A Little Good News

The way this summer started out, with June being in the hundreds, I thought for sure I was going to have to find some place cooler to spend the next couple of months.

I woke up the other morning to find the Sun actually sitting on my lawn. It had this condescending little smirk on its face too, like, “What are you going to do about it, huh…” Yeah well, In my head I was thinking – “I’ll show you Mr. Smarty Pants, I’m going to take my brand new dome tent and camp out at the wide gaping mouth of an active volcano…that would be FAR more refreshing. I might even take a jacket!

Lately, I’ve been wearing sun screen 24 hours a day. It’s just easier that way – I feel like over time I will eventually build up enough layers to form a hardened second skin. Either that, or my body will naturally produce Octinoxate on its own.

It’s your face that you really have to worry about – I’ve watched far too many friends of mine spending their 40’s looking like a rawhide treat.

I’ve decided that the safest and most cost effective plan, is to just buy a full-face welding mask. It’s a little heavy and your face will feel like it’s in a microwave but at least you won’t look like that lady from “Throw Mama From the Train.”

I was out shopping last weekend and instead of parking in the safety of a parking garage, was instead forced to park out in the “open.” Not a big deal, I’m used to keeping an oven mitt in my purse so that I can open my car door – but I forgot to take my sunglasses with me. Without thinking, I grabbed them from the console and stuck them on my face. I screamed loudly as my tear ducts were instantly cauterized.

Fortunately, we had enough rain in July to bring the temps down to less than the surface of the sun – It’s just a little bit more humid now. I’ve been in Texas long enough that I think I am finally adapting to the extreme summer heat. In fact, the last time I volunteered for clean up at the annual fire-walking conference, I accidentally wandered across some stray coals and I could barely feel the flesh peel from the bottom of my feet.

I guess you just acclimate to those sorts of things.