March 25, 2011

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  The Daily News
  
  1   Almost built me an ark yesterday.

  2   On the way home I took a back route. I went past Penitencia Creek and it looked eerily like a tsunami.

   

  3   We had flash flood warnings all over the place.

   

  4   A little scary, to be sure.

   

  5   Don't get me wrong. I find rain refreshingly peaceful.

   

  6   I have also learned the fine art of umbrellaing.

   

  7   And I love how green and lush everything gets.

   

  8   But that tiny creek suddenly roaring out of control gave pause.

   

  9   Ah, vell.

   

  10  It's sort of funny because yesterday I felt like Gene Kelley in the puddled parking lot. My foot accidentally splashed through a puddle at the same time I did a sort of choreographed sweep with my umbrella.

   

  11  A few years ago I learned how to use and keep umbrellas.

   

  12  Umbrellas we misplace because they are not a part of our daily routine.

   

  13   I no longer buy cheap umbrellas. The difference of say five or six dollars is well worth the investment.

   

  14   I also never open an umbrella if it is a windy rain.

   

  15   You have a seventy per cent chance of your umbrella turning inside out, and then you try desperately to use it for the rest of the day.

   

  16   <basketball buzzer>

   

  17   Ain't gonna work.

   

  18   On rainy days I stay in my classroom leaving the door unlocked because students continually come in after school having forgotten their umbrellas.

   

  19   They also come into class first thing in the morning with umbrellas that have turned inside out, like wet socks out of a dryer.

   

  20   Honestly, they should teach the fine art of umbrella-ing in school.

   

  21   What works better in life, knowing Algebra 2, or learning Umbrella Logic?

   

  22   The smartest students on the planet can't think through Umbrella Logic.

   

  23   Umbrellas are poetic too, if you give them a listen.

   

  24   It really could pass as a fine art.

   

  25    Mary Poppins uses hers to fly. Think about it.

   

  26    Ah, it's a lovely thing.

   

  27    Moving on, Part the Second: Rain.

   

  28    There's a Beatles' show playing at the Orpheum in San Francisco. It's called Rain.  I have to assume it is a cover band going through a tribute.

   

  29    Years ago they had a Broadway show called Beatlemania, which was a sort of tepid two-hour salute to the boys.

   

  30    As I recall, the group became a traveling cover band that would do county fairs and art-and-wine gigs during the summer.

   

  31   It was always sort of fun to hear. I'd like to hear a cover band do different versions of familiar songs, rather than going note for note. It's always weird to see salute bands anyway, because they're not the real deal.

   

  32   I do appreciate nice covers of good songs though. The late Harry Nilsson is on some Starbuck's CD and does a really sweet cover of Mother Nature's Son. And yes, it is close to the original, but quite lyrical and peaceful.

   

  33  Plays nicely with rain, and with thundering creeks and lush hills.
  
  34   It's raining steadily right now.
  
  35   It's peaceful.
  
  36   It's 4 a.m. and all is well.
  
  37   Time to sleep.
  
  38   Time to dream.
  
  39    Have a lovely weekend.
  
  40    Peace.
  
  

  ~H~
  
  

  www.xanga.com/bharrington

  
  

  

  
  

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