Robbie came home in a foul mood today. He got so wound up that I learned a couple of 'new words' when he was telling me what had annoyed him so much. I think the term incandescent with rage more or less sums it up! What was the cause of his fury? It was an organisation that regularly has me on my soapbox -the most recent episode was on Monday when I was reading the latest copy of Rail. It isn't really hard to guess - it's Network Rail!!
Every time the I hear the name Network Rail I can feel my blood pressure going through the roof and Robbie's blood pressure must have been stratospheric this evening! I wonder if it could be classed as an industrial injury?! At least I only have to share the same planet with them - and that's challenging enough when they talk such rubbish, but Robbie has to deal with them every day! It is enough to drive him mad.
At least he had plenty to distract him this evening. He went to a Sixth Form open evening with Laura. She wanted to see what the facilities were like at our local boy's school, but she had no real intention of moving from her own school which in my opinion offers a better package and will equip her better for university. She wanted to take Robbie with her rather than me because her friends like him, his accent makes them laugh and they think he is really cool.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Troublesome Trains 09.01.07
Robbie is being really boring this evening, he is sitting at the table working on the summer timetable, apparently he can't get the necessary trains in the right place on a Friday night ready for the Saturday timetable. He says he needs to download a podcast of Woman's Hour before he comes to bed. When we met he used to tease me about listening to Radio 4, now he is addicted to Woman's Hour! it really is a mad, mad world.
He is trying to keep busy so that I can't give him a hard time about his behaviour last night. I went to bed well after midnight, but Robbie still had to pack his briefcase - it is a Sunday night ritual, he empties everything out of it then packs it all back again. It is a very time consuming operation, like refitting a tardis! You would be amazed what that man feels compelled to carry around with him every day.
I must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing I remember was thunderous footsteps and our bedroom door being thrown open with such force that it banged against the wall. He called my name loudly, but I chose to remain asleep, after bellowing across the room twice more with no response, he plodded across the room, leaned over me and shook me. He called my name again and shook me, then he asked me if I was asleep! He could have woken the dead by that point, but I chose to stick with my sleepy state and he got no response. He stood up and had a little chat with himself, confirming that I was asleep, then he trundled off to the bathroom. I opened one eye to look at the clock and to my horror it was past 3am! He will need more than his trains rearranging if he does that again!!
He is trying to keep busy so that I can't give him a hard time about his behaviour last night. I went to bed well after midnight, but Robbie still had to pack his briefcase - it is a Sunday night ritual, he empties everything out of it then packs it all back again. It is a very time consuming operation, like refitting a tardis! You would be amazed what that man feels compelled to carry around with him every day.
I must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing I remember was thunderous footsteps and our bedroom door being thrown open with such force that it banged against the wall. He called my name loudly, but I chose to remain asleep, after bellowing across the room twice more with no response, he plodded across the room, leaned over me and shook me. He called my name again and shook me, then he asked me if I was asleep! He could have woken the dead by that point, but I chose to stick with my sleepy state and he got no response. He stood up and had a little chat with himself, confirming that I was asleep, then he trundled off to the bathroom. I opened one eye to look at the clock and to my horror it was past 3am! He will need more than his trains rearranging if he does that again!!
Sunday Morning Musings 07.01.07
I love lazy Sunday mornings, the rest of the day is usually busy but that extra couple of hours in bed is really special. This morning we found ourselves discussing Robbie's funeral of all things. No, he hasn't driven me to extreme measures yet! I am not sure how we got on to the subject; I think Robbie was talking about his will - such a cheerful little chap!
Perhaps Robbie was thinking about funerals due to the demise of Pauline Fowler – we had disagreed about the horse drawn hearse! He said that the ‘proper’ way was to wear black and to be solemn and dignified. I have sadly had quite a lot of experience of funerals and I genuinely believe that they should be a celebration of a life well lived (however short) and if the person has a faith then it is a beginning not an ending.
