Sunday, October 26, 2025

117.6

Day 2 after the IPL (laser treatment). My face feels fine (it pretty much did by the end of the day of treatment). No redness or swelling but I have super dark raised spots where the dark spots under the skin used to be which is what is supposed to happen. They are supposed to slough off sometime in the next few days so by Friday my skin should look pretty good. There will still be some residual spots that don't seem to have been affected but I have 2 more treatments, each spaced a month apart so that should take care of them. I bought a large brimmed hat to wear outside at the beach and playing golf as I need to be as shielded from the sun as possible, so not just suntan lotion. Yesterday I suntan lotioned up, then put makeup on over that because the dark spots are really noticeable.

DH thinks we should have a "bucket list" of trips for the future. He suggested that we develop separate ones then combine them. I don't know easy that is going to be! Interesting comparing what I know is on our lists. Though we both like beachy places, he would travel much further to get to an exotic one than me. I don't see the point in traveling 24 hours vs. 13 if the main focus is the beach. The hardest part for me is prioritizing them. And a lot of our travel has just "happened" because an opportunity arose for a trip at a good price or with friends. So that kind of travel may still supplant our "list". But it is a good exercise anyway.

Today the bus leaves at 7:30 (as usual on Sunday), but that isn't a problem for me as I was up at 4:30 thinking it was 6:00. We apparently had a power outage last night and my clock started over at what must have been about 10:30.

We are scheduled to play golf with friends at 2:40 though there is the possibility of thunderstorms this afternoon so we shall see. DH and I did go practice at the range yesterday afternoon. Tonight we are going out to dinner with several friends at a brand new restaurant near us which everyone has been waiting to go to. We were lucky to be able to get a reservation. One couple is here from Omaha just for the week so we had a limited time span to fit an evening in. They will be back in late November for the winter season.

Time to get ready for the bus. Have a solid Sunday!

The bucket list travel is a great idea. The ones you both have on your lists would seem to be a priority. I know DH's bucket list is Japan. Not really that interested, but I will go since it is so important to him. His first memories are from Japan, he lived there as a toddler and preschooler when his Dad was stationed near Tokyo.

Sunny, and maybe 60 today. Fall colors here are peaking, and looked so pretty from the airplane when we were landing. The weather was wonderful in Galveston, mid 80s and sunny everyday. Except for a suprise downpour that rudely interrupted pool time, but passed fairly quickly. As we took shelter we were laughing as our weather apps on the phones continued to assert that there was 0% chance of rain. Some of the highlights: we went ona dolphin tour and they were very frisky and jumping and breaching the water. I loved it. We also did a duck boat tour, a ghost tour in our actual hotel, visited the Gulfport Museum in Port Arthur, spent an afternoon shopping on "The Strand" and ate lots and lots of great seafood along with some delicious drinks like Bee's Knees (a drink from the 20s made with gin, honey and prosecco). My BIL can talk and talk and talk, so many meals lasted a longtime. DH loves his stories, and chains into them. I find him interesting too, up to a point. When I've had my fill, I will suggest that they continue their conversation, but I need to go do X. Usually works.

My Mom sent me texts during the trip thst she was lonely, and she needed me, and she wished I'd come home. Sigh. Then some real drama when I got home. My nephew has a big Halloween Party every year, and he and his wife make a spooky trail in the woods for the kids. My Mom decided this year she is going (that's a whole nother story). She texted me that no one told her the party was tonight (this was Saturday) and no one picked her up, and she was so hurt she didn't want to see anybody, and she sent some texts to "the others" cancelling her birthday party Wednesday, because she was too betrayed. Plot twist, the party is next weekend. So she texted me this morning saying she apologized to my brother, and now to me, and the party could go forward. I just hope she didn't also text my nephew, because they were having a very exciting time this weekend, as they were able to move into their new house. But, in the end, none of this has anything to do with me, and they will all have to sort it out.

Today will be pretty laid back with paper reading, unpacking and laundry. DH said he would go to the store to pick up a few things, and I will do a more substantial trip Monday or Tuesday. I'm up about 2 pounds, which is quite manageable. I didn't do too badly on overall calorie intake, but I did not do well (except for the seafood) on nutrition. I will pay better attention to thst this week. Starting with my Fairlife Latte.

Oh my goodness, your mom is something else!

Oh man, you are a saint for dealing with your Mom and not going "no contact" which is the thing these days! So glad you had a great trip. I used to like spooky things but not anymore. I think I would forgo the ghost tours. I had a former patient that loved to stay in haunted hotels!

I CANNOT do scary movies at all, but hearing ghost stories is okay. Long story, when I was in high school, there was a lot of paranormal activity in the house we lived in. You weirdly get used to it. We moved my senior year, and nothing followed. It was an interesting few years in the paranormal house. (I hesitate to use the word haunted, because it wasn't malevolent, some of it was funny).

Okay so now I'm curious: what did go on in that house???

That does sound like a phenomenal trip! Maybe I should put Galveston on my list LOL. The 2 pounds will settle right off once you have a few days of normal eating under your belt. I too suffer somewhat nutritionally when I travel because there aren't enough healthy choices. I can see why Peps found that easier on a cruise because usually there are more venues to seek out things like healthy snacks.

Sorry about the family drama - though technically it isn't your problem it can still be disturbing to be on the periphery listening to it.

DiamondD, your Galveston trip sounds delightful! A ghost tour!!!! I would like to do one of those sometime. I hear you, too, on travel nutrition. It's hard to focus on macro balance while on a trip. Except on the cruise where it was easy to focus on nutrition, I find when I travel I gradually tend to drift towards high carb eating. Plain and simple, it's easy. Luckily, I don't drink so liquor never enters my equation...

Liz, you're right about my NUT. She came to her profession via her own recovery from an eating disorder. I think that's why our work is productive. She really understands the the behavior and thinking that comes with an eating disorder and the time it takes to recover and change the destructive behaviors. As for the filler, I think you'll be happy as long as you are not expecting dramatic change. I found the filler was subtle, but I did like it. I was never quite satisfied with the fullness outcome. But, my lips were another of my perceived great imperfections...

203.8 today. I'll take it!

I napped and rested and slept like a log last night. Must have needed to catch up on some rest. I enjoyed my down time yesterday, but did feel a bit unproductive. Oh well... I'm entitled every so often, right?

Have a client dog today, but not much else on the books. Perhaps I will get some paper sorting done today. Dream on... LOL! I probably won't, but I do so desperately need to clean my office space. It's a shambles!

Superlative Sundays to all!

We go on lots of ghost tours. Done well, they are entertaining folklore about the region being visited. I've only done 2 that I wish I hadn't because they were ridiculous: Graveyard Tours in Boston (how can you not have an interesting tour in Boston? And yet they did) and the supreme one of stupidity in Galena, Illinois. If you ever find yourself in Salem Ma I can recommend an excellent tour. Door County Wi also had one of my favorites.

Yes, you are entitled to some "unproductive" down time. Rest is not wasted time, it's fuel for later.