Off The Cuff: Having fun can be painful

A balmy day in the sun is what I need, or at least that is what I have been told I need. Go to the great outdoors, enjoy yourself, interact socially (and sometimes anti-socially) with others. Get some exercise.

So that is exactly what I am doing. Sitting under a palm, whose shade I have to play catch with every 15 minutes, I am actually wondering what made me indulge in this kind of activity.

My friends say we are having a picnic. We are having fun, enjoying ourselves. That is their version, mine is slightly different.

The sand feels hot under the chequered sheet, the skin feels hotter, and the bottled soft drink is warm to the touch - and I am supposed to be having a whale of a time. Some of my friends are having fun dancing barefoot (or are they trying to prevent their soles from getting burnt?) to a very swingy tune, albeit a little bit sluggishly. No one should point fingers at their pace, after all the temperature is still in the high Thirties.

Two weeks ago someone said: "Let's go out, the climate is much better." Many phone calls and SMS messages later, everything got organised (the fact that I had to make a last minute dash to the supermarket for plastic spoons is not to be mentioned).

I hit the beach, literally, in the mad rush to get on to the soft sand; one of my buddies tripped me. All the paraphernalia was dumped and there was a whoop: "Let the games begin."

Sandals and some driftwood became goal posts, teams hurriedly drawn up, and the football match began. My feeble attempts to warm up ended with someone yelling: "Get the ball."

A few pulled muscles, some bruises and one sprained ankle later, my mates and I realised that we were not getting any younger, and that 15 minutes of running in the sand can be a very long time.

The cool turquoise water was refreshing, and there was plenty of horsing around. We stopped laughing when we got back to our stuff and realised someone had kept the icebox open and the soft drinks and juice had become warm.

Thirst overruled any urge to find the culprit; the liquid refreshment was gulped down quickly.
A couple of guys were told to put their culinary skills on display and they did. The roast tongue with fried squids was a strange combination, but when it tastes good no one complains. The sandwiches were another matter. Sand-laced corned beef is definitely not to my taste.

It has been a long day, I am tired, I am sore, and I need a shower. I counted three bruises and two cuts, I guess football is not my forte, didn't even score a goal. Before the sun dipped into the horizon, I reached home and was glad.

The next day, I received and made calls. It was unanimously agreed that we had a great time. The picnic would be a nice topic of conversation over the next few meetings.

I look forward to the next outing.

And maybe complain again while I endure the 'good times' and fondly reminiscence about it later.