Thur, Dec 31st

The last day of the year and the decade. Got up and drove over to Tesco around 7am to get some tomatoes for the chili was I was going to make later, some newspapers to keep Dawn occupied, and photos from the PO that they couldn't deliver yesterday.

As for keeping Dawn occupied, it was our intention to see the new year in tonight, she had enough on her plate. She took the Christmas trees and all the decorations down. We thought the front room would look empty. But we moved Tiny's house from last Christmas to where the tree had been and, bingo, it made the place looked crowded again.

I, of course, made a large bowl of chili, having soaked a pot full of beans overnight. Then, poured some dried black eyed peas into another saucepan so I could soak them overnight. Lunch proved a snackfest as we tucked into some pate and crackers with some crisps. Tiny was just pleased to have her house in a more prominent location.

Before dinner, which was that excellent chili I made, Dawn booked her flights to the US for 2010. She wanted her family to help her celebrate her big birthday next year so she's popping over for a mini-vacation to be with them.

This evening we watched Duplicity and some other TV to help us stay awake to bring in the new year. It worked, but only just. Even Tiny was getting antsy. We made it though and did "First Foot In" with some coal, money, bread and wine. Here's to 2010, hoping it will be better than 2009.

Wed, Dec 30th

What a long day. We dropped the car off for a service at a local garage in town and hung around town while they did it. We walked along the river into town and stopped at Starbucks for a coffee, and then later the White Hart for some lunch. I'd already decided to give up fish and chips until I had got my weight down, so this was going to be the last one in a while. Dawn had a soup trying to cut out some calories straight away.

We ended up staying there two hours as the car had a broken gaiter, whatever that means. It also meant the bill was twice what it should have been.

Back at the house, we had a light dinner and then I tried to call Dad. I then tried to call George. After not getting either of them (Dad always turns his cell phone on at 6pm so I can call him), I started to get a little concerned. So I called the ward and thankfully he was put on the phone. He'd only just got back from the Royal Free Hospital and hadn't had a chance to put his phone back on.

Once Dawn and I had got over that little scare, we sat down and watched Slumdog Millionaire. Neither one of us could see why it won best film at the Oscars. But, who are we to judge?

Tues, Dec 29th

Dawn ventured into town today, but we avoided Tesco and only popped into Waitrose briefly. The bottom line was that Dawn needed to get out of the house so she was going to make it into town come hell or high water.

We didn't do much while we were there, just got a newspaper and some other odds and ends. I think Tiny also enjoyed having the house to herself, although she was more than happy to see us when we got back in time for lunch.

Lunch was pate and crackers. After speaking to Shelia last week, Dawn fancied some salmon pate. So I made some this morning and it tasted good.

Chilled out for the rest of the day and chatted to Dad and George. Dad has been having our home-made cookies and biscuits for breakfast and has virtually cleared the lot.

Mon, Dec 28th

Dawn was getting a little cabin fever, but did not want to head out to the shops after her experiences last week. So instead I went on my own and they were empty. She really missed out on a treat. She is already planning to avoid the stores the last 7 days before next Christmas some how.

Once more it was similar to the last couple of days, just chilling out and talking to Dad and George on the phone. Phillip had hoped to get up to see Dad today, but didn't make it. At least he spoke to him on the phone.

I enjoyed Spurs' final game of the decade on Sky Sports as they beat London neighbours West Ham 2-0 to go fourth in the Premier League. Not bad for a team who were bottom of the division a little over a year ago. Dawn also enjoyed some TV as we watched the epic Australia with Nicole Kidman afterwards.

Sun, Dec 27th

I hadn't planned on writing today. However, there was one thing that needed to go on the record. Dawn enjoyed the Christmas dinner so much that she had it again today. On this occasion, it was all leftovers. But needless to say, she had a roast dinner three days running. God help our weights come New Year's Day when we weigh. It's going to look pretty ugly.

Sat, Dec 26th

We postponed having Eggs Benedict for breakfast yesterday because we had so much to do. But, boy did it make a nice breakfast on Boxing Day. Seems to me this should be a new tradition.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing. We had a second round of Christmas dinner. I made virtually all the fixings from scratch and it tasted just as good as yesterday. However, although I was surprised that Dawn felt my dinner was the best she had ever eaten, I was even more surprised that she loved my Christmas pudding and home-made mince pies. Thanks Delia! Home-made for us from now on.

Tonight I spoke to Dad and George again on the phone, and we relaxed with the Oscar-nominated film, Frost/Nixon.

Fri, Dec 25th (Christmas Day Part 2)

Once George had finished opening his gifts, we all headed up to the hospital to visit Dad. He looked in real fine spirits, all things considered. I did my best to bring even a bigger smile to his face as George pulled a cracker with him. He also opened a smaller goody bag from us that also had some home-made goodies and more (cheese biscuits, fruit cake cookies, Christmas cake).

My brother Dave had called when we were at Dad's to wish us "Merry Christmas" and had arranged to call me on my cell phone if he couldn't get Dad on his. It made Dad's day to talk to Dave, Rita and the two kids.

After dropping George off, we headed back to Hertford, making it home before it got dark and the roads began to freeze over again. However, Dawn's day was still not done. She had a Christmas video call with Brady and talked to her sister Kelly, and her late father's partner, Shelia, and good friends Lee and Barbara, too. I, by the way, had crashed out on the couch with Tiny asleep on my shoulder.

Fri, Dec 25th (Christmas Day Part 1)

Woke up this morning and wished each other "Merry Christmas" before making our way downstairs to open our gifts with a nice hot cup of Earl Grey tea. With things a little up in the air this Christmas, we hadn't been able to prepare as well as in previous years, but were still able to surprise each other and give each other some much appreciated presents. Mine from Dawn were mostly kitchen related, and a jacket I'd been after. Dawn got a few things she put on her list for Santa, plus a Red Letter Day she can enjoy in the new year.

Then it was into the kitchen. With Dad in hospital and George on his own, we had decided to take our dinner up to Holloway and have it there with George. First I baked the roast potatoes, roast parsnips, sausages in bacon, and the stuffing balls. Then I cooked the Brussels in bacon with pecans and steamed my home-made Christmas pudding. Finally, I made up some Yorkshire pudding batter, carved the turkey, and got the mince pies, cranberry, and cream out of the fridge. It was Dawn's task to get these all bagged up safely for our trip on the road.

George was pretty down-hearted when we arrived at Dad's flat. But by the time Dawn had got him busy with the table, he came around. I went into the kitchen and finished off the dinner before dishing it up on a table with the table runner made for us by our good friend, Melissa, in Florida.

Dawn said the meal was not only the best I had ever cooked, but that she had ever eaten. I'd have to agree with her. It was great.

With the food finished, George opened his Christmas goody bag. Dawn had filled it with plenty of home-made food, like fruitcake cookies and Christmas cake, plus loads of high calorie foods that we all enjoy at Christmas. We'd made one up for Dad to enjoy when he gets home, too.

Thur, Dec 24th

No more work for me. But, I had a heck of a lot to get done though. Firstly, I had to run up to G Pickett at Sele Farm and pick up our free range turkey and a piece of fillet of beef. Once home, I threw the turkey into the oven after dressing it using one of Delia's recipes again. Although the stuffing I placed up its backside was a recipe I have used for a few years now. In making that, I also made 16 stuffing balls, too.

