Wed, Jan 31

For the third night running Paul woke in the early hours and made his way downstairs so not to wake Dawn with his sniffling. It was only a typical head cold, but the last thing Dawn needed was to be kept awake all night.

Again, Paul made the journey into North London to visit his dad at the Whittington Hospital. However, the news wasn't what they had hoped to hear. Instead of being allowed to go home, Paul's dad had been moved into a side room to quarantine him from other patients, as he had caught a stomach bug that had been making its rounds through the wards. Paul and George had to remove their coats and watches, rinse their hands with alcohol, and then put on a plastic gown and pair of rubber gloves.

There was some good news, though. Paul received a phone call from the company he had an interview with on Monday, and they asked him to come back on Thursday for a second interview.

Tues, Jan 30

Here's the lastest on Paul's dad. When the doctors visited him this morning, they sent him down for another scan to check out his heart. And, of course, more blood tests. This gave everyone reason for concern as he has been in hospital a week now.

However, this evening they got some good news at last. Paul's dad had the heart monitor removed as his heart rate seems to have settled down. Now he just needs his INR to sort itself out, and perhaps he can look forward to going home. One other area of concern not mentioned by the doctors is that he has been stuck in bed for most of the time he has been there. This is not good. Hopefully when Paul goes to see him on Wednesday he can have a word with him about getting some exercise.

Mon, Jan 29

Today Paul went for his 5th interview since quitting his job last August. It was for a position as credit controller in Hertford. The job description, salary and location would be ideal. However, we'll have to wait and see whether he gets it.

Paul then had a ride up to Holloway again to see his dad in the hospital. He stopped at Morrisons in Enfield to pick up some ready made meals for his brother George on the way.

As for Dad, his pulse rate is still higher than the doctors would like, and his INR is too eratic for there to be any chance of him being sent home at the moment. He still says he feels fine. It's just worrying that this is going on so long.

Sun, Jan 28

On Saturday, Paul and Dawn had a ride up to Holloway to visit Paul's dad in hospital. On the way they dropped into M&S Food in Hertford and picked up a pizza and ready made meal for Paul's brother George. On the way they also dropped into Comets to pick up a cheap (£4.99!) headset for Dawn to use on her video calls.

At the hospital, Paul, Dawn and George spent a couple of hours chatting. They had all hoped that Paul's dad would have been home by the weekend. But, that never materialised. His pulse rate was pretty high, as was his INR. They all hoped that they would have better news by Monday.

However, on Sunday George called Paul to say their dad had been moved to a different ward. And then later in the day, he was moved a second time. He ended the day in a cardiac ward where they could monitor his heart more closely. His pulse rate had come down slightly, but it was still too high. As was his INR.

On Sunday, Dawn had a couple of video calls with her mum Brady, and a telephone conversation with her sister Kelly, too. As for the headset, it worked a treat. Check out the photo.

Fri, Jan 26

The last couple of days Paul and Dawn have been worried about both Paul's dad in hospital, and his brother George who is now on his own until Paul's dad is released from hospital. Consequently, Paul has been on the phone to George to make sure he is okay, and to the hospital to check on his dad. Friday morning the nurses had hoped he would have been released today, but now it's not going to be before Saturday at the earliest.

Paul also dropped into see his doctor to check his blood pressure. The doctor was happy that it had come down a little, and will be keeping him on the same dose of medication for the next six months now. Paul also mentioned his painful arm/shoulder, so the doctor said he would do a letter of referral for a physio. However, that could take between three and four months for an appointment. The doctor added that he could always go private.

When Paul got home, the builders that fixed the tiled roofs last Friday were working on the chimney. Within a couple of hours the chimney was fixed.

Wed, Jan 24

This morning most of the country woke to snow, and it was no different in Hertford. Paul drew back the curtains to see a layer of snow everywhere. Luckily, it did not disrupt Dawn's train, so she was able to get into work without too much problem.

Today was also Paul's brother George's birthday. However, with their dad in hospital, it made the whole day a little subdued. Paul called the hospital first thing and was told his dad was comfortable, before calling to check on George. Paul then drove up to Holloway to take George out for a birthday lunch. The two went to The Gatehouse in Highgate and spent most of the time talking about their dad.

Then the two drove down to the hospital and dropped into see their dad. He seemed a lot better than they feared he might, and even told them that the doctors told him he should be able to go home in a day or two. Relieved that it wasn't as bad as they feared, they decided to hold off calling their other brothers, Phillip and David, so not to panic them. They could call once everything was okay and their dad was allowed home.

That evening Paul watched (although he wished he hadn't) Spurs throw away a two-goal advantage against Arsenal in the League Cup semi-final. He said he is definitely not going to watch the second leg next week.

Tues, Jan 23

Today Paul went into town to pick up a couple of birthday cards from Clintons and DVDs from Woolworths for his brother George. Then he dropped into the local library to renew the book Dawn had out. She has been reading My Life by Bill Clinton since late last year. But, as she only gets the chance to read the 900+ page book on the way to and from work, it's taking her forever. On the way back to the car, Paul also dropped into the Oxfam book shop and picked up a couple of cheap books, too.

