Where's the grub?

Day 24

Today dawned foggy and damp and stayed that way all day. It was a real November day!

Mike was working this morning, and Keith took him in at the slightly later time of 7.30am. He then went back to collect him while Sophie and I stayed in the warm and watched Saturday Kitchen, which raised our spirits a bit, especially when we saw the segment where Rick Stein was in the Jura region of France, It looked beautiful!

At midday, we showered and went over to Tesco to get my Mum some bits that she needed. I picked out two boxes of Christmas cards, and some toiletries and we got out as quickly as we could. The store was packed with people and the whole retail park itself was very busy with queues of people waiting to go into B&M. I bought myself a sandwich and ate it in the car before we set off for the care home for our 2pm appointment.

We sat with my parents and chatted for the shorter time of half an hour, and before going home I booked appointments to see my parents at Christmas. Unfortunately, the slots for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were already taken (unbelievable) but I booked an appointment for the 23 December and one for Boxing Day. I kept telling my Mum it was only one year and we would make up for it next year, but I can see her being very upset in the month ahead. I think she was under the impression that they would both be able to come out for the day and have Christmas dinner with us, so she was very tearful. I felt wracked with guilt, but what can I do? I said to her that we'd had some fantastic Christmases in the past and that we would have a great one in 2021, but it was not much consolation.

Back at home, and despite the gloomy weather, Sophie and I decided to go for a walk, and we went down to the village and did a circuit. It was chilly and damp, and still foggy, but it was great to get out and have some exercise. We both felt so much better when we returned home.

It was lovely to put the heating on, light the candle in the window, and watch a Christmas cooking programme with Jamie Oliver. At 6pm we ordered a Chinese takeaway from Broughton, and they told us we should expect it at about 7.30pm.

Sophie and I had already enjoyed a Martini, and we opened a bottle of the Jurancon wine I'd bought a few weeks ago in Woburn, and we waited. Keith set the table and put the plates in the oven to warm, but 7.30pm came, and then 8pm, but there was no sign of our meals!

At 8.15pm we called the takeaway and they said they were waiting for the delivery driver to return but it was almost 9pm before we took delivery of our dinner. We all fell upon the food like ravenous wolves, but I hate eating so late in the evening!

After eating Sophie went upstairs to collapse on our bed, while Keith and I watched I'm A Celebrity. I was going to try and stay up a bit later in an effort to digest the food, but I caved in at about 10.30pm and went to bed as well. Maybe next time we order, we won't decide to have a takeaway on such a busy evening!