With that on the go, I made a gravy that we'd seen on a Jamie Oliver show the night before and then prepared the mushroom-liver pate for the Beef Wellington that I also put together. We had that later (another tradition). I also wrapped some Cumberland chipolata sausages with some bacon, and made some pastry which I used on some home-made mince pies. I also iced our home-made Christmas cake.

Dawn, on the other hand, tackled the photo albums again. That in itself is a mammoth undertaking. However, we did relax, too. We watched It's a Wonderful Life on DVD. You got it, another tradition.

Wed, Dec 23rd

My last day of work for not only 2009, but also this decade. And, as with the last two days, I walked to the station to save Dawn contending with the icy roads.

Thankfully, The Boss let me leave even earlier today than yesterday. However, by this time I had already sorted out the cash situation for the rest of the month and would also be checking on our account balances from home and transferring cash and making any payments that needed to be done electronically.

Dawn ventured into town today and in particular Waitrose. Another phone call resulted and again Dawn was in hell part two. I told her to not to worry, pay for what she had picked up, and I would get the rest at Waitrose in Enfield Town on the way home.

Tonight we enjoyed put the second DVD on that is part of our Christmas tradition, Christmas Vacation. No matter how many times we watch this film, it still makes us laugh.

Tues, Dec 22nd

More snow yesterday evening, making it difficult for some people to get home from work due to the icy conditions. Needless to say, this meant that I walked to the station again this morning. Which was better than some of my work colleagues who didn't make it in at all.

Dawn ventured out after lunch to Tesco to get the majority of the food stuff we needed. I got a call on my cell phone at work from her to confirm whether I really wanted what I had put on the list as it seemed a pretty lot for just the four of us. She also wanted to vent because she felt like the WHOLE of Hertfordshire was in Tesco and she was about to kill someone. The car park was over full, the aisles were heaving with shoppers, and every time she wanted to take something off the shelf someone was standing in front of her reading the ingredients on the can, box or carton. She was not a happy camper.

Thankfully, The Boss had no objection with me leaving a little early this afternoon. I was ready for Christmas.

When I spoke to Dad this evening, he confirmed he would be there over the Christmas period. We had hopped that he would be home by Thursday, but that wasn't going to be the case.

Mon, Dec 21st

Thanks to the snow and ice on the ground, I walked the mile and three quarters to the station this morning to save Dawn having to dice with the dangerous ice on the freezing roads. Dawn of course was able to stay in the cosy warm house with Tiny as she didn't have to go to work this week.

Work was slow, although I have to admit a little stressful. The same old routine. As I oversee the purchase ledger and cash book, you can imagine what it was like. In fact, like it has been most of the year.

As Dawn came to the hospital yesterday with me and was at home today, she decided to have her video call with Brady today. And sat in front of a nice glowing fire with Tiny, too, of course. She did pick me up from the station, so no complaints there.

Sun, Dec 20th

This morning we had a ride up to the cemetery and laid some flowers on Mum's grave to commemorate my parents 58th wedding anniversary which is coming up on Tuesday. We also laid some flowers on my grandparents grave, too, as Dad wouldn't be able to get up there this week. The place was bitterly cold and there was a layering of snow all over the ground and grave stones.

We then stopped off at Dim T in Hampstead Lane for lunch before calling into the Whittington Hospital to pay Dad a visit. I have to say he looked in good spirits all things considered.

Tonight we chilled out in front of the television and watched our favourite film, Love Actually. Neither one of us will forget watching this in the cinema in Florida when it came out. Since then, we've watched it every year.

Sat, Dec 19th

Less than a week to Christmas and I spent more time in the kitchen. I prepared the mince meat for some home-made mince pies, and made some delicious tasting cheese biscuits with pecans (had to try one). I also made a jar of home-made cranberry sauce. After using Delia's recipe for Thanksgiving, I will never buy it from the store again.

Called Dad and chatted with him. He is in good spirits considering he has been in the hospital for almost 3 weeks. Called George, too. He also called me as well to check on the timings of something he had in the oven.

Fri, Dec 18th

Thankfully I moved my in-lieu day from the 9th to the 18th. This meant that when we woke this morning to see even more snow had fallen overnight, I didn't have to make the effort to get into work. Dawn, who is always prepared, didn't make it in either. If it wasn't for the fact that I have to go to work next week, we could have started our Christmas today. Oh well.

I went into town and picked up a Cornish Pasty for lunch, food for Tiny at the vets, food at Waitrose, and then Boots the opticians. I'd sat on my glasses last night and slightly bent one of the arms. After they fixed it, I enquired about an eye test and was pleased to hear that I could get it done for nothing as they were doing a special that day. Better still, they had an opening at that exact time. And to round off a great visit, my eyes were okay and I don't have to go back for 2 years.

Sadly, Dad did not make it home as we had hoped. Talked to George, too, who is doing pretty well on his own. In between shopping and visiting Dad, he seems to be able to cook two meals a day and enjoy a breakfast, too.

Thur, Dec 17th

With the days counting down, Dawn and I caught an earlier train into London this morning. Although, Dawn was not too happy by the time she arrived at Old Street. It was bad enough that the train had to stop at each station, but it got later and later with each one, so she gained no time at all by leaving early. Oh well, only tomorrow left for her and then that's it for 2009.

Spoke to Dad again tonight hoping that he would be released tomorrow from the hospital. Sadly, it was not meant to be. Nothing out of the ordinary, just that he isn't quite ready yet.

Before we went to bed this evening, a blanket of snow had fallen and settled on the ground. They had been predicting this all week, so it wasn't a shock. So much so that Dawn had prepared for it - JUST IN CASE SHE COULDN'T GET TO WORK FOR HER LAST DAY.

Wed, Dec 16th

Christmas is looming and I still haven't done hardly a thing in the way of gifts, etc. Thankfully Dawn has had a handle on the cards we're sending out, etc.

Today I received a nice bottle of Port and block of cheese from The Boss. That was a nice thought. Even better was watching Spurs beat Manchester City live on Sky Sports. It may have been at home, but it was a victory over one of our 4th spot competitors. Come on you Spurs.

Sun, Dec 13th

Up early and tidied the house before picking Dave and Rita up at Hertford North and taking them back to the house via Hertingfordbury so I could show them where our great-great grandparents were married. We all enjoyed catching with each other before heading into town to enjoy a roast beef dinner at The White Hart, and more chatting.

We dropped them off at the station after some photos in front of the Christmas tree in the center of town.

Back at the house we watched a Christmas movie before a light supper and settling down for the X Factor finale and seeing Joe McElderry crowned the 2009 X Factor winner.

Sat, Dec 12th

No rest this weekend. Did the grocery shopping before we popped into town to get our haircut. Stopped off at the vet's to get some food for Tiny, Natural Health store to get Ecover refills, Boots opticians to get Dawn some replacement glasses, and Waitrose for the bits and pieces I didn't get at Tesco first thing. Somewhere in between all this we took five minutes out at Starbucks and ordered a flat white and picked up a Christmas ornament.

