Silver Liningness Sunday

I just got back from grocery shopping.  I usually try to avoid it on the weekends because of the crowdedness, but figured if I got there before noon on a Sunday it wouldn't be too bad.  But then again, I hear the Broncos have a big game later today.  Everybody and their grandma was getting groceries this morning.  Everybody and their grandma wearing a Bronco jersey.  I'm grateful I made it out of there.

This was another good week.  I'm realizing that this back-to-school business isn't so bad, and I've settled into the whole routine of it.  That's not to say I'm not anxious to be finished, but it's doable.  I like my classmates, many of whom are also *COUGH* older and on second (or third...) careers.

ReptiCon Denver was fun.  It's usually good to get out of our own backyard and partake of these things, even if we're not looking to bring anything  home.  In addition to the creepy crawlies, there were plenty of fun people watching opportunities.

On Friday afternoon, I was all caught up after a busy week and plopped onto the futon for some potato time with my current novel, ready to settle into the weekend.  Next thing, Chaco popped in to pick up some provi$ion$.  We got to just talking and catching up on general things:  school, his roommates, cooking, our teachers, bicycles, bronies...  He ended up missing a class and stayed for dinner.  He said his class instructor puts all the lectures online anyway, plus he had a good excuse, he was visiting his mom.

He also covertly asked, "When are you going to cut Meego's hair??", to which I could reply, "It's on our list of things to do... see?

It might just happen later today!  Crossing my fingers.

going hairless

Magnum, Meego, and I took a little day trip today.  Shoved off in the morning and stopped off along to way to load everyone up with a cholesterol-gluten combo platter and a healthy side of caffeine.  Then we were ready for some serious Reptilin'!








Denver ReptiCon weekend!

My goal was to not bring anything home, and I barely met it.  This lovely Sand Boa was giving me serious Take-Me-Home eyes.  It was so friendly, and smooth, and light, and.... NO!

A lot of pretty pythons and cute geckos and other assorted scaly things.  Nice show.

King Reese's "Dad" was there, with another good batch of King Snakes.  We bought Reese from him at the Reptile Expo a year ago in August.  We chatted with him about Reese's habits since he's recently gone into a brunation - a sort of semi-hibernation that reptiles do.  He tells us that means that Reese is a good breeder.  

Maybe we should get him a wife?  

NO!

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be healed!

Well, first of all...

Actual customer - not a dramatization

This stuff is THE  BALM!  Shout out to Burt's Bees!  I'd seen the products at the healthy store, among all the other similiar items, and it seemed to have quite a following, but I never had a real reason to try any of them out.  Until now.  Until it was concluded that my face issues - well, the ones having to do with irritated skin anyway - were the result of bicycling in abrasive weather conditions (thank you Terri).

The label touts, "No more weather-weary hair and skin during your outdoor adventures!..."

Plus, there was that cute canister.

I just wanted something I could easily keep in my backpack, so I got me some Burt's Bees Miracle Salve, and it's awesome!  The English Patient ointment made a marked improvement, but this stuff is even a step above.  No more itchy or puffy, plus I look like a 20-year-old!  Okay, two out of three isn't bad...

Speaking of bicycling, sort of, Tessa came along yesterday as my middle school partner and I did a lesson with an unruly group of 8th graders.  We talked circumferences, gear ratios, speed control, etc. while Tessa strutted her stuff.  I think she rather enjoyed the limelight.

Afterwards, our instructor (who observes these rookie attempts) told us he really liked our lesson design and that we should publish it for the archives.  He told me, "You obviously have a passion for this stuff and that's engaging for the students".

Geez, it's math, engineering, and bicycling.  I told him if Johnny Depp were somehow thrown in there, we'd be off the chain.
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how are we feeling?

Ugh.  I feel awful.  I'm going to the doctor's in about an hour.

Thing is, I feel awful BECAUSE I'm going to the doctor's.  I'm overdue for a physical, and really, it's Magnum's work health incentives that got me to make an appointment.

So I've got my barely legible form for the good doctor to fill out, my appointment, and my body in fast mode.  Not the good fast as in speedy, but the bad fast as in I'm Hungry But Can't Eat Anything!  I guess doctor's offices don't want to waste time with people who feel well, so if you schedule a "well-check", they take steps to make you feel yucky.

I don't remember when my last doctor visit was.  My doctor has since been replaced, so I'll meet the new one today.  I rather liked my previous doctor.  She was very down-to-earth and told it like it was without a bunch of medical Jargon.  I remember going to see her with this thing that had become unbearable, and her professional opinion was, "JESUS, doesn't that HURT?!"

