Is It Raining Men?

Friday went past in a blur of activity, dealing with all those last minute jobs that have to be done before going on holiday. The day began with me chasing Robbie upstairs, he had been promising to go up to the loft to fetch some of my talking books for weeks and he had finally run out of excuses. Once he was safely in the loft I moved his ladder, to make sure he didn't escape until I was satisfied that all the jobs in the loft. There was a lot of thumping and clattering, it sounded as if he would fall through the ceiling at any minute, but just for once my worst fears were not realised. He emerged triumphantly bearing a box full of talking books that for the last few weeks he had insisted were not there, and he insisted that he had to have a shower before he did anything else. Unfortunately I had just run the bath for the dog and since Robbie was already dirty and semi naked (as usual) he was the ideal person to bath he dog! She wasn't overjoyed about the experience, but she behaved very well until I was safely out of range, then she shook herself vigorously and covered Robbie and the bathroom with water. Finally a rather damp and dejected, but clean dog and a clean and adequately dressed husband emerged to face the world and we were ready to go out and tackle the long list of errands that needed our attention.

We had already bought a whole trolley full of 'essentials' for the pets at the pet superstore, and we were heading to the garage to check the tyre pressure before braving the supermarket. Robbie had been getting increasingly annoyed with himself and he was ready to fall out with his own shadow. I knew what the problem was, he was in pain and struggling to walk, but there was nothing I could do to help. He sat in the car and used some of the more obscure and descriptive words in his vocabulary to tell his right leg exactly how he felt about it. Of course the leg took no notice, and Robbie grew increasingly angry with himself. In the end I had to get cross with him and remind him that many people with spina bifida would think he was lucky to be mobile and have fairly normal function. It sounds hard hearted, but I love him, I can't change the way things are, but I can do my best to keep him motivated and help him to keep a sense of perspective. He has to go back to the doctor to get his pain relief sorted out, but as usual I will have to drag him there!

We got everything done in the end, but by the time went to bed we were shattered and we had to make an early start on Saturday morning.

Lord of the Loft 18.12.07

Robbie didn't quite resort to a sleeping bag at work, but he was extremely late home from work last night. I get the feeling that he sees a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of getting all his work done in time, but there are still plenty of things that could go wrong so that light could turn out to be a train! He has promised faithfully to be home on time today because I need him to put some stuff in the loft ready for Christmas and I need him to find several things that are stored in the loft. It sounds like a simple task and perhaps people would assume that I could do that myself, but there is just one obstacle - Robbie is Lord of the Loft. It is his domain, it is organised his way and he is very territorial about it. I admit that with the present ladder I would find it a challenge to get into the loft and almost impossible to get out again because I get very dizzy, but if other people go up there it is a very big deal. Several days ago he claimed that someone had been in the loft and moved something, I am not aware that that anyone did, but it resulted in lots of huffing and puffing and to judge from what he was saying the whole loft will have to be re organised again!

We really must make it a new year resolution to get rid of most of the junk up there, over the years stuff gets put there and we really don't need most of it. That loft is the nearest thing I know to a tardis, it is hard to work out how so many things fit into a limited space. I think Robbie is a bit reluctant to free up too much space, a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that if we sorted the loft he could store all his train sets up there because they are taking over the house. He turned white, stuttered and then gave me a long and exhausting explanation to prove that it would be impossible; apparently they need temperature control, regular maintenance and lots of tlc - so do wives! Oh well maybe his railway books could go up there instead, but somehow I doubt it!

Lofty Ideas 22.01.07

Robbie has been extremely irritating today. Before we got up this morning we got into a verbal dispute about the location of Northampton, he simply will not believe that we are in the East Midlands despite overwhelming evidence. In the end he reached over to his book case and I thought the dreaded Quail map was coming out again. I had intended to hide it after being treated to an incredibly detailed account of the route taken during his marathon journey from Leeds to Birmingham on Thursday. My efforts would have been pointless because he produced the Bakers Railway Atlas instead, and knowing that he had lost the argument, he attempted to bore me into submission!

I retreated to the bathroom for a relaxing bath, but Robbie was not far behind. By this point he was bleating about the exact location of Walsall (unless last weeks gales were more devastating than we have been led to believe, I suspect it is still in the same place!). I thought he needed something to distract him, so I asked him to go up to the loft to get some items that he had squirreled away before Christmas. I find it hard to get into the loft so I have to rely on Robbie, but as usual he got really possessive about it and seemed to require my request in triplicate giving detailed reasons for wanting my own stuff back. Somewhere hidden inside that train planner there is a bureaucrat fighting to get out! Sanity won, and with a bit of huffing and puffing he went up to the loft and reluctantly liberated most of the things I needed.

I shopped for food on Thursday and again on Saturday but once again Robbie asked to go to Tesco Express this evening. Every sunday evening he finds a compelling reason to drag me off to Tesco's, I am beginning to think he must have a woman hidden away there! He means well, but today was definitely one of his annoying days; never mind, I can send him to work tomorrow, I'm sure they must be used to him by now!