I took a memory course, but I can’t remember anything I learned…

Recently, I took a trip with my parents to Georgian Bay to visit my aunt and uncle at their cottage. Well it’s not so much a cottage anymore seeing as they now call it home 12 months of the year, but regardless, it’s habit and I will continue to call it ‘the cottage.’ I’ve been going to ‘the cottage’ since I was in diapers. One memory that really stands out in my mind is the night my nonna got drunk. People from all over the Bay came over to party, something that happened all the time, and one of my uncles’ boisterous friends kept feeding her Sambuca shots. I was too young to know what being drunk was, but I witnessed the whole thing unfold in front of me. I never fail to mention this to her whenever I see her!



After leaving at about 9:30 in the morning, we finally arrived – after what seemed like forever – in Killbear Park close to dinnertime. (My dad likes to take in the scenery).

As this was my first vacation since starting full-time work in November, I was really excited to get away for a few days. I love going to Georgian Bay to relax (they even have a sauna!), but more importantly to see my aunt and uncle, and on occasion, a few other family members. This time I was lucky; my nonna (grandmother in Italian), my other two aunts, and my uncle (all from my dad’s side of the family) all came for a visit! Also, my uncle promised to take me fishing! Something I was very excited about. I’ve lately become a really big fan of fish, so of course I wanted to catch my own and then have a yummy feast!

That night, there was a huge thunderstorm that shook the whole upper cottage I was staying in, and provided me with a lovely light show. I look back now and I wish I had taken some pictures, but instead I cowered under my covers like a scared little baby.

The first morning there, my uncle, dad and I, took the boat out into the more open part of the Bay to get some solid fishing time in. As there was a storm the night before, the waters were very choppy (at least to me they seemed this way) and I went in and out of feeling like I was gonna hurl over the boat. But I sucked it up, acted like I was fine, and kept on fishing. My uncle fishes by using down lures, so I just had to sit there and see if the line popped up. In the two hours we were out there, and the boat swaying back and forth the whole time, we only got one measly bite. I tried to reel it in myself but it turned out to be quite a large fish – a 15-pound lake trout – so I undoubtedly needed help. My uncle took over, but we eventually lost it. A little while later we called it a day, with no fish in tow. :(

The next day we tried again, but in the Bay this time. Still no luck. I think the fishies new I wanted to eat them really bad. But I thank my uncle for taking the time to take me fishing two days in a row! Maybe next time I will try the more traditional way of fishing to see if I have luck with that.

Later that day, all my other relatives showed up. We had a blast catching up and getting a few drinks in us! I’m pretty sure I made about 30 Caesars over the weekend! Once one person see’s one, everyone else wants one! One of the funniest moments came when one of my aunts was reminiscing about a course she took not too long ago. It was a memory course, but apparently she forgot everything she learned. You may not find this funny, but to us, it was the funniest thing ever! Clearly by forgetting everything, she defeated the whole purpose of the memory course. Oh aunt Suzie!

Later that night, we had a Euchre tournament, which is what you DO at ‘the cottage.’ I was scared at first that my partner was my uncle Hughie because I remember trying to learn from him when I was a bit younger and he scared the bejeezus out of me with all his rules. But in the end we made a pretty good team, and I ended up learning a thing or two! The whole weekend went by way too fast, but I’m fortunate that we had decent weather and all the rain came at night. I’ll have to make sure that I don’t wait five years this time until I go back to Georgian Bay.

Fake ‘n’ Bake and the Oompa Loompa Syndrome

People that know me, know that I am a big advocate for safe sun care, and am really against tanning booths, beds and the like – or for a more realistic term – fake ‘n’ bakes. Yes, I agree that a nice tan can make you look a little better, and feel a little better about yourself, but do people really think they look good when they tan to excess? And do they think it’s actually good for them?

There are far too many people out there that tan beyond anything that looks natural, leaving them to become the dreadful ‘oompa loompa’ orange. People achieve this look through tanning beds or self-tanning. Tanning beds are not safe, and offer you no health advantages, not to mention that you’ll look ridiculous if you over tan. The point is to have it look real, and if you spend a lot of time under the bulb, your tan is bound to look fake. Although, I do congratulate those who use self-tanners and not tanning beds, moderation is definitely key. If you turn orange through self-tanning, you are doing something wrong.

