Wed, Feb 28th

Well we're glad this month is over with. It's certainly been an eventful one. Let's hope March is a little less stressful. Just take the last three days for Dad. He went to the hospital on Monday and today, for a blood test and ultrasound, and to his own GP on Tuesday . He's progressing well, though. However, all this running around is making him tired.

I have completed three days at work for the first time in what seems like forever. It's been enjoyable, but at the same time very, very frustrating.

Dawn has also had a couple of crazy days in the office before a work at home day. Well, partly. In the middle of the day she had to go to the QEII hospital in Welwyn for a checkup. This meant that she had possession of the car and had to drop me off at work and collect me in the evening. More relevant is that she had to drive to the hospital on her own. This she accomplished with flying colours, and even reverse parked into one of those tiny sized parking bays. However, she did say that it was strange as hell trying to manoeuvre the tiny two lane roads that only had enough width for one car.

Mon, Feb 26th

Today I finally rejoined the workforce as Cost Controller for a Risk Management company in Hertford. My day went well, but I do feel tired. All the new faces, procedures and objectives. It's certainly another challenge to face again.

And I haven't forgotten it was Tiny's big day too. She did really well. In addition to being pleased to see me and Dawn when we got home tonight, she ate her meals okay, and wasn't sick. Hopefully she'll get used to the new routine and start enjoying the peace with me out of the house.

We also have some sad news to mention regarding our ex-employer, Dr. Leibrecht. He passed away peacefully Saturday following a short illness. Neither of us will ever forget him. He was Dawn's first boss in England back in 1997, and gave us both jobs when we moved to America in 1999, giving us 7 memorable years in Dunedin. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends, many of whom are our friends too, including Dr. Cathy Eberhart who will now be Schiller's Interim President.

I called Dad this evening and he successfully got to the Whittington Hospital and home again after a blood test on his INR. It was up again, resulting in yet another change to his medication.

Sun, Feb 25th

We had a fairly relaxing weekend following the events of the last six days. It's hard to believe that just a week ago we were up the Royal Free Hospital with Dad after his heart attack. Thankfully he appears to be on the mend. I called him both today and yesterday and he is trying to get back on his feet. He has been moving around the flat to get exercise, having a shave and washing his hair. Mundane activities to most, but to someone who 7 days ago had a heart attack, they are pretty tiring things to do.

Dawn and I, on the other hand, spent most of the time at home doing housework and preparing for my return to the workforce tomorrow. Tiny seems to sense a change in the air, as she has been sick. She hasn't had a good night's sleep since Thursday. We hope she'll be alright tomorrow on her own. I'll try and update the blog tomorrow evening to let you all know how she did. Not to mention how I did!

Fri, Feb 23rd

Today was Dad's first full day at home, and he thoroughly enjoyed his own surroundings. However, he still felt very tired and still has concerns over his bladder problem. Around mid-day a district nurse called around to see him. He did some walking around the flat, but spent most of the day resting. He'll make the most of the weekend resting, and building up his strength, as he has hospital visits on Monday and Wednesday, and will have another visit from the district nurse on Tuesday.

We had a subcontractor call this morning to check for asbestos in our living room ceiling. Our insurance company should have the results early next week and can then schedule in the repairs. I did some grocery shopping, and called my new employers to confirm that I will be at work on Monday. However, I thought that last Friday and look what happened over the weekend. Dawn, on the other hand, was glad to have a couple of days break from work. It's certainly been a long, long week for all of us.

Thurs, Feb 22nd - GREAT NEWS

I called the hospital this morning and got confirmation from the staff nurse that Dad was coming home today. So I drove up to his flat to collect George, and some clothes for him to change into. When we got there and said it was great that he was going home, Dad told me that they hadn't told him yet.

Anyway, I went and saw the nurse and she confirmed that Dad was going home. She was just waiting for a drug to come up from the pharmacy, as he has a chest infection. Then once he was dressed, a doctor stopped us and asked him to get an x-ray done as he left the building. This took an extra hour, but there were no complaints from anyone when we all considered the big picture.

We got back to the flat a little before 4pm. Dad made it up the five flights (and 28 stairs) with little problem. However, he did get a little breathless over the last couple. The bottom line is that he's home. Now he has a long road ahead to recover and get back to normal. But, for that alone, we're all thankful.

