In the Summertime, When the Weather is Hot

It's time for an unpopular confession that has plagued me since childhood.  I really hate summer.  Every year, the swimsuits are smaller, the ads are hokier, and the sun seems hotter.  It's not that I dislike outdoor activities.  In fact, I love being outside.  I just hate being warm.

I see people outside every day in Austin, and from the refrigerated interior of my car, they seem to be having a great deal of fun.  These people are biking, running, kayaking, and all of them look as if they are enjoying a beautiful 70 degree day.  If I so much as step outside of my vehicle, I break into a flop sweat worthy of Airplane!, and nothing I do makes it any more bearable.

"Oh, have you been swimming?"

"No, I just woke up."

The most damaging part of summer, though, is the clothing.  I'm so hot all the time that I should want to wear as little clothing as possible (or at least enough that I won't get arrested), but genetics are evil.  All of these beautiful people in Austin (those ones who were smugly running and bicycling earlier on in the post) wear shorts, and their complexions are perfect. The lovely, uniform tan is so perfect there is even a meme comparing it to processed foods.  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Google "hot dog legs" right now. Seriously, go.  There's an entire tumblr dedicated to pictures where you have to spend actual time trying to decide if you're looking at someone's vacation from their own supine point of view, or if they're just holding hot dogs in front of a camera.

Wait, why am I jealous, again?

And then there's me.   My legs are so pale that I have people tell me all the time how white/pale/ashy/translucent they are. It doesn't matter how sexy they would have been back in Victorian times, because living in the here and now is so unfair.  Adding insult to injury (literally),  I fall down every few days just to keep things interesting.  Any little scar or mark stays on my skin for months, so the scratches and bug bites are pretty much the only source of color I have.  If I go into the sun, the spots of color stand out in such a way it looks like Jackson Pollack stole some of George Hamilton's tanning lotion and used my skin as a canvas for a drip painting.  (But hey, at least I don't sparkle.  I've got to be thankful for something.)

See those fun spots on my feet that look like the aftermath of a deadly pox?  Those are from where a bunch of fire ants decided to climb into my shoes and throw a party, because being me is like an episode of I Love Lucy for people who like to have whiskey for breakfast and say "bless your heart" a lot.  

So yes, summer sucks, but there's good news.  I've decided to start a new meme that's more inclusive for those of us who have issues with summer.  We can't all have hot dog legs, but that doesn't mean we can't look like food.  Some of us have skin tones more like chocolate or cinnamon, rather than a hot dog.  (I swear my dog just snorted as I was typing this, the jerk.)  In my case, the only things my legs look like are parsnips, but at least they're a healthy and delicious food that don't contain mystery ingredients.  (I'm talking about the hot dogs here, not my legs...)

I'm sexy, and I know it.

The other good news is the Ice Bucket Challenge.  This is an activity I can really support.  Every day that I dump ice water on myself is a day that the flop sweat doesn't win.  Bonus:  I'll be helping out a fantastic charity that will hopefully rid the world of a terrible disease someday.  If you also suffer from heat depression and/or flop sweats, learn how to do the Ice Bucket Challenge here: What's cooler than being cool? ICE COLD!  You, too, can help yourself survive the summer while also helping the world to be a better place.

Stay cool, friends.  It's almost over.


UPDATE:

Here's my video, for anyone who wants to see just how silly and awkward I am in real life.  I really do like to use the word gubernatorial, because I think it's funny, but apparently I got nervous and had to stutter my way through that one.  Oh well.  Enjoy!