Wednesday 10 January 2018

Vegan Dry January Day 10: The first alcohol wobble

Just add microwaves.
Last night I went to M&S and bought a new work suit, then went to the adjoining Tesco and spent £20 on their vegan ready-meal range, and as I suspected, Mrs Wallis wasn't best pleased. I have already filled up the cupboards and fridge with vegetables. Last night I went to bed with my second crushing headache this month (I never have headaches) and this morning I walked to work suffering from severe stomach cramps. I brought the Tesco felafel meatballs and pasta with me. And wore my new suit.

This is the first time I have taken food which needs heating to ITN, because you never know where you're going to be or what you're going to be doing. Nonetheless, I spend at least half my shifts at Gray's Inn Road, and when that happens, I usually get time for a break after the lunchtime news. I thought I might get lucky. Nope.

After shooting two interviews, a piece to camera, several voxes and then going on a plastic rubbish hunt, I had to write, voice and edit my piece in time for the lunchtime news. It's a team effort, and I was ably assisted by the newsdesk (sourcing and booking second interview), ace cameraman Russ Padwick, top producer Vicky Coxon (sorting the graphic, fact-checking my script, making sure the astons were correctly timed), Ruji on the regions desk sorting the Cornwall pictures and Martha on the picture desk sorting the stills, Nick Lloyd the brilliant editor for tidying up (ie vastly improving) my edit all under the sage guidance of legendary output editor Mike Rigby. But it was still on me if it f***ed up, so I was feeling it a little bit. I was also starving. Breakfast had been the usual Hike/Paleo/Apple/Banana/Satsuma medley, eaten at various stages between 7am and midday, but by 1.30pm I was ready to fall over. I kept myself going by thinking that after the debrief at 2pm I'd have a chance to heat my exciting vegan ready meal.

During the programme debrief I was asked to go immediately to an industrial estate in SE15 to interview someone important at Veolia about their (gargantuan) recycling facility and what it does to the plastic which would otherwise end up in landfill or the sea. No swanky lunch at my desk. Oh no. I ordered a cab, and whilst waiting for it, went to the kitchen, nuked my meal for the requisite time before edging into a corner to eat it standing up. A colleague queueing for the microwave said I looked like the human embodiment of January. A miserable man shovelling vegetables into his mouth by a bin.

"Christmas," she said, "seems a long time ago, doesn't it?"

Of all the places I could have chosen to visit wearing a new suit, I'm not sure it would have been a recycling facility, but at least it has now been blooded. Thanks also to everyone at Veolia. One of the privileges of this job is getting into places people don't normally see. And until you've clambered around recycling machine the size of a football pitch, you haven't lived.

I had to rush to Waterloo to catch the train back to Walton - I needed to be back in time for my daughter's birthday party. The rail strike meant things were a little, er, up in the air at one stage, but I made it back in good time.

I need a drink. But I'm not going to have one. Vlog below (or here), showing my vegan ready meal purchases in all their glory. Below that, the tale of the tape and food consumption so far today.


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Weight: 11st 8lb

Exercise: 10 mins cycling, 30 mins walk

Food:

Hike/Paleo/Apple/Banana/Satsuma.
Wicked felafel meatballs and pasta.
Boots veggie and quinoa sushi (I ate that standing up, come to think of it).
Carrot sticks.
Two handfuls of roasted, salted cashews and peanuts.
Two rice crackers.

**************************

Vegan Dry January Day 31: The Last Post
Vegan Dry January Day 30: A Vegan in Downing Street
Vegan Dry-ish January Day 29: Can't see what all the fuss is about
Days 26 to 28 are Nonblogged.
Vegan Dry January Day 25: Simon Amstell is a Vegan
Days 20 to 24 are Nonblogged. 
Vegan Dry January Day 19: Peer review
Vegan Dry January Day 18: Are you a vegan?
Vegan Dry January Day 17: Mmm... cashews.... 
Vegan Dry January Day 16: Taking Stock
Vegan Dry January Day 15: A relapse
Days 13 and 14 are Nonblogged. 
Vegan Dry January Day 12: There was no Day 11
There really wasn't a day 11
Vegan Dry January Day 10: Alcohol wobble
Vegan Dry January Day 9: Avoiding four meals a day
Vegan Dry January Day 8: Smeared Poo
Vegan Dry January Day 7: Separation Anxiety
Vegan Dry January Day 6: Wastelands of Admin
Vegan Dry January Day 5: Oatly is the tits
Vegan Dry January Day 4: Milk is everywhere
Vegan Dry January Day 3: I've lost my nuts
Vegan Dry January Day 2: This is going well
Vegan Dry January Day 1: Vegan Dry January is go

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