"Guess what? 10 years ago, we'll be looking at today, photographs taken of this afternoon, of us, here, now, and we'll be shocked at how cute we were. We're so cute! Why didn't anyone tell us how cute we were? We shoulda been in hot pants 8 days a week!" from Joy Nash's Fat Rant 3: Staircase Wit.

I was originally excited about this quote because in the warm weather I feel so springy in my short skirts that I love. I wear them all the time, but usually have to layer them with socks and sometimes tights, so just being out in the sunshine today without those was lovely. I started thinking about how much I don't like pants as much as skirts. I just think they look boring and plain. They are also very uncomfortable because I am not used to wearing them. But I remember in highschool wearing pants every day because I rode my bike to school and I felt uncomfortable in skirts, like was i sitting right and was it going to ride up? So part of it is what I am used to, but my pants are all jeans which are just stiff and not swingy and fun. So the hot pants quote got stuck in my head, and I looked up the Joy Nash videos.

Today I went to the beach, in my underpants because I didn't want to waste sunshine going to my dorm for my swimsuit, and barefoot because I don't have sandals for some reason. I wear some crappy cheap flats, but again I didn't want to go back to my dorm for them.

And I felt a little silly, walking around in my underpants, because although that is not unusual or offensive to beach goers in Santa Cruz, I have been all bundled up except for my legs for months. I also felt conspicuously pale. And I couldn't see, because I left my glasses in my car. And I was shocked at how quickly my feet started hurting from walking on pavement. And I couldn't find my way down to the water. I eventually learned I had parked about 1/4 mile away from where I meant to park and it was a bit of a project to walk all that way on my soft indoor winter feet. But I eventually found the way down I like, although the sand was underwater and I had to stick to the stairs. It was nice though, I sat on them and let the waves crash on my feet, then I scooted down the stairs until I was getting plenty splashed.

So after sitting on a partially underwater staircase for 15 minutes I was pretty cold and invigorated and I went back to my car. I didn't get dressed because I was all wet. I took a few pictures because I wanted to see what it looked like, then I drove away. After a few minutes I realized I should be dressed because I had driven back in town, not along the beach. It was really hot out but I put on my sweatshirt. It wasn't too hot because my hair and bra were still wet. Then I found my feet were too raw handle the texture of the pedals and at a red light I put on my shoes and socks. The structure of the heels was really a relief. Stupid winter. Then at the parking lot I put on my skirt. Then I took the shuttle to near my house, and walked home. I discovered I don't have my camera cable anywhere, so I took a picture of my camera screen with my laptop camera because it is so relevant to my mood today.

I was glad I wasn't shy to walk around less dressed than I am used to. I think airing my legs almost every day in skirts is part of why it was easy. It was awesome to get sunshine on me; I felt excellent. The water felt great too. I gain weight every winter because I always want hot, filling foods, and there is not as much to do outside as in summer. Then I usually lose it slowly starting when the weather warms up and ending in fall. It is backwards of bears. Our winter doesn't have snow to play in, it just has sludgy mud on all the paths and water on all the roads so biking throws water up your back. And visibility is terrible. So while I still go out, and certainly carry things from home to class and a lot of my artwork tires me out from squatting and lifting things for so long, the default in winter is sitting at a desk or sitting in bed.

But this warm weather has me all energized up! Today I used small dumbbells, and I went to the beach, and I wanted to go biking but my lights are lost somewhere. I somewhat want to go to the gym but the pool closes in 20 minutes. And it is very dark out. And I don't want to use any of the other equipment today because my knee and foot soles and heel hurt. And back. It's all the sedentation of winter. Calcifying me. It really is too- the heel pain is from driving.