Back at the house Dawn did her Sunday chores before we enjoyed an early dinner. The evening saw us in front of the TV watching the Strictly Come Dancing semi-final and X Factor final (part 1). Both of us felt that it was unfair that Ali should miss out on next week's Strictly final. But tomorrow's final between Joe and Olly was the right choice for the X Factor finale.

Spoke to my brother Dave to make arrangements for Sunday, and also checked in on Dad and George. Nothing to report. No change there.

Fri, Dec 11th

Christmas party day for Dawn's office today. Well more than just her office. Dawn and nearly 400 of her colleagues enjoyed a festive meal at The Brewery in Moorgate. The guests started with a pumpkin and organic honey soup, which was probably the highlight. The entree looked more like a bowl of turkey with a tiny carrot and parsnip, a couple of small boiled potatoes, a small chipolata sausage and small ball of stuffing. All of course covered with gravy. No cranberry sauce, which I found puzzling, as did everyone on Dawn's table of ten. No one had any of the bread sauce that was on offer instead. Dessert was a small piece of Christmas pudding with brandy sauce. Everyone could also enjoy two glasses of wine if they wanted. Any other alcohol would be from the cash bar.

Dawn made her exit as soon as the meal was over, and I headed out of work as soon as I could, too. We both made an earlier train, which helped us get an early start to the weekend. With Dawn already having enjoyed her dinner, I picked up some fish and chips at Carleys in Sele Farm, Hertford.

Tonight I spoke to Dad and George once more. Still no movement on that front. I has also spoken to Dave earlier in the day and if all goes to plan, we'll see him and Rita for the first time since 1997.

Thu, Dec 10th

The big news today was that my brother Dave and his wife Rita arrived in London from Dublin to see Dad. They had planned a long weekend a few weeks ago before Dad went into hospital, so they'll be disappointed that they won't be able to spend real quality time with him. They both went and saw Dad.

Sadly, still no news as to when Dad will be going home.

Wed, Dec 9th

As expected, I had a busy morning due to the annual quality meeting. However, what was not expected was that I was able to push through two vehicle related policies that should enable us to hit our 10% reduction in CO2 emissions by March. Unfortunately, it will mean more work for me come January. But, heh, if it improves our carbon footprint, then it will be well worth it. Better still is that it will hopefully make the next BSI audit less painful.

Today Dawn had a break from her hectic workload and met Keith (an old colleague from her days at Schiller London) on the South Bank. The two shared a nice lunch together and caught up on how life had been treating them since the last time they had met.

Once more spoke to Dad and called George to check on him. No change at the moment. I think all of us can't wait for Dad to get home.

Tues, Dec 8th

Work is getting more and more stressful for the two of us. In my case, the days are counting down not only to our final payroll of the year, but also for me having to cover my boss's absence for the last week and a half as he is taking an early break for Christmas. It's so busy for me, in fact, that I have still to deal with last month's invoices. Today I worked on my environmental report for the annual quality meeting in the morning.

Have been in contact with both George and Dad over the last couple of days and still have no idea when Dad will be home. We are again hoping it will be this weekend. However, I feel hope is the operative word.

Sun, Dec 6th

Another busy Sunday in the White household. I was back in the kitchen again like usual. After breakfast I made a cheese-ball by combining recipes from Dawn and Brady, before making another batch of my Cherry Brandy Fruit Cake Cookies. Lunch was pate on crackers. I also made some ratatouille for the first time. It was good.

For my sins, I watched the Everton versus Spurs match on Sky.

Dawn, on the other hand, put up the miniature Christmas tree which goes on the dresser in our bedroom before doing the vacuuming and ironing, with a video call to Brady crammed in there somewhere.

For Dawn's sins, she was able to read the weekend newspapers, and of course watch the Strictly results show from last night, and the X Factor results tonight.

Checked on both Dad and George and still no news to add.

Sat, Dec 5th

Dad was still in the Whittington, so we arranged our day so we could pop up and see him. I did the grocery shopping before we popped into town so Dawn could get herself a new watch. We grabbed a coffee at Starbucks and picked some more stuff up at Waitrose and enjoyed the carol singers outside.

The drive to Highgate was a nightmare. All was fine until we crossed the M25. Then the A10 came to a standstill. So we headed towards the Hertford Road to try and miss the congestion. Mistake. That was even worse. We'd planned to grab lunch and then visit Dad when opening hours start at 2pm. We didn't reach Dim T until almost 2pm. We rushed down our food. Although it was excellent. The waitress made a mistake with our bill, so the manager let us have one of our drinks for nothing.

Dad was okay. George was there, too, so we all had a nice chat. Still not sure when they will allow Dad home. They are still taking tests, etc.

The drive home was just as bad as the one up. A combination of road works, rain and shopping traffic meant that the one hour journey took almost two again.

Needless to say, this evening we chilled out watching Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor before calling it a night.

Thur, Dec 3rd

Another hectic day for the two of us. I finally issued my monthly environmental newsletter (albeit nearly a week late), and attended the quarterly H&S committee meeting which, on this occasion, was three months late. The good news is that it now included environmental stuff, too. But that was the end of the good news.

Tonight we left a little early again. This time to be home in time to receive our new Blackberry Curves. Virgin promised to have them delivered between 5pm and 6pm because we had to sign for it. Guess what? It was delivered around noon. Thankfully UPS knocked next door and allowed our neighbour to sign for it. Needless to say, Dawn and I spent a little time trying to get to know our new gadgets.

Once more talked to Dad and George this evening. And once more, no real news to report. Hoping Dad will be home by Saturday. But to be honest, I am doubtful.

Wed, Dec 2nd

With all the problems with the trains this week, Dawn checked the First Capital Connect website this afternoon to find out that our normal train had been cancelled once more. This time, as we had advanced warning, we left work a little early and caught an earlier train. Tiny was pleased.

Still nothing to report regarding Dad and George. Still no change, and still hoping to have Dad home by Saturday.

Tues, Dec 1st

The first day of the month and as expected things haven't really improved from November.
Trains once more were playing up. Not to mention I broke my cell phone at work. I walked into a desk with the phone in my pocket. The cell phone took most of the impact, but now I can't see anything on the screen. Although, I have to admit we did have some luck with regard to getting a replacement handset. I checked my 18 month contract with Virgin to find it was expiring in a couple of days, so I was able to get a new phone for free, a Blackberry Curve. In fact, as Dawn's also expires, we ordered her one, too.

Stayed up late to watch Spurs versus Manchester United in the Carling Cup on Sky. As expected, we lost. We played okay, but it was clear it was going to be one of those nights.

No more news on Dad or George. The doctors want to send him home by the weekend. George is getting by.

Sun, Nov 29th

The last day of Dawn's long break. With the rain falling and it looking miserable outside, we were thankful that we were going to spend the day indoors. Dawn started addressing our Christmas cards, while I worked on my laptop. However, that changed mid-day.

The two of us were enjoying the last of our Thanksgiving turkey in a nice turkey and cranberry sandwich when my cell phone rang. It was Dad to tell me that he had been taken to hospital this morning and George was also there in the A&E after passing out. It didn't take me long to finish my food and jump in the car and head into London to see for myself how they were. Although irrelevant, the drive to the hospital (and back home later) was horrendous as the heavens had opened.

