Saturday 10 May 2008

BUT I WON'T GIVE IN

OG has been toting around a trade tool magazine. I have a stationery fetish; he has a tool fetish, a marriage made in heaven. As his major operation was only 2 months ago and he is two weeks off starting chemo he shouldn’t be doing anything too physical and I have, therefore, been studiously avoiding asking what is on his mind, but I recognise the symptoms. He is the same when he wants to change his car. He starts mooning around the place, looking pathetic until I bring the subject up, then he whittles on and on until I finally give in. But this time I have ignored him.

He is having his “mate” in the office research something, another sure sign he is up to no good. But I won’t give in. He is having long telephone conversations with his lifelong builder chum “..it’s great and comes with two batteries..” which I am closing my ears to. Finally, yesterday, he asked the Oncologist “is there anything that I shouldn’t being doing?” “Such as?” I jump in “Don’t get involved in this, he is thinking of buying a Kango” “A Kango? What’s that, a Playstation Game?” “No, its a concrete breaker-upper”. He steps back, aghast, “A concrete breaker-upper, why, what are you planning on doing?”, “I want to take down a chimney”. Shit, now I have been told what he is planning, I'm involved and the whittling begins. But I won’t give in.

Now I am off to my grandson's graduation ceremony in Cambridge for the day, go God knows what he will get up to while I'm gone. Keep an eye on him for me.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

When is he going to fit in the painting of the outside of the house now, before or after the Kangoing? We thought he was up to miscief when he phoned 'by mistake' this morning!

Lin said...

I LOVE his spirit...and I'll be he wins!

Lin said...

how about...I'll BET he wins!

aims said...

At least he hasn't lost his love for living - - that's wonderful! What a positive attitude!

Carolyn said...

You had me at stationery fetish...

Hold strong and don't give into OG's madness. He needs to be resting and you need to be buying more stationery!!

Swearing Mother said...

A Kango hammer? Be afraid, be very afraid.

You sure he's not just doing this to make changing the car sound like the better option?

Maggie May said...

I expect this "not giving in" attitude is part of his fight for recovery.
After his recent brain surgery, my son in law has decided to make the spare room into an office & took all the floor up to put the necessary wiring down. Can't stop 'em can you?

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Well trec to toulouse you know what he is like. But the "mistake" with calling you on the telephone was funny wasn't it? He had been talking to Frank, rang off to answer the door, came back pressed re-dial and got you in France! It doesn't take must to throw him, and that did!

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Lin, you know your men don't you.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

That's right aims, stick up for him. He is just a naughty little boy really.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

At last Carolyn, someone who understands me, I'm on my way to the stationers right now.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Swearing Mother I should tell you about his cars. He sold a one year old Maserati at a huge loss because he didn't like the lights. Now he is talking about selling his Audi S6 to buy a second hand Maserati that he can have "done up". He doesn't know the first the first thing about cars apart from how fast they go. Now do you understand why I tune him out?

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Hi Maggie, I know that it is actually a very positive sign, but I find it hard not to see the quirky side of things. I guess that's my way of coping with the unthinkable.

DogLover said...

I think I must have got it wrong about Old Grumpy's operation. Are you sure it wasn't for a brain transplant?

A friend of my brother's went up the side of his house on a ladder and fell off, resulting in damage to his neck and a delicate operation on it. He had a brace up his back and chest and round his head so that he couldn't twist his neck. After a couple of months it was taken off, so what did he do? Started playing racketball and golf again and had a holiday in France on the trains, lifting heavy luggage on to the racks, etc.

Result? He is now in agony and due for another operation, where a piece of bone from the hip is to be inserted in his neck to firm things up. [does that sound familiar?] At the moment he's gone on another holiday abroad - "as it'll be a while before I can do such things again". He's still in agony.

Doesn't OG's behaviour fall into the same sort of category of idiocy? It's some sort of testosterone filled demonstration of macho-ness, isn't it?

Give him my best wishes, nevertheless!

Anonymous said...

Why can't men just sit still!

CJ xx
p.s. hope the graduation went well.

Laura Jane Williams said...

Who's chimney?!

Grit said...

that type of male non-compliance is both irritating and endearing!

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Thanks for that rant DogLover, I have given him your best wishes.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Actually Crystal under normal circumstances I can't get him to do anything. It's just because he shouldn't that he want to, but he did behave himself while I was away, thank goodness!

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Hi, girl in the mask, actually my chimney, that's what is worrying! May I ask you a question now. Why girl in a mask?

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Grit, you said it, in a nutshell.