What day is it?!

Last Saturday I was awoken by a text from my Dad. Here is what it said:

"What day is it? GAME DAY."

[Dad is very enthusiastic about sports.]

In case you are living under a rock, or in a cave, or some other place in which college sports are unimportant, the Florida Gators had their first game of the 2009 season this weekend. It was Saturday against Charleston Southern. Basically, we dominated them.

But then, what else would you expect from a college whose name is an old-timey dance and a direction?

Luckily, this game was at night so we were spared the heat and sun poisoning that usually comes with the Florida weather. But I have season tickets, so I know I'm in for some verrrrrry hot weekends.

Being an incredibly pasty, pale person I know that sun protection is of the utmost importance. Here are three basic rules to live by when it comes to staying burn-free.

1. Suncreen: Apply early, apply often

Choose a sunscreen with a high SPF--45+ for super-sunny gamedays, 15 or so for everyday life. Then, reapply! The stuff wears off, drips off with sweat, gets too absorbed into the skin--basically, you need more or it isn't doing its job. And check the expiration date on the bottle! That half-used bottle from your spring break trip to Cancun probably isn't up to par.

2. Hats are your friend.

A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses keep the sun off your face and out of your sensitive eyes. Since the skin on your face tends to be more sensitive it needs extra TLC.

3. Check yourself

Good sun protection is vital to preventing skin cancer. But it's also important to check yourself every so often for irregularities on your skin and changes in any moles or freckles. And although the United States Preventive Services Task Force said in a recent New York Times article that yearly skin cancer screenings with a doctor are unnecessary unless a person has a history of melanoma, checking yourself can be a good way to keep your skin healthy. Here is some advice on how to check for melanoma.


I've made it one of my semester resolutions to wear sunscreen on my arms, face, neck and chest EVERY. DAY. I've even bought the nice Neutrogena kind that doesn't smell all sunscreen-y. And don't forget--you can get sunburned on a cloudy day, too! So just because you don't need shades, doesn't mean you don't need SPF.

Stay cool this football season!