The ‘bu, 1997 – 2010.

I finally did it.  I’ve been thinking about it for a year or two.  I just haven’t been in a hurry to make the change.  I think the change will be good.  It’s time.

I picked up my new car last night.  I like it!  But I’m feeling a bit nostalgic about the ‘bu.  The ‘bu was the first new car that ever bought.  We’ve been through 132,000 miles together.  I’ve recorded every penny I’ve spent on her in a nice little notebook.  I’ve found wonderful mechanics that I enjoy seeing when I need an oil change or something more major. Me and the ‘bu – we have quite a history.  And now it will end.

The new car should be fun.  But I have no idea what kind of nickname I can give it.  What rhymes with Fusion?  Any thoughts on that one?  I’m sure I’ll have many new adventures with the new car.  But right now I have some mixed feelings.  I’m sad to see the ‘bu go, but excited for something new.

Henna Hassle

A few weeks back when I was in Cancun, I got a henna tattoo. It’s a really cool turtle. I like henna tattoos because they go away after a few weeks. When I was in Tanzania last August, I got one there. I took this photo of the beach that happened to include my feet and the henna.

About 10 days after the Cancun henna, it started to itch like crazy. It doesn’t look bad. It’s just a rather decorative inflammation. The henna is almost gone, but the after effects are present.

Today I happened to be going to my dermatologist to check on some internal stitches from my last excisions. While I was there, I asked her about the henna reaction. To make the black henna, they add a chemical to it – Paraphenylenediamine (PPD). This is the culprit of my reaction. She prescribed a topical steroid that I’ll use for the next few weeks.  My Tanzania henna was probably brown henna and didn’t contain PPD.

Paraphenylenediamine (PPD) is typically found in permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes. It’s good that I don’t color my hair black! If this is used in a real tattoo and you react to it, it can be very serious. When that’s the case, they have to remove the tattoo and it is NOT done by laser. They have to cut it out. Yowsa!

So if you’re thinking of getting a tattoo, check to make sure you’re not allergic to the dyes being used. There could be some really serious issues if you do.

Peace of Mind

When I took my little vacation to Cancun I had one major thing I was worried about. The sun. If you’re a regular to this blog, you know that I’ve been dealing with skin cancer during the last year. I knew I’d be able to find places in the shade. But with how easily I can burn, I needed more than just a few bottles of sunblock.

Back in April I bought my first rashguard shirt. I got mine at Title Nine Sports and there’s a link to the shirt here. I wasn’t sure how I would like it. But I knew I needed to have one. Besides protecting me from the sun, it gave me something else – peace of mind. I could go into the water, out on the beach, over to the pool bar, or anywhere with no worries. I was also able to see my pale-faced counterparts getting burned and know that I would not have a future of aloe and pain.

At first I was concerned that I would be hot. That wasn’t an issue at all. Once you get in the water and get it wet, it takes a while for it to dry, so you have this nice layer of coolness covering you. This rashie doesn’t have a higher neck, so I made sure to slather on the sunscreen there. Because I was wearing a hat, my neck was mostly shaded anyway. I was also worried that it would get dirty because it is white. Well, guess what? White reflects the sun. Better that than the opposite.

Since I now have some experience with rashguards, I figure I’d offer my 2 cents to anyone in the market for one.

1) Rashguards are worth the money. It protected me from the sun and kept me cool.

2) Get a light color. You definitely want to reflect the sun when you are in a hot climate. If you’re in a cool climate, that’s another story.

3) My personal preference is for a lower neckline vs a crew neck.

I recently saw some by the same company being sold at REI. It is the same as mine but with a different design. Same price too.

So if you were ever wondering about these funny shirts that more and more pale-faces seem to be wearing, hopefully my thoughts are helpful.

Four – Oh!

I had a little celebration over the weekend. My goal was to get out-of-town and have a great time. Mission accomplished.

I arrived at my destination about 6 hours before my friends flew in. So you might ask, “What’s a girl to do?” I had 6 glorious hours to fill. I began with this:

As I enjoyed my beverage, this was my view:

Eventually my gal pals arrived. We went to a nice dinner and out for some fun. We managed to keep ourselves occupied for five days. After all, we were having a long girls’ weekend with something to celebrate!