Sunday, July 17, 2011

Summer Sun

The sun and I don't get along. I appreciate it's ability to bring life and warmth to our good planet, Earth, but I'd rather not have much direct exposure personally.  I do not photosynthesize.

Rather, I wilt in the sun. I burn, and I swoon. Being out at midday without a hat for even a few minutes makes me dizzy. I swear the sun's radioactive rays slant straight into my brain and cause cascading synaptic fission.  One of my childhood memories consists of lying on my bed, skin burning, as my mother lays wet tea bags all over my body. This remedy was supposed to "draw out the heat" after my summer camp counsellor allowed me to be out all afternoon without sunscreen. It didn't work.

Melanoma runs on both sides of my family. In every generation at least one person has been killed by melanoma around or before the age of 40.

I cover up.  Sunscreen, long sleeves, hats (I have a collection of them). Being indoors is the simplest solution. And considering that this summer is supposed to be extra-hot, I am that much more willing to stay inside. Summer becomes a bright, aesthetically pleasing version of winter: a case of cabin fever surrounded by blossoms instead of snowflakes.

Yesterday, I spent 2 hours on a sports bar patio in the mid-afternoon. This was done in the name of workplace solidarity. A colleague organized this outing, and I felt that it would be best to make an appearance. Reluctantly, I slathered myself with SPF30 and braved the heat. I sipped ginger ale from a plastic beer-logo cup and held ice cubes from the Coronita bucket against my wrists and the back of my neck.

The patio filled to capacity in short order. The clientele was almost all white with an average age of 26. The girls wore baseball caps and skimpy tops with bra-straps sticking out. The guys wore oversized board shorts and flip-flops. They all talked loudly, lounging in the sun on wooden benches or standing six deep by the bar, waiting for more beer. They all had sweaty hair.

My work group was a nice bunch, but the place was so loud and it was so hot that we couldn't keep up the necessary energy to maintain a workable conversation. The server accidentally kicked over one girl's bottle of beer and didn't bring her a replacement. No one bothered to confront him. After 2 hours I felt I'd done my duty and retreated. Maybe next year we could meet inside, where it's quiet and air-conditioned?

12 comments:

DarcKnyt said...

I'm with you, Spark. Me and Sol don't like each other much either. I see him as a necessary evil, and he sees me with a target on my head. So we do this little dance thing and I try to make like a vampire for a few months every year.

But if I didn't have the weather to complain about, I'd have to work to find something else to complain about.

BTW, I had to look up "board shorts." That's how out of touch I am. Ain't I pathetic? To your credit, though, I saw every person in the bar with your little description. Brilliantly done. :)

Warped Mind of Ron said...

Sun = Bad... eeet burns me!!!

Jenski said...

I much prefer the late afternoon, sun going down, starting to cool off, grab a beer after work scene. I am with you on the sun. If there is water for me to go swimming in, that is fine. For now I sit on my couch with fan and iced coffee. :-)

Jameil said...

I like the sun... but I don't like the attendant killer heat in the South. I also don't appreciate people wanting me to sit al fresco in anything over 80. Please people.

Sparkling Red said...

DarcKnyt: It should make you feel better to know that I Googled "board shorts" before hitting "publish" to make sure I was using the term correctly. I'm not sure how that term made it into my vocabulary, but it's probably a fluke that I know something so cutting edge.

Ron: Yes, Ra becomes a vengeful god at this time of year.

Jenski: My feeling exactly! Summer evenings are the best.

Jameil: Indeed, even under a patio umbrella, being outside in that kind of heat is simply draining. Who wants to sweat that much voluntarily? Not I.

Karen said...

I grew up spending my summers at the Jersey Shore. Beach bars are a way of life for us.

I am good with just spf 30 on my face. I don't burn after the first or second time in the sun each season. I am really, really enjoying the beach this summer. I feel and look so much healthier with some sun.

Lynn said...

Yeah - I'm not a fan of hot weather either. Somehow I landed in the wrong family - you should see them all loving the pool at my sister's house, while I volunteer for kitchen duty because it's air conditioned. :) I'm with ya, friend.

LL Cool Joe said...

'The girls wore baseball caps and skimpy tops with bra-straps sticking out."

Damn why can't I go to bars like this??? :D

I love the sun! Shame we never see it in the UK. Why do you think we have a place in AZ?

Anonymous said...

Sun bad. Warm bad.
I went furniture browsing today. Just going from store to store was vicious.

G. B. Miller said...

I can sympathize with you about the sun.

Had major sun overload (no clouds, slight breeze) on Saturday while I spent the day at the town carnival.

Paid dearly for it on Sunday.

DarcsFalcon said...

"I do not photosynthesize."

Oh my gosh that's one of the best lines! LOLOL

I'm with you - the sun and I don't mix well. I burn easily, and I've even burned through long sleeves and pants, so I try to stay out of the sun. I don't know what happened - I used to swim so much my hair was a lovely shade of chlorine green when I was a kid. Now I just fry to a crackly crunch.

I could picture your party perfectly though - great job on that description!

I hope you had a nice time anyway. :)

Tracy Moore said...

I still love the sun, but my body just can't handle it like it used to. I get overheated way too quickly. I had to chuckle at the way you worded it about summer being a more pleasing version of winter. How true that is!