A bit rough

When I was first invited to play in a weekend basketball carnival a few months ago I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it through a day of multiple games without my back giving out completely.

Then, last Sunday with the carnival less than a week away I rolled my ankle and I wasn't sure I'd even be able to run during the six games of basketball I'd have to play on the first day.

What I didn't expect, and thus it came as a surprise, was that on the third day of Christmas I would get extreme thigh chafing. After 12 hours of running around in the same sweaty underwear with my thighs constantly going scrape, scrape, scrape I emerged from day one of this weekend carnival with long red rashes down each of my inner thighs. And disturbingly, much less leg hair.

Indeed by the middle of the last game all I could do as a ran-waddled up the court each time was pray for some sort of cool, soothing relief. I was shocked to then actually receive some in what I thought was moisturiser from god appearing on my legs during someone else's free-throws. But it actually turned out to be blood running down my quadriceps.

After getting home and showering I pillaged the bathroom for anything that might be helpful. There I found Nivea Cooling Skin Relief, and this sounded like a blessing. It spoke of dry, red and irritated skin and of the power of its cool, refreshing results. So I wiped a palmful along the inside of one thigh, realising immediately that this bottle had come from a razor gift pack and that the product contained obscene amounts of aftershave. I almost broke my jaw from screaming.

After my second shower I found some Vaseline in my brother's room and applied that conservatively, and then extremely religiously about my nether regions. This has helped a lot. Coming from sensuous linen pants yesterday to grimacing every step this evening has come as quite a shock. I have more games tomorrow.