Wed, Feb 21st

Today I went to the Royal Free Hospital on my own, as George went to the Whittington for an ECG. He has been getting some chest pains so his doctor wanted to check them out. Dad looked really good, and was really full of beans. Best news of all was that the doctors told him that they hope to send him home tomorrow. We are really pleased that he seems to have made a very quick recovery after his heart attack Sunday. Dad said that Phil had gone up to see him last night, and when I called Phil to give him the good news tonight, Jean told me that Phil had gone again this evening.

Tues, Feb 20th

Good news today. This morning I collected George again and went up the hospital to see Dad, and meet with one of his doctors. The doctor went to great length to describe everything Dad had been through and all that they had done to address his condition. The key points were that all his vital signs are now stable, he is going in the right direction, and that if things continue like this, they hope to have him home by the weekend. Unfortunately, it will take him several months before he is back to full strength. However, with rehabilitation, the doctor doesn't think that this should be a problem.

When we got around to seeing Dad, he looked 100% better than he had done yesterday, and even better than he had when he was in the Whittington. All his monitors and drips had been removed, and they moved him to a ward room to be with four other patients as he didn't need constant monitoring. He sat upright in a chair and talked easily, not labouring as he had been only yesterday. And he didn't look as tired. It was a real relief to see how much he had improved in one day. He certainly gave us a shock at the weekend.

Mon, Feb 19th

This morning I called the hospital first thing and was told that Dad had enjoyed a comfortable night. However, enjoy is definitely not the right word. Then, after dropping Dawn off at the station and popping home for a bit, I dropped into my new employers (it should have been my first day), and told them that I would not be starting today, and asked if I could postpone my start to next Monday. They were completely accommodating and fully appreciated the situation.

I then drove to St Mellitus (my church) and lit some candles and said a prayer before picking George up and heading to the hospital. We then spent the best part of the day with Dad. Phillip and Jean also arrived while we were there, too.

Dad seemed very tired, but told us that he felt fine. We did our best to help him deal with the solitude of being stuck, once again, in a hospital bed. The doctors said that his vital signs were going in the right direction, but as before he is not out of the woods yet.

When I got home I called David to check on how his visit to the doctor had been. He was told that his cancer had not returned; now he needs to see his heart surgeon next week to be given the all clear to start his physical re-hab.

Sun, Feb 18th

This morning I got a phone call from George to say that Dad was in hospital and had had a heart attack. An ambulance had arrived about 2am in the morning to take him. Over the next hour I made several phone calls to the hospital, my brother David in Dublin (Ireland), brother Phillip, and George. The nurse on the telephone said that things didn't look too good, and that it would be best if we were up there.

Dawn and I drove to the hospital collecting George on the way. Phillip and his wife, Jean, arrived shortly after. The news from the doctor was promising, but Dad was still a long way from being out of the woods. We were delighted to see that he had been fully concsious, but he was relying on a pump and cocktail of drugs to keep his heart going. Mid afternoon, they successfully removed the pump. Thankfully his vital signs were still good.

Dawn and I left the hospital late afternoon after the doctor said that he should be okay until they start reducing the drugs (which will be sometime tomorrow). However, how his heart reacts is in God's hands. We were also warned that he could have a second heart attack at any moment, and this time it could be fatal.

We arrived home feeling numb, not knowing what the next few hours, or few days have in store. Needless to say, I plan to contact my new employers in the morning to postpone my start date for a week. I plan to go to the hospital tomorrow, as do Phillip and George.

Fri, Feb 16th

Today I waited in all morning for the locksmith to come and fix the spare room window. For the past two months we have had to keep the door closed because we weren't able to lock the window shut. Thankfully after several days of waiting for the guy to arrive, he solved the problem.

I then drove over to Welwyn Garden City to get an MOT certificate for the car. I had to wait for an hour and a half, but it gave me a chance to read some more of my book. On the way home I dropped into The Frying Pan in Hertford and picked up some fish and chips for our dinner. It was like a last hurrah as we're back on the South Beach Diet on Monday.

Thur, Feb 15th

Dawn was off work sick today (see yesterday's entry). She's had a rough few weeks between a day off due to hospital appointment and licence application, trains broken down on her commute route, and snowbound Hertford. Now she was off sick!

I, on the other hand, had a ride up to Holloway to see Dad and take him to the Whittington Hospital for a blood check and visit to the clinic to assess his latest INR. Again, this INR was all over the show. When he left the hospital last week it was 2.7 and today it was 5.8. They want him to be around 3.5. He has to adjust his tablets and go back again next week to see if he can bring it down.

