Wed, Dec 31st

It was hard to believe, but today was the final day of 2008. And not surprisingly the two of us were glad to see the year end. It has certainly been a tough one. And, even though we are starting the new year with some uncertainties (especially with my job), we are going to be positive about the way we tackle the situation.

However, before we could even think that far ahead, we had to deal with the remnants of this year. Dawn took down the Christmas tree and decorations that we had in the living room and together we moved the dining table back into the living room. I then got stuck into editing the photos Dawn and I had taken while Brady and Jim were here. At last count there were over 900 of them. So it may be a while before you can check them out on Flickr.

We did get some down time today, though. We watched The Notebook. After that it was a struggle to stay awake to see the old year out.

Tues, Dec 30th

I can hardly believe where the last two weeks have gone. Every day felt like Groundhog Day. We wake up every morning with Brady and Jim still sleeping in our spare room. We then spend the rest of the day planning what to eat or where to eat. My stomach has been crying out for a break. But I digress.

We all woke up somewhere between 4am and 4:30am and showered (not all together). No breakfast this morning. We had a tight agenda and wanted to get on the road. Just coffee and tea.

At 5:45am, after I had scrapped ice off the car, we set out for Gatwick Airport with the temperature gauge showing that it was -3 degrees Celsius outside. And as we headed further south, it got even colder and reached -6 degrees C. Brady and Jim may have escaped the so-called British rain, but they never escaped the British frost. Thankfully Brady bought herself some nice and warm cosy boots and a yak hat.

The hour and three quarter journey passed well, apart from the toll on the Dartford Bridge rejecting one of our coins. It gave Brady and Jim plenty of time to book in their luggage and grab some breakfast. Except for Jim, that is. We stopped by Joe's Cafe and downed a hot beverage with some food. Although Jim declined ordering food, he did share Brady's egg on toast. Dawn had a veggie breakfast and I had a fry up.

One image that will forever be ingrained in my mind, though, was the sight of several British police officers wandering around the airport toting machine guns across their arms. I did ask if I could take their photos, but they were modest and declined.

We did a little window shopping before Brady suggested that we should make a move rather than wait around the airport for a couple of hours while they waited to board their plane. We both appreciated the thought. Shortly after, we all said our good-byes, adding comments regarding the last two weeks. Then, within minutes, Brady and Jim were heading towards the escalator and the departure lounge and we were heading back to the carpark. We'd waited all year for Brady and Jim's vacation and it was now over. Just as Christmas had flown by, and the whole year. We were left with the drive home to contemplate all we'd done.

Back at the house, Tiny was in 7th heaven. She finally had her house to herself again. She loved her new tall house that Santa brought. But, she's a cat, and at the end of the day she loves her routines more than anything. Dawn and I, on the other hand, chilled out with a newspaper and the Christmas Day episode of Dr Who. For dinner we got a chili out of the freezer, started planning out our meals for the next ten days, and more than anything tried to get ourselves back into OUR routine. I don't think we succeeded. Neither one of us could get our brains working again.

Mon, Dec 29th

Brady and Jim's last full day in England and I think both of them were more than happy to take it easy. The three early birds made our way downstairs and after a little idle chat found ourselves watching another movie on the True Movies channel. It enabled us to ALL relax a little after the last two weeks or so. Although we were doing a little clock watching. We couldn't leave the house until Brady had booked their seats for Tuesday's flight and checked in.

With that sorted, the four of us headed back into Hertford one last time to take some last minute photos and grab some lunch at the Woolpack. Again the two Kerrs plumped with the Cajun chicken wrap, as did Dawn. Needless to say, I went for the cujons of fish and chips. By now Jim was chomping at the bit to escape from us (not Brady, of course) so he could do some shopping on his own without us cramping his style. So we agreed to meet up at the carpark in 45 minutes and let him do his wandering.

First port of call was the British Heart Foundation where Brady picked up a few odds and sods, including a little black cat ornament that she gave to us to put on our kitchen window. At Waitrose we picked up some snacks to eat later (Brady and Jim didn't want to go to bed on a heavy meal before flying), and Brady bought herself some British biscuits. A successful conversion. Finally, an American who conceeded that we know how to cook, and especially make delectable biscuits.

Jim, who finally realised that Hertford is too small to spend 45 minutes window shopping, bumped into us twice. However, once he had joined up with us, he decided to disappear again so he could pop into Caffe Nero for a coffee.

Back at the house, we got stuck into a table full of snacks again before Brady and Jim finished packing their bags and I dished up one last plate of food for them - a hot mince pie and some ice cream that left the two raving how good it tasted. Jim then disappeared shortly after we all started watching At Last (again on True Movies).

By 9pm, the three late birds decided to call it a night, knowing full well that we all had to wake up early in the morning. But before we could put out the lights, Brady and Jim started to UNpack their luggage, as Brady frantically searched for her THONG. Apparently she put it in one of the bags when she first arrived, because she knew she wouldn't be using until she got back to Atlanta. This disturbed both Dawn and me enormously, especially as the searching went on for nearly half an hour. Neither one of us wanted to think why she needed this thong so urgently. Even Jim sounded annoyed that she couldn't find it. That was until he hollered that she had found them. I am also pleased to announce that it wasn't Brady's thong either, but her PHONE. Even after two damn weeks, I had trouble understanding her Southern twang.........

Sun, Dec 28th

A nice casual start to the day. As usual, Dawn, Brady and yours truly got up early and spent a couple of hours chilling out. A little after sunrise, I popped out to pick up a couple of newspapers for Dawn before the three of us enjoyed another one of my favourite films, Yankee Doodle Dandy, on TCM. Jim surfaced just in time to see the credits rolling at the end, but chose to disappear back upstairs with his cup of coffee. From home to home, we all have our routines to keep up.

Once the four of us had showered and dressed, caught up with the news, drunk as much coffee and tea as we needed, and watched some documentaries on the television, we headed out to Watton-at-Stone for lunch. Last Christmas, Dawn and I tried the George and Dragon after a recommendation from a work colleague. We weren't disappointed then, and we weren't disappointed today either. And what could be better than enjoying a typical Sunday pub lunch?