I told Robbie that he would have to outlive me otherwise everyone would wear bright clothes at his funeral and we would dance and sing ‘happy clappy’ hymns. I was joking of course (I don’t dance) but he was horrified and insisted that he would leave special instructions in his will! It won’t do him any harm to leave him wondering, you never know, he may find that he prefers my way in the end!
One of the things Robbie and I disagree profoundly on is God. I wouldn't say that we argue as such, we just trade insults! Robbie says that I am too 'happy clappy' and I say that he thinks doctrine has something to do with the NHS! Robbie's God is white, Anglo Saxon, C of E and most definitely male! I still find it hard to believe that inside my unconventional husband there is a traditionalist fighting to get out!
I have no time for all the pomp and ceremony, but Robbie loves it especially the candles and the incense. I am not outwardly unconventional in the way that Robbie is, but deep down I am perhaps more of an individual than him, I have strong, deeply held opinions/beliefs and I won’t follow the majority view unless I believe it is right. I think the conventional term for people like me is 'stubborn'!!
Jumping to a completely different subject, I am pleased to confirm that the Rabbit has been recaptured and (relative) harmony reigns in our household – for the time being anyway!
Perhaps Robbie was thinking about funerals due to the demise of Pauline Fowler – we had disagreed about the horse drawn hearse! He said that the ‘proper’ way was to wear black and to be solemn and dignified. I have sadly had quite a lot of experience of funerals and I genuinely believe that they should be a celebration of a life well lived (however short) and if the person has a faith then it is a beginning not an ending.
I told Robbie that he would have to outlive me otherwise everyone would wear bright clothes at his funeral and we would dance and sing ‘happy clappy’ hymns. I was joking of course (I don’t dance) but he was horrified and insisted that he would leave special instructions in his will! It won’t do him any harm to leave him wondering, you never know, he may find that he prefers my way in the end!
One of the things Robbie and I disagree profoundly on is God. I wouldn't say that we argue as such, we just trade insults! Robbie says that I am too 'happy clappy' and I say that he thinks doctrine has something to do with the NHS! Robbie's God is white, Anglo Saxon, C of E and most definitely male! I still find it hard to believe that inside my unconventional husband there is a traditionalist fighting to get out!
I have no time for all the pomp and ceremony, but Robbie loves it especially the candles and the incense. I am not outwardly unconventional in the way that Robbie is, but deep down I am perhaps more of an individual than him, I have strong, deeply held opinions/beliefs and I won’t follow the majority view unless I believe it is right. I think the conventional term for people like me is 'stubborn'!!
Jumping to a completely different subject, I am pleased to confirm that the Rabbit has been recaptured and (relative) harmony reigns in our household – for the time being anyway!
Monday, 10 December 2007
It's a Date! 06.01.07
We had to do the supermarket shop today because we are still not back into a proper routine. The shop was too busy for my liking, I prefer to shop on a quieter day. Robbie was a bit challenging because I bought more frozen stuff than usual and it put his trolley packing out and he gets very upset if I change things. I get quite frustrated with him at times and it is a miracle that he survived the checkouts today!
Later in the afternoon I was eating a date - left over from Christmas. Robbie has never tasted a date - apparently they don't have anything so exotic in the north! He asked me where they came from, it was on the tip of my tongue to say Tesco, when I realised he was asking about their origin. I thought he was teasing me, but when I told him that they grew on date palms he wouldn't believe me. He was deeply suspicious about it and in the end he had to look it up on the internet before he would believe that dates grow on palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera to be exact).
His head is crammed with a diverse and mostly irrelevant collection of facts, but just occasionally we stumble across something that he doesn't know anything about. I can guarantee that he will know so much about dates by Monday that he will bore his workmates to the point of tears - so beware, you have been warned!
Later in the afternoon I was eating a date - left over from Christmas. Robbie has never tasted a date - apparently they don't have anything so exotic in the north! He asked me where they came from, it was on the tip of my tongue to say Tesco, when I realised he was asking about their origin. I thought he was teasing me, but when I told him that they grew on date palms he wouldn't believe me. He was deeply suspicious about it and in the end he had to look it up on the internet before he would believe that dates grow on palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera to be exact).
