New start in Hello.

I’ll get the vegan stuff out the way first. It’s mainly for my benefit, so skip it if you like.
I’ve been meat free for a week now and about 95% vegan. John has been very accommodating, which I was a bit surprised about. He usually scoffs at my whimsies until he realises that I’m actually serious. On Sunday I made a chick pea curry with brown rice and I offered to make another turkey one, but John said not to. The kids all enjoyed it too. Then last night he made a vegan Chinese meal (stir fried veg, brown rice, barbecue sauce, kimchi). He marinated some tofu and some chicken, and put them both in the oven. The tofu was delicious cooked that way, even fussy Eleanor liked it!
My colleagues have clocked that I’m eating vegan. I haven’t told them as such, they just noticed that I was only drinking herbal tea at work and not troughing in the biscuit tin! I’ve started taking cashews to work to snack on. Jo was genuinely curious behind the mentality behind not eating any eggs or milk, “after all, the animals aren’t killed to provide them, are they?” She listened carefully to what I had to say, nodded and said “I didn’t realise…”
Physically, my gut is on the whole behaving, except when I drink wine and I get the squits. I don’t want to have to give wine up too! I’ve ordered some probiotic, that should be here in a day or so. I’ve also lost 2 pounds, but I feel like I’m losing inches too. Somehow I feel lighter. I can’t describe it, I think it’s because I’m eating less crap. I’m not picking up sweets or crisps in the shop any more, I’m really missing my usual pick n’ mix jellybeans!

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Rob has got a new job! He’s going to be a live in commis chef in a hotel in the lakes, about a 40 minute drive away. We’ve had a proper chat about how his happiness is paramount and if he decides he doesn’t like it, he’s to pack it in and come home. While I don’t want him to move out again, I realise he can’t live with us forever and him being fairly close means I can just hop into the car and be with him if he needs it.
It means him taking a pay cut, but he’s not bothered about that. At Brewer’s Fayre he was just learning their brand standard, which is basically following a planogram to put food on a plate and microwaving it. This new job will teach him proper chef work, and the scope is there to do catering at college on day release. We’re going through today to have a look at the place and his accommodation, have a wander round the village and get something to eat. Then on Sunday we’re moving his stuff in. :(