The George and Dragon is another old quaint pub with low ceilings, oak beams, a couple of roaring log fires, and an ambiance that makes you want to settle down for the day and just relax with some good food and a cosy drink. We reviewed the menus, both the regular, which the kitchen changes every month, and the daily specials which were written on a chalk board. We all decided on some items from the chalk board: a roast dinner and a stew each. Dawn and I shared ours where Brady and Jim enjoyed their own. Brady said it was because she wanted to savour each and every morsel of her roast leg of lamb with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, Julienne carrots, baby corn, broccoli, creamed spinach, gravy and mint sauce. The stew was a delicious blend of chicken, carrots, potatoes and barley in a thick rich sauce.

With our tummies contented, we enjoyed a pleasant drive through the countryside down narrow roads with bends that gave us a wonderful view of Hertfordshire life. We passed farms with fields open and wide, and drove down stretches of road where trees stretched overhead creating a natural arch that led your way. However, least expected were countless huge mansions. Having spent the last two weeks living in an end of terrace house, the last thing Brady expected to see were homes with gated drives and marble column fascia.

At Welwyn Garden City, we went in search of some sale bargains. First port of call was John Lewis. Dawn described this as a kind of Rich's (one of her favourite stores in the US). Again Brady was excited with the number of departments the store had. Here we left Jim in the men's department so he could search for a pea coat, while Dawn and Brady headed for the handbags, and I made my way to the kitchenware. Surprisingly I was the only one who left with any bargains. Although Brady did make up for it at the Howard Centre.

A visit to this British style mini mall enabled Brady to to pick up her second purse of the holiday, and Dawn and me the opportunity to pick up some snacks for tonight's tea. Which brings me to a subject close to our hearts...food.

Back at the house, despite filling up on pub food at the George and Dragon, the four of us devoured a smorgasbord of snacks. We had oyster crackers, BBQ flavoured lattice crisps and salt and vinegar flavoured kettle chips, and some crackers (including Wheat Thins that Brady brought from America) with liver pate, Boursin cheese spread, and some mature cheddar. Needless to say, once we'd had a couple of platefuls, we were ALL more than contended. We were all looking forward to a break from food. Sadly, it's been so good that none of us can say no.

Again, we all chilled out in front of a cosy fire and laughed at some episodes of Two and Half Men and Everybody Loves Raymond before Jim disappeared upstairs to the "CRIB" for the rest of the night. The rest of us enjoyed a film on the True Movies Channel, Eight Days to Live, before we also called it a night. Even Tiny joined us. She spent the whole night cuddled up between my legs.

Sat, Dec 27th

Caffeine fueled another early start to the day as the BBC News channel filled us in on what was happening in the world of technology and world as a whole. I wrote the daily blog entry as Dawn contemplated our travel plans for the day. Brady froze her butt off as she ventured outside to add some nicotine in her bloodstream. The weather since the Kerrs had arrived had been exceptionally mild, until today. This morning a sheet of white covered the cars in the street, the roof tops, and even the field out the back between our house and the railway track.

Jim was good as gold and rose in plenty of time for his fix of caffeine. Dawn had another bowl of grits and I made some fried porridge. Jim even had a taste. Taste being the operative word, as he said he didn't need to finish it all to know that he didn't really enjoy it.

Around 9:30am the four of us set out north on our trek to Castor, a suburb of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, where Brady has traced the earliest Wooten ancestral burial place. The seventy five mile journey all went well (apart from the scenery, which was some of the most boring that I had ever seen) until we came off the A1(M) at Peterborough. Exiting the service station, we had to rely on the lap of the Gods (and some wonderful intuition from my wonderful wife) to arrive at our destination.

Castor proved to be the perfect finale for Brady and Jim's English vacation. This old English village dates back over two thousand years. The Church of St Kyneburgha was surrounded by quaint streets with houses dating back several centuries and built from local quarried rock and many with thatched roofs.

We parked the car on the street next to the church and made our way through a turn-style type gate to the church yard. Then we were blessed with I have to concede was one of the highlights of the whole trip. From the far end of the church yard, a dozen or so sheep came racing down to see us. (More so to see if we had some food for them). But they looked too beautiful and were perfect for ensuring the grass around the ancient headstones was kept neat and tidy.

Inside the church, we wandered around looking at the ornate carvings and stonework, tombstones covering those who had been laid to rest down the centuries within the church walls, and stained glass windows. Brady took a particular fancy to the many knee cushions, all embroidered with their own pretty designs and colours.

Lunch added to the experience, as we all shared some home-made broccoli, potato and Stilton soup, coupled with a ham and cheese melt, at the thatched-roof Royal Oak pub. There was a roaring fire, low wooden beamed ceilings, and an ambiance that made you want to come back time and again. There was even a local who had been to Canada. Jim found that out when he informed the barman that him and Brady were over from Flowery Branch in the USA.

We arrived home, after stopping off at Tesco to pick up a few groceries, and looked forward to another nice meal to end the day. By general consensus it was agreed that I would pop back to Carleys for some more haddock and chips. This time we were not disappointed and I even got a credit for the two fish that they had messed up last time.

Again, Dawn, Brady and yours truly ended the day in front of the television after Jim disappeared to the spare room. Within an hour we were all calling it a night anyway.

Fri, Dec 26th

Thanks to my heavy cold, we changed our schedule today. Something that Brady and Jim (as well as Dawn and me) had no arguments with. It certainly helped my recovery. I had thankfully seen off my fever, but my chest and throat were still a handicap, and I could do with more energy, too.

So Boxing Day was spent in and around the house all day. Brady was already up when Dawn and I surfaced, and Jim showed up a few hours later. We all just chilled out. The highlight of the morning (for me that is) was watching Sleepless In Seattle on one of the Sky Movie channels. Brady thought I was crazy for popping down to the corner shop in my tracksuit bottoms and slippers. Dawn had no complaints as I returned minutes later with three daily newspapers for her to read. Dawn handed Brady one of the supplements that had the daily Sudoku puzzles. Brady normally enjoys solving the numeric Rubic challenge. However, today she looked in horror when she saw that today's test wasn't the usual set of 27 squares, but a new three-dimensional image that looked like a distorted castle from a Disney movie. (Newly named "Tredoku").

