01. You couldn’t pay most Melburnians to swim in the Yarra/Birrarung… but I went to the Birrarung Riverfest Swimming in Stormwater event and had a little dip.
02. Not thrilled about having another melanoma BUT very happy that I have an amazing dermatologist who caught it at Stage I. Phew. Surgery within next fortnight.
03. Watching: Platonic S2 (Apple). The husband’s career change (from lawyer to author) is hilarious.
04. Also watched: aka Charlie Sheen (Netflix). I thought my 80s-Brat-Pack knowledge was fairly comprehensive but there was quite a lot in this that I either didn’t know or had forgotten. (Charlie on himself, “We’re not taught as children how to deal with success…”)
05. This is priceless:
06. Related: got tickets to Laneway!
07. Olivia Rodrigo themed spin class (makes it easier to be cycling to tunes you love).
08. Cooking: Florentine potato bake.
09. It’s Negroni Week. I normally mix my own but this no-effort-required version is excellent.
10. My daughter and I watched a light but entertaining film this week, Nonnas (Netflix), and at the end discovered that it was based on a true story. So the next night, we decided to have dinner at the Melbourne equivalent of Nonnas – Johnny, Vince & Sam’s Ristorante on Lygon Street.
It’s all about the decor, recreating an old-school Nonna and Nonno’s house – floral carpets, crystal cabinets, lace tablecloths covered in plastic, artwork depicting bowls of fruit, and a tapestry of Jesus and the Last Supper. That said, the lasagne, focaccia, and lemon cake we had were really delicious.
That’s not good about the melanoma, but as you say, it’s been caught early. Hopefully all will be well.
Being an indoors sort of person, I have never had much exposure to the sun but I have noticed that it seems to be much stronger in the last couple of years. I routinely use a 50+ face cream and wear a hat in summer, and most of me is covered because I am so lazy about clothes and always wear long black pants with black tops that have sleeves. However, I heard a warning about increased UV a couple of weeks ago and forgot about it because it’s only September, with the result that the patch of skin between ballet flats and the pants has visibly tanned and so have my hands. That’s just from a 20 minute walk with the dog usually around late morning. So I’m going to be more careful from now onwards.
I have had the opposite experience to you, Lisa. A life of water sports and my deep love of swimming means the damage is largely done. My dermatologist obviously knows I swim and has said I could always swim indoors… but then she takes that back because her children swim and she understands that if you’re a lap swimmer, a 25m indoor pool is the pits. We have had discussions over the years of weighing up melanoma risk and mental health (swimming keeps me sane!), so I’m making informed decisions.
Incidentally, when I was quite little, my nan told me to always wear sunglasses when I step outside and always put sunscreen on the back of my hands because crow’s feet and hands show your age! I followed her advice 🙂
Well, I went for my annual check today, and the doc said exactly the same thing. Most Australians love sport and the outdoor life and there is nothing to be done than to take all the precautions you can because to give up what you love would be like me giving up reading. It’s not an option.
Still, I try not to be ‘judgy’ but it troubles me that I see so many parents disregarding everything we know about sun protection for little kids too young to make a choice about it. We’re having a bit of a baby boom in my suburb, and too many of the babies and toddlers I see have no hats or shade cover on their prams. In high summer down at the beach they mostly have those full-cover bathing suits, but when they’re just out and about, well, perhaps their parents think that sunscreen is enough…
Wear sunscreen and a hat!
I do. And I have my skin checked every six months and have for decades.
Unfortunately genetics plays a part as does the level of exposure we had as children before we really appreciated the damage we were doing. When I think about the number of bad sunburns I had as a kid I shudder!
Yes, to a large extent the damage was done for me as a child and teen. We spent months on the beach and I was always so tanned, as a little kid, running around in bathers and only a smear of zinc across my nose. As a teen, I spent years rowing (exposed to reflection off water – diabolical) and doing other water sports. I had a very problematic melanoma about seven years ago, hence being on twice-yearly scans instead of annual.
I also don’t think people appreciate the difference in the UV levels in Australia – I certainly think that when I see overseas travelers burnt to a crisp on shows like Bondi Rescue!
Good! Me, too. I didn’t have a melanoma, though, just the less serious kind.
I’m sorry, I’ve an olive complexion and have never put sunscreen on in my life, except for ocean swims. I have a mate my age with the opposite complexion who is always at the doctors getting bits cut off his face and hands. As someone said above, it’s just genetics. (I promise I’ll let you know if I come a cropper after bragging like this).
I love the Nonna concept for a restaurant. I’ll have to check out the film.
Sorry to hear about the skin issue but great to hear you have a proactive dermatologist. I’m paranoid about melanoma as I have very pale skin inherited from the Scottish side of my family. My father regularly gets things chopped out of his arms/face 😱 thanks to a lifetime of playing outdoor sport. I haven’t been sunburnt in decades as I largely stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen on my face at all times, even in winter (it’s in my moisturiser and foundation). My issue is that I battle Vitamin D deficiency — even with taking supplements! So it’s a balancing act.
Sorry to hear about your health issue, hope all goes well with surgery. I’m tempted by the Charlie Sheen, particularly if you say there is new and interesting stuff in it.