Deb's Digest
Debbie Atkinson’s family life column, as featured in the Southport Visiter.

Friday 4 January 2008

My husband finally fathomed out his Christmas present, a Tom Tom, yesterday. Initially it was giving all instructions in French which led to a return visit to Halfords. Although we knew the route to the Cheshire Oaks like the back of our hands we decided to give it a whirl. At first we could hardly hear the woman's voice and I was having to hold the screen up to my ear as we travelled - surely that couldn't be right. Eventually I discovered how to alter the volume and all was well until we reached Bootle and the woman was insisting that we took a different route from the one we knew and loved. What with her constant parroting and my husband shouting at her, by the time we reached the outlet village my head was throbbing. On the way home, when we were approximately 300 yards from home I unplugged the machine. "Why did you do that?" asked my husband. I explained that we could do that part of the journey with our eyes shut. But apparently it was very rude just to unplug her before she'd seen us safely to our destination. I think this present is going to be trouble.

It was lovely to have everyone at home over the Christmas holidays although it seemed to be a constant round of laying and clearing tables. I trained my husband to ask: "What can I get you?" instead of the usual: "You don't want a drink do you?" and now that it's all over I'm making lists of ways of economising. I'm afraid this smacks of the "Grumpy Old Women" syndrome that I've been reading about in the book of the same name which was a Christmas present. I almost found myself saying that I'd save the wrapping paper on this year's presents for next year - but quickly stopped myself because it's exactly what my mother says every year.

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