When I arrived at the hospital, I was pleased to see Dad looked okay. They will be keeping him overnight so he can see the urologist in the morning, though. George on the other hand looked like a ghost. He is already way too skinny. But his experience made him look worse. Thankfully he has been discharged and can go home. However, he didn't look too pleased.

Sat, Nov 28th

Yes, more chilling out. Got Dawn's newspapers down the Post Office and then we relaxed with a nice hot cup of tea and a couple of ginger snaps. Tiny, who I haven't mentioned much of recently, made herself comfortable in her new favourite place - Dawn's chair. We moved it so we could fit the Christmas tree in the corner of the room and now Tiny loves Dawn's chair. It's the best spot in the room for her now.

After we finally got our act together, we ran into town do pick up some odds and ends, and stopped off at The White Hart pub for a light lunch. Dawn had a leek and potato soup, while I tucked into a burger and fries.

Then it was back home to the chores and laptops before I dished up a Thanksgiving meal for the third day running. Only this time we didn't have any mashed sweet potatoes. We saw the night out watching Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor.

Fri, Nov 27th

Our last day off work (apart from the weekend of course) and we made sure we took things easy. We took our time getting up and then potted around most of the morning. I did us some turkey sandwiches for lunch, then we had a ride over to Tesco to get some groceries.

When we got back, Dawn then spent the rest of the afternoon on our photo albums. She hadn't put any in since May 2008. Thankfully I have cut down with taking so many photos. However, she still has a ton from last Christmas when Brady and Jim were here, and also Cornwall in May.

I worked on my laptop jotting down the recipes I used for Thanksgiving before popping into the kitchen to make my annual batch of cherry brandy fruitcake cookies. Dawn loves them (as do I). It's just a shame that each one has 144 calories. At least that will help them last a while.

Dinner was exactly the same as yesterday, as I had leftovers of everything. And personally I felt it was even better seeing as it had time to mature!!!

We chilled out with an episode of Bones and How I Met Your Mother before making it to bed.

NEWSFLASH (not that Tiger Woods had a car wreck outside his house)....
We actually went to be bed gone 9pm for the second night running. How wild is that? Actually it was around 9:15 to 9:30 each day.

Thur, Nov 26th

Another day off work for us both. But what would you expect on Thanksgiving Day?

We tried to take the day slowly, but it wasn't long before we were in action mode. After a shave, breakfast and shower, I set out to collect Dad and George from Holloway (popping into Tesco on the way), while Dawn vacuumed the house and put the sweet potatoes and dressing in the oven as per my schedule.

When I got home, Dawn entertained Dad and George while I got stuck into getting the dinner ready. Then dead on 1pm and on schedule, I dished up some free range turkey, dressing, broccoli casserole, sweet potato mash, Basmati rice, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce. A store bought apple pie with ice cream and some freshly brewed coffee followed soon after.

Then at 2pm Dawn logged onto MSN messenger and opened a webcam call to Brady and Jim so Dad and George could see them. And, more important, so that we could all wish each other a Happy Thanksgiving.

After taking Dad and George home, Dawn then gave her sister a call to wish her Happy Thanksgiving.

After all the activities of the last 36 hours, Dawn and I chilled out with some more episodes of The Restaurant and How I Met Your Mother. Oh yea, I also downed an excellent turkey sandwich while Dawn did the same damage to a bowl of home made popcorn.

Wed, Nov 25th

It was so nice to wake up on a week day and not have to rush to work. Dawn chilled out with her newspapers while I watched Deck the Halls on one of the Sky movie channels.

We then started a new tradition. Dawn spent all day putting up our Christmas tree and decorations while I spent just as long in the kitchen preparing the food for our Thanksgiving feast. I also found the time to pop out to the butchers in Sele Farm to pick up the specially ordered free range turkey.

When I got home I baked the turkey in the oven, put the turkey dressing together, made the broccoli casserole and the giblet gravy, and made some cranberry sauce from scratch for the first time. I even attempted to make a cheese ball. However, sadly this came out too wet and has to be classified a failure. I didn't let it get me down as I was more than happy with everything else I had done.

We chilled out after dinner watching a recording of The Restaurant and one of our favourite sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother.

Tues, Nov 24th

Dawn's second day off work. She spent most of the day Internet window shopping and waiting for a delivery before making a special trip to Tesco to pick up some odds and ends I needed for baking day tomorrow. I had given her a list before she dropped me off at the station in the morning. But it didn't stop her sending me dozens of texts asking me whether I needed the half a dozen things I'd left off the list.

Again I was able to get out of the office in time to catch the 15:41 train. After dinner I called Dad to make arrangements for Thursday before we got into the festive mood by watching a recording of His and Hers Christmas.

Mon, Nov 23rd

Dawn enjoyed the first day of her Thanksgiving week. I am sure she could make a tradition of this (booking the whole week off work). However, I have to admit she deserves the break. Although she spent most of the day catching up on chores she left over the weekend.

I raced around like a blue ass fly and was able to get out a little early (although I still did my 8 1/2 hour day) to catch the 15:41 train to Hertford North. When I got home I cleaned the oven, made cornbread for our Thanksgiving dressing, and watched the highlights of Spurs' win yesterday. It brought back memories of our 9-0 win against Bristol Rovers back in 1977. Sadly, that was one of just two home games I missed going to all season. That wasn't so good. It also probably means that I need to live into my late 80s if I am to have this pleasure again!

Sun, Nov 22nd

Today we had a fairly relaxing day. Dawn is off on holiday all week and I am from Wednesday, too. So we didn't need to bust a gut today. However, I did spend a good time on the computer and even made a large pot of chicken and vegetable stew that will whet our appetites for the coming weeks on cold evenings.

Dawn had her weekly video call with Brady and ironed my stuff for work. But all in all it was relaxation for a time.

I even forgot to call Dad this evening. This was because I was in shock having listened to Spurs trounce Wigan on the radio 9-1. This broke several records including Spurs' biggest victory in the league, most goals in the second half (8), equal most goals scored in the Premier League, and biggest defeat for Wigan.

As usual we chilled out watching the X Factor results show and were pleased to see Jedward voted off. Not because we have anything against the twins. We just feel that the others left in the competition have better singing voices.

Sat, Nov 21st

Today we had a nice lay in and took things easier than we have for a while. Being off work yesterday meant I was able to do the grocery shopping in the afternoon so we didn't have to do it this morning.

Once we had got sorted, we had a ride into town and dropped into Lussmans for lunch. This is one of the few restaurants in Hertford we had not tried. The food was pretty good and even better was that it was all local.

Then it was back home to chill out for a change. As usual, this meant Strictly and X Factor.

Fri, Nov 20th

Today I dropped Dawn off at the station and went back to spend the day with Tiny. We decided a week or so ago to order a two seat couch in the same style as the ones we already have from IKEA instead of ordering a new cover for the three seater. Tiny, who we adore, has ripped the corners to shreds and we really needed a replacement cover. However, after a little chat we decided to order a new chair instead and put some extra money towards it.

IKEA delivered it this morning dead on time. Tiny checked it out and I immediately had to stop her trying to claw the cover.

