Monday, March 24, 2025

Much talk about TSA and immigration yesterday and I travel today. Technically I think we are more or less fully back in the US already because we had to go through customs in St John when we came back on the water taxi. Those agents were VERY serious about their work - no smiles there. The water taxi captain had warned us to not joke around with them as they can get much tougher if you do. They searched one of the boats while we were there (someone must have set them off). They went into our friend's large luggage bag and wouldn't tell him what they were looking for but ignored his wife who forgot to put her shoulder bag through LOL. At TSA, my replacement shoulder sets off the alarms about 70% of the time. I guess the newer ones are okay with titanium but older ones are not?

Thanks for the comments on the water taxi picture. My friend definitely has joie de vivre and makes me laugh when she does.

Another great day yesterday. We chartered a small boat and poked around St John and St Thomas by water. We snorkeled twice, had a drink on a little resort island called Lovango Cay (https://www.lovangovi.com/ ) and ate lun*****ruz Bay St John. See the picture on FB of Pizza PI floating restaurant LOL. We also glimpsed Kenny Chesney's home and snorkeled by Jeffrey Epstein's former islands. Doing a tour by boat was definitely the way to go.

DD was discharged yesterday afternoon as her blood counts were rising during the day. Her surgery will be scheduled this morning for either Wednesday or Thursday. If the former, I will have a quick turnaround at home to grab warmer clothes and will fly out at 8 am tomorrow, without getting to see Justice (DH will pick him up). If it is Thursday, I don't have to leave until mid-day Wednesday. I will probably stay north until Saturday.

But first we pack, eat lunch here, then leave for the airport at 12:30. Home around 11 or so tonight.

Have a marvelous Monday!

From our room:

Safe travels home. I'm so glad you will be able to be there for DD's surgery!

DD's surgery is Wednesday so I have a 7-8 hour turnaround to wash underwear, repack, and take an 8 am flight from our local airport. I plan to return on Saturday morning. Better make my to do/packing list!

Great news! Sorry it's a whirlwind for you, but I'm very happy your DD is getting the surgery!

128.5. Up another smidge. Calories still in check.

Treadmill exercise done and will work on my Etsy site next.

Cold, windy and snowy today. Yuck! So ready for winter to be over!

Making fish tacos for dinner. I'm using the tortilla encrusted tilapia from Costco with mango and avocado. So good!

Winter always seems to want to make a comeback after the "official" first day of spring. At least the snow doesn't last long.

I had a nice long dog show weekend. Was close enough to drive back and forth each day, but it made for LOOOOONG days. Saturday was brutal - out of the house before 6 am and not home until after 8:30 pm. Sunday was much better! Didn't leave until just after 7 am and got home by 6 pm.

208.8 - a new low for me. My concerted effort to not piggy it up over the last week is paying off. I need to keep up this attitude. It is not always easy. Yesterday I actively was reminding myself that I wasn't really hungry or that my thought of having an ice cream while waiting for groups was not going to positively impact my weight loss goals. My hope is to go to Europe weighing less than 200 pounds. I have 11 weeks to make that goal, so it may be a bit of a stretch, but it's doable.

I posted of Buster and me on FB Saturday that really showed to me how my body has changed over the past 13 months. I was sort of shocked. It was the first photo that really triggered me to think, "You look thin." Then, naturally, my body dysmorphia kicked in and I started thinking, "Well, yes, comparatively, but you still have a ways to go. See the gut..." blah, blah, blah... I stopped the negativity and went back to looking at the positives. It would be so nice if those old tapes would finally just stretch and break!

I think I dislike hot humid weather more than freezing cold weather. Not a big fan of snow either, but I can handle a bit of it. The more I research other places, the more inclined I am to stay in my little house here in very expensive California. The weather and convenience of the area is un-paralleled. Though, I think if I found the "perfect" house in Carson City or in the greater Reno area I would be hard pressed not to move because of the financial plusses. However, it would have to be a truly perfect house and property. Where I am is pretty wonderful- big trees, the owls, the creek, the elevated deck, great medical choices, and the single story living... I have everything I could need close by.

Ann, glad you had a moment of peace. On the other hand, I decided to watch a youtube article about the move to target Green Card holders in the Trump Administration's immigration war. Sigh...

It seems to me you have a good set up too. And your yard is tailored to the needs of your dogs. So here we are Peps, on the brink of retirement deciding to stay with our current home base. Everything works for you in California, except for the high cost of living. Everything works for me in Minnesota, except for the weather. Maybe there is no perfect place, only places that are awfully good, depending on our needs.

Won't be too long and you will be out of the 200s! Good for you! Your house/yard sounds ideal Peps and you already have the nice weather. I have a cousin that just recently from Palm Springs to Phoenix. His siblings all live in AZ, so I think that was one of the deciding factors for him!

I agree that your house sounds ideal and moving is SO painful.

Definitely boy dysmorphia because you look really slim in the pictures I have seen. I bet you get many compliments on your new physique. Age does make some parts of the body slouch a bit which has nothing to do with excess weight. I saw that in deceased DH who I don't think ever had an extra pound of weight in his lifetime.