I am sure that my children could come up with a very long list of things that I do which they find annoying. Somewhere on that list would be my habit of recalling old advertising jingles, if I attempt to sing them my son runs for cover. Come to think of it, if I attempt to sing anything everyone runs for cover, I do not have a musical bone in my body.
Unlike Robbie, I am not a shopper I do not enjoy going to town and I especially don't enjoy buying clothes. I go to considerable lengths to avoid shopping whenever possible so for me shopping online solves a lot of problems. The idea of shopping in the sales fills me with horror (I don't do crowds!) but this year I decided to have a look at a couple of online sales. I told my son that I was 'letting my fingers do the walking' he looked horrified and told me not to say that because it sounds disgusting. I was just borrowing a phrase from the old yellow pages adverts, my son is too young to remember those adverts and it seems that the world is less innocent these days.
My purchases were delivered this morning, I felt sorry for the delivery man because the box was mostly full of books and it was very heavy. It was exciting to open all the items and look at them, but most of the books and other bits and pieces are for birthday presents etc so I had to pack them away. I bought the coolest present for my younger daughter's birthday, but I have a long wait to give it to her because her birthday is in June!
I am lucky that I see foxes fairly frequently in the area where I live. We are in the town but there are allotments and parks close by and there have been foxes around here for as long as I can remember. I had never seen a fox near my work place until yesterday. It was daylight but as I pulled out of the car park and drove towards the road a young fox crossed in front of me. It had come from the the Starbucks drive-throu (without observing the one way signs) and when it had crossed in front of me it cut through some undergrowth. It then skirted behind a couple of my colleagues who were chatting near their cars without them even noticing it! I lost sight of it after that but it really cheered me up to see it. I know that they kill indiscriminately if they get into a hen house or the like, but I can't help thinking that they add something to our lives too.
That was one of my grandmother's sayings. I always found it rather confusing because I knew very well that she didn't have a gun. She used the phrase when she saw something that she disapproved of, she used it often because she had turned disapproval into a performance art! Other people of her generation used it with a little more humour, to express amusement or incredulity at some of the things they encountered.
I don't go to town very often, so you can imagine my surprise when I encountered a gorilla in the centre of town! It was no ordinary gorilla, it was dressed as a boxer or a wrestler or something of the sort. On closer inspection there was something haunting about his face, it was just a bit too real for comfort. I had to ask Robbie to take a photo for me. I don't know why but it really made me smile - maybe in some way it reminded me of Robbie who knows.
As we walked around the town we came across more wildlife. There was a life size giraffe in the shopping centre and whole herd of very colourful elephants. Elmer the Elephant would have fitted in very will with this techinicolour group! There are even lions in the park - whatever is the world coming to! I am not a great fan of street entertainment etc, but these creatures made me smile and brightened my day.
It has been almost a week since I last wrote the blog. Robbie and I have had time off work together and it has been really special, we have had such a good time that the blog just had to wait! So I have a bit of catching up to do...........
Saturday
I was determined that I would not let the day slip through my fingers as so often happens on a Saturday, so I set my alarm to wake me up at a reasonable hour and I made my mind up to enjoy the day to the full. The alarm went off and as soon as I popped my head out from under the covers I knew that it was distinctly chilly. I managed a brief dash to the bathroom before retreating back under the covers. It was nice to sit in bed snug and warm with my laptop while listening to the radio. There is something very special about the luxury of time and the freedom to do whatever floats your boat. In my life, time is a rare commodity so it is extra special to have days of total freedom stretching ahead of me. Robbie made good use of his time - snuggled under the covers exploring the land of nod!
After a very enjoyable morning and a lazy lunch the phone rang and Robbie's eyes lit up when he realised who was calling. It was the optician to tell him that his new glasses were ready for collection. I have never seen him move so fast, one minute he had been trotting around the house in his 'smalls' Homer style, the next he was 'fully booted and spurred' and ready to go and collect his glasses. We rarely go to town on a Saturday (I don't cope well with crowded places) but it was a very pleasant couple of hours. Robbie's choice of glasses was fairly reserved by his standards, both pairs have a little hint of the unconventional, but you have to look carefully to spot it. Once we'd collected the glasses we had time to visit the bookshop and then enjoy a visit to Costa.
On the way home Robbie spotted a sign for a shop that sells vinyl records. The excitement was almost too much for him, it was too late to visit the shop that day but it is high on his 'to do' list for the week ahead.