I have also been on the phone with a window company and a local garage, as we are trying to sort out a window, and get an MOT on our car. Both were a big disappointment as both made appointments only to cancel and re-arrange them for some reason or other.

An MOT certificate is required for all cars over three years old. It certifies that the car is road worthy. Without a valid MOT certificate, one can not get road tax certificate. And without a road tax certificate on your car, you can not drive it on the road!

Wed, Feb 14th - Valentine's Day

Both today and yesterday morning I drove to my new work address at 8.30am to check how long it would take me to get to work. I don't want to get to work late next week. I was a little puzzled with how quick it took. Probably because it's half term and the kids are off school. But, at 9 minutes, I'm not complaining if this becomes the norm.

However, today is Valentine's Day, so I'll concentrate on that. Tonight I met Dawn at Hertford North railway station so we could go out for a romantic meal. What Dawn didn't know was that I would be wearing my pin-stripe suit and holding a single red rose. I think it got the evening off to a nice start. We then drove into town and tried a local Indian restaurant called Bollywoods to see if they could squeeze us in without a reservation. We were in luck. However, our luck disappeared as soon as the waiter removed the condiment bowls that accompanied the poppadoms that we had for starters.

We ordered a Tandoori mixed grill dish and immediately wished we were back at Bombay Spice in Palmers Green. Every piece of meat was overcooked. We couldn't even get the chicken breast meat off the bone. The service also went downhill as they repeatedly brought us hot towels to wipe our hands with a dessert menu, and neglected to bring the bill. In fairness to them, they did give us a small complimentary box of chocolates and a rose. However, Dawn said even the chocs weren't that great either. Oh yea, I think they must have overdone a pot of salmon-coloured sauce, as it accompanied everything they brought to the table.

The final footnote was that Dawn woke up at 2.30am feeling the worse for wear, and it wasn't down to the single bottle of Cobra she had with the meal.

Mon, Feb 12th

Once again Dawn was back on the train commuting to work today. Hopefully, she'll be able to see out the whole week this time. Unlike last week, where she only made it into the office twice. I had a ride into town first thing and got my belated haircut before doing a little shopping. I was even able to pick up a Writer's Magazine. I'd been searching for weeks, since I had taken up the baton again to write my book.

This afternoon, I addressed the job situation. Nothing arrived in the mail from either companies that I was waiting to hear from, so I made some calls. By the end of the day I had received confirmation that I had been overlooked by the County and had a start date as Cost Controller with the local risk management company. My months of unemployment will finally come to an end next Monday when I again return to the workforce. Not only will it be an adjustment for me, but Tiny too. She will most certainly be the one most affected.

Sun, Feb 11th

We had a quiet weekend at home in Hertford. Yesterday we headed into town for our haircuts. Only Dawn got hers done, though, as the girl who normally cuts ours was sick. The owner was able to squeeze Dawn in. I'll have to go back Monday. Then we dropped off "My Life" by Bill Clinton at the library. Dawn had finally completed reading the biggest book (nearly 1000 pages) she had ever read. I had given her the hardback for Christmas a few years ago. However, it was too heavy to carry on the train to and from work, so I picked up the paperback version. We had a nice soup and sandwich at the Woolpack for lunch. Dawn had a pint of Kronenberg, while I had a nice hot pot of tea. If you read Dawn's blog, you'll understand why I order tea!

Today Dawn got stuck into our photo albums once again. Celebrations were heard in the street as she finally reached photos that we'd taken on New Years Day. Tiny had me for company on the bed as I read and snoozed with her. After dinner I called Dad to check on him only to find out that he had sprained his ankle. Does it never end?

Fri, Feb 9th

The week came to an end with Dawn enduring a nightmare at work. It was her first day back in the office since Monday and thanks to the problems with the train and snow, she spent the best part of the day re-scheduling appointments.

As for my interview. Well, it wasn't an interview; it was a meeting to discuss the new position and also for them to apologise for the job retraction. They went to great lengths to apologise for retracting the offer, and an hour later offered me the position of Cost Controller. Both the Chairman and Financial Controller said they were deeply impressed with my knowledge, skills and experience, and that they wanted me to be a part of the team. The FC said he would get the offer letter in the mail today, and I could let him know early next week whether I wanted the job.

As for the Hertford County vacancy, they never got back to me.

