Dinner with Scott, Amy, Sam and Molly + new word 'Kegerator'

Scott and Amy had me over for dinner tonight. Fantastic, Amy cooked some really nice lemon pasta (and gave me leftovers to bring home!). Scott introduced me to the "Kegerator" that the boys from work gave them as a moving in present. This is an old refridgerator which has been converted to hold a beer keg, with a tap on the outside. Kegerator seems to be a really important American English word which needs to make a more international debut. What a great thing to do with an old fridge. Of course, a more eco-friendly and English version might just be a 'keg' served at room temperature, which would be easier on the teeth but less satisfying in th desert. Scott and Amy's current keg is a dark porter, really rather drinkable! Actually the best beer I've had since I've been here, though, Old Milwaukie still works out cheaper at $5 for 12 cans!!!

Molly (the dog) was well behaved and friendly and Sam (1) continued to illustrate only the good things about associated with children, mainly putting his energy into beeming smiles and happily bounding around or otherwise entertaining himself. Whilst I was impressed that he could point to his 'stomach' on demand, I was even more impressed that when asked to point to his nose, he realised that actually the biggest nose in the room was mine, so he pointed to mine (several times). Quite charming. Although my nose can eclipse the sun on a good day, it's nice for a 1 year old to remind me of it.

Very nice evening and a very important word made more concrete - of course I've heard the word around the office but seeing the thing for real made much more sense. I'm just wondering why Homer Simpson doesn't have a kegerator, perhaps Duff beer is not sold by the keg.

Here's a photo of one I found on the web to give you and idea of the principle.

As a small part payment for dinner I had to demonstrate the correct way to make tea! I like the bbc instructions for the perfect cuppa but the microwave way of warming the pot they suggest would not be approved of by my Gran, so we did it Gran's way! The result, usng some tea from Whittards which I bought when I was last home, was ok but not quite perfect. By far the hardest part of this tea making exercise was buying a teapot. Neither Target nor Walmat's HUGE stores had one, and when I asked I got directed to kettles each time. Until I found some nice lady in Walmart who told me to try 'Bed, Bath and Beyond', who did indeed have one kind of teapot though no tea strainers. Having struggled so much to find teapots I bought 3, one for Scott and Amy and one for Dave and Kathy and one for home (I nearly bought one for work too but that was perhaps too mad).

We also discussed cockney rhyming slang a bit, and phrases like Taking the Mickey. When you stop and think about phrases like that you realise that they don't make a whole lot of sense. For the record, to be a proper cockney you need to be born within the sound of Bow Bells in East London. Sadly many people who sound cockney do not meet the criteria. To be insulting you could call them mockney! I worked within the sound of Bow Bells when I was 18, so that perhaps influenced my slightly mockney accent.

Final thoughts of the day.... K E G E R A T O R