This evening Dawn left work a little earlier than usual as she had a doctors appointment. Unlike her last appointment though, not only did she get in early, but she even got out before her appointment time. Best of all (according to Dawn), it didn't cost a penny!!!

Later this evening, Paul's dad called to say that he had just had a doctor 'round and that an ambulance was on its way to collect him and take him to the Whittington Hospital.

Mon, Jan 22

Back to the normal routine of Dawn commuting to and from Central London to work, and Paul trying to find work. Today Paul applied for five more jobs. All direct to employers, as he has decided to avoid using agents because of their lack of assistance and support.

This morning the builders that the insurance company arranged to look at the front room ceiling surveyed the damage, and informed Paul that they would be replacing about 1/5 of the ceiling, then replastering and decorating the whole ceiling once that's done.

Sun, Jan 21

Dawn stayed at home on Friday and did not go to work. Paul and Dawn set the alarm for 4.30am as usual, but when Dawn checked her train's website she read that there were still major disruptions.

Saturday and Sunday was spent indoors all day. Except for when Paul popped down to the local newsagent to get the Sunday Times. Tiny of course was in heaven to have them both at home. On Saturday, Dawn again had a video call with her mom. It's proving a great success. Especially as it doesn't cost a penny. The image is slightly behind the sound, but it's no major hassle.

On Sunday, Paul called his brother David to see how he was recovering from his heart surgery. It seems that he is really full of confidence after being laid low for the last 15 months with his lung and heart problems.

Fri, Jan 19

Today Dawn stayed home from work after checking the Internet to find out that her train lines were still badly disrupted. After breakfast, the roofer returned and, being good to his word, replaced all the damaged tiles on the two roofs, made the chimney safe, and said that he would carry out the repairs to that by the end of next week. Best of all was that the insurance company said that they would cover the cost (apart from the £75 deductible).

Thur, Jan 18

Spoke too soon yesterday. It was pretty eventful today, and by the time Paul and Dawn had finished their dinner they both had splitting headaches. It started around lunch time. Dawn called Paul as usual to hear the news that another brick had fallen in the high winds that everyone in the UK and Europe were experiencing. Like the one that fell on Boxing Day, this one hit the kitchen roof and smashed through one of the tiles. Little did they know that an hour later over a dozen would follow. One by one they bounced off the main roof into the kitchen roof, smashing more tiles as they came to a standstill.

Paul contacted a roofer who said they would come out immediately and despite wind gusts up to 70mph would make the chimney safe. This proved an impossibility as the wind was almost blowing both the ladder and the roofer over our tall hedge. Even worse, one of the chimney pots then came rolling down the roof towards the roofer. One of Paul's angels must have been on hand as it rolled straight to the roofer and he caught it. It could have knocked him off the top of the ladder, or bounced THROUGH the kitchen roof. By this point, most of the loose bricks had come down, and the wind was beginning to subside. The roofer told Paul he would be back in the morning to make the chimney safe and replace the broken roof tiles. Oh yea, another piece of our fence got blown down, too.

The fun wasn't over there. While Paul was trying to get in touch with the insurance company, Dawn called to say that there were no trains running, and she wouldn't be able to make it home. So Paul dropped everything and drove to Southgate underground station (luckily the tubes were still running). The journey took him an hour. That was a piece of cake, though. After picking Dawn up, it took them two hours to make it home again.

So now you can see why they both had headaches!

Wed, Jan 17

Well the last few days have been pretty uneventful for the Whites. On Sunday, Paul and Dawn spent virtually all day at home with Tiny. Dawn spent a good few hours putting more photos into photo albums, did the weekend chores of ironing and washing, and wrote in her journal. Paul on the otherhand did the dinner, called his dad to see how his brother was doing, and watched Spurs lose 3-2 to Newcastle on Sky Sports.

Monday through today was work as normal for Dawn, while Paul did some odd jobs around the home, contacted DVLA about Dawn's driving licence, searched for work (he even drove to Enfield so he could deliver a CV by hand), wrote in his journal, and of course got the dinners ready and took Dawn to and from the station.

In addition, they also heard that Paul's brother David (who had a heart valve replacement last Thursday) was allowed home today, so that's good news.

Sat, Jan 13

Today Dawn and Brady took a monumental step regarding communication. Well that is a little dramatic, I think. But, it was pretty significant. Today they used a web camera to talk and see each other over the Internet. They had already experimented one way. But today, they went the whole hog. However, it was not without some trials and tribulation. For the first hour and a quarter Dawn could only see Brady. However, they continued at it and eventually got it to work. Best of all is that it doesn't cost anything. No more long distance phone calls.

