In the spring of my senior year of high school my parents went out of town for the week, and since I was only 17 during my senior year they asked Kristen, one of my closest friends, to stay with me as my guardian since she is about 4 years older than I am.
It was a pretty good decision by my parents because we were both rule followers and pretty good kids. That week went well and we had fun hanging out without our parents around. That Thursday night we went out to dinner with our friend Robyn, who was also a senior in high school and not yet 18. We had so much fun that night together that we talked Kristen into calling us both in sick to the school office the next morning so we could continue the fun on Friday.
The next morning we got up at the regular school time and Robyn came over to my house instead of going to school. Kristen called the school twice and pretended to be our moms. Robyn and I jumped around in excitement because I don’t think we had ever ditched school before.
We decided to spend the day hanging out in the backyard swimming and “laying out”. Now that was the early 90s and taking care of your skin wasn’t that much of a concern. The three of us lathered up in baby oil and spent the day by the pool. Every time we swam, we reapplied.
Now friends, I’m not an olive skin gal like my two partners in crime. I’m Irish and have the stereotypical fair, freckly skin. Let’s just say my skin, baby oil, and spending all day in the sun didn’t mix. By the end of the day, my backside was so sunburned I looked like a lobster.
It was an awful night. My skin hurt so bad and I couldn’t sleep on my back. I never did blister, but it was red and sore for several days. I think that was the worst I’d ever been burned. Since that day, I’ve been so very careful in the sun, and never used baby oil again!
On a side note, my parents never found out that I ditched school until just a couple of years ago. My mom was in town and a group of us got together for drinks at a wine bar. Kristen and I told her the story that night. We should have just kept it to ourselves because she didn’t find it quite as funny as we did.
Ohhh I know that feeling! Gotta love the Irish huh?
ReplyDeleteJeeze were we total idiots back then? HA!
Ooh, playing hooky and coming back with a sunburn. That always backfires for me, too.
ReplyDeleteAs my mother would say - the sunburn was God's way of punishing you for cutting class. Gotta love mothers!
ReplyDeleteI too have the lovely translucent Irish skin and could NEVER use baby oil!
i can just imagine you getting all fried up - and you put baby oil to sped up the process. ah, the follies of youth...
ReplyDeletefrom mama kat's :)
Funny how in are youth we think we can do anything...without consequences, how silly and carefree we all were then!
ReplyDelete-Kristina-
One of my goals every Summer is to become the blackest person in the world. God played a cruel trick on me though. He gave me lovely cocoa skin but then also gave me freckles. I guess so I wouldn't get so cocky. Anyway, getting darker hides my freckles for awhile but by September, they are back from Summer break. Oh well!
ReplyDeleteYour Friend, m.
p.s. Got your email regarding the music. Will write back. Thank you! m.
who ever decided baby oil for tanning was a good idea? (see also: guilty of the same)
ReplyDeleteThe days of baby oil and laying out! Ahhh...bittersweet memories here too!!
ReplyDelete:-)
I did that in 7th grade in Texas and I did blister. I missed out on the trip to raging waters the next day. I still have scars to prove it. I can't believe you were a ditcher!;)
ReplyDeleteOuch! That is some of the worst kind of pain--and it feels like your skin shrinks.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your little walk on the dark side taught you your lesson, and that you're not attempting to fry yourself in oil anymore!
ReplyDeleteTeenage girls are so goofy!
Ha! Once after college we took my high school aged brother-in-law skiing for the day...he cut school...and he had to call in sick the next day because he didn't listen to us when we told him to use sun screen on his face and neck!
ReplyDeletelMnop
Been there and done that with the baby oil for skin frying! Ouch!
ReplyDeleteI didn't get away with it the only day I skipped school...but it was fun and I will never forget it!
The title of this made me snort with laughter.
ReplyDeleteYeah, parents don't like finding out they were snookered, even if it happened a long time ago . . .
ReplyDeleteI once got burned so badly that the sleeve of my shirt was literally burned into my skin. I couldn't take it off for 3 days. Hope you weren't eating. =)
Did you tell this before because I swear I could remember. Sunburn is so painful. O.u.c.h!
ReplyDeleteHow are the dogs?
I would have to read Eat, Pray, Love to really decide if she is being selfish. I think getting divorced because you don't want someones kid is selfish. I mean, shouldn't you decide that before you get married? Marriage is a lifelong commitment. Of course you are both going to change and grow as you get older. I have to constantly adjust to my husband. I do it because of the promise we made to God and each other. I think a lot of people my age do make selfish choices in regards to that. It makes me sad.
I feel your pain... I too have very fair skin and freckles and had MANY horrible sunburns growing up in the 70s and 80s (sunscreen was NOT a big deal back then.... and tans were "all the rage"). And trying to take a shower with a burnt back.... ouch!
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