Tilly eyeing off my pre-flight lunch at Mum and Dad's a few hours before my return to London...two crayfish, abalone fritters, and abalone and crayfish and herb cakes...yummmmmmmmmm.

This is what a vet school does at Christmas!!

Snow. Lovely to look at and oooh over from the warmth of indoors. Not so lovely when your train is delayed by 25 minutes, the waiting room is locked, and you didn't dress for anything other than leaving a warm house for a warm train. My toes were numb at this point! But isn't it pretty?! (not so the foul expression on my face!)

I'm sure 'chucking it down with snow' is a proper meteorological phrase somewhere in the world.

Boxing Day dinner with Cesca, Iain and the lovely little Freddie, who cried only about 5 times when I went near him! It's not personal, he's at the age when he can work out who Mum and Dad are and want to be with them over everyone else! Iain cooked a scrumptious meal, as always, many thanks!

Christmas 2005 - where did it go?? This little red angel is from Edinburgh and graced our tree this Christmas. Father Christmas was very generous and got me loads of things I wanted - thanks everyone! I've had turkey and soup and stilton and pudding and wine and champagne and seafood and cake and chocolates and I'm full and content and off to bed!

On Christmas morning with the bird! We had been to midnight mass at St James Spanish Place the night before, and not got to bed til 2.30am - there was a traffic jam on the Kilburn High Road at 2am Christmas morning!!

Christmas Entree - scallops in garlic pepper seasoning (thanks Roz!!!), prawns in basil oil and garlic, and smoked salmon on a bed of rocket, with Stu's citrus dill dressing. YUM!

Stu and Marie at the dinner table for the third course!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a Good Night.

Random 'What The' from the Sky News website:

Police are hunting a man who escaped from a hospital spinal unit wearing full traction apparatus and with both arms in casts.

The man managed to waddle his way out of the Burwood Spinal Unit in Christchurch, New Zealand.

At the time he was wearing a traction "halo" to correct a serious neck injury as well the plaster casts on his arms.

Doctors have warned that removing the halo could cause him potentially fatal injuries.

It is not known how the man sustained the injuries that put him in hospital.

And it is a mystery why he fled the unit before completing his treatment.

Hilarious. First day back at work post-2 weeks in Oz, and discovered I forgot my network password. Just had to get it re-set by IT. Must have been a damn good holiday!

More on that soon...although I am out tonight, tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, and then Sunday afternoon, so we'll see!