Hey there one and all and a Merry Yuletide.

 Wooooooo Hoooooo its chrimble time again (don’t ya just love it).

What a fantastic year it has been, Mr Fogg is on his third job this year (this one may be a keeper) and he is an ole git now. Mrs Fogg is getting closer to the big 4 Oh, but don’t tell her that. Spike is coming up to 9 and is every bit as grumpy as Mr Fogg after standing in a Post Office queue waiting to weigh a letter and post it for 3 hours.

So poor ole Mrs Fogg has to work to Chrimbo eve, but I don’t (yee haaa), so I am taking her a nice christmas picnic into her office on the last day and then along comes santa with a rather large sack (fnarr fnarr oooh Matron, sorry slipped into carry on Mode for a second).

The plan, well Christmas Eve will be sat in front of the fire watching Christmas movies and then watching Santa deliver prezzies around the globe on Google Earth (see it all at http://www.noradsanta.org/) It is just soooooo cool. Then its up at 4am to open prezzies and a glass of Bucksfizz in front of the fire. The whole day will be washed down with a scabby turkey lovingly prepared by the Master chef 1997 and ably assisted by the Mrs.

So to all our friends out there, Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year, see you in 2009.

Paranoia city here we are!!

 So me and Mrs Fogg decided to get a full copy of our medical records from the doctor, all handwritten and electronic ones, quoting the Data Protection Act, which entitles you to full disclosure of your details. Well they don’t like doing it do they, 20 questions on why you need it, forms to fill out (you have to write requesting a form, fill it in, send it back, they then want your cash, then you have to collect it in person and then sign for it as well), if only your personal banking data and government records were this secure!! You also have to remember that according to our doctors surgery, you don’t need any of this information, it is all 100% accurate.

Well I digress, so there was I sitting reading my rather interesting medical history about the number of flu vaccines I have had (should be none in reality), all my childhood bouts of “Pendular Plumbosis” (so I played sick to avoid school), interestingly I broke my jaw in a fall (that was news to me) and then blow me down with a feather if I didn’t find out that I had been discharged from the army in 2000 on medical grounds (apparently I have some pretty ghastly illnesses that I am not aware of), to cap it all I also had an ECG at Bradford Royal Infirmary in Nov 2005 (when me and Mrs Fogg were off touring that there US of A) and then insult to injury I also appear to have been born in either 1968 or 1944, now I may look old, but bugger me I aint that old yet. So call to the doctor and a rather embarrassed Practice Manager who is a little concerned that I seem to have someone else’s medical history mixed up with mine (I’m glad she is concerned, cos I am extremely annoyed). I now have to go into see the doctors so that they can examine the records in more detail.

Based on my experience I would suggest that everyone get a copy of their history, you never know, you could be leading a double life and actually be the queen or an hactor in reality!!!

So There was we all set to check into the Little Ale’Inn with the Folks (bear in mind these are seasoned backpackers used to hovels of hotels, apparently), and we found a much posher and prettier accomodation in Alamo, but still we continued to the Little Ale’Inn. Now it transpires that luxury rules everytime, after the folkies took one look at the caravan hovel at Rachel, they requested, ney demanded that we drive back the 50 miles to the 4 star luxury that they are not used to. So there we are, no new experience on that one. In defence however the reception at the Inn was less than welcoming, in fact it made British hospitality look good.

Still we did see Area 51 and the gates, even tried to leave the folkies there and get them to cross the line, but they wouldn’t. And we did get to see fighter jets practising and doing the ole sonic booms.

So, on then to Tonopah where we checked into the lovely little Jim Butler Motel.  We left the folks to have a wander around and went to check out the local Mexican restaurant for a quick beer – which turned into an all night session complete with Lock-in.  So there we were quietly writing our diaries when we got chatting to two cool americans – Jon from Missouri and Keri from North Carolina.  They were here mapping out GPS stats for the Federal government – cool job or what!!  So, a quick beer rapidly translated into 10, a nice meal of Mexican food then translated further into dancing, frivolities and oh yes more beer.  One of us cannot actually remember walking back to the Motel (hmm oh dear).  So, a good deep sleep later we are now up and ready for the 150 mile drive back to Vegas for our last night in the US.

A big hello to Jon and Keri if you catch the blog – we hope your heads are not as sore as ours this am, it was good chatting and dancing!

We’d better go round up the folks now who are in another museum somewhere, probably chatting to more old folks again…..

So just a short trip into Cedar City Utah and boy all I can say is yuck!!

A church on every corner and most businesses and shops close on a Saturday, but hey you can have more than one wife (is that such a bonus?)

Cedar City, home of the South Utah University and plebby kids with there pledge houses, oh and a regular Shakespeare festival (basically the only british culture some people see).

I’m sure some would like it here, not me, its dull lifeless and dead.

Oh Hey, onwards to Pioche tonight, then the wonderfully cheesey Little Ale’inn before Tonopah and lastly Vegas.

Onwards and downwards

Hi Y’All

Yep a restful two days in Monument Valley staying at Gouldings Lodge. A good 17 mile drive around the valley yesterday in the Dodge monster, seeing the Totum Pole and 3 sisters, etc.

Last night Mrs Fogg and Mr Folk went to see a John Wayne classic at the cinema here only to find the projector was broken, oh dear.

Today we head onto Page and a night at “Bashful Bobs”, look him up and see where we are staying, then its onto Zion National Park.

Big shout out to Al, Bel, Hazel, Stu and Jen, hope to see you all when we return.

Waggons Roll…..