By mid afternoon Brady and Jim were both feeling a little cabin fever and ventured out for a walk donning a warm coat, gloves, and hat. However, the couple realised the house wasn't such a bad place after all, returning a short time later bitching about how cold it was.

Food has been an important part of our agenda since Brady and Jim arrived. Dawn and I had planned virtually every meal and today all went perfectly to plan. For lunch we all enjoyed a turkey on white bread sandwich, and for dinner we had some leftovers from yesterday with some winter veggies, but missing the Yorkshire pudding, Brussels sprouts, and bacon-wrapped sausages. Best of all was that in addition to clearing the plates, we had consumed the whole turkey in two days with no waste.

While Dawn and Brady attacked my mess in the kitchen, I put on the Aston Villa-Arsenal football match on the tele. I got great pleasure giving Jim a lesson on what REAL football is about, and better still saw Villa come from two down to hold Spurs' north London neighbours to a draw.

We ended the day relaxing in front of the TV watching Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro in Stardust before calling it a day. Well, Dawn and I did. Brady sat in front of the fire trying to complete the day's Tredoku puzzle. Notice I used the word "trying"............

Christmas Day (Part Four)

With bellies bulging and appetites quenched, we told each other how pleased we were to have been able to enjoy our festive meal together before once again I found myself sitting behind a steering wheel and heading back into London. On the way back, Dad told me how much he enjoyed the meal and how pleased he was able to meet Brady at last.

In Hertford, Brady and Dawn were busy in the kitchen cleaning the mess that I had left behind. Jim, who knew better than to get between the two ladies in such a confined space, stayed in the living room. However, I think my heavy carb food may have been the real culprit. By the time I had got back to the house, he had migrated back to the spare room where he could allow the food to go down better by spreading himself out on the futon.

Dawn, Brady and I then saw out of the rest of the day, with cameo appearances from Jim (like when he came down to raid the kitchen for food), watching television. Halfway through the Strictly Christmas Special, the three of us descended on the kitchen for some food ourselves. Dawn and Brady grabbed a handful of cheeseball spread covered crackers, while I had a couple of turkey sandwiches.

By 9pm we were all MORE then ready to call it day and bring Christmas Day to a close. Although Brady ended the day hearing noises from Dawn and me through the bedroom wall. Dawn couldn't resist setting up her profile on her Nintendo Brain Age game. So for about five to ten minutes all Brady could hear (in repetitive random sequence) was "Red, Yellow, Black, Blue..."

Christmas Day (Part Three)

Back home, and after the quick introductions, I checked on how Dawn had done with her tasks and took back control over the kitchen. For the next hour I alternated between the living room where we all unwrapped our stocking stuffers (Dad and George also did their gifts from us), and the kitchen where I fought with a hot oven and my own tight time schedule to dish out all the food piping hot and to everyone's satisfaction.

As Christmas dinners go, even if say it myself, it went down a treat. The turkey was tasty, the roast potatoes were nice and crispy, the parsnips sweet and tasty, and the home made Cumberland pork sausage stuffing balls a delight. Even the Yorkshire puddings came out perfect, and Brady enjoyed the brussels sauteed with pancetta and pecans. Normally Brady doesn't like, let alone eat, brussels.

With the main course out of the way, we shared a British tradition, opening half a dozen Christmas crackers, each of us dressed with a mixture of headgear ranging from paper crowns to Heidi hat and reindeer antlers. Dawn even had the red nose, too.

To finish the meal, I dished up a plate of Christmas pudding, mince pies and whipped cream. I can tell you, whipping the double cream by hand was nearly my undoing. I felt like I was running on fumes already, in addition to feeling crap.

Christmas Day (Part Two)

With the gift opening out of the way, I immediately (still feeling like crap) got ready for the next stage of the Christmas Day schedule. I gave Dawn a list of all the food prep that I needed and then headed out to Holloway to collect Dad. God knows what other drivers thought when they looked across at me sitting there with a surgical mask over my face. Thankfully I didn't stick some reindeer antlers on my head, too.

Everything so far (apart from my bloody cold) was going better than planned. I even arrived at Dad's 30 minutes ahead of schedule and we were soon on the road driving back to Hertford. At the house, Dawn (and Brady) were peeling potatoes and parsnips, wrapping sausages in bacon, and rolling stuffing balls. To tell the truth, Dawn was tasked to do all this, but she spent an hour looking for a Christmas table runner that our friend Melissa had given (and made) for us when we were in Florida.

APOLOGY & CORRECTION

Before I forget, I need to make a retraction to something I said a few days back. Just like good old GW revoking a pardon within 24 hours of its announcement, I feel obliged to report that "based on information that has now come to light," I made a statement that was not totally correct. I will also go as far as to state that the the error was mine and mine alone, and that at no point was I misled or pressured to say what I did.

I would therefore like to state that the rum cake that Brady and Dawn made last Sunday was not
Brady's special rum cake, but was in fact "Steve Wooten's Special Rum Cake".

I apologise for any pain my statement may have caused and trust that this publicised correction can close out the subject.

Christmas Day (Part One)

I'm glad to report that my fever finally broke during the night. Now I feel like someone has slashed my throat with razor blades while sitting on my chest.

I got into the Christmas spirit by living Dickens' Christmas Carol. I woke up at quarter to the hour for every hour from midnight until 5am. I can also report that thankfully I did not have any visits from any Christmas ghosts. However, had I still had a fever, I am sure they would have probably paid a visit.

Shortly after 5am Brady made her way downstairs and put on a pot of coffee. Dawn and I exchanged our Christmas cards before joining her a little after. Tiny, who came with us, got the whiff of some catnip in her Christmas stocking, so Dawn let her have some of her stocking stuffers to settle her down. It worked. Within 10 minutes she was laying on the top of her house watching us as we wrote the blog (me), checked emails (Brady), and wrote journal notes (Dawn) with Christmas songs playing on VH1 Classic on the television.