Aside from people walking around looking like characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, there are major risks involved with the use of tanning beds. It seems that the majority of over-tanning comes from an addiction to tanning salons. Canada's dermatologists are worried that skin cancer (melanoma) is increasing among young patients. Tanning beds may be the cause for this increase. Young people aged 15 to 29, especially women, seem to be particularly vulnerable to melanoma. It is the third most common form of cancer in young Canadian women.

[To see what the different types of melanoma are, and pictures to help you identify skin cancer see this link: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/melanoma/DS00575]

The problem is posed to get worse. The Canadian Dermatology Association forecasts 75,100 Canadians will be diagnosed with non-malignant skin cancer this year, and 5,000 will learn they have melanoma. Wait times to see a dermatologist have doubled in the past five years to 10 weeks. The CDA's most recent data shows a median age for Canadian dermatologists in the 50s, with 45 per cent set to retire within the next 10 years. This could pose a big problem if unsafe tanning continues to rise.

Using the excuse that tanning beds are a good source of Vitamin D, or that you want a base tan so you won’t burn on vacation, is total crap. UVB rays trigger the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin, and thus are solely responsible for the healthy benefits of sunshine. However, while UVB rays account for the health benefits of sunshine, tanning salons are more interested in UVA rays. The average tanning bulb emits 95 per cent UVA radiation and only five per cent UVB radiation. This calibration maximizes the tanning effects of the machine and minimizes the risk of burning. Unfortunately, it also minimizes the amount of vitamin D that can be metabolized and maximizes the amount of harmful, cancer causing UVA rays.

Most tanning beds, while they might offer a golden-brown hue, put you at risk of unnecessary, excessive exposure to dangerous UVA rays, and are by no means a substitute for good old-fashioned sunshine. Even short-term use of tanning beds can cause long-term skin damage and increase your chances of getting skin cancer.

When people say they are only tanning to get the so-called “base tan” before a beach vacation, their theory behind this is that a few sessions of indoor tanning will protect their skin from sunburn in a sunny climate. But there's no proof that this is true. The best way to protect your skin from the sun — at the beach and at home — is to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or above.

But many scientists believe that "safe sun" — 15 minutes or so a few times a week without sunscreen — is not only possible but helpful to health. For most people, exposing one’s arms and face to sunshine for about 20 minutes a few times per week provides the skin with enough UVB rays to eliminate vitamin D deficiencies, without causing long-term damage to the skin. This is another instance where moderation is key. If you are outside for a longer period of time, make sure that you have sunscreen on.

If you seek that tanned look, I highly recommend using gradual self-tanning products. They slowly develop a tan and largely reduce the risk of getting streaks or turning into an oompa loompa. There are many products out there that can give you that real tanned look, without any harmful effects. Yes, they may smell, but the less a product smells, the less DHA it contains, which is the ingredient that helps tan your skin in the first place. Here are a few products I like to use when looking for a natural tan.

Jergens Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer – I recently bought this product, but really enjoy it already. It takes about five applications to build up a tan, but the foam texture is really light and non-greasy, two things that really appeal to me. I also like the fact that the smell isn’t nearly as strong as other gradual self-tanners.

Jergens Natural Glow Express Body Moisturizer – This stuff really works. I notice a change in my skin colour after just two applications. It really stinks, but if you can stand the smell and want non-streaking colour fast, I highly recommend it. Tip: put it on at night so you don’t smell the DHA all day long.
Marcelle I-Bronze Self-Tanning Cloths – I use these on my face and notice a difference after two nights. My face is naturally a lot lighter than the rest of my body (perhaps because I exfoliate too much), but you will appear more tanned with these in no time, with continued application of course. These cloths smell a bit as well, but you’re not going to escape that with tanning products.

So if you’re using tanning beds as an excuse to get vitamin D or to get a base tan before a tropical vacation to reduce the risk of burning, you are sadly mistaken. You are just exposing yourself to more harmful, cancer causing UVA rays. So stop the oopma loompa trend and save your skin!