The Heat, The Hundred & The White Blob

It has simply been too hot to do anything.  I was tempted to spend my days wandering around Tesco, seeing that it’s the coldest place I can find but I didn’t want to find myself being hauled off out of the store by the security guard for loitering.

I’ve managed a few exercise classes, walked Obi when the temperature dropped a bit and spent my evenings over the last four weeks watching The Hundred on telly and that honestly is about as exciting as life has been lately.

I did venture into Nottingham last week (why do I always choose the hottest day on record to do this – remember my ill-fated bra-fitting trip?) for a lovely lunch date with a bestie.  I decided to travel by bus this time, seeing as the trams don’t seem to have any air-conditioning on (shocking!) but even the bus wasn’t cold enough. I had a little respite though, in the form of my hand-held fan.  I felt naked though, I hadn’t put any makeup on at all but I thought if I put my brows on, they are just going to melt off so bare-faced I went. 

I have recently changed some of my medication so it’s been a case of slowly weaning myself off one to change to another.  I had tried it a few years back but it upset my tummy so I came off it.  It was recommended to me again and was told, if you can get through the side effects for two weeks, you’ll be grand.  So, I discussed with my doc and we came up with a plan and a lower dosage to start.  However, for the first three days, I felt horribly nauseous and my appetite had disappeared and wondered if I had made a mistake.  The bus journey into Nottingham was awful – there’s potholes galore, so I was bouncing up and down on the seat of this noisy, sweltering bus, turning green and I thought, I’m going to throw up over my hand-held fan.  I did have a nice meal and fab conversation and we found a pub with aircon in afterwards!  I’m a breadaholic so happy enough to be eating bread and hummus!

Thankfully the nausea has disappeared, appetite is back and touch wood, don’t feel dizzy.  The only thing that I am wrestling with is restless legs at night and am not sleeping properly! I am going to Dublin to stay with my sister for a few nights at the weekend so hopefully, I will be feeling tickety-boo by the time I fly!

Before I go, I am having to have a facial.  I say having to have because I wasn’t planning on having a facial but I’ve got a bloomin’ milia on the bridge of my nose.  I can see it when I look down at my nose and my large sunglasses slide down and aggravate it so it has to go.  I was going to pop it out myself (I am a beauty therapist after all) but its right on the bony part of my nose and I can’t do it (I know not to squeeze but squeeze it, I did) so I have found someone local to remove it for me, as part of a facial so am looking forward to that.  Milia are those irritating small white bumps on the skin, they tend to be around the eyes.  They are nothing to worry about – they are just trapped keratin (skin protein) and dead skin cells that get trapped under the skin’s surface and give a pearly appearance.  I strongly suspect I know what contributed to it, as the same thing has happened before and its why I tend to avoid facial oils.  Since closing You Little Beauty Beeston as a massage and facial therapy business, I have been using up some of my remaining Neal’s Yard products.  I love their Wild Rose range and started using the facial oil at night because my skin looked great when I woke up in the morning and was smooth as a baby’s bum but my pores don’t share my enthusiasm.  My nose has developed a bit of a tan, which makes this pearly white blob look like its got its own spotlight.  So it has to go!

Thankfully, I’ve had plenty of cricket to watch over the last four weeks, in the form of The Hundred and I even got to see ‘my team’ lift the trophy - which was such a highlight. It was Manchester Super Giants, if you were interested - any team with Jos Buttler in to be honest.  It was nice to actually win something for once, even though I contributed precisely nothing – except cursing at the telly every now then and clapping like a performing sea lion. 

Hiding from the heat or the cricket?

The dog is probably happier that the tournament is over because now he can have my undivided attention in the evenings.  Unfortunately for him, there’s an England test match starting tomorrow. 

Today I am going to sort out what I need to take to Dublin.  It’s forecast to be a lovely 17 to 19 degrees over there and my sister lives on the coast so I’m really looking forward to cooling down.  I never thought I’d be so excited about feeling chilly!