WEDNESDAY MARCH 23, 2011
YOU'RE IN FLORIDA AND HEADING FURTHER SOUTH. IT'S TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT THAT SOUTHERN SUN. AAAAH, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? WELL, I'M GOING TO TELL A LITTLE STORY THAT BEST EXPLAINS THE DIFFERENCE.
FIRST LET ME PREFACE THIS BY SAYING THAT THE EARTH IS CLOSEST TO THE SUN IN JANUARY. THAT'S RIGHT. NOT THE SUMMER TIME, BUT WINTER HEADING INTO SPRING, AND CLOSER STILL TOWARDS THE EQUATOR. ONE YEAR MY FAMILY, IRONICALLY ENOUGH, HOPPED IN OUR MOTOR HOME FOR EASTER VACATION AND HEADED FOR DISNEY WORLD, FORT WILDERNESS TO BE EXACT. A WHOLE WEEK OFF AND THE CHANCE TO NOT ONLY ENJOY "THE WORLD", BUT GET SOME SUN AND GO HOME WITH A SAVAGE TAN TO MAKE THE OTHER KIDS JEALOUS.
WELL THE FIRST FULL DAY, MY BROTHER AND I RACED DOWN TO THE LAKE AND LAID OUT IN THE SUN FOR ALMOST 6 STRAIGHT HOURS. FELT GOOD. HARDLY FELT BURNT. YET. AS THE HOURS PASSED, OUR SKIN BEGAN TO GLOW, AND SWELL AND BUBBLE UNTIL WE LOOKED LIKE THE ELEPHANT MAN . . . OR MEN. OUR EYES SWELLED ALMOST CLOSED AND OUR BODIES OOZED OILS AND FLUIDS. ANYTHING TO TRY AND FIGHT THE TORTURE WE PUT OURSELVES THROUGH. WE KNEW BETTER. WE LIVE ON THE BEACH IN JERSEY. HOW DIFFERENT COULD IT BE? WE MISSED MOST OF THE TRIP, OUTSIDE OF OUR CAMPER ANYWAY, AND WENT HOME WHITE AS GHOSTS WHEN OUR ENTIRE BODIES PEELED BEFORE WE EVER GOT HOME.
YES, WE WERE YOUNG AND STUPID, BUT COME ON, YOU'VE SEEN THOSE PEOPLE. WALKING BY THEM YOU NOTICE HOW RED THEY ARE. TRYING TO GET IT ALL IN ON THE FIRST DAY. THEY KNOW BEST. THEY KNOW THEIR SKIN. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY CAN TAKE. TRUST ME. A SUNBURN IS A SUNBURN AND IT CAN RUIN YOUR TRIP, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO KIDS. YOU'RE BETTER WITH THE IDEA OF TRYING TO MAKE SURE NO SUN GETS THROUGH TO THEM WHATSOEVER THAN YOU ARE HAVING TO PUT UP WITH THE COMPLAINING THAT COMES WITH A CHILD'S SUNBURN.
I'VE WORKED AS A LIFEGUARD AND GREW UP ON THE BEACH. WHEN I WAS A KID, MY DAD'S IDEA OF SUN PROTECTION WAS PUTTING A T-SHIRT ON US WHEN OUR SHOULDERS STARTED TO BLISTER. HE'S HAD SKIN CANCER BY THE WAY. IT'S REAL. SO, THE LESSON. NEVER USE A SUN TAN LOTION THAT HAS LESS THAN 30 SPF. WHAT'S THAT? IT'S ON EVERY BOTTLE OF SUN TAN LOTION. YOU CAN'T MISS IT. ANYTHING LESS THAN 30 AND YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE USING BABY OIL, OR THAT SPRAY BOTTLE FULL OF WATER YOU SEE SOME PEOPLE USING. NOT ONLY DO NEITHER OF THOSE HAVE ANY PROTECTION FOR YOUR SKIN, BUT THEY WILL DAMAGE IT. DID YOU EVER SEE THOSE DARK SKINNED OLD LADIES ON THE BEACH OR BY POOLS WITH THAT WRINKLY SKIN THAT LOOKS LIKE A SHAR PEI DOG? THAT'S WHAT THAT'S FROM. MMMM ATTRACTIVE. AND THAT'S WITHOUT EVEN CONSIDERING THE SKIN CANCER FACTORS. HEY, I'M A SUN WORSHIPPER, AND I KNOW IT'S BAD FOR ME. I'VE HAD SUN POISONING, SUN SPOTS, SUN SICKNESS. I'M NOT AVOIDING BEACH DAYS OR DAYS AROUND THE POOL (ALTHOUGH I PROBABLY SHOULD), BUT I AM USING LOTION NOW AND I ALWAYS PUT IT ON MY SON.
A STRONG SUN TAN LOTION IS A SMALL INVESTMENT TO KEEP YOU OR YOUR FAMILY FROM BEING IN PAIN FOR YOUR WHOLE VACATION. CHOOSE AN SPF 30, OR 45, OR HIGHER FOR THE LITTLEST KIDS. TRUST ME. YOU'LL STILL GET A TAN. THERE'S LESS IN OUR OZONE TO PROTECT YOU ANYMORE AND YOU'RE HEADING TO WHERE THE SUN IS STRONGEST. YOU COULDN'T POSSIBLY AVOID GETTING SUN. DID YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CAN GET JUST AS GOOD OF A TAN SITTING OUTSIDE IN THE SHADE? IT'S TRUE. IT JUST TAKES LONGER. SAME AS RUNNING 5 MILES TAKES YOU LESS TIME THAN WALKING IT BUT YOU'RE STILL DOING 5 MILES WALKING IT. SO BE CAREFUL NOT TO TRY AND SPRINT TO THAT FINISH LINE AND HURT YOURSELF.
SEA YA REAL SOON! ºOº
TONIGHT'S MOVIE IS "PETE'S DRAGON". NOT REALLY ONE OF MY FAVORITES. DON'T REALLY HAVE A REASON EITHER, BUT MY SON THE DINOSAUR FAN LOVES IT!
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