This is another story sent to the family.

7 May 1996

OK, this is not a long story.  I did recently write another story in French,
and sent a copy by regular mail (oh so archaic) to Mom and Dad.

So, the title of this story is lipscreen, and you are all grimacing and
wondering what gymnastics and grunting I had to go through in some specialty
French shop to be rewarded with an expensive product that turned my lips green
when the sun hit them.  Sorry, it's not that dramatic.  I realized the other
day though, that I had bought two lip moisturizers and neither of them had any
sun protection in them.  How ridiculous, I thought.  Most of the lip
moisturizers do have sunscreen in them in the States.  How do they think the
lips are getting dry?  So when I saw some lipscreen with a number 15 on the
side of the container, sitting right there by the cash register so easy to
purchase and not too expensive, I was delighted.  Ha, I thought.  No long sagas
this time.  I pocketed the lipscreen and forgot about it.  (Well, I paid for
it of course; on re-reading this I realize that was not clear...)  Sunday I was
sitting on the beach in Juan-les-Pins, and guess what, my lips started to get
dry.  Bing!  A little light bulb when on and I remembered that I had already
bought some lipscreen.  No problem.  I pulled it out of my sack, opened the
tube, and began to apply it in the usual manner.  Well, I almost ate a big glob
of the stuff, it came off its tube so easily.  It was all gooey and soft and
practically liquid and certainly not maintaining its tubular form.  Go figure.
A lipscreen that doesn't hold up to exposure to the sun.  Isn't that just like
making a vegetable steamer out of a material that melts at something below
212F?  (F since I'm writing in English.)  Well, at least I don't have burnt
lips.  Nor a burnt tongue, burnt teeth, or burnt tonsils...

Lifestyle in France is so similar to the USA, so why oh why is every
little thing like this so different...