Theme of Spring 2008: Rain

I'll bet you thought, when you saw my title, that I was going to express my solidarity with all of those soggy folks in Iowa and Wisconsin who are being forced to wring out and rebuild their dampened lives. The support is there, to be sure. But False Reckonings is hardly the repository of my selfless virtue. This post is really more about how rain has gotten in the way of my recreational weekend activities.

We went to NYC yesterday to see Vampire Weekend in Central Park. Fun, no? We made it even funner by stopping first in Brooklyn to see the latest show at ArtBreak Gallery (if you are in the neighborhood, check out some awesome mixed media triptychs that feature graffiti caricatures of Rove, Rice, Cheney et al in trash-filled subway tunnels) and having drinks with friends Matt & Megan.

See the lovely outdoor beer garden? Well, it didn't last. We were driven inside by the rain. That was OK. We got to admire these lovely, handmade tiles, harvested from old buildings being torn down along the Amalfi Coast of Italy (or, at least that is the very colorful yarn spun by Matt).

The rain let up a bit and we headed for Central Park. We got about as far as Hunter College and were driven under their awning by another downpour. We could see a mansard roof through the raindrops. That was some consolation.

We finally got to the concert in time to see all of the true fans hanging around in the mud, their clothing soaked to their skin, and hear "Out of Cape Cod." That was it. And then we headed back to Brooklyn for supper, and were treated to the dramatic sky you see at the top of this post.

Guess what happened while we were walking from the subway to M. Shanghai for supper? Another downpour. This time, our rumbling bellies won out over our desire to stay dry, and we arrived sodden. May herself, who was sitting with Matt & Megan, graciously seated us despite our looking a little obscene and leaving a wet trail to our table. Here's Johnny, slowly drying and digesting pork dumplings with peanut sauce:


Summer starts next week. And I want the solstice to usher in mild temperatures and sunshine.