumping on the bed. From his conversation (with his invisible friend) I deduced that he was looking for a pair of socks - that man has more socks than Marks and Spencers, surely he has sufficient choice without having to track down a particular pair. I tried to ignore him, but after 5 or 10 minutes of continued disturbance I became more assertive, the lights went off and Robbie retreated still claiming that I was being unreasonable.
In order to get the full effect from the next paragraph you need a tune running through your head, Yakety Sax to be precise (it's the Benny Hill tune). If you need a clue follow this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTiQDyVv7KQ
Right now play that tune in your head.
I woke this morning to the irritating bleep of my alarm clock, I realised Robbie was still sleeping next to me, so I gave him a hefty prod and moaned at him for setting my alarm. In one movement he was out of bed and at the window. A couple of expletives preceded the revelation that he had overslept and the taxi was outside. It seems I had forgotten to turn off my alarm clock last night and it had woken me at the weekday time of 5.30am. Robbie had hit the fast forward button and the next 4 or 5 minutes were a blur of footsteps, down the stairs, up the stairs, into the bathroom, out again, down the stairs, into the kitchen, up the stairs again, into the bedroom, jump on and off the bed down the stairs, pickup the rucksack, out of the house and into the taxi. He made his train and he woke everyone in the house! I am not prepared to disclose my thoughts when I couldn't get back to sleep, but I will sum it up by saying that I wasn't too happy!
I immersed myself in some family history research in lieu of sleep and enjoyed the peace and quiet - finally! Robbie rang me later to tell me that he had managed to make it to McDonalds and back to his connecting train on time. Unfortunately his leg gave way (it happens sometimes) and he fell down the side of the train, he has cuts and grazes and pain in his leg, back and assorted places. I hope it doesn't spoil his day
I went to bed before Robbie last night. he was busy planning the contents of his rucksack for the morning. He called after me to promise that he would be careful not to wake anyone up when he got ready in the morning. Considerably later I was awoken by Robbie apparently jumping on the bed. From his conversation (with his invisible friend) I deduced that he was looking for a pair of socks - that man has more socks than Marks and Spencers, surely he has sufficient choice without having to track down a particular pair. I tried to ignore him, but after 5 or 10 minutes of continued disturbance I became more assertive, the lights went off and Robbie retreated still claiming that I was being unreasonable.
In order to get the full effect from the next paragraph you need a tune running through your head, Yakety Sax to be precise (it's the Benny Hill tune). If you need a clue follow this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTiQDyVv7KQ
Right now play that tune in your head.
I woke this morning to the irritating bleep of my alarm clock, I realised Robbie was still sleeping next to me, so I gave him a hefty prod and moaned at him for setting my alarm. In one movement he was out of bed and at the window. A couple of expletives preceded the revelation that he had overslept and the taxi was outside. It seems I had forgotten to turn off my alarm clock last night and it had woken me at the weekday time of 5.30am. Robbie had hit the fast forward button and the next 4 or 5 minutes were a blur of footsteps, down the stairs, up the stairs, into the bathroom, out again, down the stairs, into the kitchen, up the stairs again, into the bedroom, jump on and off the bed down the stairs, pickup the rucksack, out of the house and into the taxi. He made his train and he woke everyone in the house! I am not prepared to disclose my thoughts when I couldn't get back to sleep, but I will sum it up by saying that I wasn't too happy!
I immersed myself in some family history research in lieu of sleep and enjoyed the peace and quiet - finally! Robbie rang me later to tell me that he had managed to make it to McDonalds and back to his connecting train on time. Unfortunately his leg gave way (it happens sometimes) and he fell down the side of the train, he has cuts and grazes and pain in his leg, back and assorted places. I hope it doesn't spoil his day
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