Rock Star

(yes that's really me)

In case you don't know me at all, I love to tan. I cannot describe the difference I feel between going in and coming out of the salon. Palm Beach Tan is my salon of choice up here. It's well lit and clean, and they don't play rap music.

If you've never been to a tanning salon let me enlighten you as to why I mention the music. They usually have some kind of "house music" playing in the lobby. There is a speaker located near where your head lies in the booth that you can adjust the volume to or turn off completely. Palm Beach plays either country (which I love)or like funky 70's music (think Earth, Wind & Fire, old Chicago and such), commercial free. If I don't have music with me I turn up theirs. I used to go to Hollywood Tans in NJ which plays the radio. The only problem with that is that usually there's a commercial block in there somewhere which sucks. I need music when I tan. It's part of the ritual for me. For 12 minutes every few days I am warm, happy, and a rock star.

My husband, in his infinite wisdom (and help from my constant complaining) bought me an iPod for Christmas, so it's loaded with all my music. When you tan you got into a little room that usually has a chair, some hooks, and the tanning bed in it. You get ready to tan (lotion, whatever) and then press the start button and the lights kick on. The tanning bed I use only allows for 12 minutes in the booth every 24 hours, I use all 12. I get my first song queued up, get situated in the bed, close the lid, and hit start. I can usually get 3, sometimes 4 songs in and I (silently) karaoke the shit out of them. I start off with something slow, usually Amy Winehouse "You know that I'm no good" or Sheryl Crow "Crash and Burn". Next I build tempo with something with a beat, then go into the finale. My favorite finale song lately has been "Down in Mississippi (and up to no good)" by Sugarland. When your 12 minutes are up the lights in the tanning bed shut off. Concert over, time to go home, and I feel A-MAZING. I know, I know, sun damage, look like a raisin, whatever. I don't give a crap, it makes me feel good.

So... I leave you today with Jennifer Nettles and the rest of Sugarland covering my song "Down in Mississippi". I will be down in NJ and up to no good in less than 2 weeks. That gets me more pumped then 12 minutes of melanoma any day.