The Big Freeze

Robbie often comes up with ideas and most of them are totally batty (I think he reserves his sensible thoughts for work) but his latest daft idea has really annoyed me. We have had a couple of occasions recently when he has struggled to get up on time. Any sensible person would tell him that if he stays up working on his timetables until 2am he will not be ready to wake up again at 5am! Robbie has given the matter a lot of thought and has come up with the idea that we are feeling tired because the bedroom is too hot, so without any discussion he turned the radiator off. We only have it on for a few hours morning and evening, but that is enough to take the chill off the room and make it comfortable. Without heat it is so cold that I can't get to sleep for ages and when I wake up in the morning it is so cold that I just want to turn over and go back to sleep. I have had a full and frank exchange of views with Robbie and until normal heating is resumed I am on strike!

Fast Forward

We were up until 1am messing around with Sam's laptop, I wish people gave me that much attention when I feel overworked and under valued! Anyway poor old Robbie was nodding off in his chair and leaning at a precarious angle, I tried to send him off to bed, but he insisted that he was wide awake and he would wait for me. I gave up on the laptop in the end and left it to sulk, while Robbie and I got some much needed sleep.

Not surprisingly we overslept slightly this morning, so Robbie had to start the day on 'fast forward', but I think he still caught his train. He loves his job, but he has found the last couple of weeks hard going, even when he is at home he seems to find it hard to switch off. I understand, I've had similar times, but I'm determined that this coming weekend I will find a way to take his mind off work – even if it means going on a train journey!

The laptop is being a little more cooperative this morning, it is defragmenting, very slowly, but at least we are heading in the right direction.

Running Late

I nearly had to put Robbie's dinner in the dog yesterday evening, he got delayed at work - again! Just being an hour later throws our whole evening into confusion, it gets very complicated to try to provide the whole family with a meal at the same time, usually there is always someone who has to eat later, it drives me mad.

When he finally got home Robbie got a bit huffy because I had bought myself a book, it was about railway history in Northamptonshire, it's really interesting, but he seems to think that all train books in the house have to be chosen by him. He was bursting to read it, but he wouldn't because he kept stressing that it was my book - what nonsense!

We overslept this morning, I remember waking Robbie up, but he must have gone back to sleep because he was racing around on 'fast forward' trying to get out on time to get his next train. He rang me later to say that he got the train with 2 minutes to spare. I am used to him giving me a detailed account of all his journeys with accurate timing, but it wasn't until this morning that something triggered a distant memory in my mind. Reginald Perrin! He used to entertain the women in his life with mind blowingly boring detail about his daily journey's to and from work. At least Robbie is rather less predictable than Reginald Perrin, but he is irritating sometimes, I have to beg him to stop talking!

Sparky Strikes Again! 22.01.07

Not a very good start to the week, we overslept! I woke up half an hour after Robbie should have left for the station. For the next 15 minutes we were on fast forward, Robbie had the world's fastest shower and shave and made a frantic dash for the station. I hate rushing like that, and Sam was furious about having his morning routine messed up. But by the time Sam and I left for school and work we were only running about five minutes late.

I think it was a busy and frustrating day for both of us, but as soon as Robbie got home I was treated to all the intricate details of his journey to work. We had a lovely meal and I was just looking forward to sitting down with a cup of tea when 'Sparky' Burgess emerged from the kitchen clutching his finger and writhing in pain, he had apparently got an electric shock from the kettle which had then spluttered and died (the kettle, not Robbie). I was happy to cope until tomorrow, but he wasn't taking no for an answer and he dragged me off to Tesco's for a new kettle. What is the attraction of Tesco's, he can't keep away. Oh well, at least I got a cup of tea in the end!