Brady woke Jim in plenty of time for him to grab a cup of coffee and be downstairs in the living room to unwrap our gifts. Over the next hour or so the four of us unwrapped gifts with the camera flash lighting up the room as I tried to capture the the moment for prosperity on digital card. Don't worry, I won't bore you by listing all the gifts. However, when Brady opened a printed hardback book of our photos from the last two and a half years, she said all she wanted next Christmas was another book with the photos from this Christmas. I think Brady and Dawn were also pleased to receive a red bauble personalised with our names, Hertford and 2008 to commemorate our time together.

Oh yea, last word on Christmas gifts. Dawn loved the Nintendo DS Lite that Dad bought her for Christmas. It's a long story.

Wed, Dec 24th

My bug turned into a full blown cold. All night long my body alternated between chills, sweats, and out and out heat. I definitely had a soaring temperature. Needless to say, it put a damper on plans for today, and God knows how many more days. So rather than repeat myself, I'll get it out of the way now and mention that apart from a brief time on the couch I spent virtually all day resting on the bed upstairs.

Dawn and Brady took a ride into town to do some last minute shopping and have a look at the farmer's market. Jim decided to stay behind and chill out a bit. The ladies had planned to "look" at the market. However, after chatting to a local pie maker, the two of them felt compelled to buy something and ended up with a steak and mushroom and a fidget pie.

The two went from store to store searching for the things I had put on their list: goose fat for the roast potatoes, Galloways medicine for my sore throat and (most important) some authentic Cornish Pasties for lunch. While the two were in town, Jim ventured out for a brief walk. He obviously felt a little more secure with his own agenda than Sergeant Major Dawn's.

I would say that the rest of the day was relaxing, but Dawn would argue that one. With me bed ridden, it fell on her to make and dish up the Beef Wellington for dinner. Brady (and Jim at times) did their best to help. However, thanks to the smallness of our kitchen, it looked more like a Strictly Come Dancing routine as the three of them maneuvered around each other. As for how the dish turned out, it was excellent. Dawn did herself proud. Brady even said (unprovoked) that it was the best piece of beef she had ever tasted. Which seeing that Dawn has not really cooked a proper meal in close to seven years, and for Brady in over twelve, it was quite an accomplishment.

After dinner I came downstairs and tried to spend some time with our guests. However, with my agenda published for Christmas Day and instructions for Jim to be up at 8:00am to open presents, he was first to depart. We weren't that long behind, to tell the truth. I just hoped that my roaring temperature would break and I could start to enjoy the festive time more.

Tues, Dec 23rd (Part Two)

Feeling energised from the rest and food, the three set off for St Paul's Cathedral. Originally, Dawn had planned to catch a bus. But when she noticed a sign indicating that the walk would take them a little less than 20 minutes, she opted for that instead.

St Paul's Cathedral brought the second mishap. Well, mishap is not the right word. The three arrived at Christopher Wren's masterpiece and made their way to the long wide stairs that lead into the entrance. Unfortunately, all they got to see was a closed door, and missed out on the glory that is the dome from inside and the Whispering Gallery at the top. The cathedral had just been closed to the public so they could get ready for the evening's Christmas choir service.

Dawn, always one to think on her feet and get out of a crisis, suggested that they should make their way to the Millennium Bridge and the Tate Modern on the south bank of the Thames. It proved to be an inspirational idea. For when the three made their way to London Bridge Station, they came across the Borough Market. This local street market is a food connoisseur's paradise. Not only did they have dozens of stalls selling fresh produce, meat and fish. But there were also countless stalls offering prepared foods. It was a street market equivalent of Harrod's food halls.

Without actually buying anything (they didn't want to spoil their appetite for a second helping of cottage pie when I got home), they headed to the station and made their way back to Hertford North. Thankfully, I was able to get out of work (hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!) a little earlier than usual and met them at the Bridge House pub across the road from the station.

The bad news was that the cold that I had in the morning was beginning to take hold. I was able to dish up the dinner when I got home, but then needed to lay down for a little on the bed. Worried about not having picked up our turkey and fixings for Christmas Day, Dawn reluctantly came with me to Tesco. One is that she didn't really want to be jostling with the rest of Hertford that were doing their last minute shopping, and two was that she was beginning to get very concerned with how my cold was taking over my body.

Tues, Dec 23rd (Part One)

Welcome back to the saga that is the White-Kerr 2008 Christmas. My last day at work for 2008 was not a good one. Yesterday I came down with a cold and it seems to be settling in my chest. Not good with just 48 hours before the big day. Thankfully none of the rest of the household seems to have caught it. So keep your fingers crossed.

For today's agenda, Dawn scheduled a trip back into London for the Kerrs again. This time to the financial district, which (as it's the oldest part of London) has some of the oldest sights. Even Jim went. There had been rumours that Mr Kerr would stay behind to keep tab of his investments on CNBC and Bloomberg. However, I think rumour was the operative word.

As usual, the journey was not without its mishaps. The first occurred as the three got on the Underground network to catch a tube to Tower Hill. Dawn pulled out her map to check and see what line they needed to be on. However Jim went one step further and proved that men can ask for directions. He went in search of a stranger on the platform in hope that they might be able to help. He came across a couple with a little girl. To repay the complete stranger for his assistance, Jim tried to persuade the family to come with them. I never got the gist of how this family felt about Jim's kind offer. All I know is that the three of them did not get off the tube with Dawn and the Kerrs when it arrived at Tower Hill.

The tower, which is really several towers, dates back to the 11c and is certainly a recognisable landmark that tourists all head for. Thankfully, the majority of them today must have been down the West End doing last minute Christmas shopping, as the three of them didn't have too many bodies to fight past as they visited the White Tower, the Jewel House, and Tower Green (where Anne Boleyn and Sir Walter Raleigh, to name two, lost their heads). As with most monuments, there was obviously a fee for the pleasure in traipsing around these historic buildings. Fortunately, the Kerrs were able to use a 2 for 1 deal by presenting their First Connect Rail ticket.

As you may have come to expect, once the three left the Tower, the first port of call was a pub. Rest for feet and throat refreshments were the order at the aptly named "Hung Drawn and Quartered." However, instead of being full of tourists, the majority of customers were men in dark suits who had escaped from their high-powered jobs in buildings like the Nat West Tower and Lloyds.

