Yay workouts! Go you! Especially because you didn't want to go and you went anyway!
I'm sorry to hear the doggy didn't work out. The right pooch is out there. There's a huge animal home here (
Battersea Dogs Home) and they post their dogs online. They seem to invest a lot in matching dogs with appropriate homes. While London is a bit far, their site may have some good resources.
As for your husband's job, I'm glad his job is safe. It's still rough to work in a company with mass layoffs. I, too, hope that this storm is weathered soon.
Do you miss Australia? It sounds like a wonderful place to live. I think I'm hung up on this lovely picture of a Christmas BBQ on the beach.