This is why....

I don't go out in the sun anymore. When we moved to Miami Beach
when I was but a young sapling, we had nothing to do but go across
Collins Ave. to the beach. Every day. EVERY.DAY. For years, all the time, POOL and BEACH.
Coppertone back then was "get a tan" not sun block really,
I got burnt, then browner and browner. Did I mention I got a bunch of
Irish in me? That's me on the left. If you look closely, you can see the
freckles bursting out from behind the peeling red cheeks. When I got older they
developed into very bad freckle /damage marks. Retin-A took care of that,but
now I walk around with patches of skin that show the damage I got way back then.
I got sun poisoning TWICE, once so bad the blisters on my back prevented me from
wearing clothes for 3 days and being able to lay down.
Now I NEVER tan I burn, within minutes of being outside I can feel my skin cooking and watch it turn red.... UGG!

So now, I prepare for the onslaught, check my skin, slather the spf on every exposed inch of me to go get a gallon of milk and spend time explaining that NO, I won't be attending the summer outdoor BBQ in the park at high noon.

(You know a tan, way back when,in the dark ages, was considered low class, until COCO CHANEL returned from a vacation very brown and chic. From then on it was the "thing to do")

I've managed to save most of my face, the arms sadly did not go unscathed, but I have hope.
People ask me how I manage to not look my age. I say good genes and SUNBLOCK.
"What else?" they ask. "SUNBLOCK,SUNBLOCK and SUNBLOCK"!

And yes.... SUNBLOCK.

I am pale year round. And I like it that way.
Vampires unite!