Back when I lived in Michigan, I took a driving trip from Flint to Marquette - about 400 miles. The drive took all day and since it was summer time, I took my time and enjoyed the scenery along the way. I didn't pay any attention to the fact that the whole way the sun was streaming in my car window. Sure, it was hot, but I just cranked up the air conditioner. When I finally reached my destination, and got into my hotel room, I got the wonderful shock of seeing myself in the mirror. I had a bad sunburn down the left side of my face, my left arm and my left leg. I looked like a scene from Close Encounters. To top it all off, it wasn't a pleasure trip. I had to make sales calls the next morning looking like that. Thank goodness it didn't peel. *shudder*

I burn like nobody's business, yet I never seem to remember this fact when I am out in the sun.

My two worst burning experiences both occurred while I was excavating in Italy. The first time I sunbathed for a total of 15 minutes and realized I hadn't put any sunscreen on my legs. I burned the backs of my knees. I couldn't bend them for several days, making the usual activities on a dig site that much more complicated.

The second time was last summer when I neglected to apply sunscreen to the skin on my lower back above my pants line. With my shirt riding up the whole day as I dug, I ended up with a burn that was almost purple. I had a hell of a time trying to sleep on my back after that.

I always forget to grab a hat, and I end up with a sunburn along the part in my hair. Try washing and brushing your hair after that.

I hate the scalp sunburn! It always ends up peeling and I end up looking like I have the world's worst case of dandruff!

Lets just say that fair skin, no sunblock, 6-8 hours at the beach, and drinking vodka DO NOT MIX!

That night I kept piling blankets on the bed because I couldn't stop shivering. For some reason, my back and the front of my legs got the worst of it. My back blistered and for about two years afterward I had a stage purple stripe down the front of my shins.

I'm a one-side burner--can be left, right, front, back--doesn't matter. It's just on one side.

And Eileen--great write-up in the June Romantic Times. I gave a loud and hearty Squee!!! for you.

I once met someone who had gone topless and painted flames on her boobies for Pride Day. She managed to have sunburned flame marks on her boobs. Yes, I saw them. Oh, the days where I hung with the Santa Cruz hippies...

Pam, Thanks for the squee! I squeed pretty loud myself. Sissy One laughed so hard when she read it that she cried. She'd forgotten about claiming the ghost of my dead husband punched her. Although she still claims that it's true.

Jennifer, Flame boobies? Oooh. I think I'd like some of those.

My worst burn was as a clueless teenager. I'd gone to Florida with a church group for spring break. On a big bus with a bunch of kids from Minnesota (we were from Iowa). Naturally, I was very careful and did not get burned while in Florida. But on the way home, we had to stop in Lexington, KY for an 8-hour layover so the bus driver could sleep. This being our last shot at getting tanned before returning to the midwest, we decided to lay out in the parking lot at the Y, where the bus was parked. Naturally, to facilitate the tanning process, we coated our bodies with baby oil. 8 hours in the southern sun covered in baby oil? It *cooks* you. Never have I been as burned or in so much pain as I was then.

My favorite burn/tan story actually involves my older sister (and was mentioned in April this year when we were all gathered together). As a teenager (she was tiny), she would often lay out in the back yard in her bikini. This one year, she had a red bikini with big, quarter-sized polka dots on it. Turns out that the sun just went right through those white polka dots and she ended up with a polka-dotted behind.

The worst burn story involves my oldest sister and my oldest nephew (and even now, some 24 years later, she feels horrible about this if you mention it.) Her son was a newborn at the time, being born in May. At the time, we would go the beach at the local reservoir frequently during the summer so the kids could play. Since he was not only a tiny infant, but also had red-hair, my sister was very careful to protect the baby, making sure that he was shaded from the sun. What none of us realized was that the sun could reflect up from the sand. Which it did. And french-fried that side of poor wee David. As previously mentioned, he's not a strapping 6 ft plus 24 year old and suffered no on-going ill effects from being barbequed as an infant.

Ugh. That last sentence should have read "he's *NOW* a strapping 6 ft plus..."

I once fell asleep in the sun with my hand over my face. Nice.
non LC (but still burnable) Eileen

When we were newlyweds (meaning the husband was still trying to be macho), we were windsurfing in Holland. Not too hot, but very sunny. I offered to rub sunscreen on his back, but no, he got it himself. For the rest of the summer, he had a lovely bright white handprint in the middle of his back.

You forgot your Mac N' Cheese tummy burn! That's one of my favorites.

The worst burn I ever got was through Bullfrog Sunblock (supposed to be the best). Out rafting all day. I got FRIED. Then later that night went hot tubbing with friends. I was a teenager and didn't know you weren't supposed to do that.

I had a beautiful array of quarter size water blisters all over my back the next day. I noticed when I had an itch at work and my shirt was wet after I scratched it.

Let's say it alltogether now! EEEEEWWWWWWW!!!

Antoinette,

I forgot the tummy burn! It was actually Ramen noodles though and not Mac'n Cheese. Boy, do I know how to make a nutritious meal, or what?

And, yes, EWWWW!