This afternoon Dawn made her way down to the London Docklands because CU had been nominated for one of Archant Environmental awards. It proved to be a complete nightmare. First, one of her colleagues had to cancel at the last minute, then there was confusion as to the location when she finally got going, and then when she left no trains were leaving her station because someone decided to have a wonder along the track. The good news is that in between all this, although CU didn't win best university, they did receive a commendable award.

After picking Dawn up at Hertford North, we stopped in Paddyfields in town for a light meal before heading home.

Thu, Nov 19th

The only thing I wanted to mention today is that our train was fifteen minutes late, which is longer than the time the journey normally takes (14 minutes). All this meant was that my whole day was out of sorts. With my train being late, I missed my normal bus and almost missed the next one. I had to race out of the station to make sure I caught it. Then once I was at work I had to deal with recycle collection and disposal. I spent the whole day playing catch up.

Wed, Nov 18th

Today I attended the monthly quality meeting at work and did my bit to get across to senior management what needs to be done regarding our ISO 14001 status. I think it went down pretty well. However, by the end of the meeting, I had quite a few actions to complete by the next meeting, which will be an annual meeting. I later found out that this will be on the 9th of next month leaving me just a few weeks to get things sorted. Not good when you realise that I'll be out of the office at least 4 days between now and then.

Mon, Nov 16th

Today Dawn was late home from work again. However, this time it was well worth it. She attended a presentation at City Hall in London across the Thames from the Tower of London to receive a Good Food award for all the work she has done on the food policy at CU by Rosie Boycott, the famous news editor over here.

I wish I could have been there. Dawn has come a long way in a year and deserves all the plaudits she gets. Most of the time she does it without any recognition. So an award like this was much deserved.

Sun, Nov 15th

Today we had a ride up to the Gatehouse pub in Highgate and enjoyed a nice lunch with Dad, George, Denise and David. Both Dawn and I were really impressed with how the two kids had come on since the last time we saw them. Especially considering the health problems they have both had and also having to deal with their dad's health problems. Dave and Rita should be really proud.

Before leaving to head back to Hertford, Denise said she would be coming back in January. Hopefully next time she'll be able to come up to Hertford so we can show her our neck of the woods.

Above is a photo of the six Whites. From left to right (me, David, Dawn, Dad, Denise & George)

Sat, Nov 14th

With Denise and David over here, Dawn and I spent today getting ourselves sorted. I did the grocery shopping on my own, going to Tesco twice (once because I had forgotten something), and headed into town to get all our odds and ends. Dawn, on the other hand, stayed at home all day and did her weekend chores.

By the time we reached dinner time at the end of the day, we were both tired and needed a rest. As you probably can guess, Dawn and I watched Strictly and X Factor. Tiny spent the whole evening laying on my chest and next to me on the couch. Earlier in the week I had fixed her hammock on her house, but she still hasn't tried it out yet.

Fri, Nov 13th

For the superstitious of us, today is the day to beware. However, after the week I have had at work, I was prepared for anything. Thankfully, after the events of this week, nothing unforeseen occurred. Well, at work, that is. Tonight while Dawn and I were relaxing watching television (thankful for weekend so we could relax a little), the phone rang and I answered it to hear the voice of a female with an Irish accent on the other end. It was my niece Denise. She had arrived at Dad's unexpectedly today (three weeks early) with her brother David to surprise him. As we hadn't seen either of them since we lost Mum 12 years ago, Dawn and I immediately had to reschedule our plans for the next few days. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. It was just not what we expected. And on Friday the 13th of all days!

Wed, Nov 11th

This morning poor Dawn had to catch the 5:50am train to Stevenage so she could attend a meeting on EcoCampus in Nottingham. She also had to catch a couple of connecting trains, too. But the early start and late return home (gone 7pm) made the day bad enough.

As for me, I got the results of my second assignment from the University of Bath in the mail today. To my relief, more than anything, I passed. Not only the second paper, but the course, too. In a few weeks I should get my paperwork from the IEMA, as I now officially an associate member.

Tues, Nov 10th

Although our ARC waste collection service started last week, today was the first day that our local council collected our recycle waste. Since we moved to Hertford, the council has been collecting paper, glass, aluminium cans, and garden waste. From this month, they will also collect plastics, cardboard and food waste, too. In addition to the new bins, we will now have our recycle waste and general waste collected on alternate Tuesdays. Hence, ARC (Alternate Refuse Collection).

For all those who complain about the EU, this would not have happened without a directive from Brussels making it compulsory for the collection of five different recyclable materials.

Sun, Nov 8th

Back into the kitchen again today. I was a little concerned that the Christmas cake I had baked last weekend was too dry, so I baked a second one, but for a little less time. I also make a pair of Christmas puddings, too. This, like the cake, was a first for me. However, unlike the tradition of old, I didn't put any sixpenny coins in either. If the puddings are edible by Christmas, I will be happy.

Dawn had her video call with Brady in between her usual Sunday chores and we ended the day with the X Factor results show. In the middle we heard a crash from the other side of the room and Tiny came flying across the room along with her hammock that had broken off her house. She was not a happy bunny. Or kitty!

Sat, Nov 7th

Five weeks go by quickly in our household. So today we headed into town for our scheduled haircut before catching a train to Finsbury Park, grabbing a quick lunch at Nandos in Stroud Green Road, and dropping in to see Dad and George. The latest news this time is that George passed out a few weeks ago and needed a doctor to come and see him. He seems okay now. But the hospital are obviously going to keep an eye on him. The one thing that surprised us is that Dad hadn't mentioned it before.

Thu, Nov 5th

Over here it was Guy Fawkes night. For those overseas who aren't sure what this is, it is the night we Brits celebrate the failed attempt by the named to blow up our parliament with gun powder. Several centuries later, with the electoral opinion what it is, I am not sure whether we celebrate his attempt or that he was stopped.

As a child, this was called bonfire night because people would light fires in the street piled high with old furniture and all the crap you wanted to get rid of. Today, due to health and safety precautions, these no longer occur and all that is left of the tradition is fireworks being launched incessantly all night long. Something Tiny did not like one bit.

We also had a tradition called "penny for the guy" where we would dress up create a guy out of old clothes and sit on street corners and ask passer-bys for pennies to buy fireworks. This too, understandably, is no longer done either.

Tues, Nov 2nd

This morning I went all the way to Old Street with Dawn on the train for a change, because I was attending a seminar called "Introduction to Environmental Law and Practice." It was a wall to wall session with several speakers and, by the time I left to meet Dawn at the station, my head was pounding. I had covered most of the subject matter doing the EMS for work and my studying. But, it didn't make it any easier on my head.

Sun, Nov 1st

Woke this morning and exchanged cards as we commemorated the day we met for the first time on top of the Empire State Building and all that followed.

Then it was go, go, go until mid-day. Got Dawn's papers down the shop, before making some breakfast with some left over ham from yesterday. I then spent a good hour mixing all the ingredients for our 2009 Christmas cake and put it in the oven. After a shower, I was back in the kitchen making Dawn's lunch for the next few days.

