When we lived in California, I think the kids and I wore the same thing every day from June-August: our bathing suits, t-shirts, and flip flops.
Now you'd think 90 degree weather would be "bathing suit weather" no matter where you lived.
But not in Utah. (My apologies in advance to you native Utahns that I'm about to offend.)
For some strange reason--and I think it's a combination of the fact that we wear parkas for 5 months out of the year AND that we live in an area that has a high concentrated of Latter-day Saints (myself included)--but we Utahns simply aren't as comfortable with people in their bathing suits. (And, I mean their literal bathings suits. Not a metaphor. That's another post.)
Case in point:
As I sit down to write this morning (in my bathing suit, cover up, and flip flops), Dave walks by and says, "going to the pool today?"
No, I'm not. I just woke up this morning and felt like it was time for some summer fun. I wanted to get up, get in the shower, and not put on make-up or iron shorts. I wanted to spray on suntan lotion and smell the smell of Coppertone--for no reason at ALL! Sure, I might roll out the Slip-in-Slide and hose down a kid or two--but then again, maybe I won't.
You see, in Utah I need a reason to have my bathing suit on. Not heading to the pool? Get a turtle neck on, sister.
Please know, I'm not saying modesty is a bad thing. I don't long for the days when tube tops were in. It just strikes me as funny that I was once comfortable walking into an AM/PM mini-market with flip-flops and a coverup, and now I'm justifying wearing that same outfit in my own home.
And before you email me with your hostilities, please know I'm pretty sure that now that I live in Utah, I reinforce the same standards that I'm complaining about. (I'm probably a bathing suit hater, and I don't even know it. I bet if my neighbor was out pulling weeds in a bikini and Daisy Dukes, I'd ask the same question, "heading to the pool today?")
