The Dreaded Sea Tick

Every year for over 20 years my family took a trip down to New Port beach thanks to my grandma Verna. 


This trip was our favorite trip of the year.  Most of our time was spent out on the beach watching the kids play the waves.  My kids loved to go boogie boarding.  They would spend most of the day doing this.  


A boogie board looks like this.............

It's made out of foam type material and you lay on it to ride the waves.

After riding waves on a boogie board all day long, as you can well imagine, you tend to develop a small issue with chafing.  Between the sand, salt water and tender parts,  the person riding the boogie board all day gets nipple and belly chafage.


I would hear complaints from my boys about their chafing issues. Now there are several remedies to help the chafing.  It's just that most of them really don't work.


Whitey tried sea weed once ..............

(or perhaps he just wanted to see what it was like to wear a bikini.)

Sometimes you'd see a family member with band aids placed strategically on chafed areas.  Sometimes, when there was no solution to the problem, the kids would just compare the severity of chafing............

My two sons and nephew comparing nippage chafing

One day my young son Whitey came in from the beach and he and his brother Rocky were very concerned.  Whitey said he had a dark spot by his belly button that was hurting and he wanted to know what it was.  

Now I'm not without my petty tortures.  I know Mickey Sr. is usually the guy for the job but I like to have my fun now and then.  Mickey will usually join in the fun if I start it.  Anyway, I knew that from the time Whitey was tiny that he had a small dark mole right by his navel.  I thought that he would have noticed that mole by now but apparently not so I just put two and two together.  Chafing + dark mole=sea tick.  

My next thought was, "This is going to be good."  

I inspected his mole closely while he and Rocky waited patiently for my diagnosis.  I made a lot of  uhh uh, hum, wow, I can't believe this, sounds.  

After a few tense moments I said, "Boy, I haven't seen this in a long time. In fact I don't know if I've ever seen this before but I can't believe this."  Whitey and Rocky's eyes got big as pies and in unison they said, "What?  What is it?"

In a very matter of fact way and almost sounding like the Dr., I pronounced my diagnosis........."Whitey, you have a sea tick."

Rocky started jumping up and down with excitement and Whitey looked a tich panicked but ready to deal with the treatment.  

Whitey then asked me, "What will it do to me."

I told him nothing if we removed it quickly but that sea ticks are dangerous when left in the skin.

At this point I was still wondering how in the world does this kid not know that that's his mole that he's been looking at for years?"  

This was almost too good to be true.  Whitey then said, "So how do I get it out?"  

Well, that was obvious to me......."You have to remove it just the same as you would a regular tick...........by holding a match to it."

By now Rocky was in full jumping, laughing and wincing mode.  

Next thing I heard was Mickey in the background saying, "Shari, let me handle this one.  Whitey I'll get it out right now."

Of course Mickey jumped in when it was time for the real fun.  He ran and grabbed some matches and had everyone gather round.  

Then Mickey said, "Ok Whitey, are you ready?  I'll just light this match and hold it to the tick and then it will get so hot it will back right out of your skin and you're good to go."

Whitey moaned, grunted and said, "Ready."  

Mickey lit the match.  I was thinking, how far do we go?  (now that's a scary thought coming from a parent)

Mickey held the lit match to the sea tick and before it started to burn Whitey's mole I stopped the fun.  I proceeded to try to tell Whitey the truth.  The laughter was killing me and I was still wondering how he didn't recognize his own mole.  

Ahh good times.

Wow I miss the beach!