Fri, Jan 12

Dawn's first full working week of 2007 came to an end, and to say she was glad to see it over with is an understatement. In addition to the everyday problems at the office, she also had to go to the doctors and the dentist. Today she was able to get out of the office a little earlier than usual, but a dentist visit isn't really a nice way of calling it a day. Luckily it was just a regular checkup, and as now usual only cost her £15.50. Dawn's immediate thought was that a regular visit to the dentist when we were in Florida usually cost somewhere between $100 and $200.

Today Paul then had his weekly ride up to Holloway to spend some time with his Dad. They spent most of the time talking about Paul's brother David in Dublin. He had a heart surgery on Thursday to replace a leaky valve. Thankfully that seems to have gone well.

Oh yea, Paul applied for several more jobs that appeared in the local newspaper that came out yesterday.

Thur, Jan 11

Well, it was like being back in Florida for Paul today. The UK had been battered with some pretty strong winds over the previous 24 hours (nothing like Charlie or Frances), and this morning two pieces of garden fence got blown down. Could have been worse. At least the insurance surveyor agreed with our damage claims for the leaky shower pump and loose chimney brick. However, he informed Paul that they would have to fork out for the repair of the chimney. Something like wear and tear, he said.

Wed, Jan 10

Well, this week has been difficult for Paul and Dawn. In Dawn's case, she has had three days where everyone is back to work, and she was well and truly up to her eyes with the usual problems. Paul on the other hand has been doing odd jobs around the house, running errands, and applying for jobs. One agency called him to sound him about about a temporary job in Hoddesdon (15-20 minutes drive). However, after discussing the opening, it wasn't what Paul wanted. Paul has already changed his goals as far as where he is looking for work, salary range, and type of work. However, he will not be taking on work where he knows that he is going to be miserable. Especially for 3 months. Three months in which he could be actively looking for work.

Today Dawn did get out of work early, though. Although it wasn't anything to celebrate. She had a doctors appointment at 5.20pm. So, she didn't really get much of a respite from the office. Even worse was that she didn't get seen until gone 6.30pm. That meant that she got home later than if she had left work on time. At least she didn't have to provide a health insurance card. This didn't cost a penny.

Sun, Jan 7

Yesterday, Paul and Dawn headed into town to get their haircut, before doing some errands around town. Then it was back to the house to spend the rest of the weekend with Tiny. In addition to keeping Tiny company, they also caught up on their respective journals. Paul then made some beef stew for dinner, with extra so they could have it again over the next few weeks.

Today, Dawn did plenty of chores around the house before getting back to her journal, with Tiny keeping her company on the bed. Tiny wasn't complaining. She was racked out on the bed in 7th heaven. Paul in the meantime was watching Spurs draw 0-0 with Cardiff City in the FA Cup on Sky.

Fri, Jan 5

Yesterday Paul contacted the insurance company to try and find out when they would be paying a visit to survey the damage from the leaky shower pump and chimney breast brick. After a little confusion, he was called back later in the day and informed they would be around to check out the damage towards the end of next week.

Today he dropped into the Oxfam shop in Hertford to pick up a book he was looking for, then had a ride up to Holloway to see his dad and brother George for a couple of hours. They still had their Christmas decorations up, but told Paul that they would be taking them down later that evening. Paul took down our front door wreath (our last Christmas decoration) that evening, too.

Wed, Jan 3

Today was a sad day for Paul and Dawn. Nothing tragic, or morbid. It was just that after nearly two weeks together, Paul had to drop Dawn off at Hertford North station so she could go back to work, and Paul could continue his search for work. As for Dawn's first day back at the office, it didn't go too bad. Most of the staff were still enjoying an extended Christmas break. Paul on the other hand did a few odd jobs around the house, did some shopping in town, and received a phone call from a company he had applied for a job with late last year. On that occasion, they said that he was over-qualified. This time they wanted to know whether he would be interested in a new vacancy they were going to be advertising. He would have to apply like everyone else would, but it made him feel good that they had thought of him.

Mon, Jan 1

We brought the New Year in standing on the front doorstep straining to hear the chimes of Big Ben from the television. When we were sure enough time had lapsed, both of us, with a glass of Bucks Fizz in hand, (and in Paul's case, a bag with some bread, greens, piece of coal, and a two pound coin) entered the house as "First Footing." Tradition is that it should be a dark-haired stranger. However, over the years this has been relaxed.

Then we (and Tiny) watched an incredible firework display from the London Eye and the River Thames on television. The display, which lasted almost 15 minutes, was the most impressive either of us had ever seen. Even Tiny was glued to the TV set. By 12.30am everyone was in bed and ready to call it a night.

In the morning, Paul's dad called to wish us happy new year. Paul then made our usual new year breakfast of fried bacon with mushrooms in a buttery milk gravy like sauce. It's excellent. But very filling and very fattening. Needless to say, this is a usually once a year event.

Later on Dawn called her sister Kelly to wish her a happy new year. And Paul made the traditional New Year dinner of pork, greens, black eyed peas and cornbread. The latter being made from plain cornmeal, as we can't get the mix over here. Oh yea, Paul added a British twist to the dinner by baking some of his delicious roast potatoes.