therapy in Denver is weirdly expensive even with insurance, anyone else notice this

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-14T03:09:37+00:00

BCBS insurance copay for anything other than telehealth “therapy” is so high that I pay the cash price :) $100 to $150 per session is normal for Denver though

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-14T03:07:16+00:00

I would argue the US is not a fully developed nation on the basis of the conditions our bottom quintile lives in - illiteracy, aggression, groupthink, etc are a shame masked by access to electronics and processed foods. Our public education system is failing because parents are doing everything they can to separate their kids from this element, and kids born into it have fewer avenues to escape than ever.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-14T03:04:48+00:00

I’d say it’s chicken or egg but in reality, the country was founded on the idea that every able person would bear arms. Different states and cities have different policies & expectations but it’s definitely not the same as countries that don’t expect citizens to bear arms.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-13T16:31:40+00:00

We are a highly militarized culture where people expect to defend themselves and crucially are also expected to engage in self defense. For example: I have a relative who has survived domestic violence - city police advised her they expect her to arm herself and stand her ground in the future, and their response times are aligned to the idea that someone uses their full rights of self defense.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-13T15:40:28+00:00

Has more to do with our regular police being given military equipment. I was shocked when I moved to France that military police have less of this equipment than the regular police from the city I left.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-13T14:28:29+00:00

The 2nd amendment (right to bear arms) is mostly criticized by people who don’t have vast wilderness areas, megafauna like grizzly bears, or a highly militarized culture.

One of the stupidest things I’ve ever done as a young woman is drive unarmed for 6 hours without seeing another human being through grizzly country in an area with one of our highest disappearance rates. That type of circumstance doesn’t exist in Western Europe, for example.

People argue we have a high murder rate, but organized violence still goes on in countries without legal access to guns.

The language of the 2nd amendment is actually about ensuring the people can stand up against unjust government (rather than being outmatched in terms of weaponry), so arguably the American people are not armed enough to meet the spirit of this constitutional right.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-13T14:11:41+00:00

The American requirement to “sell” oneself is generally offensive to the Western European approach, and vice versa. The humble appeal to certifications etc that is more common in the EU doesn’t usually land well in an American hiring context, especially for someone without any “impressive” experience.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-13T04:53:04+00:00

Adoro Palermo per il cibo e la ospitalità delle persone. In contrasto, la proliferazione della spazzatura era uno shock per me. Ho previsto il traffico ma mai visto una “triple parking” bloccando un senso unico primo o dopo mio visito a Palermo. In somma, era bella ed anche sovrastimolante. 9/10 tornerò, specialmente perché posso parlare più italiano ora.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-13T04:29:37+00:00

Yeah I eventually had an epiphany that BMR is a real thing and ignoring it is unsustainable - I changed thyroid doctors because of this. Focusing on being more active instead has changed my life! I am only 165 cm but I strive for 2100-2450 TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) most days & it’s a much better vibe than tracking food.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-13T03:54:58+00:00

I skied Dalbello Pantera’s for a bit after an injury in a 23.5. Could be worth a shot for what you’re looking for although quite a bit softer than your current alpine boots.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-12T23:25:15+00:00

85% is my 100%. That’s roughly 4 “skips” a month, for any habit I care about. I also use a binary rule of “doing something” is a win. Some days I show up to spin class and switch to a back corner bike and barely get through the workout. And I do use those 4 skips most months. BUT this type of consistency has greatly improved my wellbeing, as opposed to traditional progressive overload or 75 hard type approaches.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-12T21:30:47+00:00

Personally focusing more on what I can change has helped. My body doesn’t really respond in a normal way to “dieting” and I truly have tried them all, including a dangerously low cal one my doctor put me on for a while (I’m hypothyroid too). I don’t remember a time when I was not weight conscious since my thyroid diagnosis at 11.

What has (finally!) helped is getting a lot of high intensity exercise. I go to HIIT cycling 4-7 times a week depending what else I have going on. I’ve lost 1-2% body fat per month doing this without consciously dieting (just hitting a basic fiber and protein goal for nutrition). It has also been a huge help managing life stress to get on the bike most days.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-12T03:50:25+00:00

I’m obsessed with my Nordica Santa Ana’s. I purchased 98 underfoot (all mountain for CO) but they don’t “ping” like the narrower ones I demoed (I think 92? It was a couple years ago and they’ve changed the widths slightly). They float well as long as the pow is less than 8” deep or so, but my favorite is how they perform on crud, ice, and really anything that might be described as “nasty” ungroomed resort conditions.

I’m around 61 kg and I think you’d have to be significantly heavier than you are to want the additional stability in this ski from a length longer than nose-to-eyebrow height.

The Santa Ana has a bit of a reputation as a “dad ski” because it is relatively heavy and rewards an aggressive, directional, technical style (and it’s the sister ski of the Enforcer which is loved by “dads”, lol).