His head is crammed with a diverse and mostly irrelevant collection of facts, but just occasionally we stumble across something that he doesn't know anything about. I can guarantee that he will know so much about dates by Monday that he will bore his workmates to the point of tears - so beware, you have been warned!
Grand Ambitions! 05.01.07
Yesterday I came across a really good documentary on Discovery, it was called Trains and was presented by Pete Waterman. Of course being a kind and thoughtful person I saved it on sky plus for Robbie to watch later. Well that's my cover story anyway - I have to confess that I watched it 3 times yesterday, but don't tell Robbie! It was about the role of the railways in the war and it was really interesting. It certainly helped me to understand Silverlink and the way they manage our local station. My theory is that their absolute refusal to pass on any information to the public is because no one has told them the war is over! That probably explains those horrible austere uniforms too, they are still living in the days of rationing. It could even explain their miserable faces, I suppose they could just be a cruel freak of nature, but I think it has more to do with their policy of only employing failed undertakers, the ones who couldn't stand the pace. They have only one speed at Northampton Station - dead slow!
Anyway Robbie loved the program and when we had watched it he decided to watch one of his Christmas DVDs called Railway Diaries. I got to choose the station that we would start with and not surprisingly I chose Exeter because I love the route between Exeter and Plymouth. We watched trains coming and going through Exeter Station and we saw the same trains at other points along the route too, but at 1am I had to surrender to sleep. Robbie found the Railway Diaries DVD so exciting that I thought he would burst. He gave me the start and arrival time as well as the exact route of every single train he saw, not to mention providing the name and number of each one. Just a bit obsessive perhaps? It was quite interesting to watch and a much better option than sitting on a cold station in January.
Years ago Grandma suggested that Sam he would perhaps become a vet one day because he is very good with animals. Sam responded with folded arms and his most serious expression, he explained that he didn't want to be a vet because he liked animals from the outside, but he didn't think he would like them from the inside. Grandma was speechless and struggling to hid a smile, but Sam had warmed to his theme and declared that after university he planned to become a trolley pusher at Safeways! Thankfully he now has much grander ambitions. I have to agree with Sam's sentiments, because on cold wintery days I find that trains are much more appealing from the inside than from the outside!
Anyway Robbie loved the program and when we had watched it he decided to watch one of his Christmas DVDs called Railway Diaries. I got to choose the station that we would start with and not surprisingly I chose Exeter because I love the route between Exeter and Plymouth. We watched trains coming and going through Exeter Station and we saw the same trains at other points along the route too, but at 1am I had to surrender to sleep. Robbie found the Railway Diaries DVD so exciting that I thought he would burst. He gave me the start and arrival time as well as the exact route of every single train he saw, not to mention providing the name and number of each one. Just a bit obsessive perhaps? It was quite interesting to watch and a much better option than sitting on a cold station in January.
Years ago Grandma suggested that Sam he would perhaps become a vet one day because he is very good with animals. Sam responded with folded arms and his most serious expression, he explained that he didn't want to be a vet because he liked animals from the outside, but he didn't think he would like them from the inside. Grandma was speechless and struggling to hid a smile, but Sam had warmed to his theme and declared that after university he planned to become a trolley pusher at Safeways! Thankfully he now has much grander ambitions. I have to agree with Sam's sentiments, because on cold wintery days I find that trains are much more appealing from the inside than from the outside!
