Introducing.....KNOCKOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Family,

And a good evening to you from across the Pond after a CHILLY day in the Smoke. It was super busy, but with Canada Go Live just 23 days away, there's no rest for the weary!

So this morning (once sober) I realized that I forgot one critical component of last night's Christmas roast. While it is true that our gracious hostess Liz allowed us to partake in the time honored holiday tradition of American football, the second half was largely interrupted by something that is FAR from tradition in East Tennessee, Charlotte, and all the spaces in between. A fair word of warning to all those brave enough to watch TV in the mother country at someone else's home - when you are not the master of your domain and not the ruler of the remote, you may find yourself subjected to all manner of British horrors. Last night I was a victim. The dungeon master was Simon Cowell. The torture chamber...was X-Factor.

Formerly "Pop Idol" (their equivalent to "American Idol"), this is Simon Cowell's brainchild in Britain and EVERY BIT as big as ours. I didn't realize that Leona Lewis won it two years ago and that's how she got her break - craziness! But anywho...let's not get to excited. Instead, let's recap the evening:

1. The two dueling it out were Olly and Joe. Neither one of these cats was Adam Lambert. Then again, neither of them made out with some dude on stage at the AMA's, so maybe they are better.

2. The host was a Ryan Seacrest clone - same outfit, same bad hair, same terrible jokes, same voice. It was like watching Dickie V commentate a basketball game - all you want to do is mute the TV.

3. Instead of a t-shirt, Simon actually had a sports coat on.

4. I didn't know a single song the entire night.

5. At the end, just like American Idol, they announce that the finalists will now sing the same song and that the winner will release that song as their first single. What song did they have to sing, you ask? Try this on for size - "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus (It's Miley! Everything she says is interesting!). Seriously? Seriously? Two dudes COVERING Miley Cyrus? Is there no humanity in the world? Well, then again, at least it wasn't "Party in the USA"...utter donkey trash.

Tonight was a great night, as Jenny and I (FINALLY) caught up with an old friend. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Kirsten Olsen, nicknamed KnockOut. KO and I worked together back in '07 on the Arinso Transition, and we went through hell together for about 9 months. Consequently, we are now forged together forever as friends.

We met KO and her husband Istvan at DelFino's, this GREAT pizza joint, where I had a diavola pizza (loaded with pepperoni) and JT had a pizza covered in delish parma ham. All in all, talk about a successful night! It was so great to catch up with Kirsten, joking about the old times and getting caught up on what was new with them.

We then walked home from Oxford Street, where we saw some really cool Christmas lights out and about. Check out this set of decorations (Hitman - this is right by the Hog on the Pound).

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat tomorrow!

Love,

Sam and Jenny