Gone with the wind

The satellite dish clumping about on the roof like a wounded pterodactyl overnight. When we woke up this morning, we realised our roof was ominously quiet. I mooched out into the garden, to check things like the glasshouse, and saw the dish had blown clean off. Lorraine used the street WhatsApp and contacted Joy and Jim on one side, and David on the other to see if had landed anywhere. I checked long unmetalled service road behind the houses, but there was nothing. It had all gone a bit Clarke Gable, and was gone with the wind. Meanwhile I learned later that Richard and Jane's home had been flooded from the apartment upstairs, and he sent pictures of a deep pool outside the front door. Luckily the insurers are paying for them to live elsewhere, in a luxury holiday apartment. 

Talking of lost things, rather pleased this morning hopping on the scales to see I had lost another 2kg. Since I have started this Zoe thing, thanks to Lorraine, slowly and steadily I have shed about 8kg (17lbs in old money) without ever feeling like I was on a diet or going hungry. Smug, too, as I was not been able to exercise much in October. We have simply changed the way we eat for good, which means that porkiness is in my past. 

Poetry and emails etc. interspersed in the day. 

Then off to see Chi in Newhaven, who gave me a hot stones back massage. Chi left Hong Kong at 10. We were talking about early memories, and she told me about being taken by her mother to a snake shop in HK. She had been a sickly child, and she was given snake soup to eat, to strengthen her. She said it tasted fishy, a bit like shark's fin. 

Still blustery and the sea stormy. Lorraine had done some shopping while I was having my back relaxed, we drove home and chilled out, eating a delicious pumpkin and bean soup Lorraine had made. 

Below Vivien Leigh wearing our satellite dish.