NaNoWriMo 2020

Every year that I've taken part has been hard, but this year has been really tough. Slap bang in the middle of decorating, in a national lockdown, surrounded by chaos and plastic storage boxes, I haven't had a decent night's sleep for a month, I started late... you name it, it got in the way of my writing this month. 

I was sat, staring at my word document at 10 pm last night as Mr G got himself ready for work. '49,999 words.' I told him. 'The End?' he suggested.

The End. 50,001 words. Submitted. Boom.

Looking back at the other years that I've taken part, when I've spent literally every hour of every day writing, and I've hit in the region of 70 to 80,000 words. This year's offering was a spin off from the other years, but I think I've taken it feasibly as far as I possibly can now. Next year, if I'm still here - God willing - I am going to start from scratch. New characters, new setting, new genre even. Really push myself out of my comfort zone.  

I was also like a kid at Christmas come midnight, as I opened my Pokemon Go app to find that I was already almost at level 41. They have increased the levels up to 50, only now, not only do you have to gather a load of XP, but complete certain tasks too. The ones that I'm currently tackling along with about 600,000 XP to reach level 41 are: to catch 200 Pokemon in one day, and to win 30 raids. The raid one isn't too bad as there is a gym at the end of my street and I can reach it from my living room (yes, yes I know, that's not the point of the game). I'm also hoping that this will spur me on to get back out walking. Because.

Slimming World. I haven't mentioned it recently, because, I have been a bit of a shit. I'm still going to classes, I daren't stop. But I'm not following the plan properly. It's just not clicking, this bloody Covid has cocked everything up, and not just for me, everyone is struggling, our consultant included. I have been blind weighing since group returned after the firebreak lockdown. I don't want to know what I weigh, I don't want to know what I've put on, but the important thing for me is that I show up and take a seat, and hope that something clicks that week. That someone will inspire me or something will fire me up. Even only having one pair of jeans that fit me (the ones that make me look like I'm packing a huge wanger) hasn't been enough to stop me inhaling large bags of Smarties White Buttons like they're blueberries. 

So, after yesterday's class, where a fellow slimmer gave us all a really motivational pep talk, Mr G threw down the gauntlet and said that he wants to lose a stone by Christmas to get back to a certain weight. When I told him that he wouldn't be able to do that, this woman said, yes but he will be closer to it than he is now. When our consultant asked me what goal I had for the next three weeks weigh ins before Christmas, my answer was 'to beat him'. Mr G and I are terribly competitive. In a good way, there's no malice. But it spurs me on. When I'm on plan, he's on plan. When I'm not, he's not. And I know that I shouldn't be held accountable for anyone else's weight loss, at the end of the day, he's a grown man. But that's the way it is, unfortunately. As our youngest describes him - 'it's like having a toddler.' Hehe. 

So, he has finished his night shift, and he has gone for a couple of hours sleep until lunchtime, then we are going out to get a food shop in. We have come up with a meal plan for the next week or so. Our daughter might be introducing us to her new boyfriend, said that he is ready to meet us (God help him) and that he would like to come for tea. We've told her either Wednesday, Thursday or Friday due to Mr G's shift pattern. Thankfully he's not a fussy eater, so I am going to do Recipe Tin Eats Shawarma all round, with wraps and salad and avocado. 

Tuesday: Tandoori Salmon with Mango Salsa, new potatoes and salad

Wednesday: Singapore Noodles

Thursday: (Provisionally) Chicken Shawarma Kebabs, Salad and tortillas

Friday: Tandoori Chicken Burger with Slimming World Chips

Saturday: Chicken Tikka Masala, Rice, Homemade bhajis

Sunday: Homemade beefburger, Salad, Slimming World Chips

Monday: Cheeseburger Pasta Bake, Salad and cheesy garlic bread (synned)

I've bought a new fitness band too, in Morrisons, one of their Black Friday deals, so I can accurately count my steps from now on. The tracker on my phone is good, but you need to carry it around with you all the time, and I don't tend to in the house. So, there's a semblance of a plan, anyway, just need to make sure I stick to it.