The real me

I asked DD to take a photo of me with my Aperol Spritz on Sunday afternoon and recoiled in horror when he showed me the results.

I initially declined his offer to share the shots, but I hadn’t posted anything on my Thirsty Travellers Instagram page for a while, so I requested he forward the “least terrible” one.

Then I attacked it with an airbrush tool until it looked like this:

Still old, but not quite as wrinkly. Pity I forgot to fix the loose skin on my forearm.

I am not proud that I am faking it on social media.

Mortified that I do, mortified if I don’t.

I am less than two months away from turning 54 and I’m feeling it when I look in the mirror.

I also hate that DD looks across the table in restaurants at un-airbrushed me.

When he met me I was a dewy 46. I’d lost 10 kilos on the Divorce Diet and looked like THIS in a bikini …

Not pin-up worthy, but you definitely wouldn’t catch me in a bikini now.

Blergh, old age sux. Especially when one side of your face is falling faster than the other.

When I put my make-up on in the morning, I stretch my skin back and contemplate the pros and cons of a facelift.

The older I get, the more pros there seem to be.

I think I’d also get my eyelids done. The 86-year-old Italian bloke that I run into on my walks each morning had his lifted recently and is very happy with the results.

I’m not keen on the pain and extensive bruising that’s involved – the old bloke looked like he’d gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson afterwards – but the results entice me.

Have you ever thought about getting a facelift or do you regard it as appalling vanity?

I know I should be comfortable with growing old gracefully, but I’m finding it’s easier said than done as each year passes.

If I hang in there for a few more years, maybe the urge will subside and I’ll embrace the new old me.

On the other hand, the main photo on this blog post shows a before and after by a plastic surgeon called Dr Chris Moss … whoa!

Song of the day: Bruno Mars “Just the way you are”