Playing in the Rain

It actually rained this afternoon. It gently started but soon turned into an ark-floating downpour. To get from my door to the car, I resorted to using a golf-umbrella - one of those big bumbershoots with multi-colored canvas and a large handle. As I went out the door with it, I was thinking that I seldom use it. And I quickly figured out why. Once you get in the car, it is impossible to close the silly thing. I finally managed to collapse it and drag it into the car. But in the process, I splashed rain all over both seats, the dash and my shirt.

By now the windows were completely fogged and as I backed into the street I hoped I wouldn't run over any widows or orphans. Turning the car eastward, I headed off toward Swensen's. Once there, I had to wield the umbrella out of the car without ripping the leather seats. I crossed the drive which was awash in several inches of water, and now I really was wet. In the meantime, I couldn't get the car doors to lock with the remote keypad. I would have had to cross back through the stream to be close enough to the car. I decided I'd wait until it slacked off and come back out.

Inside, damp and bedraggled, I felt like the Swamp Thing as I shuffled to my seat dragging the dripping umbrella. Now I really did feel unusually dorky. When I went to pay my bill, my Bank One card was declined. Then I tried my Rainbow card, and it too was declined. By pooling bills and coins, I was just able to met the tab. (For a few seconds, I had this image of myself in the kitchen at midnight still washing dirty dishes.)

Next time, I'll stay home and have a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich.

PAX!