I told Dawn that this would be another tradition, baking our Christmas cake on our anniversary. She liked, even more, the fact that I will also be cleaning up my mess in the kitchen all day.

This afternoon Dawn called Brady because the webcam would not work, while I watched the last F1 race of the year from Abu Dhabi.

Once the Christmas cake was baked, we headed into town for an anniversary dinner at Loch Fyne because it had sustainable fish on its menu. Then it was back to the house to watch X Factor and call it a night.

Sat, Oct 31st

Last day of the month and we spent it behind closed doors (except for a trip to the PO for some newspapers for Dawn).

Dawn got the Sunday chores out of the way today while I watched Spurs get thrashed at the Emirates by Arsenal on Sky. Thankfully we only conceded three goals, Liverpool lost to Fulham, and the rest of the teams on our tails failed to win, too.

I spent the rest of the day in the kitchen measuring the fruit for the Christmas cake and adding a few tablespoons of cherry brandy, before dishing up some home baked honey glazed ham with potatoes and peas for dinner.

The rest of the day was spent in front of the television watching Two and a Half Men and Strictly Come Dancing where the result was a complete farce. Once again the public votes were based on personalities and not dancing skills.

Fri, Oct 30th

A nice lie in today. Even for Tiny too. We didn't surface until 7:30am. Wow!!

We dropped by the local sorting office to pick up a parcel we'd missed, dropped a prescription request at my doctor's, and parked the car in town. Not much to do today. Got my glasses fixed at Specsavers and a couple of lattes between us at Starbucks before dropping into Waitrose to pick up the ingredients for me to make a home made Christmas cake and Christmas pudding this year. Best of all is that vouchers from our credit card company paid for them.

This afternoon we had our gas fire and gas boiler serviced before chilling out for the rest of the day. That is apart from dishing up a delicious plate of shrimp creole and Dawn clearing up my mess.

Thur, Oct 29th

No work and we still woke up at 4:30am. Although it did give us a head start to the day.

We had a ride up to Welwyn Garden City to do some shopping there for a change. I got some bits and pieces for the kitchen and Dawn picked up some organic cotton sheets for the bed. Lunch was a couple of shared dishes at Ask before dropping into Morrisons on the way home.

Back at the house, Dawn gave her sister Kelly a call. It was the first time she had been able to catch her in a few months. I called Dad and then dished out some pan fried talapia with veggies for dinner.

We chilled out this evening watching the movie Taken which we had taped on Sky.

Wed, Oct 28th

Nothing to report on the work front other than we worked our last day of the month today. We both have the next two days off to prepare for our anniversary on Sunday.

Dawn did however have a meeting to attend this afternoon resulting in her getting out late. I, as you will already have guessed, stopped in Costa for a skinny latte. This time no studying, though. I played Suduko on a Nintendo DS.

Sun, Oct 25th

Today was a red letter day for me. After several weeks of concerted studying, note taking and essay drafting, I finally completed my second IEMA assignment and submitted it online. Now I have to wait three weeks to see how I did.

Dawn, on the other hand, had to relive her Green City Week as she needed to review how it went and write to her senior management because she had not been at all happy about the lack of support and contributions from her own department.

Strangely, despite the clocks going back an hour for the end of British Summer Time, we both felt like the day was racing away from us. Dawn didn't start the chores until mid afternoon. Thankfully she had X Factor to look forward to later. I had already had my entertainment earlier in the day watching this week's episode of Stargate Universe.

Sat, Oct 24th

We dragged ourselves out of bed around 5:30 am this morning and spent the rest of the day chasing shadows. I did some studying this morning before and after we did the grocery shopping at Tesco, edited my provisional essay on the train to and from Finsbury Park, and then worked on my final draft once we got home.

Somewhere in between we dropped into Cats on Stroud Green Road for some lunch and popped in to see Dad and also found time to prepare a nice pan fried salmon for dinner.

We both could have done with some matchsticks on our eyes watching Strictly Come Dancing before bed.

Fri, Oct 23rd

Yesterday and today were relatively quiet for the two of us compared to the rest of the week. Although in Dawn's case she was running on fumes by the end of today. She was still overseeing events and running back and forwards from the stall and her office. She was able to get out a little early yesterday, but today was still there half an hour after her normal end of day. This of course meant that I was at Costa again.

Needless to say, we celebrated the end of what had been an eventful and stressful week with some food and drink. We stopped on the way home at Carleys to grab some fish and chips, and picked up some cold bottles of Kronenburg at the post office at the bottom of our road.

Wed, Oct 21st

Today it felt like I was working in a morgue. Hardly anyone spoke at all. However, it did give me a chance to focus on my work. No complaints from me there.

Dawn expected today to be her most stressful day and that was before events took a turn for the worse. It all started with an email from one of today's Fair Trade Debate speakers cancelling his appearance. Several emails and a phone call later, he agreed to appear, but the damage to Dawn's day had been done.

Yes, again Dawn was late getting out and I was found at Costa waiting for a text.

Tues, Oct 20th

Today proved to be a very stressful day for me at the office with an incident this morning reinforcing how I feel about my job.

Dawn too had yet another stressful day and once again didn't get away on time. As with yesterday, I found myself at Costa with a skinny latte and my coursework on the table waiting for Dawn to text me that she was on her way.

Mon, Oct 19th

Today was the start of a big week for Dawn. Following several weeks' planning, Green City Week was finally here and Dawn had five days of supervising and manning the school's environmental stall, laying on and setting up several events and more, and all virtually on her own apart from the help of a handful of environmental champions.

All this meant that she was late getting out from work. This gave me the chance to drop into Costa in Enfield and catch up on some IEMA studying with a nice skinny latte.

Sun, Oct 18th

Another busy day, even though we were at home. Dawn had her chores to preoccupy her. In my case, it was my IEMA studying. I have ten days left to complete my second assignment and still haven't completely formulated my essay in my mind. It didn't stop me beavering away at it for most of the day though.

A nice distraction was the Formula 1 grand prix from Brazil where Jensen Button emulated his compatriot Lewis Hamilton to become the 10th British World Champion. Best of all was that his drive was worthy of a champion despite finishing only 5th. He had moved up 9 places from 14th on the grid with some incredible driving and overtaking moves.

Dawn relaxed with a double dose of X Factor.

Sat, Oct 17th

After a little lie in, I watched the first episode of Stargate Universe. Having become an addict of SG1 and Atlantis, this was a must. Then we both went to Tesco to do the grocery run before heading back into town to pick up some odds and ends. Waitrose, Oxfam, Edinburgh Wool Mill, Hertford Natural Therapy Centre, Albany Radio, Halfords and Hertford Pet Supplies all took cash from our coffers. As did Cafe Nero (because Starbucks was too crowded, full of babies) and the White Hart, where we grabbed a quick lunch.

Back at the house, I topped up the screen wash in the car and changed a light in the kitchen before updating our blog and editing some photos while following Spurs' win at Portsmouth on the laptop. Dawn was sitting opposite me working on her laptop, too.

For dinner I made some toad-in-the-hole before we settled down to watch Strictly Come Dancing.

Fri, Oct 16th

Today was Kelly's (Dawn's kid sister) birthday. I won't say how old. So we both posted birthday wishes on her Facebook page before leaving for work. Dawn was planning on calling her when we got home from work later, but Kelly said she would be out.