Mon, Dec 22nd

Back to the grind for me today. Dawn dropped me off at Hertford North and I raced up the stairs to catch the 6:10am train from Stevenage when I saw that due in any minute (albeit 12 minutes late). My day was a little better than Friday. More importantly was that I was able complete the corrective action plan for the BSI that needed to be back with them before we closed for Christmas.

Dawn, Brady and Jim on the other hand spent the day in and around Hertford. Jim got his first experience of a British grocery store when Dawn took them to Tesco so she could pick up some bits and pieces. However, I am not sure how much of the store he actually saw, as he immediately (just kidding) sought out assistance to find some nuts, raisins, and some cherry brandy for his Earl Grey tea. In town the three split up and went their own ways. Jim confessed that he needed alone time so he could find himself some clothes. That was not a good idea. It gave Brady and Dawn the opportunity to find a shoe shop and one of them left with a pair of boots that would keep their feet and ankles warm and cosy.

The three met up in Salisbury Square and stopped for some coffee and entertainment. One of the guys that worked at Caffe Nero was showing butt crack for anyone interested in the view. A little later, because it had been too early for lunch, they progressed to the White Hart for a bite to eat. They all had the soup of the day, which was winter vegetable and by all accounts excellent.

On the way back to the house they stopped at Riverside to check out the Christmas stuff on sale before going back to the house where the three called it a day and chilled out.

Dawn collected me at the station around 4:45pm as I was able to get out of the office a little earlier than usual. When I got home my mouth dropped when I walked into the front room and saw a cat house where Tiny's chair normally stood by the back door in the living room. All the other three would say is that Santa came early for Tiny. Let me tell you - Santa made all the effort to come to number 68 three days early and he didn't leave one solitary thing for us. And you wonder why adults don't believe in him?

Dinner was spaghetti with French bread. I was apprehensive that Brady would not enjoy it as much as my other meals, as this meal is her favourite. Thankfully everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Sadly, my day went downhill from there. First I had to wrap Dawn's gifts, so I spent the best part of an hour upstairs. Secondly, by the time I went to bed, I was coughing and spluttering. I had caught a bug from somewhere.

Sun, Dec 21st

Today didn't turn out exactly as we had planned. Dawn and I were awake at 5am and after a brief lie-in we got up and watched a recording of last night's Strictly Come Dancing finale and results show (we wanted to see the result before reading about it in the media).

For today's agenda we had scheduled for me to drop Dawn, Brady and Jim off at Waterlow Park in Highgate where Dawn could then walk them through the park before making their way to the Spaniards Inn. At the same time I would pick up Dad and George and meet them there after paying Mum's grave a visit at the cemetery. However, I suggested to Dawn that maybe Brady and Jim would appreciate a day of rest after yesterday. Dawn didn't like the idea, but said she would put it to Brady when she woke up.

Brady didn't hesitate to agree with the change of plan. Both her and Jim were totally exhausted. In fact, Brady didn't show till gone 8am and Jim over an hour later. Seeing as we needed to be on the road by 10am, it was clear that even if we had wanted to it wasn't going to happen anyway.

So, I set out on my own and gave Dad the bad news. Fortunately, he was understanding. We drove to the cemetery and laid some flowers on Mum's grave. My parents would have been celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary. With George we then made our way to the Gatehouse and had a roast for lunch.

Meanwhile back in Hertford, Dawn ventured into the kitchen, an arena she has become a complete stranger to, and assisted Brady in making Brady's special rum cake. What makes it special, you ask? It magically disappears soon after you cut the first slice. And, to be honest, that was about all the exercise any of them had for the rest of the day. That is if you exclude using your thumb to change the channels on the TV remote. And, even that was more limited than usual because the Kerrs became transfixed with a series of "How We Built Britain" progammes on the UKTV History channel.

When I got back home I made a quick trip to the Post Office to collect Dawn's last Christmas gift, I watched the Spurs game on the Internet, and then made salmon for dinner which we had with some cinnamon sweet potato mash and broad beans.

The rest of the day was spent with feet stretched out and eyes glued to the television. However, in fairness I should mention that Jim did get some reading in. Map reading, that is. He wanted to check out where Dawn and I had forced him to walk on Saturday and see where she had planned to make him walk on future trips. I am sure this was to make sure that she wasn't taking the long way just to tire them out.

Sat, Dec 20th (Part Four)

The rest of the night could be described as being pleasurable and painful. The four of us were now all looking forward to our show. But we still had to venture out into the crowds again. We headed down Regent Street to Hamley's (the biggest toy shop in the world). But any chance of paying this famous store a visit was eliminated when we saw the crowds inside were more congested than what was on the streets. Carnaby Street, which had huge inflatable snowmen floating overhead, was the perfect ending for our long trek through the West End. Countless small stores, street performers, Christmas lights and room on the pavement (sidewalk) to walk without being jostled.

We also stopped for a few more refreshments on this leg of the day before arriving at the London Palladium a little before 7pm for the 7:30pm start. All I will say is that the show was everything you could wish for in a musical adaptation. All the songs sung beautifully, the familiar story carried along by the music, and some wonderful performances by the whole cast, especially the kids.

Needless to say, after such an incredible and no doubt memorable day, there was no way we could make Jim and Brady walk any further, or even fight with the crowds on the tube. So we made our way to Oxford Street and caught a black taxi cab back to Kings Cross. Our train back to Hertford did not leave until 10:56pm, so we didn't make it home until almost midnight. Dawn slept on the train back, and Jim told Brady he fancied some fruit cake cookies. However, the overriding fact was that we were all dead to the world having been on our feet all day and called it a night within minutes of closing the front door behind us.

Sat, Dec 20th (Part Three)

Once we had given ALL our weary feet a break, we made our way to Hyde Park Corner and caught a crowded 74 bus along Park Lane to Marble Arch. There Brady and Jim learned the meaning of the word "crowded." Oxford Street was so congested that I suggested we should have brought elbow pads. Jim and Brady both declined the offer to have a wander through Selfridges. I am sure it was because both feared that they would never get to move around for lack of space.