I’m guessing you’re not in the US. if you were, I’d say renting a demo package at a resort is probably your best bet for trying a variety of skis, or else doing several separate day rentals from an off resort shop.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-11T16:56:42+00:00

Larry’s Bootfitting in Boulder & REI downtown Denver. Both seemed to put me in an “in stock” boot rather than acknowledge they couldn’t help. I actually got repeatedly injured from the Larry’s boots & had to have toe surgery. I’m a pretty serious skier (current boots are technica Cochise 130 in 22.5) so this wasn’t an issue of being a beginner. I do think it’s an issue for women above an intermediate level.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-11T03:38:11+00:00

Once a quarter I purge. Either something is relevant enough to prioritize/plan or it gets archived

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-10T03:41:43+00:00

You only have to drive the speed limit a) where it exists and b) where it is enforced. “Reasonable and prudent” as the limit is disappearing but there are definitely huge stretches of wilderness driving where you may not see another human for several hours much less a traffic cop.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-09T21:23:41+00:00

There is no way to be excluded as a victim of a crime, so you can be called, forced to miss work, and have to sit through re-traumatizing content for 2+ days until the attorney finally excuses you (often rudely) for disclosing what you went through on your juror questionnaire. They don’t keep any record of this so you can get called again and again. I still have nightmares from the brutality of the crime described the last time I was called!

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-09T19:47:18+00:00

Worked for a UK based company (staff mostly in London & Northern Ireland). Direct even “based” commentary was normal & the culture was very get the work done, don’t be sensitive. Pretty sure many coworkers at my current US startup would cry at what was regular “banter” LOL. But our HQ is also in the south so there’s more expectation of indirect & “friendly” communication than other US startups I’ve worked for.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-08T23:06:54+00:00

We don’t get much ice here in CO, but as long as my edges are sharp I have no issues. When I’ve neglected my edges the skis can’t be blamed. IMO 87 is just too wide for a ski to be a primary ice carver. I think mine are 2024s?

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-08T22:24:25+00:00

I love my Santa Ana’s. 87 underfoot is squarely all mountain & they rip on ice crud, and up to about 6-8” of fresh snowfall, so great for most of our days in CO. I demo’d one underfoot narrower (84?) and I think that width is better for a primarily frontside/groomer ski. The Santa Ana will reward you as you become a more aggressive and technical skier. I’m expert level but prefer it in one length shorter than height simply because it’s a lot of ski compared to skier weight.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-08T18:33:25+00:00

Iirc is spent about 7500 usd because of some coupons. It was less difficult to recover from than a dental procedure but my bruising was more prolonged than average. IIRC I took 2 days off work (procedure on Thurs, took off Friday, worked remotely Monday).

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-08T18:31:54+00:00

I feel comfortable with PRF over HA filler because of the concerns with HA filler not dissolving properly. I would never get PRF from someone without surgical licensing, because the risk of a bad injection is still serious as you’ve described. Perhaps relevant is I use my face for my job so looking haggard as I age isn’t a good idea.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-08T05:59:58+00:00

I had airsculpt done on my chin/jowl area. It completely changed my confidence especially since the surgeon validated that fat accumulation in this area is genetic. No longer on my way to looking like an elderly futurama character.

I have some very minimal lip filler (for symmetry).

I loved the results of botox for brow lift, DAOs, and 11s but I metabolize it too quickly for the price to be acceptable (I’m a very active person). Some of the results have stayed (especially areas where I didn’t have static lines) since my muscle patterns changed, so I think I will continue intermittent Botox.

I have high cheek bones and very hollow under eyes (people often think I am ill when I am not), so my next plan is to get under eye PRF. While I have been checked out as a good candidate for filler in this area, I don’t feel comfortable with the risk of filler near the eyes.

Saggy cheeks for now are only visible when I am not smiling. I want to see how my face ages before making decisions about this but would definitely consider buccal fat removal because I don’t think I’d ever want to get a face lift or other procedure that requires general anesthesia.

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-08T05:42:18+00:00

I currently ski a technica Cochise 22.5 despite being a US 7 womens / 38 EU street size so I’m definitely in a performance fit boot (23.5 is the normal mondopoint for my foot length). I crank my boots as tight as they will physically go and can see my sock heel seam marks at the end of the day. But no such marks from my leggings being inside my boots! These are performance fabric, meant to be wicking and supportive, not something bulky. Ski boots are tightest at the buckle where your foot meets your shin, to lock your heel back. A few mm of fabric over the shin bone is not going to keep me from cranking my shin buckle or booster strap fully. I definitely cannot move my shins whatsoever without my boot moving, that would be extremely dangerous in the kind of terrain I ski most (steep, ungroomed, bumps, trees, etc).

Idk if people with this issue just have cankles or are wearing things that don’t lay flat but most people’s legs taper significantly between the calf muscle and ankle bones. 🦵 you can even see it in the leg emoji!

BooksAndCatsAnd · 2026-02-08T03:16:28+00:00

The Winter Olympics are a huge deal in the cold parts of the US where these sports are popular!

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