The Circle of Life

This day had to come. Inevitable really. One of the most rubbish days I have had for a while!

This post sounds like a bit of a ‘pity me’ party but that is not my intention. I know that many Slimming World members have far more to deal with in life than I do. Even so, I do feel that it is important for people to know that sometimes life gets in the way, even for an old crock like me.

The Plan

The plan was apparently plain and simple. Hire a van and load it up for a weekend trip to Wales for our house move. A lovely four days settling into our new home and setting things up for our permanent move in a few weeks’ time. Oh, that it were so simple!

Change of Plan

Here is my Friday & Saturday

Disaster Friday

8.30 – Our daughter is taken into hospital with pregnancy problems. Baby is due in about 20 days’ time. Turns out to be OK for now. She therefore goes to the hairdressers with Naomi. Huh???

10.00 – I receive unexpected news of a dear friend becoming gravely ill.

11.30 – Walk to van hire showroom to discover that my driver’s license is out of date. I have unknowingly been driving illegally for 4 years. I can’t hire the van I booked.

11.55 – Phoned a friend to see if he could drive for me. He can, but needs to cancel some weekend appointments to look after me. He and his wife will come with us. I am fortunate to have good friends who put themselves out for me.

12.30 – I go to collect my friend in my car which breaks down in a cloud of burning smoke and rubber. I leave my car on a grass verge and we get a lift to collect the van.

13.00 – We hire the van and load up all the boxes. About 60 in all. If my doctor knew what I was doing with all the lifting of boxes he would have a fit. I am not officially allowed to lift and carry heavy things. Naomi is with our daughter, hairdressers and shopping, for the day so she doesn’t know either.

14.45 – Our daughter’s midwife appointment does not go well and she is admitted into hospital for observation. But at least she had nice looking hair.

15.00 – I attempt to apply for a new driver’s license only to realise that my ID paperwork is all packed in the van. I can’t access the papers I need. Naomi will have to do all the car driving and we must take 2 vehicles to Wales.

15.05 – Urgent phone call which means I must detour to the caller’s house to fix something that is broken. It has to be done today.

16.30 – Discuss with Naomi whether to still go out for an evening of music and dance. We have paid a handsome price for a live band and decide to go. It was a small relief at the end of the day, but honestly, my mind was elsewhere.

18.00 – Realise that I have forgotten to make my Biscotti recipe for the taster day in the morning. Hope that no one notices the omission. There is no time to do them now.

19.30 – Music and dance evening at Easthampstead Park.

23.20 – A sleepless night mourning the imminent loss of my close friend and worrying about my daughter.

3.15 – Still awake

5.42 – Give up the possibility of sleep entirely.

Saturday

7.00 – My wonderful Slimming World Group. They didn’t know my mental turmoil. I did that thing where I keep the anguish and pain secret and put on a brave face. It was hard work but I’m pretty sure no one guessed the perilous state of my mind. The morning was not a complete waste for me as I had a weight loss of 3 pounds. I was also honoured to be runner up for ‘Man Of The Year’ along with Bryn. Thank you to all the people who voted for me.

I forgot to vote, but would have voted for Bryn. He and his wife Nikita have become fully involved in our group. They are what I call ‘proper people’. They live life to the full and they live it well. Today Nikita hit her target with a joyful scream on the scales. Bryn also got his 4½ stone award. The ‘before’ photo they showed us was hilarious to me and clearly demonstrated how far they have both come in quite a short time.

Phillip was awarded man of the year and he had the audacity to email his thankyou speech to Mandy-Lace as he couldn’t attend the meeting. He is the coolest person I know, having 5 weeks ago told us his outrageous weight loss goal and then gone on a parachute flying thingy training course. Come back soon Phillip – we are all missing you. Well done.

9.00 – Because of my disaster Friday we are not packed and ready to drive to Wales – we leave two hours late.

11.00 – We set off for Wales

11.09 – Our daughter calls me a few minutes into our journey to say there are further complications. She is going to the hospital and will stay until the baby is born. She insists that we should continue our journey. I tell her that we will empty the van and come back on Sunday. We had planned on a four-day break. Still not coping with everything but so glad I am not driving.

11.10 till 15.00 – Traffic jams all along the M4.

15.00 – Arrive in Wales.

15.05 – Empty the van and try to put all the right boxes in all the right places in our new house. Dr Cody still doesn’t know what I have been doing and I am not going to tell him, but Naomi is beginning to suspect. Having said this, I found all the lifting quite easy because I am so fit now.

19.00 – We arrive at the Harvester restaurant in Gowerton, my brain is utterly smashed to pieces.

Here Is What I Ordered

It was only one bottle

HALLOUMI SKEWERS - With Spiked Maple sauce and fresh grilled pineapple.

SWEET POTATO JAMBALAYA - Creole-style rice with black turtle beans, peppers, okra & baby sweetcorn topped with sweet potato & corn fritters and Cajun-fried green beans.

Two huge salad bar visits.

Harvester restaurants let you have unlimited returns to the salad bar but two visits was all I could manage. I am an expert at getting the most food possible on those silly little bowls they give you. I would normally have ordered a Gigantic Burger and Double Chips after a few days like this but strangely didn’t want it. I am still puzzled by this but thoroughly savoured and enjoyed what I did order.

I consumed one whole bottle of Argentinian Malbec red wine. I wouldn’t share it with anyone else. A full bodied rather heavy red wine that not many people would order. I did begrudgingly offer it to Naomi and our friends but I made it plain that I wanted to have the whole bottle to myself. They generously allowed me my miserable, indulgent torpor.

My Syn value was about 70 by my calculation and I do not regret a single one. I needed to take a break and I did it wholeheartedly. Please let me know that I am not the only one who does this once in a while.

It’s Monday now and I am somewhat recovered to my Slimming World diet. I know that my daughter and my unwell friend would not want me to mess up my weight loss journey on their account. My friend spent last night going through her clothes to donate to the Slimming World Clothes collection. What is she like? I collected them today.

Next week my blog post will be light, cheerful and fluffy, I promise!

All Better Now – Tuesday Morning Postscript

We have a grandson called Alfie. He was born at 2 minutes past midnight this morning and weighed in at 6 lbs 12 oz. But I am not going to discuss his weight. All the trials and tribulations of the last 72 hours have been banished from my mind in a glorious moment of new life given to us by our daughter and her partner.

Our Grandson Alfie

I could go back and rewrite the post in the light of this but I think it is better that it stays as is.