I originally had an image of my face from five years ago with a bandage on my cheek, here.
But I hated seeing such a glum image so I replaced it with a favorite of mine.
Lou. It makes for a much more upbeat blog post. At least for me...
Nearly five years ago. My first run-in with Mohs Surgery. Didn't imagine that five years later I'd be back for more. But as my surgeon said, "A bit of downtime to watch old movies and catch up on reading is a lot better than being dead." I had to agree.
Last time we did this it was a December. Nice and chilly. This time? First of July when it's hot and, this year, more humid here than the tropics. First few days after surgery one fears getting the big, pressure bandage wet because....if you have to change it yourself you might find gross stuff under the padding. Which mostly means no showers for the first three days ... or so. I finally hit the shower this morning and also successfully, though not beautifully, changed the dressing and applied all the stuff I was supposed to in order to keep the incision from festering. No one suggested applying snails as part of the healing so it's less icky than it could be. But just washing one's hair can be such a treat. And not just for the patient.
Everything is going well on the healing front and I look forward to getting the stitches out at the end of next week. So I can go sunbathing in the islands... just kidding. I'm turning into a vampire and hiding from the sun whenever possible... Another new hat is on the way. Can't wait to review it.
On a fun note this old blog just crested the thirty four million page view mark. That's a lot of eyes on the blog. I am amazed. Not that I could pound out 6099 posts but that people would actually come back again and again to read them. And without ever diving into the ancient history of mid-20th century tennis. Pretty remarkable huh?
I don't think there is any such thing as Steel-Toed Birkenstock sandals. I've never seen them in the wild nor on Birkenstock's online shopping hub. But it came to me over dinner and I thought the bizarre juxtaposition of aesthetics and purpose was hilarious. I can imagine a time when Birkenstocks get so popular that even construction workers want to wear them all the time, and to comply with OSHA regulations (if we continue to have any safety regulations at all) Birkenstock rolls out a model with the required steel toes. Not sure what they would name them but my suggestions, given that they like to use city names for various models, would be something resoundingly blue collar. Like, The Akrons. Or, The Pittsburghs. I am assuming they would also have non-slip safety treads. It could happen. Fuji came out with an odd half frame camera after all...
I was doing some research and....
I came across a camera that I'm really, currently, quite interested in. It's the Lumix S1R ii. Apparently it's a wonderful camera with great handling, a mid - 40 something resolution sensor, fast AF (not really needed), a built in cooling fan, backward compatibility with the half dozen batteries I have for the S5 and more buttons and dials than any but B-52 pilots require. The camera has a sibling, the S1-ii that's twenty four megapixels of resolution from a partially stacked, BSI sensor that's supposed to be near magical. Both are under $3500 which, considering that they are in the L mount family mostly makes them half price substitutes for the SL series from Leica. Pretty interesting. Is anyone else buying one or both?
OMG. The weather!!!!!
Parts of the neighboring Hill Country (just to the West of Austin proper and in our aquifer recharge zone) got over one foot (ONE FOOT) of rain in a few hours last night. The small city of Kerrville is flooded and evacuations are taking place. Another foot of rain is expected in places around our area during the day today. The temperatures haven't been out of the eighties for the last few days and this is a time of year when the weather is constantly flirting with triple digits. It's raining here now. It rained all of last night. It poured down rain when I was out grocery shopping yesterday (I made a four cheese, thin crust pizza covered with wild caught smoked salmon for our dinner last night. Fresh chives added as well. Time on my hands....) and some of the downtown Austin streets were already flooding as I headed home. We'll take it. We need the rain to disrupt the drought. And our main lake is about 28 feet down right now. Can't wait to get back to Enchanted Rock Wilderness Area to see how a wet June and early July have transformed what is usually a semi-arid environment into tropical rain forest... Or maybe that a bit too much hyperbole....
After this last week of being sliced and diced by a dermatological surgeon I am on a renewed quest for the perfect light blocking hat, and believe me, it's not spelled T.I.L.L.E.Y.
I have a Stetson straw hat coming from one source; delayed, of course, by the storms,
but not really needed until the sun breaks through with a vengeance around mid-week.
Hat Parade. Not my color...
By the end of this coming week I should have the okay to get back into the exercise routines. My new strategy for retirement this Summer is to devote all free time to getting into magnificent physical shape. Back in the pool. Back to the trails. Back to the weights. Everyone needs some goals, right? Oh, and photograph fun stuff every day!!!
There always seems to be something to worry about...
with the hiring of swim coach, Bob Bowman, Austin has solidified its reputation as the international hub for all things swimming, and swimming competitions. World record holders are flocking here to train with Bowman. Summer McIntosh, the young Canadian super star is now training here. As is French gold medal winning phenom, Leon Marchand .... and so many more. I'm waiting for the University of Texas to decide that having a perennially losing football team is just throwing good money after bad and hope they cancel the last century sport franchise and go all in with swimming. And only swimming.
World domination through swimming. It could be a thing....
that's all I've got for right now. The stuff below is just fun
photographs I found in a file to share. Hope your 4th is great.
Don't light off sparklers while you are pumping gas into your cars....
Rain in downtown Austin.
Fashion boots.
Work boots. The predecessors of the Steel-Toed Birkenstocks.
those who live in glass houses.....
Included for R.R.
Supplies for future showers.
Old photo of Boy. A medium format digital frame from 2008.
Leaf Aptus i7.
Overjoyed to have regained the Homeostasis of Joy here at VSL