We planned to head down Oxford Street, cutting through to Bond Street and ending up at Carnaby Street so we could enjoy the Christmas lights. However, until we got off Oxford Street the only sights Brady and Jim caught were the backs of other people's heads and the back of Dawn and me disappearing into another crowd.

With empty stomachs we searched for somewhere to eat and thankfully found the Slug and Lettuce on the corner of Hanover Street and Regent Street. There I enjoyed some much needed fish and chips (again) while the others downed chicken wraps. Brady and Jim also enjoyed a surprise that we'd been waiting to spill on them for weeks. We'd bought four tickets for the Sound of Music at the London Palladium for tonight.

Sat, Dec 20th (Part Two)

Dawn and I had a quick chat and decided that we had better change the agenda. We didn't want the Kerrs' longest lasting memory of London to be blisters on their feet. However, any chance of that being the case was eliminated as we made our way to Knightsbridge and Harrods. Brady was like a kid in a candy shop. To say she was in awe of the world famous store would be an understatement. We darted from one department to another with her mouth wide open with the amount of luxuries on sale. Jim's mouth had the same shape, too. However, in his case it was because he was looking at the prices. He had visions of Brady taking a savings on offer - like a rug normally at £16,995 on sale for a little under £14,000. Dawn and I were more impressed with the food hall where you could buy anything your heart desired from anywhere in the world.

I think we were all relieved to see the doors closed behind us without too much damage to our pockets. Although Brady did persuade Jim to buy her a nice purse, a Harrods Christmas bear, and 2008 Christmas ornament. So it could have been a lot worse. Again, there were complaints of sore feet and aching backs. So we made our way to the nearest pub we could find for a break and some refreshments. As you can see, Brady made the most of it........

Sat, Dec 20th (Part One)

What a day! We warned Brady and Jim that today would be a long one and they weren't mislead. Dawn and I woke a little later than usual around 5:30am, but were up within half an hour and doing our usual early morning things. Brady appeared a little later and poured herself a cup of coffee. Jim appeared a little later still and we thought all was going to plan. However, we didn't allow for Jim's morning routine. He disappeared back upstairs and then the rest of the morning was a rush. In fairness to him, part of the reason was that I also prepared a typical British fry-up (bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, egg, potato waffle, baked beans and fried bread), which we all had to eat before getting ready to go out. Somehow though we got out of the door dead on time.

At Hertford North the Kerrs tackled an ATM machine, and thankfully one of their collection of bank cards worked and allowed them to get their hands on some cash. We caught the 11:12am into Kings Cross and guess what we saw board the train? No, not a reindeer like Dawn and I saw last year, but something else more rare - someone wearing a Clemson baseball cap. I think the guy's brain power must have infected Jim. A little later as we waited for the tube to Kensington High Street we needed to give Mr Kerr a math lesson. The less said about his problem understanding which train would be number one and which would be two the better.

On exiting the tube, Brady and Jim were immediately bitten by the shopping bug. Which is not surprising when you think we had been teasing them with descriptions of Harrods and being streets away from Harvey Nicholls (Princess Di's old haunt) and countless other designer shops. However, little did we expect that both of them would want to stop at TK Maxx. While I waited outside so we didn't lose anyone, a heavily padded bobbie carrying an automatic machine gun approached where I was standing. I thought surely Jim hasn't upset any of the store staff, but thankfully the copper kept on walking. Which is a corny link to what followed for the rest of the day. Well according to the Kerrs anyway.

We walked to Kensington Gardens to see the Palace where Princess Di once lived before going in search of her memorial. With aching feet (and back, in Jim's case), we stopped at the Lido restaurant overlooking the Serpentine lake for a rest. It became a pattern that repeated itself more and more as the day wore on. The four of us enjoying a leisurely walk with someone bitching that we were trying to cripple them. Sorry readers, no names..........

Fri, Dec 19th

Once again Dawn dropped me off and collected me from Hertford North. At work, I endured a battering from the BSI inspector reviewing our EMS manual. However, at least I received some recognition for all the work I had done bringing our environmental management system from ground zero through stage 2. I now have three months to get us through stage 3 and full accreditation.

Dawn, on the other hand, scheduled a more relaxing day than Thursday for the foot-weary Kerrs. No train journey, no ride on the underground, and no traipsing around looking at London's landmarks. Instead they got the grand tour of our home town of Hertford. Dawn took Brady to Tesco to experience a British grocery store. Surprisingly Brady was in awe of the amount of produce available - take that Publix and Winn Dixie!!!

The three of them did the rounds through town. Jim had a caffeine deficiency from Thursday so first port of call was Starbucks for some coffee. Then, store by store, Hertford learned (thanks again to Jim) that the Kerrs had arrived. Our two and a half years of anonymity gone in a few hours as Jim and Brady told every store owner that they had come here to spend Christmas with us. No doubt we'll be reading about it next week's Mercury newspaper. Lunch for the threesome was at the Woolpack where again the Brits impressed the Americans. Jim could not believe how natural our log fires look.

The day was not without mishap though. After I had got back from work I ran out to Carleys to pick up some good old British fish and chips from a good old chippie. Sadly, when I got home, they had wrapped up two pieces of haddock and three chips, instead of four fish and two chips. We coped with the disappointment though.

The day ended with Dawn, Brady and yours truly having a quick walk around the neighbourhood to view the Christmas lights. As expected, I took my camera and got some odd looks from many of the home owners as I took photos of their work.

Thur, Dec 18th

Dawn and I woke up today at 4:30am as I still had to go to work. She dropped me off at the station so I could catch the 6:10 from Stevenage.

As for Dawn, she ran Brady and Jim ragged once they were up. They caught the train, and then tube into London. First port of call was Buckingham Palace. The Queen wasn't in, but she hadn't invited them anyway. From there they made their way down The Mall and through St James's Park to New Scotland Yard and Westminster Abbey. No time to stop there, they made their way up Whitehall and past Downing Street to Horse Guards Parade just in time to watch the changing of the guard.

By now they were starving and Brady and Jim wanted to rest their poor feet. Reluctantly Dawn allowed them to stop at Wetherspoons for a light lunch before marching them off again to Trafalgar Square and along the Strand to Somerset House. There they watched as tourists tried to break their necks on the ice rink before heading to Covent Garden where they saw snowball fights sponsored by Yahoo, even though we hadn't had any snow.