The Curious Case of the Diasppearing Rabbit (and Trouser Troubles) 04.01.07
I mentioned yesterday that Sam's rabbit has escaped from her hutch. I was prevailed upon to buy her a hutch with access to a large run beneath it so that she had constant access to grass and an exercise area. It is beautifully made, and it provides her with every possible comfort, but there is just one thing that nobody thought about - rabbits burrow! As soon as she moved into her expensive new accommodation she decided that she would make a bid for freedom and within days she had tunnelled under the run and set about exploring her new territory. She is not a cute soft little bunny, she is a rabbit with attitude. She terrorises our dog, sees off the local cats and gives Sam the run-around. She has taken up residence under the shed and happily potters around the garden during the day. She even pops back to her hutch for the latest tasty morsels left to tempt her back, but she is too quick for us and she never stays there long enough to lose her liberty. She has been at large for about three weeks now and all Sam's Baldrick like cunning plans have failed to recapture the fugitive.
I am becoming frustrated by the situation now. With considerable effort I manage to keep Robbie and Sam in order (most of the time) and I am not ready to be outwitted by a rabbit, so I have been forced to invest in a humane rabbit trap and some reinforced wire for the base of the run. The trap should arrive tomorrow and I anticipate that the balance of power in our household will soon be restored.
Robbie is very upset this evening, he has managed to tear his best PJ bottoms, not just a slight tear, a huge, uneven tear at least 12 inches long and in a very embarrassing area. I think he harboured a forlorn hope that I would sew them up for him, but I had to gently explain that they were now beyond human help! I still can't work out how he managed to tear them. Oh well, I hated the things anyway - every cloud has a silver lining, or so they say!
I am becoming frustrated by the situation now. With considerable effort I manage to keep Robbie and Sam in order (most of the time) and I am not ready to be outwitted by a rabbit, so I have been forced to invest in a humane rabbit trap and some reinforced wire for the base of the run. The trap should arrive tomorrow and I anticipate that the balance of power in our household will soon be restored.
Robbie is very upset this evening, he has managed to tear his best PJ bottoms, not just a slight tear, a huge, uneven tear at least 12 inches long and in a very embarrassing area. I think he harboured a forlorn hope that I would sew them up for him, but I had to gently explain that they were now beyond human help! I still can't work out how he managed to tear them. Oh well, I hated the things anyway - every cloud has a silver lining, or so they say!
Running Late - Again! 03.01.07
The children went back to school today. Sam got his bag ready last night and made sure he packed his new book for boys to show to his friend. All his uniform was washed, ironed and ready for him and I felt sure that no unexpected little problems could hold us up this morning. Of course I was wrong! Sam got up looking rather bleary eyed and he had a large perfectly round red sore in the middle of his chin, just below his lower lip. It looked suspiciously like ringworm, but there hadn't been a trace of it last night. Some meaningful questioning followed and Sam explained at length (he is just like Robbie!) that it was the result of an experiment. Apparently he had wondered what would happen if held a bottle against his chin and forced the air out, the resulting suction had caused the sore on his chin! Having failed to wash the sore off, Sam spent more than ten minutes in the make up department (Laura's Bedroom) while she applied skin cream and concealer to his chin!
We had already been delayed by Sam's chin and I urged him to put his school shoes on and hurry up. He had assured me last night that his shoes were clean and ready for school. When he put them on they looked as if he had recently crossed a ploughed field in then, in fact half a field was still stuck to them. We had to stop and clean his shoes, so despite all my plans we were late leaving the house and as usual my blood pressure was sky high. In the car I was treated to Sam's explanation concerning the state of his shoes. It was good even by Sam's standards. He said that he had to wear them in the garden because his rabbit had escaped from her hutch and she didn't want to be caught. I reminded him that he has wellies and old trainers for going into the garden. With a completely straight face he explained that the rabbit preferred his black shoes and he thought that if he wore them the rabbit would let him catch her. She didn't (but more about that tomorrow).
We had already been delayed by Sam's chin and I urged him to put his school shoes on and hurry up. He had assured me last night that his shoes were clean and ready for school. When he put them on they looked as if he had recently crossed a ploughed field in then, in fact half a field was still stuck to them. We had to stop and clean his shoes, so despite all my plans we were late leaving the house and as usual my blood pressure was sky high. In the car I was treated to Sam's explanation concerning the state of his shoes. It was good even by Sam's standards. He said that he had to wear them in the garden because his rabbit had escaped from her hutch and she didn't want to be caught. I reminded him that he has wellies and old trainers for going into the garden. With a completely straight face he explained that the rabbit preferred his black shoes and he thought that if he wore them the rabbit would let him catch her. She didn't (but more about that tomorrow).
