Join Bonnie Tyler and myself in saying "goodbye" to 2007. It has been a very mixed year and I am distinctly looking forward to a less eventful year in 2008.

Party on dudes! Have a good 2008!

Parkes, Beth and I enjoyed a super stroll on Sunday afternoon around the Royal Harbour and Westcliff Bay. It was nice to get a whiff of salty air in the lungs. It helps build up an appetite for roast leg of lamb. Grrr.

Parkes and Beth looking resplendent on our Sunday stroll. Beth slept for an hour and a half.

Murky skies overlooking the ferry port and Westcliff Bay.

It has been a bit quiet over the last couple of days. Apart from Spurs winning and a few coastal walks we have been trying to avoid coughs and colds (and in Parkes' case get rid of her permanent cold).

Beth is now passing stuff from hand to hand and has also started arching her back whilst stretching.

Tiny Strings' Christmas Tales

Wednesday 26th December. Very quiet day today - doesn't really feel like Boxers. Parkes, Beth and I went for a lovely walk in the morning sunshine to Broadstairs and back. In the afternoon we drove to PC World and bought a new laptop to replace the laptop I broke a few days earlier.

Tiny Strings' Christmas Tales

Tuesday 25th December. Spent most of the morning with the worst farts ever. Never eat too much oxtail stew - it can have dire consequences. We received some lovely presents from our folks and friends who were both generous and naughty. Carmel and Albert made a lovely dinner and the tea was grand too. In the evening once Beth had gone to bed Parkes and I drank a bottle of champers and then crashed.

Tiny Strings' Christmas Tales

Monday 24th December. Wrapped my presents on Christmas Eve morning whilst Parkes went into work to hobnob. In the afternoon we went for a walk on the east cliff and down into the town which was busy with frantic last-minute shoppers and drunk people who had just finished work. Once we got home we sampled my lemon cake and it was well received by Parkes. In the evening I spent 40 minutes in the Monty and drank a couple of nice ales and then returned home to eat a glorious oxtail stew. It really tasted wonderful but I ate too much of it.

Courtesy of Pet of the Day. May I present to you Stewie the Anteater. I didn't realise you could keep anteaters as pets. Where do you buy the ants? Maybe there are outlets in the US.

Tiny Strings' Christmas Tales

Sunday 23rd December. Got up at 6:50am to shower and study some Spanish before the rest of the house rose. Later in the morning Parkes, Beth and I walked to Westwood shopping centre (which was absolutely mobbed) and bought some last minute pressies. On the way back Parkes and I ate a Subway. Hmmmm. In the afternoon I wrestled with my lemon drizzle cake mixture - I didn't realise mixing a cake took so much effort. However the cake looks very bonnie and it will be cut tomorrow afternoon with a cup of tea. After knackering myself with the cake we put our feet up to watch the Barcelona v Real Madrid game and ate fish/kebab and chips from The Codfather take-away. It was a bit moody.

Westside!

Tiny Strings' Christmas Tales

Saturday 22nd December. Got up at 7:30 then changed and fed Beth. Needed to use the loo urgently afterwards as my lamb dansak made its journey south. Then I got rid of the mould around the shower and cleaned the shower inside and out. Parkes is still snotty and Beth has squitsy poos and is sleeping a lot. I think she has got a bug - but it hasn't stopped her being cheerful. She really seems to like the James Brown chicken!

In the afternoon I went for a walk with Parkes and Beth in her new lightweight pram which we bought for our imminent trips abroad. We bought some bits for the lemon cake which is scheduled to be baked tomorrow. On the way home I trod in some dog sh*t. RAMSGATE DOG OWNERS - CLEAR UP AFTER YOUR DOGS OR PARKES AND I WILL STICK ASSORTED VEGETABLES UP YOUR DOG'S BUTT-HOLE! Tonight we will be eating spaghetti bolognaise courtesy of an old Parker recipe. Tomorrow is El Gran Clásico - can't wait!!

Last Day Of Work For The Year

It's all over for another year. I am now off work until 2nd January which gives me plenty of time to do the things I have been saying I will do for ages. Most of which I cannot recall. So I will just be the alpha-male of the house and provide for my family. Oh, and bake a cake.

How humiliating for a dog! You can tell by his eyes that he isn't happy. Picture courtesy of Dog Of The Day.

X Factor

Well, who saw that one coming?! Leon triumphed to the surprise of King Keith and I (and the rest of Britain). We both voted for Same Difference but it was to no avail. So we drank lots of beer to quench the disappointment.

I am pleased that Rhydian didn't win. He seemed a little too sure of himself and even his name is ostentatious. Rhydian sounds like some kind of intergalactic space poo.

Other than that Parkes, Beth and I had a lovely weekend and we also had the pleasure of hanging out with K and Nicole on Saturday.

On Sunday I got close with a big white bear.

Beth relaxing after a hard week.

I really must stop drinking strong coffee.

Captain Cakes

"Strings, why are your cakes so delicious?"

Well, baking a cake is very much like making love to a beautiful woman. You need soft hands, patience and a working oven. Next weekend I will be making a lemon drizzle cake for Christmas (not traditional but there you go) and will be asking Parkes' to video the experience so that I may share this creative time with you all.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/8 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
4 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, softened
5 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup lemon juice


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Grease and flour one 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Sift together the flour, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar and salt. Then mix in the lemon peel, poppy seeds and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. In a saucepan over low heat cook 3/4 cup white sugar and the lemon juice until stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let cool to just warm or to room temperature.

Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack-place a cookie sheet underneath this rack. Prick the top of the cake several times with a toothpick. Brush the top of the cake with the warm or room temperature syrup, allowing lots of the syrup to run down and soak into the sides and bottom of the cake. Cool slightly in the pan before removing the cake to the wire rack to cool completely. When completely cooled, wrap the cake in foil or plastic freezer wrap and let the cake rest at least one day before eating it in one go.

Parkes' Friday night Christmas do was very enjoyable but due to my hangover haze I forgot to take any piccies. Saturday was spent at Tesco and Sunday at home due to the crappy weather. Beth is pictured on the left not looking happy about the rain and low pressure.

Christmas Do No. 1

A good night was had by all. Lovely food in the Bleeding Heart and dancing to Wham in the early hours.

JT warming up in William's Ale House.

Lynn maintaining order at the table.

Sanchez - a true gentleman.

Iain checking Joe's ears for wax.

Stef and Dave behaving strangely.

James M full of Crimbo cheer and a whiff of vodka.

Charles and Darren getting friendly.

Dom proud holds aloft his crusted port. There was a 'grow a beard' challenge set for the Crimbo do - Dom won it by a country mile.

The Oniye Show. Charles quietly comtemplating.

Darren unloading in the club.

Strings and Noel behaving sensibly.

Dom, Charles Chiu and JT's nose waiting for their meals.

Bryan and Ian with Raj and Stef in the background. Things were getting a little boisterous.

Christmas Parties

This week all of the Christmas parties come at once. On Thursday night our team's Christmas jolly is being held at the Bleeding Heart restaurant in the Clerkenwell region of central London. On Friday it is back to Rammers for Parkes' Crimbo do at the Court Stairs Country Club. How fancy! It is always a pleasure attending a Christmas bash with King Keith.

Beth has got a cold and has been rather snotty. However it isn't really getting her down too much and she is keeping up the smiles.

Punk chick.

Uncle Scott and Beth chat about stuff.