After four days where either my train left too late, or bus too early (ruining my schedule), I was pleased that both the train and buses this morning were dead on time. Sadly, it did not mean that my work day was any easier. By the time I left work this afternoon I was again scratching my head in disbelief.

Dawn on the other had met a work colleague for lunch and enjoyed one of her favourite meals (Thai Red Curry) at one of her favourite restaurants, Pride of Siam. I suppose with all the pressure she is under, it's God's way of shining a little on her.

Check out the picture of Tiny. This is now her favourite position. She lays here every night as I try and relax after a day at the office.

Wed, Oct 14th

Wouldn't you know it? With our train now scheduled to leave at 6:23am, it arrived later than its normal departure time and left 6 minutes late, giving me no chance to get either of the two buses I can catch. Not good. Worse still is that it makes Dawn late too.

As for work. All I can say is "Roll on Saturday." I can't wait to escape. Come to think of it, "Roll on Christmas." I am not wishing my life away. But I can certainly do with a nice long break from this place at the moment. Dawn on the other hand has been working her butt off on the Green City Week starting at CU next week. Again, she feels like she is fighting a losing battle. Not because of any real problems from others. Just that she has a mountain of projects to organise and get sorted.

Mon, Oct 12th

This morning we had two reminders that it's fall here in Hertfordshire. The first was that I had to pour some hot water over the windscreen of the car to melt a thin layer of ice. Then when we arrived at Hertford North we were welcomed with the news that for the next couple of months our 6:25am train will be leaving two minutes earlier as part of the winter timetable.

This certainly helps me, as I shouldn't have to race down to the bus-stop now to catch the 6:41am bus to work. And on a Monday I won't feel so rushed doing my recycle collection first thing at the office.

Sun, Oct 11th

A day at home being busy and taking it easy. Watched recordings of the final two episodes of the current series of Ghost Whisperer. In the kitchen I made breakfast as usual and lunch. Also made a large pot of chili, broccoli, leek and chicken casserole for Monday and Tuesday, and a chicken vegetable casserole for dinner this evening. I also spent some time on the laptop updating the blog and editing photos.

Dawn on the other hand did her weekend chores and called Brady on the phone. However, she did get some relaxation time watching X-Factor from last night and then the live results show after dinner.

Sat, Oct 10th

Another hectic Saturday. I did the run to Tesco on my own again because we overdid it a little this morning. We got up at 7am!!!

We then caught the train to Finsbury Park and grabbed some lunch at Nandos. Best of all was that all our visits there had earned us a whole free chicken. All we had to pay for was the chips and a couple of beers.

Then it was off to see Dad. He is looking tired and admits as much. He has been out every day this week (hospital appointments, shops, etc).

Tonight again we relaxed with another home made dinner (pan-fried sea bass with potatoes) followed by the evening's Strictly Come Dancing.

Fri, Oct 9th

A quiet week for me. Well nothing out of the ordinary. Same old, same old. Again I am just relieved to see the weekend.

Dawn on the other hand has had her hands full trying to juggle a thousand tasks again. The latest being that she needs to complete a guide that needs to be at the printers today, and have another presentation ready for 11am, too. As usual, and fitting as it is to her late Dad's birthday today, she woke this morning having done nothing for the presentation and still not finished the guide. So it was off to work and finalise the presentation (which went well), and the guide. This went down to the wire, too. Thankfully she has until first thing Monday to get it to the printers.

Happy Birthday, Jimmy. I know you're keeping an eye on your little girl.

Mon, Oct 5th

Today I was able to go to work in a pair of jeans and sweater because I was working in the warehouse. Well, for a couple of hours anyway. At least it got me away from my desk and the phones. Not as bad as last Monday. But the same type of problems were getting to me to say the least.

Dawn on the other hand has recovered from last week's Fresher Week, but now has other targets on her horizon. Unfortunately, she has so many targets and horizons that her head is spinning.

Sun, Oct 4th

A momentous day for me. Dawn and I drove over to Walthamstow to watch my daughter Hayley play for Leyton Ladies against MSA at Douglas Eyre. The result wasn't important to me; I was just so happy to be able to watch Hayley playing football again. The last time I had seen her play was when she was playing with Arsenal back in 1998. Dawn had only seen her once before in her last game for Leyton Orient when they beat County Park in the cup final the weekend we got married.

The three of us then had ride over to my old haunting ground for some lunch at Shanghai in Dalston.

Sat, Oct 3rd

Thank God for the weekend. This morning I did the grocery shopping on my own before dropping by the sorting office to collect a parcel for Dawn (some grits over the Internet).

We then had a ride into town to get our haircut before calling in at Waitrose, Oxfam, Boots, WH Smith, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Natural Health Store and the vet to get some food for Tiny. In between we dropped into the White Hart for a light lunch.

Tonight we relaxed with a nice home cooked dinner and then Strictly Come Dancing.

Fri, Oct 2nd

I haven't mentioned it so far this week because if I did I wouldn't be able to finish. But, Dawn has been working her socks off at CU covering the stall every day for Fresher's Week. Not only covering the stall, but also trying to perform her job as usual and dealing with the Champions, too. Well done, Dawn. You're great!!!

Wed, Sep 30th

I know that I am being cryptic. But I can't expand on what I say because work matters are clearly confidential and should not be broadcast to the world. Even if the world is only a few people, and no one that even knows of the people I am not writing about. But, I am afraid that this crazy week is continuing. What I would like to know is...why do people ignore their responsibilities and then get annoyed when you remind them? Enough said!

Tues, Sep 29th

Thankfully things calmed down a little today at work. However, my head is still spinning. When will this end?

Mon, Sep 28th

Back to work and all I can say is that today was one of those days that you either want over with quickly, or can't believe is actually happening. Sadly, by the time I met Dawn on the train, I felt both. I could not believe the things that were happening and wanted to get out quickly, because I just couldn't see the list of unbelievable things ending!!

Sun, Sep 27th

Today was Dad's 82nd birthday and all I will say about this is that after living in Florida for 7 years and seeing Dad go through all his health problems over the last three and a half years, I am so pleased that I was able to spend some time with him today.

We stopped off at Dim T for lunch on the way (because Dad said he didn't feel up to going out).

When we arrived at Dad's flat, we handed him a card and the book we picked up yesterday and chatted for a little before I went into the kitchen to light the candles and bring the cake into the living room singing "Happy Birthday to You." Dad really looked surprised. He blew the candles out before I put the cake on the side. Phillip phoned him before we got there, and I am sure David will telephone before the day is out.

Back home Dawn did her ironing while I edited the photos, and then updated our blog and Facebook. After dinner Dawn watched a X-Factor from last night and then tonight.

Sat, Sep 26th

Following the last week we decided to take things a little easy today. I did the Tesco run on my own before taking Dawn into town to do the rest of the shopping. We stopped at Starbucks before picking up a birthday cake for Dad in Waitrose and some odds and ends in the cake shop opposite to post office, too. Best of all, I was able to pick up a Bartholomew London Guide book published in 1929 for Dad. We thought it would be an ideal gift for him.

