Singing in the Rain

So I don't think anyone was happy today in NYC. The weather was stressful--rainy, windy and chilly. Clothes were dripping wet, facebook stati ranged from "the weather sucks" to "I'm staying in all day due to the rain...", and it was raining so bad at one point, that my bathroom was getting wet simply from having the window slightly ajar. Lovely.

Normally, I dread leaving my apartment when it's pouring, and I've had the worst luck with umbrellas. I hate them. They are inconvenient, they get in the way of everything and everyone on the streets of the city, and any decent sized, strong umbrella is about the length of my body. Moreover, I lose almost every one I buy, and if I don't lose them, I wind up throwing them out because they are cheap, so they are made poorly and can't withstand the wind. Sometimes, I feel like Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins on a rainy day, ready to get swept away by my cheap, 3 dollar purchase, only instead of a carpet bag I'm carrying a ten year old Le Sport Sac tote.

Recently, however, I received a fabulous umbrella from my friend Lindsay as a thank-you for being in her wedding party. It was one of the most brilliant gifts I've ever gotten. It's the dome-shaped type, as if you are holding up an egg and cut off the bottom part. It's clear plastic all around because it covers my entire face, and there are large, blue raindrops painted around the entire edge.

For the first time in my life I'm not afraid of getting wet! My hair stays dry! People look at the umbrella and smile at its cuteness! I find myself looking at my fellow New Yorkers and pitying their cheap little black ones that flip inside-out due to the wind. Oh, if only they were blessed with my gift! If only they knew the beauty of the dome umbrella! Not only does it cover my face AND my glasses so they don't fog up, not only does it keep my curls from frizzing, but it's completely impervious to the wind. I feel confident that I won't fly away because of high winds, and I know my umbrella will last for a looonnnngggg time. Today, I imagined myself twirling it around me on the sidewalk, a la Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain. That's how happy my gadget made me. It's the little things in life, people.