When in a Hole ......... 23.10.07

Robbie seems to enjoy living dangerously! He got home slightly earlier yesterday evening and he appeared in the kitchen to help me with the final few minutes of getting our meal ready. First he moaned about the burn mark on the iron (that he caused) because it will not come off. Then he criticised the way I filled the kettle, telling me that I wasn't even capable of filling the kettle properly. Having started to 'dig his hole' he seemed unable to stop and he went on to tell me that I was a liability in the kitchen! I took the hint and left him to it, after all I am a liability! He begged for help serving the food but I refused. Considering my inadequacy in the kitchen we had a very nice roast dinner and everyone cleared their plates, so I must have got something right! I was going to do a beef stew tonight - one of Robbie's favourites, but being a liability in the kitchen perhaps I should play safe and give him cheese on toast instead!! You may have guessed that Robbie didn't enjoy his evening very much - serves him right!

I have told him many times 'when in a hole stop digging' but he seems to do the exact opposite. Just as there was a 'slight thaw' in my attitude he messed it all up again. He had a moan about the quality of the ironing! Realising that he was now out of his depth, he said that he doesn't have enough shirts. I don't know how he could make such a stupid claim, it is like Imelda Markos saying she didn't have enough shoes! He seriously expected me to believe that he only has three, the true figure is nearer to thirty! When challenged he did back track a bit, first it was only three shirts, then it was only three long sleeved shirts and then it became only three white shirts! Oh well, I will do an audit today just to record the true figure, but if he thinks he only has three shirts he will not miss all the others, so I will stuff them into a couple of black sacks and take them to the recycling bank. I could take a few ties too, maybe some railway books as well. He can try being minimalist for a change, we could do with the space! At least I know what he wants for Christmas now.

Family Ties - and Shirts!

On Saturday afternoon when Robbie's headache was less troublesome he said he needed to go to town to buy a belt. I was busy decorating the lounge so he had to go on his own - not always a good idea because he gets carried away when clothes shopping!

I thought no more about the shopping trip until this morning when he rather sheepishly told me that he couldn't find a suitable belt, but he had accidentally bought two shirts and two ties. The concept of accidental shopping is new to me, but one of the shirts certainly looked like an accident. I couldn't help asking if he was aiming for the 'used car salesman look' or if he intended to wear it with green wellies! The other shirt was fine, but the ties were somewhat alarming, one was not too bad but the other was a striking green creation that would not have looked out of place on a leprechaun. When I was a little girl my grandmother used to say "never trust a man in green trousers". I dread to think how she would have reacted to Robbie's tie.

The Burgess tie collection is now quite extensive, there are one or two more sober specimens, but on the whole his ties are best described as memorable. It takes a certain courage to combine colours in the way that Robbie does, but that is part of his own unique style.