On Sunday evening Robbie, my son and I were sitting in the lounge, they were watching something boring on television and I was chatting to someone on the internet. The adverts came on and I commented on one which really annoys me. Rather than making me want to buy their products it makes me want to shop elsewhere to punish them for such irritating adverts. My son who was sitting on the other side of the room said "Mum, speak with your inside voice!"
Robbie was sitting in the corner trying to hide the fact that he was giggling like Mutley. He and my son are like two little kids, each takes great pleasure in seeing the other one get into trouble, but at other times they gang up and tease me. I overcame the urge to dash across the room and grab him by the throat, preferring instead to let him hear considerably more of my 'outside voice'.
I pointed out that I had put up with a lifetime of drivel from my son. I had smiled sweetly during his 'dinosaur phase' while being subjected to more information than anyone could ever need to know about the life and times of the dinosaur. Then there had been his Denis the Menace phase, his spy phase, the Superman phase. Not to mention his obsessive interest in all things film related - and I do mean all things film related, he nearly drove me mad with the myth of the hanging Munchkin. Then we come to Robbie, I don't know where to start when it comes to his obsessions, he shares Lego, Dr Martens, Indie music, Hornby, railways in general, buses, books, magazines ......... and that really is the tip of the iceberg. I can assure you that he doesn't hold back when it comes to sharing his enthusiasm about all these subjects - even at the most inappropriate moments. Thanks to Robbie I know so much about the workings (and failings) of train toilets that I could choose it as a specialist subject on Mastermind! I have never once asked either of them to 'speak with their inside voice' and I have put up with both of them having the attention span of a gnat when it comes to anything I want to talk to them about. Well the worm has turned! Prepare to be bored rigid boys, you are going to hear a lot more of my voice, as they say, if you can't beat them join them!!
My arm feels as if someone has filled it with concrete, it is as heavy as lead and it really aches. I had my flu jab on Tuesday and I always get a bad local reaction to it so I know this is nothing to worry about, but I wish it would get better. By yesterday evening Robbie was feeling a little better, but he still has a bad headache. Laura was poorly yesterday with similar symptoms to Robbie, but Sam who had the bug a day before Robbie was better and able to return to school. So that just leaves me, I am hoping they will have kept their germs to themselves because I really don't want to get it. I knew that Robbie was getting back to normal when at well after 1am when we were both in bed he started to talk about the Ugly Boys who had apparently just arrived in UK. I thought he was talking about one of the bands that he likes because they all seem to have wierd names, but as he warmed to his subject it became clear that he was talking about trains! Two engines (from USA I think) that are as ugly as sin have just arrived in UK. When he showed me a picture of them I could see what he meant, they are horrible, but at 1am I have better things to do than worry about the aesthetics of the railways!
I'm expecting snow - Robbie managed to get home from work early yesterday, and that is so rare it is bound to up upset the weather! Of course he had an ulterior motive, he was trying to get into my good books so that I would let him go out and play trains all weekend. He thought he could charm his way into favour, but in the end it came down to tough negotiations, he is going to be a very busy boy over the next day or two!It looks as if I will have another lonely weekend, Laura is on holiday in Greece with her friend, Emily will be out and Sam has plans to celebrate the start of the school summer holidays by meeting up with his friends, so I plan to enjoy myself too.
Robbie still says that his behaviour provides no evidence of aspie traits, so he has challenged me to make a list.
He counts the stairs, he used to do it out loud until I teased him about it, now he does it quietly but I can still see his lips moving as he counts.
He acts as if he is the 'fridge police' if I shop and put new food away in the fridge he has to empty the whole thing and pack it again when he gets home. Robbie's Random Ramblings: The Fridge Police
He has a full scale tantrum if I buy the wrong size or shape tomato sauce bottle because it doesn't fit his plan for where things go in the fridge. Robbie's Random Ramblings: Fitting In
Even more irritating is his habit of leaving post it notes on items in the fridge, it makes me furious. Robbie's Random Ramblings: King of the Fridge
When we go shopping he he is a total control freak, he has to be the one to push the trolley, he has to pack the trolley and when we get to the checkout the food has to be packed his way (which as far as I'm concerned is not the best way). Usually by the time we get to the checkout I am too exhausted to argue and I just let him get on with it. Robbie's Random Ramblings: Survival - Against The Odds! 14.06.07Robbie is very possessive about 'his seat' at home and he even gets upset if someone sits on 'his seat' on the train. I fact he will run and force his way to the front to make sure that he gets on the train in time to get 'his seat'.
The clothes he wears are a bit like him, loud, startling and a bit crazy - need I say more!
Robbie's" Random Ramblings: Human Rights
Robbie is very lovable, but he has a complete lack of awareness of the way that his actions impact on those around him - mostly me!
Robbie's Random Ramblings: Tiredness Can Kill 19.04.07
Robbie's Random Ramblings: Give Him an Inch and He Takes a Mile!
I could talk forever about his obsession with trains and all things related to the railways, but I think everyone already knows that he lives, breathes and sleeps railways.
Robbie's Random Ramblings: Withdrawal Symptoms
Robbie's Random Ramblings: Obsessions 24.01.08
When it comes to saying the wrong thing at the wrong time Robbie is in a class of his own!