Robbie's Ramblings 01.01.07
I have finally got Robbie to write something for the blog, so today I will be handing over to him. I't's a bit soppy, but not bad for a novice! Just before I go, I must remind you not to worry if you see him shopping for women's underwear in Birmingham. He's not a 'tranny' (as far as I know!) but he has to replace certain white items that he managed to turn grey in the wash!! So over to Robbie.
Well, they says there's a first time for everything.....and writing something for my 'ramblings' is I suppose one of them! Chris has threatened that I can't go to bed until I write something for my blog. I suppose I did well to get away with it for so long!
Christmas has come and gone, and now its time to reflect on yet another wonderful Christmas and New Year with Chris and the children in Northampton. To me, Christmas is all about children and families and being part of this family in Northampton means EVERYTHING to me.
Every Christmas Chris says to me (and I always believe her...d'oh!) that she has only bought me a little present, and she was quite insistant about it this year. You can imagine my face when after the children had opened all their presents there was a red sack in the corner unopened. To my AMAZEMENT it was for me!!
So there I was like a kid again, unwraping my presents....railway DVD's galore, a stationary set, a parker pen set, a coat, Hugo Boss aftershave, an ipod speaker docking station, and........................................a 30GB, black, video ipod!!! These days, there are only a few things that bring tears to my eyes (getting married to Chris to name but one), but when I opened the ipod I couldn't help myself! What a lucky boy I was. It has been another GREAT CHRISTMAS..... and I still have loads of railway DVD's to watch!!
Well, they says there's a first time for everything.....and writing something for my 'ramblings' is I suppose one of them! Chris has threatened that I can't go to bed until I write something for my blog. I suppose I did well to get away with it for so long!
Christmas has come and gone, and now its time to reflect on yet another wonderful Christmas and New Year with Chris and the children in Northampton. To me, Christmas is all about children and families and being part of this family in Northampton means EVERYTHING to me.
Every Christmas Chris says to me (and I always believe her...d'oh!) that she has only bought me a little present, and she was quite insistant about it this year. You can imagine my face when after the children had opened all their presents there was a red sack in the corner unopened. To my AMAZEMENT it was for me!!
So there I was like a kid again, unwraping my presents....railway DVD's galore, a stationary set, a parker pen set, a coat, Hugo Boss aftershave, an ipod speaker docking station, and........................................a 30GB, black, video ipod!!! These days, there are only a few things that bring tears to my eyes (getting married to Chris to name but one), but when I opened the ipod I couldn't help myself! What a lucky boy I was. It has been another GREAT CHRISTMAS..... and I still have loads of railway DVD's to watch!!
Happy New Year
The end of the year always seems sad to me, but it is also a time to look forward to another year and perhaps to make some new resolutions. Robbie says that I have embarrassed him quite enough recently, so most of his resolutions will remain private. I don't usually make resolutions, but this year I intend to make a few changes. On a personal level I intend to end 2007 lighter than I am now - OK I know I have made the same promise to myself for at least 20 years, but this year will be the year that I actually act on my good intentions. Anyway, if all else fails, I could shed a stone instantly by de-cluttering my handbag!
On a family level I think we should try to reduce our global footprint. After all modest changes from everyone would combine to make a significant difference to our world. On the subject of footprints it would be nice if Robbie would make his footsteps lighter especially during the night. He is usually the last person to go to bed, but he thunders around like the honey monster. To be fair he adapted his night time routine ages ago to ensure that he made less noise in the bathroom - at least he doesn't wake people up now! It would make a big difference to me if I could get him to walk around the bed instead of climbing across it at night - getting trodden on doesn't improve the quality of my sleep.
