The Damage is Done

My body doesn't feel like it belongs to me, my legs definitely don't anyway. I walked six and a half miles yesterday. My Skechers, which are the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned, unfortunately shred the backs of my heels. Even when I'm wearing socks. So for today's walk - only down to the chemist to drop Mr G's prescription in, the Post Office and then a walk round the prom, I wore my good old fashioned flat shoes. Today's mileage was two and a half miles, so not too shabby. 

We took an alternate route back up, one I'd never taken before, the path that led around the rugby field. I'd never even noticed it before, which goes to show how observant I am. I asked Mr G if it was new. Apparently not. The bonus was being able to get photographs of Church Island and the Britannia Bridge from a completely different angle. 

We weighed this morning ready for Slimming World and although it wasn't good, my current total weight loss stands at exactly, exactly four stone lost, down to the half pound, and Mr G's is at exactly four and a half stone lost. So, I like that, because it's a round number, it's uniform. I also dislike it because it was so, so much better this time last year. But we've all had a bit of a year of it, so I'm trying not to be too tough on myself. I've done it before, I can do it again. Everyone seemed to be really fired up on the Zoom call this morning and I'm determined to find a way to make it work. It's no good saying it doesn't work for me, because judging by today's news, it's going to be a long, long, long time before Slimming World returns to how I used to know and love it. 

Meals the last couple of days have been really good, punctuated with trying to clear the last of the Christmas naughties. 

Tandoori Salmon with Mango Salsa and salad. This really is a lovely dish, the salsa is so fresh and light, and goes wonderfully with the salmon. I used red chilli to give it a little bit of a kick. This is from the second PON cookbook. 

I made a huge pan of vegetable soup, loosely based on the recipe from the same cookbook. I threw in some leftover Brussels sprouts and baby spinach, and also doubled up the pearl barley.

Last night's tea was Beef in Red Wine and Shallots from the first PON cookbook, with potatoes, savoy cabbage and carrot and swede mash. I left this in the slow cooker while I undertook my mammoth 3 hour walk. 

And tonight's loveliness was Chicken and Chorizo risotto and salad, from the Two Chubby Cubs cookbook. 

Meal plan for the week ahead, subject to the usual change/switch around of days...

Monday: Chicken and Chorizo risotto and salad 

Tuesday: Campfire Stew with jacket potato

Wednesday: Crying Tiger Beef 

Thursday: Chicken Shawarma with salad 

Friday: Garlic and Lime Balti with Basmati rice 

Saturday: Beef burger, SW Chips and baked beans

Sunday: Beef Ragu Fettucine 

The important thing is that I've always got (at least) seven days worth of healthy on plan meals ahead of me, including the ingredients which to make them. The company which are repairing our dashboard reopen today after their Christmas shutdown, so hopefully our car will be back on the road very soon.

So we're sat here now, alternating from BBC News Channel to BBC One and ITV, waiting for Boris's latest speech. Not that it affects us directly in Wales, but with Scotland's announcement of further measures, including schools not going back until February trumping the email I received earlier from the boys' school telling me they won't be going back until at least the 18th January (unlikely), I'd imagine some sort of statement from Mark Drakeford too, immediately after. We are already still in lockdown so apart from the schools closing and a more explicit order to stay at home apart from exercise, and essential journeys, I can't see what more we can do (or not do) or surrender or give up. 

I'd imagine that things would return to how they did right at the start, last March, and the way I look at it is, we got through that unscathed, so we can do it again. It's clear that something has got to give, and this worked before. Hopefully it's a long term lockdown and in the interim, they can get as many doses of these vaccines into as many people as possible. At least there's a glimmer of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel this time. Last time we hunkered down, not knowing what would happen, whether a vaccine would ever be found. This time, we know there will be some sort of an ending to this all.