Keto and Continuation.....

      I'm feeling aggravated right now because earlier this week, I had a problem with a toothache that was so severe it began aching across the entire left side of my face. I called my dentist, and initially the receptionist told me they had no openings for several days.  When I asked what to do about the pain, she suggested I go to the emergency room if I got into trouble before they could see me. The emergency room! That's ridiculous. Nothing can happen in an emergency room concerning dental care. I said okay and hung up. But then I called right back and told her that I was shocked that they didn't accommodate emergencies. I reiterated that my face was aching horribly, and at the very least, I needed something for the pain. She suddenly realized I was pretty irritated about not being cared for during this emergency, particularly since we've been going to this dentist for more than four years. In the end, the dentist prescribed pain medication. They brought me in early the following day because they had a cancellation. However all they did was refer me to an endodontist which of course, will not help me because now I'm waiting to get into that guy. In the meantime, I will search to see what dentist in the area also does root canal therapy. It is not necessary to go to a specialist.  It'll be interesting to see what happens. We're leaving for Hawaii at the end of November, so I might not have time to finish the work here. The pain has subsided and hopefully it will stay that way until I figure things out. I am so grateful that this toothache disappeared before Kayla and her sweet little family arrived. The rain went away as well. I was so happy to see the forecasted sunshine from the beginning of their visit till the end. They went on a whale watching trip in Anacortes and saw many whales along with other sea life. They were perfectly comfortable, and nobody got seasick. They spent the next day in Seattle.  They had dinner at the Space Needle, saw all the sites, and had tons of fun. The kids were thrilled because they stayed at a hotel with an indoor pool, so they could spend all of their extra time swimming and splashing away. Friday, we all spent the day together. We started by having a lovely brunch at our little house, where I served crab, Italian sausage, and scrambled eggs. Then we went to Birch Bay Park, where they explored the bay. Next, we took them to Peace Portal Park, right at the Canadian border, so they could see where our two countries come together.  It is a gorgeous Park with many planting groups and trails that meander through each. They were thrilled to get to see this area. Next, we took them to the Blaine Pier, where we used little baskets for crabbing. The kids caught at least thirty little crabs, a few at a time, and we're very excited about this experience. Kayla's little boy, Carter, is so much like Bernie was when he was little. He is very busy and just doesn't stop! Carter is full of questions and asks one right after the other. We took him to the Marina Park on the way back so that he could use up a lot of his energy. Did he ever! He didn't stop running, jumping, climbing, and sliding the whole time we were there. Next, we stopped by Starbucks and grabbed ourselves a coffee.  Finally, we headed to Loomi Island to ride the ferry across Bellingham Bay to our favorite little restaurant. The kids were thrilled with the experience and, especially, their brick-fired Pizza.  They each ordered one, while the rest of us ordered seasonal offerings.  It is such a great little restaurant. I'm so happy that they opened again. I was not very confident that they would following covid. A lot of places went utterly belly-up. We had a very successful visit, and I was so happy to be able to entertain Kayla and her little family. It was wonderful spending time together, and we plan on doing it again soon. She's thinking about trying to come to Hawaii while we're there. I hope it works out. We're looking very much forward to spending more time together! Regarding my weight loss, I'm still very successful, and I lose daily. Everything I'm doing is working. I've studied the keto diet combined with insulin management, and most experts agree that keto positively impacts insulin levels, so it's beneficial when trying to lose weight using this method. Insulin management is certainly not a magic cure. One has to do their part concerning diet and exercise. Because I was so used to the keto diet, and the strenuous daily exercise, maintaining this is easy for me. Also I'm continuing strength training, specifically increasing the weight on my free weightlifting and continuing the deadlift on opposite days. I've been increasing the weight on the deadlift and plan to continue to do so until I can lift the suggested weight for my height.  It turns out that the keto diet and strength training are compatible because the keto diet provides adequate energy, preserves muscle mass, and reduces soreness when strength training.  Everything is working out on the keto side of things, so if I can get things figured out as far as my toothache is concerned, I'll be happy.