Beach Blanket Bingo

Day one of a three-day holiday weekend. Today I will go to the beach. Tomorrow, the same and Monday will make it thrice. But beach trips are not the same as days of yore; either I have become wussified or maturely cautious. A day at the beach, which used to include a teeny bikini, towel and sunglasses, has advanced to an "event" including giant beach umbrella, blanket, towel, long sleeved-shirt, wide-brimmed hat, SPF 30 and 48, lip balm with sunscreen, large bottles of water, phone, money for parking, another towel to roll up for a pillow and a beach chair. Basically, I have fifty dollars worth of equipment to keep the sun away. Yet I love the sun! I guess I have become paranoid of crisping myself, as tolerance for UV rays has decreased substantially since my teens. Fear of wrinkles, sun spots, skin discoloration and melanoma has gotten the best of me. Call it vanity, but getting that golden look is just not what it used to be.