konfessions of the Koog

5AM—Good Morning London! We are on a crazy sleep schedule now. At 5:15am B-Koog was warming the kettle and taking tea orders. We were all up by 7 and showered and downstairs for breakfast around 7:30. Breakfast at the UJC is an interesting experience. It’s sort of the food equivalent of “meant well.” There are fried eggs that look more like unlanced cysts than eggs. The scrambled eggs are the color of an unpopular president. I tried the orange eggs, the bacon rashers and my favorite British breakfast items, baked beans, mushrooms and grilled tomatoes. In the words of a E, “it’s mid.” That about sums it up. After our mid but fine breakfast we headed to Waterloo tube station on our way to Camden Town. For reasons unknown, we were in a hurry. Unfortunately, nothing really opens in Camden town until 10am. It was about 8:45am. We stopped at a chain coffee place with a bougie French name that I always forget so I refer to it as “the manger.” No, baby Jesus was not in yesterday morning. W...

Well, we are finally on our way back to the UK as a family! I love to early for a flight as I enjoy the Virgin 1st Class Clubhouse. Yes, I am a bougie snob but I’m also adorable. Unfortunately, the check-in desk for our flight didn’t open until 6:55 and we arrived at 5:45 and I should also mention I am the only member of the Family Koog that is flying Virgin Upper Class. Before I am judged let me explain. I offered, nee, begged Mrs. Koog to join me in my lay-flat-bed-and-free-pajama-oasis but she refused. I told her that while I respected her decision to go economy with the kids, I should not be punished for her poor choices, so 3 economy seats and 1 upper class for the Koog Family on this trip. Anyway, we waited our hour in line and enjoyed watching the passengers for Qatar Airlines come though the line with countless bags, boxes, suitcases and laundry baskets (no joke). I loved seeing the multigenerational families traveling together. Especially the little kids and grandparents. I ...

The planning for our 2026 UK trip began in February in Deep Creek Lake, MD. For Christmas, my gift to the FamilyKoog was a 5 day trip to the mountains complete with skiing, shopping and ice caving. They were only thrilled with the first 2 of those activities, by the way. In true Koog fashion, I was planning the next adventure before ending the one we were on; so Mrs. Koog and I were sitting in the ski lodge at Wisp Resort talking about doing the UK again. She agreed that while our 2023 trip was magical, no one was able to enjoy London because of the exhaustion at the end of the trip and the entire trip was a bit overshadowed by our traumatic return to hear of her breast cancer diagnosis. But, that was 3 years ago and she is back to her healthy and amazing self, Thank God! Finally finished with their last run, the Twin Koogs found us in the lodge to swindle some cash and returned with their lunch trays packed with 2 large pizzas EACH, copious amounts of fries and the larges bucket of...