slidergirl

I custom designed my suit this year. I bought the black Riptide tanking top from Athleta and coral paddle board swim shorts from Carve and an agave Nalu swim shorts from Title Nine. I just like board shorts now. I have a black print bikini bottom if I want, but I like the versatility of the shorts.

Go to your local charity thrift stores. Sometimes you can find a jewel there. Where I live, the “ladies who lunch” will donate their evening clothes for a tax deduction. If I ever have to get something very formal, I’d go there first. We also have a consignment shop that is too rich for me - I know a few Real Housewives use the place.

I take it everyday. It is the maximum dose. Chemically, the same as Ozempic. Ozempic is 1 injection/week. Rybelsus is a tablet. Price wise, they are the same. In the highest tier on the drug formulary, thus the price. Now, this is for a 3 month supply, but still a hit to the pocketbook. Usually my pharmacist gets the 3 months for me and then divides it into monthly doses so I pay just by the month. Since I paid for the inlay I decided to pay the whole 3 months and have it done. wow, nasty way to find out that you’re allergic titanium! If my baby tooth needs replacing I am definitely going to ask about this.

Man, we are in our dental stuff! My inlay is $900, all in. I just have the plan my dentist offers so it did help knock the price down to that. The initial process, drilling out the filling, cleaning it up, making the cast, putting in some temporary filler, only took about 30 minutes. The temp is really annoying, but I’ll deal. Go back on the 28th for finishing up. My dentist said this was probably the first molar I had, around 6 years old. It had been filled twice and cracked because it was just old. Melody - ouch on all that dental work. You’ve had a rough time lately. I had Noosa peach for breakfast today. Easy to eat with the weird feeling with the temp. Melanie - you won’t find Noosa at TJs, but you will at a Whole Foods or most supermarkets in San Francisco. Sorry about the ‘vid. Take good care and I hope it passes quickly and mildly. I did stop at TJs and picked up way more than I expected. Jarred salsas, some frozen things, tortillas, crackers (the strawberry jalapeño ones are back), mee krob crackers, rice puffs. I was heartbroken to find no horchata ice cream so I made do with the lemon ice cream to soothe my mouth. Finished the day by picking up my Rybelsus at the pharmacy - $700 WITH insurance. Walked across the parking lot to the state liquor store to grab some wine to drown my sorrows… OOTD: Jean shorts and my Smokey Bear T-shirt.

PH, my condolences on your loss.

Yay! I go 4x/year for cleaning. I’m a big plaque producer. Heading out the door now. I just hope the thunderstorms stay away until I’m back home!

Going to my dentist this afternoon. I have another tooth that needs an inlay done on it. Ugh. Get it cleaned out and a cast made today, then go back on the 28th to get the inlay placed. Then I’m going to TJ’s since I’m down in the Valley. Just picking up some soups and maybe some Kimchee chips (to keep for after my tooth is all placed). Taking my Bose headphone to UPS to be sent in and be replaced with a new pair at a good discount. One side broke on the Alaska trip. OOTD: T-shirt and shorts - it’s going to be upper 70s down in the valley. Cynthia - you need this daypack for your trip:

In the US, there is no certification required for a service animal. Those cards and such are from the websites where you pay and they send you a card. It is one giveaway that the animal is just a pet. The ADA in the US allows only 2 questions to be asked: is the animal required because of a disability and what work or task has the animal been trained to perform.

Melody - classy looking balcony! The whole yard now just calls out for a party. We’re still in the rain zone, too. A few more days of off and on rain this week.

On the buffet there was a very small section labeled vegetarian or vegan (short term memory). I ate things from there frequently, mostly the faro or quinoa salads. Then I would get an entree salad made at the salad station. I can’t answer for breakfast as I’m an egg or yogurt or muesli person. This was the Eurodam at the end of April.

In everyday situations, no, I haven’t had anyone ask where I am from. Now, last month I did have a couple of clerks ask where I am from, but that was Alaska where “everyone “ is a tourist. On my end, as part of my job training for the hotel business, we were told to ask where people are coming from in order to keep the conversation going and possibly glean some personal tidbits to help customize a stay.

Not new for Medicare. I’ve had that test one a year since I joined. I’m always afraid I’m going to blow the word test, especially lately with my long Covid brain fog.

My Long Covid hair loss is recovering. 1.5 years ago I started using Olaplex shampoo and conditioner. My stylist has been watching and has noticed lots of “hairlets “ growing out. I have far less hair coming out when I shampoo. Stylist doesn’t want me using the rest of the Olaplex products because she says they can be harsh. My hair is also growing faster now. I can put my hair in my pigtails now - haven’t been able to do that in 2 years. My ponytail isn’t squirrel-like (full & fluffy) as it was, but it’s getting there.

I don’t fly them. This was from my Kenya safari awhile ago.

One person at a time I don’t mind. But when one person is ordering different special specialty coffees for their party of four. And the 10 people ahead of me doing the same, it is too much. I went there twice, for the generic cafe latte. After that, I just grabbed a cup of regular coffee at the buffet.

