Apparently it's Sunday today...

I'm confused. The days are blending into one long day. But time isn't dragging, oh no. Quite the opposite. Time is actually speeding by. No sooner have I woke up, and it's 9 pm and I'm like 'Where the hell has today gone?'

I think it finally hit me today, the enormity of what we are doing? With the exception of a very brief half hour visit to see my mother last Sunday (outdoors and socially distanced!), I have been at home for... 12 days now? And although it's only going to be temporary, I know that, this too shall pass, there's still an element of permanence to it too. Because it's going to be at least three months, isn't it? Personally, I think it will be longer. I'm no expert, but Mr G does say I'm a witch when I read his mind. It's not witchcraft, it's just that he's transparent and after nearly twenty one years together I can read him like a book :-)

I think I've managed to swerve the hysteria and meltdowns by being my usual organised self - complete with lists. I did the only thing that I know how to do in a crisis, and I've been a mum, and I've been a housewife. I have cooked, cleaned, organised and this has kept me going through the days. I haven't had a chance to get bored. Yet.

And today, it hit me properly. Oh my freaking God, we are in the middle of a pandemic. I mean, I'm not thick, I knew. I'm following all the guidelines, the rules and regulations, I watch the news update every afternoon. I know. I do know. But it's like I didn't know? I really hope I'm not the only one suffering the delayed reaction about this.

I think I have let myself be thrown, or distracted I guess. The majority of last week, you could have fooled yourself into thinking that it was a random week in the school holidays. And I think that's just what I did. The sun shone, I got my clean on, washing flapped on the line, the sink was full of dishes permanently as I fed everyone at staggered times.

Today, I realised. This is not a holiday. This was one week out of God knows how many that lie ahead of us. We are on lockdown, we are essentially under house arrest. And we don't know how long for. We are in the middle of a pandemic. They will teach this in history lessons. My children, when they become parents, they will refer back to this time when their children play up, in much the same manner as I do this...

Me: You don't know you're born, you lot. When I was growing up, three TV channels I had! And there was none of this twenty four hour kids programmes either, no. You got just over an hour after school and three hours on a Saturday morning. I had sweets once a week, a ten pence mix from the local shop. Bored? You don't know the meaning of the word. Bored, my arse. How can you be bored when you have the internet? And another thing. We didn't have the internet? We didn't have mobile phones? An apple was something you ate back then! We didn't even have a bloody landline in the house, and my father worked for BT! I had to walk to the telephone kiosk if I wanted to phone a friend?

I could go on. The unabridged rant goes on for about forty minutes, takes in Commodore 64's, reading, libraries, how we were shoved into the back of cars without seat belts and left to ricochet around like marbles, how we respected adults, how I would never dare to speak to my parents how they speak to me, how they should learn to amuse themselves like I bloody had to... seriously, ad infinitum.

And while people are both dying and (hopefully) recovering from this virus, I don't think it's hit many of us yet, because it hasn't affected us directly. For many of us it's still something that is happening to someone else, it's something we're only seeing on the news. It's only a matter of time before it touches our own lives one way or another, and frankly, that doesn't bear thinking about.

Less gloomy news, our virtual SW group officially starts tomorrow. We had to weigh in and submit our weights today though, so our consultant could input them all into the system ready for tomorrow. I am now 12 stone 2 lb, so that's a total loss of 6 stone 5.5 lb. Mr G hit his 6 stone loss finally, it's such a shame he doesn't get his certificate and sticker. Maybe when group resumes there will be another certificate and sticker for the both of us? So we will be on Zoom in the morning. I was still in my pyjamas last week. I may make a bit more of an effort tomorrow.

Made us a nice Sunday dinner today, pulled pork again. Only have one joint of meat left in the freezer, a leg of lamb which I am saving for Easter Sunday. It's chicken, mince, gammon, bacon and diced beef all the way from here on in.

And that's where we are at, folks. Today's revelations - we are mid pandemic. You're welcome. Nothing else to report. Not been anywhere, seen anyone other than my husband and children. Just as it should be right now.

Tomorrow's plans are to meal plan a little further ahead. I've only done until the end of April. I shit you not. Tomorrow, I will be meal planning for May. I might bake a cake... and probably make a curry or two.

This week's meal plan is as follows...

Monday: Firecracker Prawns with egg noodles

Tuesday: Chicken and Chorizo risotto

Wednesday: Cock and Bull with Basmati rice

Thursday: Mediterranean Chicken Orzo

Friday: Fish, Slimming World Chips and mushy peas

Saturday: Cumberland Pie and vegetables

Sunday: Honey Chilli Chicken and rice

A couple of old favourites (Cock and Bull, Chicken Orzo and Cumberland Pie - all courtesy of Pinch of Nom) and some newbies to try (Firecracker Prawns and risotto from Two Chubby Cubs and Honey Chilli Chicken from Pinch of Nom). Friday's fish and chips will be a bog standard, shop bought, lightly dusted cod fillet, because needs must.

New week tomorrow, and as the meme says, one day closer to everything being back to normal :-)