NothingToDread.com

Wow, this is exciting. After years, months, days, hours, of surfing the web, visiting club, and exploring my inner nudist, I've decided it's time for me to join. Where do I sign?...

I got lazy... too lazy... I've been so focused on the simple act of survival that like many adults, I gradually drifted away from many activities that I truly enjoy. Sure, I still find time to ride my bicycle... closing in on my first 10,000 miles as a matter of fact..., but It's been far too long since I've spent some quality time nude in the great outdoors. My tan lines are now beyond ridiculous. Maybe I'll post some photos later.

hmmmm... most of the websites, clubs, and literature I've read have that AANR logo. American Association for Nude Recreation... maybe I should start there...

So, I decided it's time to get proactive. Time to start packing up the wife, cooler, towels, sun screen, etc., and take advantage of some of the wonderful clothes free opportunities that Southern California has to offer at least two days a month. With that in mind, I also decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to restore some of my long lapsed memberships and take advantage of the benefits and discounts that membership has to offer. Yes, that's right, it's a shame to say, but I haven't been a member of any local or national nudist associations or clubs for over a decade.

http://www.aanr.com... Ok, let's see... here it is. American Association for Nude Recreation. Nice site... smiling people. Nakation? Need to check that out... ah, there's the link Join or Renew Membership...

I decided to start with AANR. Perhaps next month I'll budget for TNS (More on that later). Membership in AANR (Back when it was still known as ASA) came as part of the package when I joined my first landed club back in the early 90s. Whether valid, or not, I have some recollection that while non-affiliated memberships (I believe that's how they referred to members who did not belong to local clubs) were available, such members carried a certain stigma of illegitimacy. I suppose the idea was that your local chapter could vouch for you in a pinch. I suppose it makes sense. At some point I moved far enough away from that local club, and as my membership there lapsed, so went my AANR membership. I always figured that I'd renew once I found a club to call home, but... well... you know... I've been busy.

Wow, so many choices... Ouch, $3,100 for something called Dual Elite Life Membership... wow, not sure I'd go that route even if I was eligible. At least not today. Maybe the "Associate Membership" tier is more appropriate for me. Dual vs. Individual? Ok, one is for couples and families, while the other is for singles. I get that... $57.00 vs. $91.50 a year? What happens if I just buy an individual membership? Won't my wife still get the 20% discount and my copy of "The Bulletin"? I know what they get for the $34.50, an extra $34.50, but what do I get? Satisfaction? Great... now that song is stuck in my head.

"Back in the day", AANR's monthly news... letter... magazine... paper? What the hell, I'll call it a magazine that looked like a news paper... The Bulletin was my primary portal into the world of nudism outside my little 75 mile radius. Sure, I had access to dial up bulletin board systems, and some discussions on AOL, Prodigy, Compuserve, etc, but The Bulletin was the most polished source of information that I received on a regular basis. Today the internet provides countless sources of information on a virtually realtime basis.

Ok, $91.50 a year for the Dual Associate Membership.. why take chances... what the hell, AANR needs my support so an extra $34.50 is the least I can do, right? Add to cart and on to the checkout screen. OK... a little demographic survey, but all they really require is my name, address and title information. Of course, billing info will probably come on the next screen. Hmmm... do I really want to receive The Bulletin? How does it show up at my door? Will the mail man see it and gossip with the neighbors? What about the children, roommates, neighbors and friends dropping by while I check the mail? No opt out option...?

I didn't bother looking up my old membership number. Even if a record of my membership was still available after all these years, I doubted that there'd be any benefit to attempting to revive the number. As I worked my way through the options at aanr.com, I started thinking like the new applicant that I'd essentially become. I remember the bulletin as the primary source of communication that I received from AANR in the 90s. I remember it arriving in a discrete and safe for work white envelope. The AANR logo raised some questions in my mind. What would be printed on the envelopes I received in the mail? Simply AANR, or will the words NUDE RECREATION be as prominently displayed on the envelopes as they are on the ANNR.com website? This raised the question, "Would a privacy conscious prospective member continue beyond this point"? I also started thinking about The Bulletin itself. Like many Americans, I've been moving away from paper in favor of electronic sources of information. I already view the view hardcopy magazines I receive as little more than clutter around the house; especially, when full electronic versions are available online. I thought of the stacks of back issues of The Bulletin that I already have stored away. Had there been an option to opt out of receiving the bulletin available during the sign up process at AANR.com, I probably would have taken it. A lot has changed over the course of the past decade. I'm a bit disappointed that AANR hasn't completely kept up with those changes.

Maybe I shouldn't... oh, what the hell... I'll sign up now, and I'm sure I can do something about the mailings if they become an issue. Rent a mailbox near the office? Oh hell, I don't know. Ok, here's the billing information... two weeks for delivery via US Shipping... I guess that's when they'll mail my physical membership card. They'll probably give me a membership number when I complete my purchase. Probably in the confirmation email when I'm done...

Thinking less like a new member than as a long time internet user, I was more than a little annoyed by the conclusion of my transaction. I can't think of an occasion, prior to purchasing a AANR membership online, when I haven't received some sort of account, membership, or user license number within hours of purchasing a membership online. I expected to see my membership number on my confirmation page, or at least in one of the three email messages I received following my account creation and membership purchase. Instead, I received one message advising me that I'd created a profile, another that it had been modified (during the creation process), and an electronic invoice indicating that I'd purchased a membership. No doubt the same communications I would have received had I purchased a towel.

Ok... they've had my credit card number and application for over 20 hours. What, no welcome message, membership number, description of member benefits, access to the forums, member discounts at the online store? Nothing? Will I really have to wait for the USPS before I can enjoy ANY benefits of membership? I'm starting to think that this organization sucks.