Chipolatas, rosemary and parmesan fries, five bean mix

Most foolishly, I had a plan for today. I had an appointment for a blood test this morning, and afterwards planned to go to the community gathering in the sports centre next door. Mum was feeling much better and wanted to come with me, and all was set for a decent morning.

Instead, I realised that the cat litter I had ordered online isn’t due to be delivered until Friday, and the bag we have (or rather, the bag we had) was emptied last night. So, after having a hole pierced in my arm, and fighting with a urine test pot (those things are difficult enough to use anyway, let alone when your hands will suddenly go on strike with no prior warning), we got back on the community bus to head half a mile up Tesco to buy cat litter.

Which we did, along with a sandwich each for lunch, a pack of chocolate éclairs for mum, a reduced-to-clear trifle for me, and various other things that we wouldn’t have wanted if we hadn’t been wandering around the supermarket.

As it was genuinely chilly outside, I suggested that we get on the bus early and ride all the way around its loop through the area. And a very nice ride it was too, with lovely views of the countryside and across the Solent to the mainland. Mum complained that it too longer than she was expecting, which is fair, but it’s a nice long ride.

There are lots of attractive and interesting houses on the route, including one with garden planters that I swear I have seen while playing The Sims, and dismissed as unrealistic in appearance. Maybe they’re a cute, retro flourish in the far-future version of the game that we’re all living in. 🤷‍♂️

By the time we got home I was completely knackered, and spent most of the afternoon laying on the bed. Mum, by contrast, was invigorated by her lack of headache and bustled around, stopping occasionally to ask me if I had done a particular task yet. (No, please let me rest!)

Dinner was what mum had picked out in Tesco – basically sausage and chips, but fancy – with sweetcorn for mum and mixed beans for me. Then mum, whose appetite has suddenly re-emerged now her headaches are under control, ate the whole pack of chocolate éclairs in the time it has taken me to write this post.

I am now going to go and grab that trifle before mum decides to eat that too!