The son who must remain nameless has been at home since finishing his GCSE's in early June and before that he had exam leave so it feels as if he has been 'at leisure' for a very long time. He started sixth form at his new school on Tuesday so on Monday he and I had a shopping day to get an extra pair of shoes and some more trousers for school. It was really nice to spend some time together, usually I am just the taxi!
I am not a natural shopper, in fact I go to town so rarely that I find that a number of the shops have changed since I was last there. So I was not fully prepared for the joys of Topman and River Island. Why do they have to be upstairs? Clearly 'the nameless one' gets his love of clothes and clothes shops from his dad. I was fairly calm when he showed the carrot cut chinos that he wanted, they were in a colour that I am more used to seeing in the cat tray on a very bad day but I don't have to be seen out in them so I gave in without a fight.
Next we looked at 'boat shoes' apparently they are retro, they would certainly not have looked out of place in the old men's section at Marks and Spencer. His heart was set on a pair that were navy blue and brown and eventually he found a pair to fit. That was the easy bit, the price was a bit hard to take, but if that is what he chose to spend his shoe allowance on he will have to wait a while for the next pair.
He also needed what he described as a pair of short joggers for sport. Apparently he had seen a pair that were just right and he wanted me see them. After trailing around the entire store he finally found the desired garment and my composure became a distant memory. They were in a dirty off white colour in a loose almost baggy fitting with cuffs around the knee. I couldn't possibly let him be seen out in public in something like that, I have seen a similar garment in the past but it was worn by an elderly man at a care home who needed extra room for a nappy! The price was the deciding factor, this was one desire that he would not become reality. We went to a sports shop and found some (slightly) more normal sports shorts. We went into several other shops so that he could show me all the items on his wish list so by the time we drove home my feet were killing me. I have seen some sights in my life, but those joggers were certainly 'memorable' for all the wrong reasons!
Robbie went off on a rail tour in the early hours of this morning, so I had the day to myself. I decided that I would get up bright and early and head into town for one or two important purchases that can not be put off any longer. My bed was very comfortable and it was hard to force myself to get up when another half hour in bed listening to Radio 4 seemed so tempting, but I overcame temptation and plodded off to the bathroom. Oreo was sitting at the top of the stairs begging to be fed, I ignored his pleas and sent him back downstairs. Oreo brings out Robbie creative side, I was very impressed by his use of alliteration the other day when he chased the cat out of the kitchen calling him a "Furry Fat F..............". Ever the opportunist Oreo noticed that I had not closed the bedroom door properly and when I came back from the bathroom he was curled up on the end of the bed next to my mobile phone listening to Traffic Line! He must have stepped on the phone and hit the speed dial and found the only number there that will be charged on top of my call plan - typical!
When I came downstairs I found that a scale version of the Alps had been created on our kitchen floor. This was further evidence of Robbie's unique approach to life. He had to stay awake until the early of the morning and he said he would make a start on the weekend laundry. The 'mountains' were Robbie's version of sorting the washing into various loads according to colour - all I can say is that he can identify trains by colour and livery far more accurately than he can sort laundry! I re-sorted the loads and restored some sort of order to the kitchen, then I went to town - not my favourite Saturday morning activity but I couldn't put it off any longer.
I accomplished quite a lot in an hour and by then I'd had more than enough of town it was far too crowded for my liking. The next job on my list was a brief trip to the supermarket, Well, it should have been a brief trip but it seemed as if the whole world had chosen that moment to go to Morrisons, so even parking the car was a challenge. Then when I got inside it looked as if I would never get out again because they had no basket only checkouts working and I refuse to use those dreadful self serve things that shout at you as if you are simple and then announce to the whole store that you have 'a problem in the bagging area'! Finally I got served by a real human being and I was free to enjoy a nice afternoon visiting my friend..
On my way home I had three missed calls from my daughter and two more from my son, so I pulled over and phoned them to see what was wrong. I was relieved to find that there was nothing wrong, my daughter just wanted to make absolutely sure that I would be home in time to give her a lift because she was going out with a couple of friends - nice to know I have my uses!
Robbie and I went shopping at Toys R Us on Friday evening. Robbie came straight from work so he was still dressed in his suit, bit as soon as he walked through the door his 'inner child' took over and he was almost bursting with enthusiasm. I wanted to look for Christmas presents for my niece and nephews, Oliver is only 6 months old and Jack likes cars and diggers more than trains so despite Robbie pleading with me there was nobody to buy trains for. It didn't stop him trying, first we went to look at the brio and all the wooden Thomas series engines, he really wanted to buy one. Then we went to look at the die-cast Thomas models, I remember when Sam used to collect those, I think we still have them packed away somewhere. Robbie was rather taken with a carry case in the shape of Thomas that could store a selection of trains inside. I finally enticed him away from that section, but my problems had only just begun because he made a dash for the Hornby section. He described every single item in detail and I thought we would still be there at closing time. Thankfully Emily met us and we finally dragged him away to concentrate on the Christmas shopping. We bought Oliver's present, but we also bought a rather nice wooden train set for when he is old enough – guess whose idea that was!
