The summer months must be heaven for men.
The weekend here was warm and glorious-the undertone of chill was, for the first time, completely erased from the air, and instead the world felt as though it was vibrating with energy, with enthusiasm to the summer coming, and with the promise of hot weather. And, accordingly, hemlines went up everywhere. Throngs of people were in the town, men in shorts, women in short dresses, shoulders and arms exposed to the sun for the first time in 8 months or so. Everywhere, people were smiling, chatting, laughing. I half expected them to burst into song, a la 50's musical, but that was a bridge too far.
There was flesh everywhere, as women and men hauled out the warm weather clothing in happiness and excitement. Sundresses and strappy shoes abounded. As far as you could see where pale white figures exposed to the sun, and my white bits were among them. Armed in a tank top, cropped pants, and flip-flops, for the first time in so long I felt warm.
Warm.
Saturday morning I went into the gym, trained within an inch of my life and stretched my muscles tight. Then I did something for myself-I went to the park and sat outside in the sunshine, armed with a book and a sandwich, a pair of sunglasses and an attitude.
I laid down in the grass, feeling the heat soak through my clothes. Rolling about in the grass, I decided I wanted to linger there a while, so I went into a nearby store and splashed out on a fleece blanket. I walked back into the park, laying down in the middle of the park, in the middle of the sun. I couldn't believe the heaven that I felt, the warmth on my skin, the niblets of chill completely erased from my skin. I wondered if the sun had made its way into my bloodstream, not unlike the red patterns in my eyelids that I saw with my eyes closed.
The horrible cold agony of my Swedish winter started to melt away just a little, and I stretched every bit of skin that I could towards the sun. My tank top went up, tucked just beneath my bra. My pants edged down to the rolling bone of my hips, while I hiked the trouser legs up over my knee. I scraped the hair from my face, and just lay there, trying to let every molecule of sunlight onto my skin, scalding every inch of me and trying to burn away the agony of the past year.
No one has ever been so invigorated by the sun than I was at that moment.
I was loathe to leave, but two hours passed in the wink of an eye, and I met Lloyd to see "Kill Bill 2". After that we ate ice cream and then went to a pub, sitting in the sun. All around us were people in cropped tops, sleeveless shirts, shorts. And almost every single one of them had a sunburn. I started to laugh, pointing it out, until Lloyd reached over and pressed a short finger onto my upper arm.
And wouldn't you know it-I had a sunburn too.
Later that night he and I downed 3 bottles of New Zealand chardonnay on the balcony. We wanted to be outside, we wanted to be warm. We wanted to not forget what an incredible day it had been here. When it got chilly, we threw on our Gap sweatshirts and continued drinking wine, talking about work, about ourselves, and about our hopes and dreams in life. With Mr. Y not there, he was a little more comfortable talking about his personal life, and in companionable conversation we drank wine and let the sunshine float back off our skin, and dreamt of more.
Of course, the hangovers we had on Sunday prevented us going out into the sunshine, but the windows were open, my sunburn is fading, and I ache for the sun still.
-H.
Eh. Whatever. If one can't see the difference between political *reporting* and political *opinion*, I can't help.
Often the good thing about allowing comments is the conversation that ensues. Besides, your reply to my reply was also off-topic regarding sunshine--by your own logic, you shouldn't have typed it at all.
Send your fart guy over, but I warn you--he might be on-topic more often than not ;)
Posted by: angel at April 30, 2004 05:13 PMAngel, how did we get so far away from the content of a Helen post that starts out: "The summer months must be heaven for men"?
Your now going to quibble over whether a luny out-of-context-with-the-post-and-other-comments political comment has a link to the Guardian or the opinion of a guy who wrote for...uh...the Guardian? Sheesh!
I know a guy who always likes to talk about bodily functions including with real time emphasis, flatulence. No matter what you talk about he brings the subject around to his favorite topic. Should I send him the url of your blog so he can comment off your topics and on his?
Posted by: Roger at April 30, 2004 02:19 AMIt's not a Guardian story, it's an opinion article by the writer George Monbiot, and the only thing I can see wrong with it is that it's not saying anything we didn't already know.
Posted by: angel at April 29, 2004 10:47 PMFirst warm day of the year and you end up sunburned?
You've become more English than you realise!
Posted by: Gareth at April 29, 2004 10:24 AMI know exactly what you mean, Helen. I lived too many years in Buffalo to ever go through a Northern winter again. I'll take Georgia, thankee very much. :-)
Steve P - The Guardian? Wow, it must be true then. Oh, wait a second...it hasn't been picked up by the National Enquirer yet. I always wait until NE runs a Guardian story before I'll believe it. You know, second source and all that.
Ass.
Posted by: Jim at April 27, 2004 01:20 PMSteve P. FOAD
Posted by: Roger at April 27, 2004 11:47 AMhope you don't mind me butting in:
poms...
pomegranates. sailors used to have to eat them to avoid scurvy, also why brits are called limies, because limes and pomegranates are rich in vitamin c by the way, vit c deficiency leads to scurvy.