Thurs, Feb 8th

Well this eventful week just seems to be going from strength to strength. This morning we woke up around 4.30am (as normal) and as predicted saw that it was snowing. However, it had only just started. So there wasn't any real reason to be concerned. However, by the time Dawn normally left the house for the station, things had changed. The picture above shows the scene she was faced as she opened the door. Not surprisingly, after checking her train company's website, Dawn did not travel into work. This meant that she had not been to work two days running due to transport issues. I neglected to mention in yesterday's blog that I had to collect her from the station yesterday (after I had dropped her off) because there was a overhead line problem at Alexandra Palace and no trains were getting to Hertford North from Moorgate.

Better still, this afternoon I had an interview for a job as Information Analyst with Hertford County at County Hall. I decided to walk as it was just around the corner from the house. I think the interview went as well as it could. They said they would let me know by tomorrow whether I got the job. One strange quirk of fate: the guy who interviewed me used to work for the same software company (Briter/LK Global) that provided the accounts system when I was at Bowers.

Wed, Feb 7th

Today was one of a great high, and a disturbing low.

The high was because Dad was finally allowed to leave the four bed ward, where he had been couped up with three other patients that had caught a stomach bug, for the spacious (relatively speaking) three bedroom flat I grew up in. Dawn and I picked George up on our way to the hospital and gave Dad a lift home. He even carried out a plastic bag with all the drugs that he was now on, about a dozen or so. All free, as with the rest of his stay. No hospital bill, no bill for the drugs, no bill from pathology for all the blood tests, and no bill from the doctors that visited him. In fact, he had his HSA form signed so that he could RECEIVE money from his health insurance, and a letter for a district nurse that would visit him at home. Yes, there's no charge for that either.

The disturbing low was a call I returned to the company that had offered me the job as Credit Controller. They retracted the job offer. It seems the person who had quit and worked his notice had started his new job on Monday and had a change of heart. And so did the company that let them go. They gave him his job back. However, all was not lost. They informed me that they had just created an alternative position that they would like me to consider. A meeting to discuss it was arranged for Friday.

Tues, Feb 6th

Well, we had another interesting day today. First we went to the QEII hospital in Welwyn Garden City to try and get Dawn onto an annual mammogram program like she had in the US because of her condition. She left about 90 minutes later with nothing but praise for the NHS. The bad news was that there is no such annual mammogram program. Instead, thanks to Dawn's situation and history, they put her on an open door plan where she can come back any time she has a problem and they will examine her and do whatever is necessary to resolve the problem. Best of all, the so-called waiting list (unlike in the US where Dawn had to wait 2 months last time) is nonexistent, and the service doesn't cost anything. Again, unlike the last time in the US when the hospital and clinics billed us around $1500.

Next port of call was Luton (about a 30 minute drive) so Dawn could apply for her provisional drivers licence. If Dawn was British, she could have gone to a local post office and they would have checked her photo, passport and face and then forwarded the application to Swansea (Wales) for processing .However, because she has an American passport, we had to visit a DVLA centre for them to review the documents before sending them ALL off to Swansea (including the passport). Worst of all is that it will take up to seven weeks for her to get the licence and passport back.

The day didn't get any better from here, either. We called Dad at the hospital from Luton and again he was told that he wouldn't be getting out today. Then, when we got home, I had a message from my new employer to call them. This I did, and was politely informed that they had retracted the job offer because the guy who left last Friday changed his mind and wanted to stay. It wasn't all bad, though. They said they have created a new post that I may be interested in. I now have a meeting scheduled for Friday morning to discuss that avenue.

Mon, Feb 5th

Again I called Dad and George first thing to check on them before I took three black dustbin liners full of cans, cardboard and bottles to our local recycling centre. Then it was on to collect George and another visit with Dad. Yes, he's still in hospital. He's edging closer to going home. However, as he may still be there Wednesday, I called my new employer and asked if I could postpone my start date so I could take him home once he does get the green light. They said it wouldn't be a problem.

Tonight we watched the Super Bowl XLI on the Sky+ box. Well, we fast-forwarded through the five hours to watch the best bits. Like the touchdowns, field goals and extra points, and of course Cirque du Soleil and Prince. However, I couldn't help but notice how AMERICAN it was. Not capitalist, American. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy American football and will always follow the Bucs. But the presentation made me cringe. Firstly, the Lombardi trophy was presented to the owner. No disrespect meant, but I don't think I saw Jim Irsay throw any touchdown passes or catch the ball in the end zone. It would be unthinkable here for Malcolm Glazer to receive the FA Cup in the Royal Box if Manchester United won it. That honour would go to the team captain. You know, the guy on the field who actually led the team to victory?

