Well good Tuesday to all of you! Two blogs in two days?!?! Now I'm getting back into the swing of things. Vintage Mikey D, blogging multiple times a week instead of this once every few months crap. Yeah, I like it this way too =).
Today I went tanning. Not out by a pool, not out in natural sunlight...but at a real, fake tanning place (I like to ammuse myself with contradictions...if you haven't noticed by now). I decided to do it this morning after looking at my naked body in the bathroom mirror. After the initial "How the hell does a man get this skinny?" thought, I became utterly disgusted with how pale and, well, white I'd become. I made up my mind right then and there (and then later at the kitchen table after I talked myself out of going in the shower), that I, Mikey D, was going to go fake baking. Yes, I was going to suck up my pride, become a hypocrite, and get artificially bronzed.
I gathered all the shit my girlfriend left me (I mentioned it all in the last blog), and headed out. The place was called "Island Tanning". Amusing name if you think about it, because it is in a strip mall in downtown Lansing, very far from anything island-like. Anyway, I arrived a little after eleven, and after a few minutes of sitting in my car gathering myself, I headed in...
I guess that islands have a lot of palm trees and coconuts, because the decor at "Island Tanning" was tastefully done in such a manner that it made you feel like you were on an island. After a few seconds of trying to get my bearings straight in this foreign place, I was greeted with a laugh by a young lady behind a desk.
"You look lost," she said.
"I feel lost," I replied.
I told her I came for some "color," and that I was tired of seeing a pale white boy in the mirror and being repulsed. She thought that was sooooo funny. I think I stood there for a good ten seconds while she got all the giggles out of her. Anyway, she was quick to point out that I looked very uncomfortable. Duh.
"I can see why it's a little uncomfortable, being the only guy in here and all."
Actually getting quite used to that feeling. Another place where I'm the only guy there. Not exactly something I wasn't used to. She then proceeded to show me the different packages available for purchase. I scanned the page quickly, looking for something along the lines of "Get Fucking Tan", but couldn't find anything of the sort. The page was filled with things like 'Orbits' and 'High-Pressure Machines' and 'Island Beds'. Orbits? What does that have to do with an island? Anyway, like I had a damn clue what to get. The fact that I had now spent 10 minutes at the counter with Ms. Giggly McGiggle-A-Lot was making me feel even more uncomfortable.
"Give me whatever you think is best. I just want a little color to my skin, and nothing more."
"Well, then you probably want an Island Bed."
"Than give me an Island Bed."
"Are you sure that's what you want?"
"Hmmm...that's the one that's going to give me just a little color, right?"
"Yeah."
"And I did say that I wanted the one that was going to give me just a little color, right?"
"Yeah."
"Huh...well maybe I should keep looking at the others, eh?"
I can be such a sarcastic prick sometimes. I usually do it for my own amusement (Kevin, you taught me well), but this girl was loving it. She loved that I was being a sarcastic little bitch. It's actually quite refreshing to see someone not take things so personally. She knew she said something pretty obvious and stupid, and I just teased her a bit about it. She took it all in stride though, which was nice to see. Once again, however, I had to wait for all the giggles to get out. My bad.
So she began to set me up with my first ever tanning bed. She told me how to use it, which buttons to push, etc. etc. Stuff I needed to know. First timer and all. I finally kicked her out of my room and lathered myself in lotion that Cori gave me. I smelled of a cross between coconuts and the green apple jelly beans. I couldn't have felt any less like a man. It was at the point that all my mascculinity had vanished. Nearing tears from my personal self-loathing, I laid in the bed to "tan".
And you know what? It wasn't that bad. They had little fans blowing on me the whole time to keep my body cool. The little eye glasses Cori gave me made the light seem dim and faint. They even had a little head rest to keep me comfortable. I almost fell asleep. The whole experience was actually quite relaxing. I was completely and utterly surprised.
After dressing I headed out to pay. I didn't look any different than when I came in, but apparently you have to go a few days in a row to start to get the color. Grrrrrrrrrreat. Ms. Giggles tried to make me feel at ease though, and she gets a gold star for trying to do so.
"Don't feel weird, I know a guy who comes and tans here all the time."
"Yeah, and is he gay?"
"No, he's my fiance'."
Oops. Stupid mouth. So that was my first trip to "Island Sun". A little uncomfortable, but not too bad. I am officially "one of those" people who do the fake-baking thing. I can't really see myself doing it for more than this week though. Not gonna turn myself orange or anything. Just a few times to get my color, that's all. I promise. A man always has his limits. Now if I could just figure out what mine are...
So tomorrow my girlfriend's parents are dropping off their two little dogs with me while they go on vacation for a couple of days. I am officially a pet-sitter. They are two little Jack Russels. I'm not really a dog person, much more of a cat guy, but these little pups are okay. They're fun to play around with and such. I don't think they'll be too much of a problem. I'm excited to have pets though, even if it is for just a couple of days (thank you Adam). Not used to the whole walking-the-dog thing, but it can't be that bad though. No way in hell I'm picking up their poop though. I'll make them eat it before I pick it up. Damn straight.
What's in my CD Player right now that should be in yours:
(Illegaly download this shit folks, you'll love it!!!...or at least I'll love you for having it in your music collection.)
October Fall- In Spite of Everything
October Fall- 88 Keys and My Broken Strings
David Kitt- Dancing in the Moonlight
David Kitt- Another Love Song
American Eyes- Knife Fight With a Girl
David Melillo- Knights of the Island Counter
John Ralston- Gone Gone Goner
John Ralston- Keep Me
Cute is What We Aim For- Lyrical Lies
Guster- One Man Wrecking Machine
Okay, wrapping this shit up. Holllllllllllllla at you bitches later. Peace.
~Mikey D
"Sex is a good thing. Someday I hope to do it again."