This week has been quiet, but full of activity. How does that work, you might ask?
Well, we’re having our utility room refurbished.
It was originally fitted out 21 years ago, at a time when I was still recovering from a serious road traffic accident and was pretty immobile (non-weightbearing). We completely reconfigured the downstairs to make it more accessible for me, including adding a downstairs bathroom and toilet. The kitchen/diner was moved to the opposite side of the house, and the space where the kitchen had originally been was divided up to create a wet room and utility room.
At the time, I really wasn’t in a position to take much interest in the work being done, so I left a lot of the decisions to the builders. They were a family-run company – two fathers and their sons – and seemed to spend a considerable amount of their time arguing with one another! I mostly kept out of their way and got on with my injury recovery.
The result was that some of the finishing touches were, let’s just say, not ideal!
For example, the worktop in the utility room was installed about 6cm higher than the washing machine and tumble dryer underneath it. That might be completely inconsequential if I were very tall.
But I’m not.
I’m 4ft 8in, with short arms, so that extra 6cm makes an enormous difference when I’m trying to reach into the sink!
The cupboards had also gradually started falling apart. I don’t think they were particularly expensive ones in the first place and, after 21 years, they’d certainly done their time. So, the moment had finally come to replace everything.
I decided to try to keep the refurbishment as simple as possible. I’m keeping the original sink, the safety flooring is staying – not least because it covers a manhole – and the basic layout remains largely unchanged. We’re really just replacing all the units and, most importantly, bringing the worktop down to a height that actually works for me.
Of course, “just replacing the units” turns out to be more complicated than it sounds! There’s been lots of hole-cutting for pipes and electrical sockets; the electricity has been on and off at regular intervals and, at one point, so was the water.
It has also meant getting up and organised early every morning, ready for the builder arriving at 8am.
The work is progressing really well, although there’s still a little way to go.
I was due to have a friend visiting on Monday, but she called off. As it turned out, that was probably just as well. There was no room for her to park in the driveway, and it was a particularly noisy day, with the demolition of the old cupboards taking place.
I also managed to get rid of my old cooker hood, which I mentioned in an earlier post, along with a dehumidifier that had been sitting in the utility room but was never actually used. Both have been recycled and gone off to new homes.
Even the old kitchen units have found another use. They’ve gone off to live in a barn where, I’m told, they’ll be filled with chicken paraphernalia – feed, bedding and the like! I’m really pleased that so much of what we no longer need will be reused rather than simply thrown away.
I’d actually booked two slots at the tip in anticipation of having loads of rubbish to dispose of, but thankfully didn’t need either of them. That was particularly welcome given how ridiculously hot it has been here, with temperatures reaching as high as 38°C on a couple of days.
On Wednesday, my sister came to work for me as usual and stayed overnight because on Thursday I was taking her to London for her birthday treat. The night before our London trip, I’d actually arranged another little surprise outing for her. We went to the IMAX cinema for one of their “secret screenings”, where you book your tickets knowing absolutely nothing about the film you’re going to see other than its age rating. I rather like the idea — you could end up watching something you’d never normally have chosen for yourself! On this occasion, our mystery film turned out to be Tony, a new biographical drama about the early life of chef, writer and TV personality Anthony Bourdain. It follows 19-year-old Bourdain as he heads to Provincetown and rather accidentally finds himself working in the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen — a summer which ultimately sets him on the path that will shape the rest of his life. We really enjoyed it, and given the heat outside, it was absolutely wonderful to spend a couple of hours in a beautifully air-conditioned cinema! Meanwhile, almost everyone else seemed to be outside in the blazing sunshine watching the solar eclipse. We may have missed the celestial event, but I think we probably had the cooler option! 😂
It was a VERY hot day, but everything went perfectly.
There was an added bonus when I discovered that parking at the Royal Festival Hall is now free for Blue Badge holders. There were plenty of vacant spaces too and, being underground, the car stayed beautifully cool for the duration of our day — a definite bonus in that heat!
Once we’d parked, we were able to use the toilet facilities in the Royal Festival Hall before heading across the river towards Soho, wandering through Chinatown on our way to the restaurant.
Lunch at The Ivy was excellent. I made some pretty sensible choices too. For my main course, I had an 8oz sirloin steak with green beans and a heritage tomato salad, and we shared a dessert that was basically raspberry sorbet.
My sister absolutely loved Hadestown. It was a full house, and there was an incredible amount of talent on that stage, both in terms of the acting and the singing. If you get the opportunity to see it, I’d definitely recommend it.
On Saturday, I had a friend over for lunch and, given the continuing hot weather, kept things fairly light. We had a prawn salad with a really simple dressing made from lime, olive oil, black pepper and a little maple syrup.
We did, however, indulge in dessert in the form of a pistachio and almond ice-cream bomb which, from memory, came in at around 220 calories. Very nice it was too!
So I’m now getting through my final week on Wegovy before moving back to Mounjaro next Friday.
I have to say, I’m really looking forward to it.
I’m still experiencing zero appetite suppression from Wegovy, and the food noise has been totally overwhelming. I think I’ve managed to stay within my calorie allowance on most days, but it’s taken real effort.
It’s certainly reminded me how much of a difference effective appetite suppression and the absence of food noise can make. I know I can resist temptation and stick to my calorie allowance — I’ve been doing this for a very long time — but constantly battling those thoughts about food is exhausting.
I’m hoping that moving back to Mounjaro will give me back the helping hand that I know it gave me before.
Anyway, on to this week’s weigh-in…
Weight this week: 55.75kg (8st 11lbs)
Weight last week: 56.10kg (8st 11.6lbs)
Weekly loss/gain: -0.35kg (-1lb)
100% – 6 months 5 days in weight maintenance range (54 – 57kg or 8st 7lb – 8st 13lbs)
Indeed, this weather certainly means plenty of salads, and as my other half (Mike) is harvesting cucumbers, tomatoes, and green beans from our garden at present, I’ve been making a regular delicious cucumber, red onion and tomato salad dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, as well as a green bean salad with a garlic mustard vinaigrette dressing.
This is another go-to recipe that I make often, and it always goes down well when I serve it for lunch with friends. It’s also ideal for preparing in advance, as it transports easily and keeps well in the fridge for several days in a sealed container.
I mentioned in my last blog post that I’d be sharing some salad ideas. Over the coming weeks, I plan to share some of my favourite salad recipes. From quick everyday lunches to more substantial salads that make a complete meal, these are the kinds of dishes I never seem to tire of.