We will make an effort to recycle more, to reuse more and to consume less. Robbie has reluctantly agreed that he doesn't need to buy that huge limp lefty newspaper everyday, he never reads it anyway and it makes the recycle bin incredibly heavy. I will cut back on magazines too and I will recycle old ones instead of hoarding them. We need to reduce our energy consumption too, fuel as well as gas and electricity. It is easier said than done but we will try. Of course Robbie is already doing his bit to save energy - by wandering around in his underwear most of the time he creates very little laundry. I am not sure the world is ready for such a drastic solution, surely one Homer Simpson is quite enough!
On a family level I think we should try to reduce our global footprint. After all modest changes from everyone would combine to make a significant difference to our world. On the subject of footprints it would be nice if Robbie would make his footsteps lighter especially during the night. He is usually the last person to go to bed, but he thunders around like the honey monster. To be fair he adapted his night time routine ages ago to ensure that he made less noise in the bathroom - at least he doesn't wake people up now! It would make a big difference to me if I could get him to walk around the bed instead of climbing across it at night - getting trodden on doesn't improve the quality of my sleep.
We will make an effort to recycle more, to reuse more and to consume less. Robbie has reluctantly agreed that he doesn't need to buy that huge limp lefty newspaper everyday, he never reads it anyway and it makes the recycle bin incredibly heavy. I will cut back on magazines too and I will recycle old ones instead of hoarding them. We need to reduce our energy consumption too, fuel as well as gas and electricity. It is easier said than done but we will try. Of course Robbie is already doing his bit to save energy - by wandering around in his underwear most of the time he creates very little laundry. I am not sure the world is ready for such a drastic solution, surely one Homer Simpson is quite enough!
Feeling Blue
The run up to Christmas was totally exhausting for us and we have enjoyed the gentler pace of the last few days. Having caught up on our sleep, we have been able to cope with a few late nights. Robbie is working his way through some of the new train dvd's he had for Christmas, last night we stayed up until past 2am watching old railway films. This inevitably led to waking up late and a lazy morning watching more railway stuff. We watched a film about Cornish branch lines, it was made in 1991 and it was interesting to see how things have changed since, as well as learning loads about the history of the railway in Cornwall. It is the area of the country that I know best and I have travelled on most of the branches, so the film was extra special. Robbie had to spoil it by being an anorak, sitting on the bed wearing nothing but a quail map and arguing with the narrator about the exact length of the various viaducts. Eventually he worked out that I was getting seriously irritated and he decided to preserve his health by being quiet, just as well really as he was in danger of wearing the dvd - internally!
Robbie is very helpful around the house, but occasionally his enthusiasm exceeds his skill. He has been getting on with the washing over the last few days, bless him. I should be grateful, but I was tempted to do a great deal more than bless him when I realised that he had turned my best white bra grey in the wash. He tried to claim it was 'blue white' but I am not that easily conned!! He will be shopping for underwear next week, he is quite good at that, he seems to enjoy lingering in the lingerie department! We are an odd pair, I hate clothes shopping, but he absolutely loves it.
Robbie has had a number of little mishaps in the last few days. To spare his blushes I will not go into detail, but much as I love him and enjoy spending time, I could do with a day off!! As soon as we go back to work I will be wishing it was the holidays again, but I suppose life is always like that.
Robbie is very helpful around the house, but occasionally his enthusiasm exceeds his skill. He has been getting on with the washing over the last few days, bless him. I should be grateful, but I was tempted to do a great deal more than bless him when I realised that he had turned my best white bra grey in the wash. He tried to claim it was 'blue white' but I am not that easily conned!! He will be shopping for underwear next week, he is quite good at that, he seems to enjoy lingering in the lingerie department! We are an odd pair, I hate clothes shopping, but he absolutely loves it.
Robbie has had a number of little mishaps in the last few days. To spare his blushes I will not go into detail, but much as I love him and enjoy spending time, I could do with a day off!! As soon as we go back to work I will be wishing it was the holidays again, but I suppose life is always like that.
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