Steve-why DO they call the English Poms? As in Pomeranians? Pomegranates? pom-poms?
Posted by: Helen at April 27, 2004 06:52 AMPOMY summer? That's an oxymoron. Well enjoy it, it will soon be over. ;-)
Regarding your post from a few posts back about POMs taking the piss out of Americans. As an Anglo-American expatriate I have to agree with most of the whinges people have about the States. I mean we're talking about a bunch of people who elected Ronald Reagan and now George W. Ok they didn't elect George W but still... almost half the voters voted for him! Res ipsa loquitur I say.
But... it seems extremely unfair that one of the intelligent minority such as yourself would bare the brunt of all this. After all, those few Americans who do travel and who (gasp) live abroad tend to be exceptionally special and cosmopolitan because they've gone to such an unusual effort. They/you deserve extra credit: not scorn!
Also, that Ralph fellow sounds a touch defensive. Perhaps he feels a bit inadequate about POMY technology ;-)
And by the way, even though I much prefer Australia to the States American diseases are catching on here. People are driving more and walking less, eating more junk food and watching more television and reading less etc etc. I reckon much the same thing's happening in POMY land. Whilst I'm at it, I am impressed by the number of Australians who'v been abroad even though their country is almost a large as the States (in square milage) and talk about expensive airfares (14 hours to the US West Coat, 20+ to the E Coast or 20+ hours to Europe/UK)!
And by the way, just in case you need some extra examples of why we Americans are the laughing/crying stock of the World, I'll leave you with this article from the Guardian about US Christian fundamentalists and their influence on the Bush Admin (have you ever actually seen these people in Texas? Can you offer tips on how to spot them in case they try to blow something up?!)Do they really think that we're going to be devoured by frogs and locusts and that they'll all float up out of our clothes and get to watch?!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1195568,00.html
Posted by: Steve P at April 27, 2004 04:57 AMBritish sun is just so lovely when it arrives! Enjoy, but WEAR SUNSCREEN :)
Posted by: nisi at April 27, 2004 01:43 AMI love the summer, but I always get a crick in my neck from swiveling my head too fast. My wife takes it all in stride. She says that when I stop noticing pretty girls then she'll be able to collect that life insurance on me.
Warmth is a matter of perspective. When I first moved back to MO from TX, I found the summer to be just pleasantly warm, without being oppressive. Now I'm acclimated, and the TX summer is just unbearable.
Also, do you notice that when it's 65 in April everyone rushes too put on shorts & t-shirts, but when it gets to 65 in September everyone puts on sweaters?
(Incidentally, last week it got to 90 here, and I turned on the A/C. Today it was 55, and it's going down to 40 tonight. Weather in the midwest is never dull.)
Posted by: Easy at April 26, 2004 10:59 PMIt was a very pleasant weekend this weekend in our part of the world (I live quite near to Helen) and I'm glad you could enjoy it. Unfortunately I was a bit ill this weekend so I was housebound, but I do have fantastic views out of my big windows so with the sun streaming in it was nice. :)
Posted by: Ollie at April 26, 2004 07:37 PMI always wondered how you stood Swedish winters. I don't think I could.
Posted by: ilyka at April 26, 2004 03:47 PMIt's funny...
I grew up in Miami. But I can honestly say I never appreciated the sun until I moved up north. That doesn't make me want to move back down to Miami. It makes me happy I have enough changes in my weather now that I can appreciate the sun.
Posted by: Amynah at April 26, 2004 03:13 PM"molecule of sunlight". photon, H, photon. Ok, Ok. Poetic license, I get it:-)
Posted by: Roger at April 26, 2004 02:47 PM"sunshine of my love" - there's a reason for that line ;)
Often I think I'd like to be a cat, sleeping in the sunshine on the windowsill.
I hope you get to enjoy many more sunny afternoons, hon.
Posted by: Courtney at April 26, 2004 01:36 PMI love the summer for exactly that reason. My sunburn has already peeled...
Posted by: Clancy at April 26, 2004 01:28 PMNow don't be getting TOO much sun Miss Helen (that's my paternal voice). We don't want anymore Basal Cell or Squima (sp?) Cell spots.
I have the same problem...fair skin and a desire to be outside. Stay healthy:)
Posted by: Solomon at April 26, 2004 01:19 PMgreen with envy? nooooo.
yesterday was sunny in town, we wandered around kungsträgården and painted in the kids library in kulturhuset, but seriously, april 25th and you still need a jacket and to avoid the shadowed side of the street.
sweden, crikey.
Mr PH loves summer. Skimpy tops, and short shorts.
Hates winter because women wear too many clothes :)
Sundresses, strappy shoes, and baseball hats with ponytails.
The ultimate aphrodisiac.
Enjoy the rays.
Posted by: Curator at April 26, 2004 06:43 AM