And what's the idea of a Cadillac for the MVP? Give him a trophy that says he was the best on the field. What does someone who already has expensive wheels and a huge bank account need with another car? Next, I would like to know why God helped the Colts win, and not the Bears? To me, that's a little unfair!! Finally, and I've said this dozens of times before, don't call yourself World Champions. Only American teams played in the NFL, and only 32 teams at that. Oh yea, I still have a soft spot for Dunedin and Florida, though. It's just some of the culture that leaves a funny taste in my mouth.

Sun, Feb 4th

Firstly, I'd like to apologise for the lack of photos recently. However, the good news is that we haven't had any more incidents like the chimney collapsing, fence being blown down, or the shower water pump leaking through the ceiling. Hopefully over the next week or so we'll have some more stuff to interest everyone. I have a new workplace, so that could be appearing soon.

Back to our Sunday, though. Again I called my Dad and brother George a couple of times. Dad seems fine, but is bored stiff. He has refused newspapers and books, so only has the ceiling and the other patients to look at. George has coped fine on his own. But, he too is looking forward to having Dad home for the company.

Breakfast this morning was excellent, as we shared another piece of steak with a fried egg and potato waffle. However, this morning's splurge meant we missed out on lunch. But we did make it up with some roast chicken and roast potatoes for dinner (with stuffing, brussels and gravy).

This afternoon we spent a couple of hours laying on the bed with Tiny. She is really going to miss having me around come Wednesday (when I return to the workforce). I say we. Dawn spent half that time ironing.

I also found time to watch Spurs being humiliated 4-0 by David Beckham's old teammates, and the British arm of the Glazier's empire, Manchester United.

Sat, Feb 3rd

Thankfully I am feeling a little better after a week of little sleep, several three hour return trips to the hospital, three job interviews, and countless phone calls to Dad and George to make sure they were okay. I even received an offer letter in the mail for the position as Credit Controller here in Hertford. My start date is February 7th, and will bring an end to five months of unemployment.

Once we were dressed, we headed into town and did some shopping. We hadn't planned it, but we also picked up something for a special celebratory meal: seven sirloin steaks for £10. Not only did they prove value for money, but when we had a couple for dinner with a baked potato, they tasted excellent.

Back home Dawn had a video call with her mum, Brady, to chat about the events of the last week. Even though they exchange emails every day, they still enjoy catching up with things at the weekend. Especially when they can see each other on the computer screen as well.

As always, I called Dad and George in the morning and evening to see how things were. This evening Dad mentioned that my other brother Phillip and his wife Jean had stopped in to see him with some grapes and drink.

Fri, Thur 2nd

The good news is that I finally made it through the night and found myself asleep next to Dawn in the morning when the alarm clock went off, instead of on the couch like the last four nights.

As for the rest of the day, it was a little tense to say the least. I spent all morning glued to the telephone waiting to see whether I had been offered a job. As it turned out, when I left at lunch time to go and collect my brother George so we could visit Dad, I received a call from someone completely different asking whether I was available for an interview next Thursday. This was the local council, and the position was Information Analyst.

Well, I collected George at Dad's flat and took him up the Whittington. He then went for an ultrasound and blood test while I spent an hour and a half with Dad. He was cheerful considering. His stomach was feeling better, his pulse rate was still down, and he had been taken off the oxygen for the last 24 hours. Unfortunately his INR is still up and down, so he was going to be there all weekend.

I did get a phone call while I was with Dad. However, it was to tell me that I wouldn't be a Financial Controller next time. So I decided to call the other company back and was given the good news that I was being offered the job. However, I would have to wait until I received the letter from them to know the details of the offer.

Thurs, Feb 1

Today again I woke up shortly after midnight and made my way downstairs to avoid waking Dawn. This damn head cold meant that I hadn't had a good night's sleep in four nights. Hardly the best way to prepare me for my trips to the hospital to see Dad, and two job interviews, which were the priority of the day today.

At 9am I had an interview for a Financial Controller vacancy with a energy-saving light distributor here in Hertford. I think it went fairly well. The owner said he would let me know whether I got the job by the weekend.

Then at 11am I had my second interview for the Credit Controller vacancy with the risk management company, also in Hertford. This was more to give the Financial Controller and myself a chance to discuss the role and company in more detail. I was shown the premises before being shown the door and told I would also hear whether I had the job by the weekend. They called me later, but didn't get me on the telephone. I didn't know who it was, as they called me twice without leaving a message, and a third time when they did leave a message but their offices had closed for the day.