There is no place better then the internet to broadcast your stupidity. Luckily for me, few people admittedly read my blog! Yesterday I started a little reward for not drinking diet soda (okay, as much diet soda). I used to buy several a day and got to thinking about how much money that was costing. Just digging for change in my purse didn't hit me hard enough. So anyway, I figured if I wasn't spending the money on them then I could afford to reward myself with a month of tanning. I have always tanned easily so one month will be a great way to get me started. Besides tanned fat/stretch marks looks much better then white fat. Trust me on that one. So I also wanted to incorporate it into my morning runs. I could run to the place, tan for 30, and then finish my run. I am terrible about giving myself time to warm up so I thought the tanning might also help my body wake up and warm up. So I get to the place around 4:45 am. Unlock with the special code, go in looking for instructions on the bed, etc. Nothing. Okay, I have done this before and I can figure it out. Get ready, green button must mean start. Bed comes on, music is playing. Now it's my first time to tan in bed in 7 years or so. I am only going to stay 10 minutes the first time so I don't get burned. Timer is set for 15 so I will just watch it. At 8 minutes I can't tell much and at 13 minutes I was getting out, turning the bed off, and getting dressed. I had thought I had heard someone trying to come in the door but I had triple locked it so no worries. As I leave the place, I nearly run into a woman who was trying again to get in. She said her appointment was at 5:00. So was mine. She had been tanning for 2 months at 5:00 and I had an email from the owner saying 5:00 was alright for me. Oh well, we can work that out. Fast forward...when I got home my elbow was really red in a circle and hurting. I thought I had laid funny. I get to work and JoJo asked me how long I stayed so I tell her about the 15 minute timer and the lack of instructions. She asks if it could have been a super bed that only requires 15 minutes. How would I know? I turn my arms over to see if I can tell anything. HELLO!!!!! Imagine the reddest thing you can think of, now double it, again, and that's the color of the inside of my arms. As you can imagine, my entire body proceeded to turn that red as the day wore on. So turns out on my first time to tan in 7+ years I stayed 13 minutes in a 15 minute super bed. Feel free to cry for my pain or my stupidity, either one. I tried every home remedy I could find. I bathed in vinegar, epsom salt, used aloe vera straight from the plant, sprays, lotions, aspirin, and this morning mentholatum. I slept in the dry bathtub against the tile which was okay unless you had to move. I was burned this bad in college once and actually went to the dr for it. I had to wear saran wrap instead of a bra for a week with this nasty black lotion. Ugh but oh what I would give for some of that now. That time I was diagnosed with 2nd degree burns. I don't think I am quite that bad yet but we will see when the blisters form. Well, stupidity and stubborn shouldn't mix but they do sometimes. I had 4 miles scheduled for today (yes, I double checked). I knew I couldn't get a bra on. I knew the water blisters would be bad. I knew the underwear in my running shorts would chafe. Those were the smart things I knew. The stupid in me, said you better run or you will get behind and you won't do it if you put it off, and you don't have anyone to take care of this morning so get going, and things like that. Well, you know what I listened to-the stupid and I got my 4 miles in. I slathered mentholatum all over. I slid into my running shorts and sports bra. I got on the treadmill in case I passed out from the pain I wanted to make it easy for them to find my body. And it did it. The results of my stupidity remain to be seen. Off to have lunch with my middle son. We are the only ones home today due to an away baseball game of the oldest, a birthday party for the youngest and weekend at Grammy's, and a basketball game for the middle. Hope the air conditioning is going where ever he wants to go eat.