Back at the house I made some crab cakes with pepper sauce for lunch before Dawn called Brady. They tried to use the webcam, but Brady had some problems at her end. For dinner we had a sirloin each with a baked potato before Dawn settled down and watched Strictly Come Dancing for the rest of the night.

Fri, Sep 25th

Dawn could not see today through quick enough. As expected, it has been a very long and tiring week. I think she has done incredibly well. What made today even worse is that she had to stay behind late this evening to attend a P&F meeting. By the time I met Dawn at Enfield Chase, she got off the Gordon Hill bound train that arrived there at 17:26 and she was ready to drop.

Thankfully I didn't have to cook when we got home. We picked up some plaice and chips from Carleys and a few Kronenbergs. That meant minimal washing up, too. Not to mention I love fish and chips.

Wed, Sep 23rd

Gave the "Environmental State of the Union" announcement at the Quality Meeting this morning, and issued my monthly environmental report. All I will say is that it's been a long year and we still have three months to go to see out 2009.

Mon, Sept 21st

Today Dawn was not a happy camper on the way to work. It was the first day of Fresher's Week. She had been working tirelessly to get her stall ready and organise helpers to man it so she can get on with her normal duties. So in one sense it was good that it was finally here. However, on the negative side, it meant that Dawn would spent the best part of each day on her feet talking to students. Needless to say, by the time I met her on the 16:21 train at Enfield Chase, she was mentally and physically exhausted. Day one down, four to go!!!

Sun, Sept 20th

The last of our long weekend. Watched Ghost Whisperer while Dawn read the Sunday papers. Did the blog and edited photos, and for once didn't spend half a dozen hours in the kitchen.

Dawn spent several hours on her IEMA course and was relieved to be able to submit her first assignment for marking. Like with my first assignment, it had been weighing heavily on her mind. Sadly it's back to work tomorrow. However, Dawn was able to enjoy watching Strictly and some X-Factor. I didn't enjoy watching Spurs lose 3-0 to Chelsea on Sky.

Tonight I called Dad as usual. He's feeling a little tired. Hopefully he will feel better for his 82nd birthday next Sunday.

Sat, Sept 19th

With the grocery shopping out of the way, we were able to start today a little more leisurely. Dawn did the vacuuming while I tided up and spent what seemed like forever tearing up cardboard boxes so we can compost them.

We then met my daughter Hayley at Hertford East and popped into town and enjoyed a nice long chat at Starbucks. We left there, picked up some newspapers, and then stopped at Ask for lunch and more chatting. After we had filled up on food, we popped back to the house where Hayley jumped on one of our laptops before I dropped her back at the station so she could catch a train back to Hackney.

Dawn started her weekend of reality by watching the start of the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing from last night (and part of this evening's). X-Factor will have to wait until Sunday.

Fri, Sept 18th

Dawn, unlike me who is deprived of vacation, had nine days holiday that she needed to take by the end of her holiday year ending this month. So for the second week running we both had a nice long weekend by taking Friday off work. Dawn thankfully can carry some of her vacation time forward. As for me, I have now run out of vacation time for 2009 (except days booked for our anniversary in November, Thanksgiving, and Christmas).

Our first task of the day was to get our wing mirror replaced. This cost us £63. Feeling a little depressed, we stopped off at Starbucks in Hertford before running some errands. With half the day gone, we dropped into The White Hart for a cajun chicken wrap each. I also ordered (much to Dawn's distaste) a scotch with orange juice. I hadn't had one for nearly 30 years and it had been bugging me for weeks, so I thought I would give one a try. I gave up scotch about the same time I downed a complete bottle one night that Mum and Dad were in Dorset for a couple of days.

Grocery shopping at Tesco followed before we chilled out the rest of the day at home on the computers and watching some TV, including the film The Best Man.

Thur, Sep 17th

Dawn had another hectic day. This morning she gave a presentation to over 200 student union officers and volunteers on environmental programmes and projects at CU. Understandably, she had a bit of a sleepless night, as she had not formulated her presentation when she went to bed last night. Even worse was that the presentation was in a typical college auditorium with rows and rows of students raising up from the platform so they could look down at her standing behind a plinth and microphone to broadcast her voice.

But they were like puppies in her hands once she started speaking. By the time she had finished, she received an arousing applause from everyone and several of the attendees came up to her to tell her how well she had done, and that they had even found out things at the college that they had no idea was going on.

You go, girl!!!

Wed, Sept 16th

My week has been pretty mundane considering. Dawn's on the other hand has been one challenge and deadline after another. To tell the truth, since becoming Environmental Officer at CU, she has been accumulating tasks and projects like collecting stamps. However, unlike stamp collecting, she can't just buy another album; she has to fit it all into her normal work week. Today she even had to leave work early, which didn't help, as she had her periodical check up at the dentist.

Guess what? Our overburdened socialist healthcare system provided Dawn with her six monthly visit and deep clean for the expensive cost of £35. But then again, we don't have to make insurance payments every month, don't have to fill in countless forms, and worry that some unforeseen health problem could result in us losing our home due to escalating medical bills. Maybe not so bad after all.

Mon, Sep 14th

After over two and a half years in my current employment, I finally attended an Asbestos Awareness course. It's something we offer to other companies, as it is a responsibility of all businesses to ensure that their staff are aware of potential asbestos issues applicable to their job. As always, I felt that not enough is being done to protect employees and deal with this hazard (like most silent killers), especially in this case where the victims may not see the symptoms for a couple of decades.

It's just another example of how mankind thinks of the bottom line and today. The environmental situation is one thing. But when it comes to asbestos, thousands are walking around with a very painful and cruel time bomb ticking slowly inside them. It's just wrong how some companies play Russian roulette with others' lives.

Sun, Sep 13th

The last of our long weekend. I ran out to the petrol station to fill up and check the tyre pressure. Petrol is now £1.069 per litre. Then I went to Tesco to pick up a chicken for dinner, and get some carnations for Dawn.

The rest of the day was spent on the computer, watching television, or in the kitchen. Over the weekend I have made a vegetable and bean soup that will go for five nights, some spaghetti bolognese that will do four nights, and the chicken and vegetable casserole that will be good for tonight and tomorrow night, plus tomorrow's lunch.

I know I got a lot of my stubbornness from Dad, but I also got my thriftiness, too. Perhaps that's why I feel so deeply about the environment - Waste not, want not!!!

Sat, Sep 12th

We normally get the train up to Holloway, but drove because we were going to the cemetery today.
A stop off at Dim T in Highgate first because Dad didn't want to come out for lunch because he hadn't been feeling too good the last few days. When we got to Dad's, he informed us he couldn't go to the cemetery either and asked us to take his flowers for him. He was clearly upset not being able to lay the flowers this weekend, as it was the anniversary of Mum's death last week and burial next week.

On the way to the cemetery, we had a shock when a car passing us in the opposite direction hit the offside wing mirror sending shards of glass into the car. Dawn almost freaked out when she saw blood on my neck, even though she had been hit on the head herself. Thankfully neither one of us was seriously hurt. However, we now need to deal with getting the mirror fixed.

At the cemetery, the branches from the trees behind Mum's grave were still hanging over the graves, so I spent a little time pruning them back.