Fun in the Sun!

Wow, our summer actually came back yesterday! I was having doubts whether or not to expect anything this weekend, but I was pleasantly surprised. I guess I was so grateful of sun yesterday that I blindly ignored the use of my sunscreen. Normally, it wouldn't matter all that much, but yesterday was Nudestock!

Yes, I made it to Nudestock yet again this year. For three years in a row I have savored the freedom of being clothes-free while enjoying a day of music. This time it was different though.

This time Suzie went with me!

I really never expected it. While Suz is not a prude by any means, for me to just assume that she would like going to a nudist park would have been a stupid assumption to make. Just because myself and others love it, that doesn't mean it's for everybody. Based on common sense I was actually only considering two scenarios for yesterday:

1. I would forgo the whole thing and not worry about it. After all, I would be spending it with my favorite lady anyway, right? I'm sure we would have enjoyed ourselves somehow. We always do.
   
2. I would go for a little while and leave. I really wanted to continue the annual t-shirt series that I had started in 2006, and I wanted to buy the 2008 Nudestock t-shirt to add to my amazing wardrobe of white trash wear that fills my closet.

What changed yesterday? Well, in a nutshell it was a matter of her wanting to avoid the possibility of impending family conflict. Her daughter Rachyl and her husband Tony are going to be moving to the Ohio area (where he's originally from) soon and they are in the process of putting some of their things in "storage" in Sue's garage for the time being. She just didn't want to have to deal with frazzled nerves, frustration, and arguing, and basically just wanted to not have to be drawn into their little situation in any way. I was surprised when she suggested that maybe we could go to "your Nudestock thing" to escape.

One thing we wanted to do yesterday was drain her hot tub so we could work on it and possibly change its heater element, so we had to at least go to her house to get that started no matter what else we did the rest of the day. Before we left my house yesterday morning we discussed what to take in case we did actually go to Nudestock. (We still didn't know at this point that we would actually go or not.) I filled a cooler with beer and we grabbed our sunning blanket and a couple of outdoor (aka "ratty") towels. I put a little shaving kit together as well, including sunscreen. She decided to take her shortie overalls and when we went to her house she would add her bikini to it. That would give her some layering options. Well, we got the hose siphoning started on the hot tub water, and the more she thought about it the more she didn't even want to deal with moving stuff on such a nice day. Apparently, she had talked herself into going to Nudestock by that time. I was happy because I knew she would like it whether she dropped her clothes or not.

We got there after the first band had finished--Shortly after noon I think. Having been there before and therefore in their computer system, I had to pay $13 to get in. Because Suzie is new and it was her first visit, it was free for her. I don't know what she was feeling up to that point really, but I'm assuming she was nervous. Who wouldn't be? After all, at this point there were sporadic nudies walking around, and for the most part were just men (after all, we were in the parking/gate area still). It only takes me seconds to lose my clothes, so they never even left my car. We made our way to the grassy area and spread out our blanket among the other people. At that time she was able to relax, grab a beer, and take in the scene. The second band was setting up so it was relatively quiet. The place was not all that full so that was good. The first year I went it was packed, and last year when it was drizzly and bad weather it was the other extreme. This year was perfect.

She dumped the overalls as soon as we hit the blanket, and the bikini top soon after that. It really didn't take her long before she was comfortable enough to lose the bottoms too. Toward the end of the band's act I suggested a dip in the pool to which she agreed. One thing that new visitors probably worry about is how to disrobe and make it look casual. If you're a newbie it's something that probably weighs on your mind. I didn't ask her if that was the case, but instead suggested she could leave it off when she came out of the porta-potty. Emerging from the pee pot with a towel around her worked out perfectly. I ended up swimming but she opted out. She got wet with the "pre-pool" shower, but otherwise just sat on the edge of the pool and dangled her legs. The water was a little cooler than she could tolerate.

As the day wore on Suzie's comfort was more apparent. At one point she remarked, "I could do this once a year." She was having a good time! We wandered around a little here and there. I was a little miffed that I was not able to buy a 2008 Nudestock t-shirt though--My size sold out quickly they said. I did, however, buy a "Wired" t-shirt. That's the name of the band that closed the show at the end of our perfect day. I had seen them play the previous year and liked them a lot. I bought Sue a Nudestock t-shirt dress. You know--Those things that are like a long, long tank top? This year's design was a psychedelic butterfly design, and was on black cloth like the previous two were. She's not sure how family members will react when (or if) they find out she went, so she's not sure when and where she'll be able to wear it though. I bought a 2005 shirt off the clearance rack though for only $5. That was the year before the first one I attended. All their shirts and stuff are cheap. $10 for a t-shirt at any event these days is a bargain, and that's their regular price. Her t-dress was only $15. She also bought a candle from the soybean oil candle guy that's there every year. The scent she chose was Dragon's Blood. It reminds me of an oriental gift store. It's sort of like the smell of incense before you light it.

The first band we saw was so-so. Maurice the Fish was their name, and they played common, everyday songs that you hear most bar bands play. The music was good, but they just weren't tight, well-oiled performers. One exception was when they closed with two Pink Floyd songs back-to-back. They played those very well and we both liked those a lot. Both of those songs totally synced with the "feel" of the place. They were perfect. The second act we saw was a solo gal with an acoustic 12-string guitar. She was awesome! We both agreed that she sounded a lot like Melissa Etheridge. Her music was flawless from start to finish. The last act was the one I already mentioned, called Wired. Their rockabilly style was pulled off perfectly. They are very talented and were very good this year. The previous time they played there was a shorter act and they never really got to "shine" like they did this year. This time as the closing act proved them to be more than worthy. I hope they are there next year to close out the day as well. Great stuff!

So back to the first paragraph: My ignorance of sunscreen. I packed it and didn't use it. You'd think a 52-year-old guy would have more common sense than that wouldn't you? Apparently I don't. I ended up pink. Not everywhere mind you--Only the places that don't usually see sun (or at least that much sun). My ass and the sides of my waist and upper thighs got it the worst. Penis? Yep, it got it too. Face, back... You name it--It all got a little pink. There's not much doubt that I'm going to peel. I can sit around naked and comfortable now, but the question is how will I feel when I have to go to work tomorrow? Fortunately for Sue, she was already a lot more brown than I was so she escaped harm for the most part.

It was truly a great day though. Great weather, great music, great atmosphere--I enjoyed it immensely and Suzie did too. It looks like it may be a regular event for her like it is for me.

Isn't that cool?