Mercury Rising

With the mercury rising, I figured it would be safe to hit the beach today. So I packed my bag, put on my new bathers (I checked myself out and was most appalled at the wide expanse of white flesh and was adamant that I was going to get some colour today) and went off to Coogee beach this afternoon. I guess many other Sydneysiders had the same idea, the beach was crowded, there were even quite a few brave souls who were frolicking in the water (18C only brrrr... I didn't get in). I then picked a spot, laid down my sarong and made myself comfortable. Being the careful person I am, I slathered myself with sunblock, put on my sunglasses and hat, then lied down and proceeded to read the new Jeffrey Archer I picked up at the Vinnie's shop yesterday.

I checked myself every once in a while, as diligently as a good cook would check on his roast chicken in the oven. I replenished the sunblock whenever I deemed necessary, burning was not an attractive thought. Knowing how strong the Australian sun is (huge hole in the ozone layer!), I didn't want another of those "wake up in the middle of the night and scratch yourself to death" nights of sunburn. After reading a handful of short stories, with my thighs (I know they LOOK kinda funny in the photo, like they are too fat or at least flabby, but maybe, surely, definitely it's just the angle - or so I hope) turning a deeper shade of red, I figured that was enough sun for the day (actually because I speed read, I zippped through all those stories in probably an hour so it wasn't as if I had lied there for ages). Happy that I've got some colour on the white palette with which I arrived at the beach, I packed up my gear and headed to the gelato shop and rewarded myself with a yummy rum and raisin gelato.