So maybe while I'm up, I'll ask about the eye-skin thing.  But I do think it's just related to recent weather beatings my face has taken.  I got some of this stuff yesterday at the healthy store.

I've heard good things about it.  But I just like the cute little canister it comes in.

Anyway, gotta go.  Then there's a sammich with my name on it.
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Silver Liningness Sunday

I haven't blogged since Tuesday?  Wow, it's like an alien abduction or something.  But no, I don't think so. Here's a shot of the toads during a rare break in sexual activity for no other purpose than to include a photo of the week:

I do appreciate the suggestions and sympathies in regards to my eye-skin dizeeez.  I've tried different things, and it's certainly manageable.  I think Doctor [Terri] is onto something when she suggested it was the colder drier weather having an adverse effect.

My bicycle commute does expose my fragile face to the harsh elements, moreso than being out walking school kids across the street.  Even with my Secret Squirrel glasses, I think the ailment is more of a windburn thing since it's mainly irritating my skin while my eyeballs and mucus membranes are fine.

With that diagnosis, before heading out this morning for a bike ride, I lubed my face up but good with some petrolatum-based healing and preventative ointment.   I'd gotten the stuff for Chaco a while back when he'd gotten sunburned at a pool party and was dubbed "The English Patient" for about a week.

I looked like a prizefighter, but, by gum, it made a big difference!

In other silver liningness, this was an election week.  Everything I voted in favor of won, and the corollary:  everything I voted against lost!  One of the issues up for vote was whether Colorado should tax retail sales of marijuana.  Well... YEAH.  Wasn't that the whole reason for legalizing the stuff in the first place?  All that untapped revenue?  The potheads aren't particularly happy.

I haven't mentioned good movies in a while mainly because I haven't seen any - but not from a lack of trying.

I finally stopped the downward spiral.  Magnum and I watched "Dead Man Down" and we both liked it.  It's not really for everyone since it does involve thugs and violence, but it's really a love story cleverly disguised as a shoot-em-up.  Strong character portrayals and interractions, plus I thought Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace especially pulled off nicely believable chemistry.  Plus... well... Colin Farrell...

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Napolion and eye

First of all, this one

was me.  1980.  And just to clarify - I know that was the decade of big hair, but that was a wig.

Right now, it doesn't feel like it was all that long ago nor all that much of an alter ego.  Presently, I've got something going on with the skin around my eyes.  It ITCHES, and it's annoying!  I consulted a specialist (google), and the results are inconclusive, but it seems I just need to ride it out.

In the meantime, I'm following my specialist's advice with the regular application of warm compresses followed by an application of moisturizer and, oh, "IT BURNS, IT BURNS!" I wail in my Regan-from-The-Exorcist voice.

[Why you do this to me, Dimmy?]

The skin seems to look a little reddish and irritated and a bit swollen, and my eyes have a more Asian than usual look.  But it seems I'm the only one that thinks so.  Ya think?

Anyways, I think it's [blepharitis], a mild case.   The warm compresses are helping.  Anyone have any other magic recipes?

In other family health news, Napolion got his boosters today, so he's all caught up on the vaccinations and ready for takeoff to the great outdoors.  He is our first cat that wasn't from the feral wilds, and seems only mildly curious about going out.  I also don't think he's too street savvy when it comes to protecting himself out there, so he's going to need a chaperone.

Sounds like a job for Meego.  Go walk the cat.
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Silver Liningness Sunday

Happy first day back to standard time!  I'm not a fan of that whole daylight savings switch we do in the spring, so it's nice to be back.

This was Halloween week.  I found this newspaper clip photo from high school.  Our Science Club used to have a haunted house fundraiser during Halloween season.  Find scary teenage Abby?  Guess the year??


Halloween around here was mostly cute and fun.  Most of the trick-or-treaters were little kids (the way it should be) - very cute and fun and thankful.












I got this free tech tee from LiveWellColorado this week.  A couple of months or so ago, they had this "Get Movin'" challenge through the MapMy[activity] app.

I don't remember the challenge specifics, but there were prizes for random completers.  So I got this e-mail when the thing was done "You won!  Give us your address and shirt size!"  Oh goody!

A few weeks later, I got another e-mail "We mailed your shirt!".  Oh goody!  By then, I'd practically forgot about the thing.  It arrived this week.  It's nice.  It's free.  I like it.

It's been a busy but productive week.  Yesterday, I was grocery shopping with Meego.  He noticed something on the shelf and commented, "Who would name their product 'SPAM'?"  Us old schoolers know - that's where it all began!

I'm looking forward to visiting some blogs I want to catch up on and getting more things done today.  I like having 25 hours in a day.
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