Rainy day blues

It's days like this (i.e. trying to dash to work in monsoon-like conditions – I say "trying to" because it was virtually impossible to dash anywhere on glacially slow-moving CTA buses and trains jam-packed with other commuters also trying to avoid the wild rain) that I'm reminded of why I need a really good, sturdy umbrella. Read, not your typical Chinatown cheapie buy-on-the-fly for a few bucks. (I certainly own more than a few of those!) Stringy hair, soggy coat sleeves, and wet leather does not look or smell pretty, believe me.

Besides that, I've mostly been using a blue and green polka dot umbrella from Target, like, circa 2003. The bright, summery colors make me happy especially on gray days, but it's been through a lot. The wrist strap long came off, it's missing the sleeve, and it suffers from a broken metal rod which means a small portion of the umbrella doesn't quite hold up in inclement weather, flapping around a bit like a sad little duck with a hurt wing.

I'm currently coveting this "Raindrops on Railways" umbrella from Modcloth.com, a reminder of my very favorite city in the world, New York. I love its clear vinyl and bright spots of yellow, and the large bubble shape should cover me well. I'm typically a bit too cheap to get a new whole umbrella, but wouldn't this be quite the stylish baby to tote around on a wet, wild day like today in Chicago?