My Coho “catch” this year. Reminded me of an old Lyle Lovett shirt I have somewhere.

The pastries at the Explorations cafe were mini - maybe 3 bites at most. At least that’s how they were on the first Eurodam sailing to Alaska this year. And the line to order coffee was out the door through the hallway each time I went. People were ordering multiple coffees and asking for specials like they were at Starbucks (“ latte with extra shot, oatmilk, whip on top with caramel drizzle” like things).

I picked up the shorts. The ones I bought last summer from Chico’s are too big already. I don’t like the Brooklyn fabric but the price was right in case I need a pair of “dress” shorts. I tried on the denim shorts I got last summer and they are big, too. But I can put a belt on with them. Calling my BFF at 8pm her time. Fun.

I’m getting ready for a phone call tonight with one of my BFFs. She is going to Italy sometime this summer with her families ( 2 daughters and their DHs and kiddos). Her first problem is finding a place to stay in Florence. The families are staying between the St. Regis and the Westin - both are way out of her price range. I gave her the place I stayed at last summer (the Market Urban Hotel), which is in her price range and I know it’s a good place. The families don’t like it because it’s “too far” from the St. Regis and they don’t want her walking alone, especially at night. I told her it was perfectly safe at night, that I even walked home after 11pm from a restaurant on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio and never felt unsafe. So, I’m going to investigate trying to find a 3* or better place closer and under $300/night. Nothing yet. Everything so far is either even farther away, has no vacancy (she said) or too expensive. I’m ready to tell her that, if they want her to stay close to them, they need to pay for her room!!! She’s not a solo traveler, so I’m having to walk her through some of her (and her families’) hesitations. I don’t even want to get into the “have you bought advance tickets for the museums, etc” with her - I know how scattered brained they all are!!! Forecast is for rain off and on all weekend, so nothing special on the agenda.

The blood draw problem is sad to hear. When you have the tech draw the blood, make sure you remember which spot used and, if necessary, ask to have the smallest gauge needle used. I had blood drawn last Wednesday - I always insist on the draw come from my right arm as people seem to have problems getting a good hit on my left. The urine test for drugs is pretty fast now - it’s the other stuff that takes time. Have to do round two of cutting the freakin’ shoots. I forgot how fast and leafy they get. A week since they started sprouting and it’s already a full wall of shoots - I can’t even see the fence behind them now!!

I had picked up some Audible books but I didn’t do them on my cruise - I was too much into my music. I started doing one the other day. “Spare” by Prince Harry. He is his own narrator for the book. He is a good speaker and puts in genuine emotions, laughs, sorrow. I still have more to go in the book - I just got to William’s wedding. It’s been interesting listening so far. Still some smoke in the air. My lungs are not liking it. Need a little weather change to chase the rest of it away. It is shorts and Tshirt temperature so that’s nice (mid-upper 60s). OOTD: a pair of shorts and a Tshirt. Nothing fancy,

I’m seriously considering having an arborist come and cut down the 2 in my back area. The birds really love them and my Squirrel uses them for his jungle gym. It is hard to be outside right now. The weather is nice and sunny but we have bad air quality due to the smoke from the Alberta wildfires making its way into the state. Messes with the sinuses and lungs. Anyone looking for some travel or outdoor needs, REI is having a big sale now.

I have multiple pairs of Jambu shoes and sandals. Sometimes it is all I travel with.

If you drop by TJ’s, see if the store has the Spicy Mango Lemonade. It just showed up in my store. In the refrigerated section. Darn good as a margarita mixer! As a reward for a good A1C, I treated myself to the Horchata ice cream. Sooooo good. Cinnamon and rice ice cream. One of my fave gelato in Italy was the gelato di riso - like frozen rice pudding. This is similar with a good dose of cinnamon. I have to go out back and start cutting down the mulberry tree shoots. They were just leaf-less stems before I did Alaska and now they’re all full of leaves. I hate them!

The haircut looks great! If it gets as hot as it was last summer, it will be so comfy and easy to keep. Yes, the concert was fabulous again. A different mix of some of the classics and some old favorites. The audience was very enthusiastic. At one point, it was so loud for a second encore that I thought it was even louder than the crowd here back in the NBA Finals with Michael Jordan vs Karl Malone. Fashion in the audience was wide ranging. The two best: the guy in a hoodie sweatshirt and basketball shorts and a guy in a light blue tux (I think he thought he was going to formal night on HAL). Women ran the gamut from jeans to sequined dresses. I was middle of the road, but I had a few men and women tell me they liked my fedora. I had the last row on the floor so I didn’t have to take it off. The A1C came back today- 6.5. That was nice to see. I even got a note from my regular NP (the one who kept threatening insulin) and she said good job. Now I have to try to keep things on this course. oh, I stopped by TJ’s today on the way home. Cynthia - those mee krob snacks are addicting! They started as a snack but ended up as my lunch 😸. I couldn’t put them down!