Robbie's Random Ramblings: The Moment Was Lost 07.01.01
In the end, it doesn't matter, I love Robbie just the way he is.
We changed the clocks on Saturday night (strictly speaking it was Sunday morning). I love the lighter evenings that come with British Summer Time, but I absolutely hate losing an hour because it takes me weeks to adjust. I set my alarm clock for Sunday morning because I wanted to make absolutely sure that I didn't miss out on my usual Sunday morning routine and to make sure that I was wide awake in plenty of time to enjoy the omnibus edition of The Archers. We were awake by 8am and we enjoyed a nice relaxed morning, but this morning I was much more reluctant to get up, it felt like the middle of the night. Why do we have to be so tied to time?
To answer my own question, it is all the fault of the railways. In the middle ages towns and villages managed perfectly well with local time, set from a sundial, but everybody had slightly different local time. Mechanical clocks were created and they were also set using the sun and local time continued. When the railways developed it was very inconvenient to have various local times, imagine the timetable nightmares. The Great Western Railway was the first to adopt London Time in 1840, others followed and by 1847 most were working to London time, this is confirmed by the January 1848 edition of Bradshaws Railway Timetable (no Robbie's collection does not go back that far!). By 1855 most public clocks were set to GMT, but this held no legal status until the Definition of Time Act in 1880. There is a certain irony in all this, the railways 'invented' standard time with GWR leading the way, now time is their master and it seems that punctuality seems to create greater problems for FGW than for anyone else!
Robbie and I had both had a busy week and by Friday evening we were worn out. Emily was working, and Mum's taxi was booked for 10pm, but she was out on time and we were home again by 10.30pm. After finishing a couple of jobs I headed off to bed. I was just settling down when Robbie announced that he had something that I would really enjoy. I wondered whatever he could mean - but life with Robbie is never predictable so I waited patiently while he rummaged through his bag and proudly produced the April edition of Railways Illustrated. I hadn't planned to spend an early night with my husband reading railway magazines and my quizzical expression elicited more information from Robbie. He said, "it has an article about Chris Gibb (Virgin Trains MD), you know how much you like him, but they haven't got his feet in the photo". I am used to translating 'Robbie speak' into English but that sentence took more effort than most.
It is not possible to like someone I have never met, but Chris Gibb does sound like a decent bloke. As someone who observes the railways from a distance, I like the fact that he speaks in plain English that everyone can understand and as far as I can tell he does what he says he will do. The straight answer seems as rare in the railways as it is in politics, so it is refreshing when you find someone capable of saying what they mean and when necessary calling a spade a spade. In the article he was eloquent about the farce at Rugby over the new year period "it was totally avoidable. It was a shortage of key people at the right time and Network Rail will be getting a bill from us for long term damage to growth".
OK, I did once say that he was easier on the eye than some of his counterparts from the other TOC's, etc. I wasn't commenting on his looks as much as his ability to smile and to look approachable. There are a number of faces in the railways that could have made convincing gargoyles! While on the subject of confession, Robbie is right that I did once say that Chris Gibb had very expressive legs. Back in the old days when he was MD of Cross Country I noticed that when he was photographed his feet seemed to be working to their own agenda. The photo with the Railways Illustrated didn't show his feet and was cropped oddly leaving people to wonder about his hands, but it had the trademark cheerful smile.
The article was a good read, clearly Virgin has some interesting plans for the future. I learned a little more about Chris Gibb too, apparently he has a passion for punk rock music, that didn't seem to fit with the photo of him in a fleece; but when I looked closely at his shirt and tie it was clear that there is a streak of anarchy within him. Not many people would be brave enough to combine a shirt with vertical stripes and a vivid red tie with crazy diagonal stripes. It seems that his role is to be known as Chief Operating Officer, a rather grim sounding title, I wonder who he will be operating on first - Network Rail Perhaps?
Robbie told me that one of his colleagues said that he thought I would be shorter than Robbie, petite and a good little wife who does exactly what she is told. No wonder the railways are in such a mess if they employ Neanderthals! I suppose even someone whose cognitive processes have perished from neglect has to be correct once in a while by random chance, so I will admit that I am shorter than Robbie - in fact I'm shorter that most people! The rest is total balderdash. I would accuse him of reading too much Jane Austin, but that would assume he was capable of reading! Whatever the cause he seems to be stuck in some far off century, but he is deluding himself, women have never done as they were told! Why would they when they are clearly superior? God made Adam as a prototype, Eve was definitive version - and women have been giving men the run-around ever since! My mum always told me that women can do anything a man can do, but by using our brains and our common sense we can do it better than them! We may allow men to think they are taking charge when it suits us, but it is all smoke and mirrors, the women are in the driving seat!
Robbie describes me as strong, stubborn, determined, funny, clever, totally honest and outspoken. I can spot a lie instantly and Robbie is convinced that I can do a bit of mind reading too - he doesn't get away with very much! That is probably not what our 'friend from the north' had in mind when he suggested that I was a 'good little wife', but I don't intend to change for anyone. Robbie and I love each other and we respect each other for who we really are rather than trying to change each other. Our marriage is based on laughter and friendship as well as trust and all the usual stuff.
