How's the Weather?*
After last week's exotic sunshine, we really should have expected this.

Whatever clog had been stopping the floodgates of Oregon's rain is now removed. It began at a trickle yesterday and flowed into the night. Today the sky has opened and pisses on us in full fury.

All right, so I overdramatize (is what I do best ;) but I did just bike from 24th in this monsoon. My pants got wet THROUGH my rain gear. My wool gloves will be moist for the next twenty years. It's my fault for not selling out to REI and getting some decent jacketry. Ah, well.

It's wet out there, very, very wet. There's something soothing about rain, something that makes it okay to stay inside and laze with a good book. Or, if you're me, just plan on lazing with a good book an end up staring at Frederick's damn screen like always. Hypnotic bastard. Actually, last night I made soup. Lots and lot of soup. Not even for dinner but just because it was rainy and it seemed appropriate. When I have the time on my hands, cooking is very enjoyable. I started with a basic recipe for Mushroom Barley soup and ended up, as always, both improvising and nearly doubling the quantity. Lessee, 1 can chopped tomatoes, 2 cups vegetable broth, 2 cups chicken broth, a shitload of shiitake mushrooms, 1 huge portabella, an onion, mucho garlic, a red bell pepper, some frozen veggie mix, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sautee veggies, at goop, simmer 1 hour. Soup easy. Is good and warm. After last week's summer-ness, I figure'd I'd better jump at the chance to make it while I still could, and have some for rainy days when I'm busy. I froze a couple quarts.

And it looks like the weather is cooling. The forecast predicts the temperature will drop into the afternoon and we'll see snow at 500 feet. That might be entertaining. The people around here will cease to function. "Not SNOW!!! We might all DIE!!!!" Gimme a break.

Today, on the way up Alder, I saw a curious sight. There was a biker coming down the hill toward me (always downhill, like I said) holding an umbrella above right above his head. At first, I thought it must be attacked to him, like a hat, because it rested almost on top of his head, but as he drew closer I saw that it was a children's umbrella. The funny thing about it was that it was a Powerpuff Girl, and just her face, so when he rested it above his face, it made him look like he had a gigantic, oblong cartoon head. I passed him, hunched over his bike, and he smiled. A hippie guy, in dreads, riding a light pink schwinn with a bannana seat, and clutching a Powerpuff girl umbrella. What a world.

Rain on.

*I almost forgot this was an in-joke at some point....Good lord, don't make me go listen to Billie Myers-Kiss the Rain