Making the Most of a Rainy Day

Today is a rainy day. Typically, this would piss me off and make me feel like a bitter old man who's rocking chair got stuck on a pebble. Oddly enough, I am feeling fairly optimistic about the crappy weather - due probably to the absolutely beautiful weekend we just had and the even better forecast for the upcoming weekend. That being said, I have come up with a list of things that would make rainy days a more tolerable experience. Hopefully some, if not all of these items will be available to our children when they reach the age of weather knowledge


(This also brings up the question of when is the age when kids are able to acknowledge a difference in the weather. Is it innate or is it learned? If a kids parents had some weird enjoyment of nasty weather would their kids have it too? Or if a certain culture worshiped the god of rain would everyone look forward to it? My assumption is that it's a little bit of both and that "weather knowledge" probably happens sometime between an infant's first step and their first word - which in my child's case will undoubtedly be "dada".) But enough of that, here's a few things which would help everyone turn those frowns upside down during rainy days.


Allotted Rain Days - It might just be me, but the majority of the time, I'd much rather go into work if I was sick and it was nice out than if I was perfectly healthy but it was raining out. Therefore, I think employers should allot a certain number of "rain days", allowing employees to work from home if the weather is crappy. By decreasing the amount of time employees spend feeling miserable in the office, you can totally increase company morale! The only problem with taking a "rain day" is that it is in direct opposition to my other proposed day off - "80 degrees and Sunny Days"


Slip n' Slide Sidewalks - Just imagine the most serious person you know cruising down the sidewalk via slip n'slide, waiving as they pass by. If that doesn't put a smile on your face I don't know what will. I think people would stop taking themselves (and everyone else) so seriously if Slip n' Slides were more widely used - especially on rainy days.


Flavored Rain - If we can build skyscapers and atomic bombs, why the hell can't we make the rain flavored. I for one would be much less depressed about the rain if I knew I could lay some empty water bottles outside and stock up on a tasty beverage. Sure...it might get a little sticky icky icky, but a little stick never hurt anyone. To be frank, I'm fairly sure the technology to make flavored rain exists, but companies like Glaceau (Vitamin Water) and Gatorade have paid millions to keep it silent.


Goggles - If these tight fitting, protective spectacles ever find a place in modern day fashion, I hope it is during rainy days. It would give people a reason to look forward to going out during a shower - "Oh, its a gonna pour today?...Great, I've been looking for an opportunity to sport my Gucci Goggles". I might be a bit biased though. My 7th grade role model, Seth Green, flawlessly pulled off the goggle look in the movie Can't Hardly Wait. I've been secretly praying they make a comeback (both Seth Green and goggle wearing) every since.


Waterproof Matches - This would just be cool. And it would give me even more of a reason to laugh at the physic majors...except Samantha, she's such a cutie pie.

And there it is. A few simple things that could better the lives of our children during rainy days. And its all about the children.


I will end this blog with a semi-relative quote from jazz icon Billie Holiday:

"Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in the rain"