Shrinking

 The rain that had been forecast for first thing hadn't materialised. This was good as it meant a dry walk to school with Ellie. Once home, breakfasted and caffeinated, I got on with the day.

Over the last year, I have put on some weight. This was partly due to the absence from football while we were preparing for and recovering from Diane's operation. Then when I did restart I had some trouble with my knee that kept me out again. Slowly my waistline grew to the point that I had to go to the next size in trousers. I wasn't happy about this but recent minor tweaks to my diet and more exercise have seen a gradual reversal. Today I was pleased to be able to retrieve all my "old" trousers from their vacuum-packed bag. They fit me comfortably again. The larger trousers were folded and stored in the bag. The air was sucked out and they were stored under the bed, hopefully not to be used again. I'm feeling smug.

The rain arrived late morning. Diane took the car to Chichester for her scheduled dental check. I stayed put and spent the time clearing some of the garden furniture out of the garage. We are expecting a new bed to be delivered for Ellie, but we will store it in the garage until after Easter. I also looked into options for a replacement gas boiler. Ours is now 10 years old and there are much more efficient models on the market now. As they are talking about banning the sale of new boilers in the next couple of years, this seems like the ideal time to consider it.

After lunch, I had a quiet hour with the Kindle before venturing out into the deluge to collect Ellie from school. She was with us for longer than planned. Zoe and Darren are looking after Steffie's dog, Lucy, for the next couple of weeks. When Darren got home he found the dog had located a chocolate min-roll and consumed it along with a couple of Ellie's hairbands. Panic ensued along with a trip to the emergency Vet. All is now well and Ellie is now back home and ready to take charge!