Brady was walking with blisters on her feet, while Jim stared straight ahead with a glazed look on his face. So Dawn texted me to tell me she was making her way home. So I left a little early and caught the train they were on as it stopped in Enfield.

Back at the house everyone loved my chili and baked pita chips. But most of all, Dawn included, everyone was more than happy to just rest. Day two over with. Dawn is working on their stamina to get them through the weekend ahead.

Wed, Dec 17th

What a long day. We woke at 3.30am and were on the road by 5am. The journey to Gatwick wasn't too bad. We even got across the Dartford Bridge before 6am, so we didn't have to pay a toll. Brady and Jim landed, totally exhausted, around 9.10am. Their flight was two and a half hours late in leaving Atlanta. All the way back to Hertford all I could here was, "Are we there yet?"

For lunch we laid out a spread of chicken pieces and a sandwich assortment from Tesco with pickled gerkins, a cheeseball (Brady had made and brought) and pate with crackers, and a couple of bowls of olives. I think Brady and Jim then spent the rest of the day fighting to stay awake until bed time. Constant chatting, the television, checking emails and the Internet, and several cups of coffee and Earl Grey tea got them through until dinner time.

Dinner was one of my specials - home made cottage pie with peas. Everyone cleared their plates. As Dawn added, had we had bread the plates would have been wiped clean, too. We saw out the rest of the day watching The Royal Variety Performance on BBC. Brady commented several times to Jim about how good it was to watch something without commercials.

By 9pm everyone was totally wiped. So we all said our goodnights and called it a day.

For Tiny watchers, she was a total star today. She spent most of the time in our bedroom, but did occasionally come down to check out the company. Best of all was falling asleep snuggled up to Dawn in her usual place.

Tue, Dec 16th

Dawn dropped me off and collected me from the station today as she wasn't going to work. That meant that I could catch the 6:10am to Moorgate and was able to make it to the office by 6:30am.

My day was go, go, go. Thankfully, I was able to accomplish the three things that I needed to get done today. Including a report that needed to be done for Friday's BSI visit. The afternoon brought me bad news though. Steve informed me that from January 1st I will be on a 4 day week. In fact, everyone will be on either a 3 or 4 day week.

Dawn on the other hand was go, go, go at home. She finished off all the cleaning that she wanted to get done and wrapped most of her presents. She also ran into town to do some last minute shopping.

For the record, we checked Brady and Jim's flight on line to check that everything was going to schedule. Sadly, their 6:25pm flight from Hartsfield was delayed. When we went to bed the scheduled departure time was now 8:45pm. The last we heard was that they were leaving for the airport around 1pm. Boy, are they going to be in a great mood. We've never had a two hour delay and we've done the journey. Oh, well.

Mon, Dec 15th

Dawn's last working day of 2008. Well, half day that is. Around lunch time she set out with her colleagues for the annual Christmas dinner. This year around 350 of CU staff were herded into what she described looked like an airplane hanger. Thankfully the food was enjoyable. She had a cream of parsnip soup followed by roast turkey and all the trimmings. Dessert was Christmas pudding topped with cream and accompanied by mini Christmas pies and coffee. Best of all was that Dawn was able to get away normal time so I could meet her on the Hertford North bound train that pulled into Enfield Chase at 16:39.

At home we then spent a couple of hours tidying the house and doing quite a few things that we still needed to complete before Brady and Jim arrive on Wednesday.

Sun, Dec 14th

By the time we got to bed we had a pair of bodies that ached. Again, we had an early start. I tided the bookshelves in the spare room, the shelves in the recycle closet, hung a mirror by the front door, had a ride up to the A10 to get the car washed and top up with petrol (now at 88p per litre). I then did a South Beach pizza for lunch and stayed in the kitchen for the rest of the day. First I made several dozen fruit cake cookies, the mince meat filling for Wednesday's cottage pie dinner, and then made the sage and onion stuffing for Christmas. Then, if that wasn't enough, I did us a roast chicken dinner.

Dawn, on the other hand, did the laundry, ironing and vacuuming in addition to tidying the house, doing more cleaning in the kitchen, hanging the Christmas stockings, getting the bedding ready for Brady's arrival, and sorting out more Christmas stuff. Somehow she even fit in a phone call to her sister, Kelly, and Brady.

We ended the day watching our favourite film, now a Christmas routine for us, Love Actually.

Sat, Dec 13th

With just a handful of days before Brady and Jim arrive, we were up early and on the go like it was a normal work day. We were in Tesco by 8am, in town by 9am, and back home a little after 10am. We'd got our bits and pieces and now Dawn could focus on things that needed to be done around the house while I headed up to Holloway on my own (in the pouring rain) to pay Dad and George a visit.

Dawn finished her painting for the year by giving a radiator upstairs a coat of paint, the kitchen got a deep clean, and Dawn also attacked the laundry basket, too.

It wasn't all hard work though. We saw out the evening watching the X-Factor finale and result show, and were both pleased that Alexandra Burke was crowned 2008 champion. We were also pleased to see all three couples progress to next week's Strictly Come Dancing finale, too.

Fri, Dec 12th

Dawn was able to get through her last full day at work this year without any real problems. She even had time to meet her ex-colleague for lunch at their favourite old haunt - The Pride of Siam. Dawn ignored her diet and downed a sumptuous bowl of red curry. The two also exchanged a Christmas gift and as they went their separate ways promised to stay in touch during 2009.

Thur, Dec 11th

To celebrate our 700th posting on our blog, we finally have some exciting news to announce on the work front. Dawn attended her interview for the new post of Environmental Officer today at CU, and by the time she had left work for the day received the good news that she had hoped for. She got the job. Sadly, because they now need to advertise and find a replacement for her current position, Dawn is unlikely to move into her new role until February. But, heh, she only as a day and half left of December to work, so it's not different from working a month's notice.

Well done Dawn! Congratulations on receiving a reward for all the hard work you have done over the last year or more on CU's travel plan and other areas of the university's environmental program.

