This is my extremely speckledy back. Those many many freckles are largely the result of a mis-spent youth lying on the beach covered in all manner of oils in pursuit of a tan. My arms and chest are similarly spotted, but the remainder of me less so.

Of course now being elderly and more sensible, I try to be good about sun protection, but sometimes careless application of sun-screen results in horrible sunburn like that shown in the photo, obtained during a beach walk in Vietnam.

Inside the green circle is the large (and flat) mole I had biopsied and which came back as on its way to becoming a melanoma. Obviously I can’t see my back, but I would never have considered that particular mole to be anything of interest – I’d have thought the darker ones would be potentially more troublesome. But this is why I am not a dermatologist and why one should leave this sort of thing to the professionals.

As it is I think I need photos of my back taken on the regular, there’s a lot there to monitor and because of the recent less-than-favourable results I need to be more vigilant.

You should really go get a skin cancer check.

I ducked out to the optometrist and collected my new/old glasses yesterday at lunch. 

The prescription is very, very mild (if mild is the word I want), but the difference to my distance vision is quite amazing!

Everything is crisp, sparkling and has defined edges – as though I’ve used the photoshop sharpen filter on my eyes. It’s particularly excellent in the evening – lights are not enormous fuzzy balls impacting my ability to see surrounding objects, now lights are right-sized and everything else visible. This is infinitely better for driving!

Unfortunately the replacement lenses cost a small fortune, and that combined with the absolutely exhorbitant cost of my new reading glasses and combination lenses (that I’m having loads of difficulty adjusting to) make me wonder whether next time I visit one of those optometrist chains (like OPSM or Specsavers) instead.

I’m completely and totally down with supporting small business, but it’s getting a little bonkers paying 2-3x the price.

Dermatologist phoned with the results of my biopsies from last week’s skin check today.

Mole on shoulder = all good, no problems. 

Hmmm, was my immediate thought upon hearing this, what was wrong with the one on my back …

And yes, there was something abnormal with the one on my back. Not a melanoma, but progressing toward that. On a scale of minor, moderate and severe not-melanoma, it scored a moderate. 

Just a little scary.

Dermatologist got it all and there is nothing for it but to be ever-vigilant and to keep up the regular annual skin checks. Oh and to be extremely sensible about sun protection, which I am probably less diligent about than I should be. 

Really, you should go and get a skin check!

230 days since I stopped drinking alcohol. I’m rather proud of this – so far I’ve survived any tempting occasions I’ve been faced with. To be honest, I actually don’t miss it very much anymore. Don’t get me wrong – there are definitely times when I’ve thought I’d really love to lose myself in a couple of wines, but I’m definitely better without! No waking at 4am staring at the ceiling, no wooly-headedness, calmer and more chilled. I wish I could claim that I’d lost a bunch of weight and become witty, sparkling and charming, but alas …

147 days until I am fifty. Holy!Goodness! That is all kinds of scary and horrifying on numerous levels. And I’d better get onto actioning more of those items on the 50list … and weeping over my lost youth.

26 days without instagram. I thought I’d do all manner of exciting and productive things instead of the endless scroll heart scroll heart scroll heart. It should come as no surprise that I haven’t really and it remains a mystery where my time actually goes. I’m not sure if I’ll go back, though I do miss seeing what everyone is up to – fewer and fewer  people blog anymore and that’s where I do most of my catching up. The instagram break has led to thoughts of maybe winding up the blog or at least taking a sabbatical – this requires further mulling over.

I dragged myself out for a short 3km run this morning and it was magnificent. The effect on my mood was dramatic and positive (dramatically positive? positively dramatic?). It was the first time I’d run in, gosh, it has to be weeks and weeks.

I’m really going to have to suck it up and set the week day alarm 30 minutes earlier so I can get out more frequently. I’ve been a bit meh lately and this is sure to go some way toward fixing it.

Received a text this morning on the back-up phone (used for chrome-casting netflix and the like) which has my old number associated with it.

Netbank is how the Commonwealth Bank refer to their online banking. I haven’t been a Commbank customer for years now.

And verifiacation was another little pointer that this was not what it seemed.

Super-sneaky.

Be careful out there, folks.

xxx

yup, a scam

Accompanied Joe/Frank to the GP this afternoon to have yet another form completed (that’s 3 times this year)**

After we were done, we parted ways – him toward home, me toward the optometrist. I’m having difficulties adjusting to the combination lenses, so I’m having my shiny new distance prescription put into a pair of old frames^^ – frugal!

Then I walked home which was really quite pleasant. It was a joy to be out of the office before 6pm for a change and the evening was beautiful. I was pretty knackered by the time I arrived at ThePalace(OfLove) which I think speaks quite a lot to my current fitness levels!

I am very very glad that tomorrow is Friday. I have no plans, but it will be nice to not think about SML for a couple of hours.

xxx

** I often wish one could obtain a sort of perpetual certificate of disability that could be busted out when required.

^^ wait, what? How can that be TEN years ago?

We’ve just hit an important annual KPI at SML – with 3 days to go. Exciting as it was always going to be touch and go and this KPI forms a component of quite a few bonuses.

Bobs replied to the email announcement all (looping in some very senior peeps) thanking Heather, NotHeather and RandomCollege and teams for the hard work.

I responded to Bobs (only) that he knew better than to name-check people in emails because people will invariably be left out and become upset – people like ME (because I was pretty heavily involved in the delivery).

When next at his desk (we pretty much sit next to each other) he said, carolbaby, that was a deliberate list and I didn’t include you because you are too senior for that sort of thing.

Clearly he knows me way too well and exactly what flattery to employ because I delighted in this. Really he’d obviously just utterly forgotten that I’d anything to do with it – Heather and NotHeather are allegedly my peers, so there’s no seniority about it.

Definitely points for effort and I’ll be sure to drag this apparent seniority out on future occasions.

not my street

It’s really quite something to have roadworks outside your front door from 8pm to 4am (all week!).

Currently a Big Machine is being used to very slowly do something to the road surface. Whatever the something is it involves lots of Very Loud grinding-type noises.

I imagine this will be especially delightful around the 2:30am point.

Home again after an excellent short break – we agreed we really should get away more often.

It’s looking to be a pretty intense next couple of weeks for both of us. Key things are going to be eating properly and get some regular exercise – else we’ll end up both fat and crazy.

I must start riding to work again, getting a run in here amd there and eliminating the post-work snacking!