I hate going to town especially on a Saturday, but Robbie pestered me until I gave in, so we spent this afternoon trailing around the shops in Northampton with Sam. When we finally sat down to have a drink and a snack Robbie told me that a parcel should be delivered on Monday. He had that guilty smile and it was clear he didn't want me to ask any questions. It is my birthday soon so I thought it may be something for me but clearly he had other things on his mind he finally revealed that he has bought a lump of deltic (to add to all his other junk) and I have to alter my whole routine on Monday to wait in for it to be delivered!
Robbie's pledge to work on the garden caused a change in the weather - we woke up to find a covering of snow this morning! I can't complain, when he finally got into the garden yesterday he worked hard to tidy it up. He had to go to town on Saturday morning because he had to return his black suit trousers to Marks and Spencers. On Friday he had a 'close encounter' with his zip and now like Grand Old Duke of York the zip is neither up nor down, not the best way to get noticed! Robbie and Sam headed off to town and it seems they disappeared into a black hole because they vanished for hours. Robbie finally returned without exchanging his trousers, they didn't have his size in black so he has to look in Birmingham next week. He said they had a similar suit in beige that would make a nice change. It would be a change certainly, but he must have taken leave of his senses if he thinks it would be nice. He is not a beige person, to borrow a phrase from my mum, you can wear beige when you are dead. In fact he may as well go all the way and get a white suit, like in Randal and Hopkirk (deceased). At least that would add some comedy value!
While in town he accidentally bought another railway book. It is called Traction Recognition, and Robbie sat reading it and making appreciative comments for ages, anyone listing to the commentary would have assumed he was looking at a top shelf magazine rather than 'anorak's' reference book! Finally the procrastination had to stop and he headed out to the back garden to restore order.
I had to go to town today. Everyone else in the family would jump at the chance of a trip to town, but I am just the opposite. I can always find a reason not to go, and when I can avoid it no longer I have to force myself to go, but after braving a couple of shops I am ready to head home again. A long time ago I had an inner ear infection called labyrinthitis and it has left me with a bit of a problem with my balance. At the time I didn't think much about it, but over the years I have become increasingly troubled by crowded places, noisy places and places with 'busy' carpets. All those things make me feel dizzy or disorientated and it just makes me want to get away.
Today I had parked my car and I was walking down the main shopping street towards the central shopping area when my ears were assailed by an unspeakable noise - someone was playing the bagpipes! It was so horrible that I almost gave up before I had even started. I couldn't help wondering why. I mean whatever possessed him to think that shoppers would appreciate listening to that row, and if the noise wasn't bad enough he was proudly displaying the most unattractive knees! I suspect he hoped that people would pay him to go away! If so he had underestimated our town, he got no money, just lots of disapproving comments, in fact many people actually covered their ears as they scuttled away to seek sanctuary.
My first port of call was Marks and Spencer. The store has been refitted since I last went there and it felt very busy and confusing. They don't seem to set shops out in any logical order these days. I wanted a jacket, but it was set out in such a way that I had to walk all around the store tracking down randomly placed jackets. I didn't like any of them. Most of all I didn't like the chaotic nature of the store. It was so badly designed that all the customers were totally bewildered and wandered around in ever decreasing circles. I had to get out of there before I lost the will to live.
Good old BHS was marginally better, but whatever gives these shops the idea that all women are over 6ft and a size 10! They only need to look at the people in their stores to realise that most women are not that shape. I looked at some nice skirts but all were too long, most would have dragged along the floor! I was so triumphant when I found one that actually fitted, that I bought it. I also bought the only jacket that fitted, most had sleeves so long that they must have been designed by a gibbon! At last I was out of the shop and heading home. The bonus is that parking costs are much cheaper these days, I hardly ever need more than an hour.
When Robbie got home he found my encounter with the bagpipes rather amusing, but he took matters a little too far by finding some bagpipe music and playing it at full volume on his laptop. I had to run for cover, it sounded like Bjork being strangled! I threatened him with cruel and unusual punishment - I am going to play him the complete works of Cliff Richard!!!