Wed, Dec 10th

Halfway through the week and we have survived it so far. However, it hasn't been easy. The two of us are worn out from all the work we have been doing. Progress on the "Brady Project" has been minimal. Dawn has written out some more Christmas cards, and I have sorted some paperwork. But that has been it.

On the work front, my job continues to spiral further and further into the abyss. I thought I had known worse times. But, not now. Having not enough hours in the day to get everything done is one thing. However, the cash situation is dire. I wonder when it will all end.

One other point worth mentioning is that we are now scraping ice off the car windscreen when we leave for work in the morning, and when we get back to it after work. It's dark when we leave for work, and it's dark when we leave for home in the evening. We put the gas fire on when we get home, and have the boiler heating the radiators so we have nice warm house, too. It's winter time in England. This will now be the norm for a month or two. Roll on the spring.

Sun, Dec 7th

Having spent seven years living in America, I could not start today's blog entry without mentioning that today is the anniversary of America's entry into the Second World War.

As for us, we had another busy day. We started the day slowly. Dawn had some grits and I had some fried porridge. Then we got going and didn't stop until Dawn took a break to have her weekly video call with Brady. In the morning I spent a couple of hours sorting out Tiny's box room before running down to Tesco, filling the car up with petrol (at 88.9p per litre), bought my weekly rail card, and picked up another pasty for our lunch at the Proper Pasty place again.

After lunch I changed and fixed a couple of light switches, hung a new curtain rail in Tiny's box room, and then helped Dawn hang the majority of our photos and pictures on the walls. Now the house feels more like a home again. It's just a shame that it also looks like a pigsty.

Sat, Dec 6th

Boy I will be glad when Christmas is here. This is like none I have ever known. It's go, go, go all the time. Today, we ran into town to do some errands. Stopped at the Co-op for Dawn's prescription, Woolworths for some household stuff, Messages for a handful of jars (I love jars), hardware store for screws and caulk, The Proper Cornish Shop (a new take-away in town) for an excellent Cornish Pasty, and finally our local frame shop. We'd seen a poster print of the Empire State Building last week and decided to check it out again. We ended up buying it as a belated 12th anniversary present for ourselves to commemorate meeting there.

At the house, I moved our dining table from the living room into the dining area. Dawn then spent the next couple of hours putting up the Christmas tree, while I made a large pot of chili and of spaghetti in the kitchen. We had already installed a new curtain rail and some blue curtains in the spare room, and I changed the front door bell. However, that wasn't without incident. But, I'll leave that for the moment.

Fri, Dec 5th

Today was a day off work for the two of us as we tried to get some things done before Brady's arrival in 12 days time. We drove over to Stevenage and picked up some litter for Tiny before stopping at the Howard Centre in Welwyn Garden City. There we picked up some bits and pieces in John Lewis before picking up our groceries at Morrisons on the way home.

Once home I sanded down the last of the walls that needed to be sanded before moving a box bookcase to the shed so we could move the dining table into the dining area. This will allow us to put the Christmas tree up by the back window.

After dinner we chilled out by watching our first festive movie of the season, Christmas Shoes. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Well, maybe Tiny wasn't as moved. But you get my drift.

Thur, Dec 4th

Dropped Dawn off at Hertford North and then drove into London for a change. As much as I hate the journey by car, I still felt that it would be easier taking the car in for a service in Enfield rather than locally when we're off work. Unfortunately it was raining and windy this morning though. I parked our car in the Astra dealer's car park (out the back in pitch dark) and stepped into a huge puddle which soaked both my feet up to the ankles. Then as I made my way to the bus stop, a huge gust of wind turned my umbrella inside out, destroying the stansions that held it together. Result - I was getting soaked. But I soldiered on and made it to work wet and weary ready to start another day. At lunch time I called the dealership to check to see whether the service had been completed. They seemed puzzled as they said I never specified when I needed it. Thankfully they assured me it would be ready when I got there a little after 3pm.

When I left work the sun was now shining and I felt a lot better than I had when I dropped the car off. However, when I got to the dealership I had to wait forever while they manually processed the invoice. In the end I paid for the service and suggested that they just mail the invoice to me. Best of all was that the service raised no problems for us. Tell a lie. What was best of all was looking in the service book and seeing that we had only done THREE AND A HALF THOUSAND miles in the last year. Well that has really helped reduce our carbon footprint in the last twelve months. A pat on the back for the two of us from Mr Gore, no doubt...

Wed, Dec 3rd

Another hectic day at work for the two of us. Although Dawn was able to get out for lunch and wandered up to the Angel and checked out some shops. She even poked her head in the pie and mash shop without stopping to eat. She did, however, have plans to call back in a few weeks. We received a shipment of linens Dawn had ordered online for our spare room. Soon we'll be able to have people stay overnight. It's a good thing seeing Brady will be here in less than 2 weeks. Finally, I gave studying a miss tonight. I stayed up to watch Spurs progress unto the semi-finals of the Carling Cup with a 2-1 win away to Watford.

Tues, Dec 2nd

Here are the main events of the day. I woke up with a painful shoulder. In fact, it kept me awake most of the night. Dawn took our Christmas cards destined for America to work with her and mailed them. That's another off our list of things to do. I finished reading Christmas Jars, my 54th book of the year. And again I sat up in bed and did some more environmental studying.

Mon, Dec 1st

The last month of 2008 and the both of us woke up shaking our heads wondering where the year has gone. Unfortunately we have so much to do still that it doesn't look like we will be getting a break until the new year. Dawn's housework schedule has us busy through the 16th getting the house ready for Brady's arrival, and now she's completed a schedule through the end of the year to run Brady and Jim off their feet the two weeks they are here.

In addition, we still have our jobs to fulfill. Dawn finally found out the date of her interview for the post of Environmental Officer. It's not until the 11th, so she was not too happy about that. As for me, work was much the same. Fending supplier calls, getting stuck into the month end accounts, and then assisting with the payroll.

When we got home Dawn finished some touching up with the paint before finishing off writing out the US Christmas cards. When we went to bed, I finally started on my environmental course. I was up until 11pm reading, taking notes and doing the exercises. What a day.