Watching storms start to form over America

[sovay]

Today I paid my taxes and buried my umbrella. It was free from the World Wildlife Foundation, but I expected it to last more than a month. Having already cracked from the stress of the wind on my way to the post office, it snapped in half and blew inside out as I walked back from my dentist's appointment. After that it was a beautiful piece of conceptual art and absolutely no use at keeping off the rain: I gave it a state funeral in the trash can outside the Au Bon Pain on Cambridge Street. It had a wooden shaft, black metal struts, and a blue-and-white design of pandas. I felt bad for the pandas, but I think "decorative" is the least endangered species. I am told it's going to snow tonight.

ALL RIGHT, NEW ENGLAND, YOU CAN STOP NOW.

Comments

[rinue]

The wind was certainly something today. My respects to your departed umbrella, long may it be remembered.

[phi]

I've given up on carrying an umbrella after the winter when I lost four of them to wind damage.

I saw the snow last night! And spluttered in furious confusion at it!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Ahh, that Au Bon Pain!

Man.

I have so many memories of that ugly complex. So many.

But was it a good final resting place for a panda umbrella?

And will you commemorate the umbrella 40 days from now?

YES NEW ENGLAND, PLEASE DO.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

I preserved my umbrella by the simple expedient of downfurling it and getting soaked. The longest-lasting umbrella I ever had was the cheapest and ugliest: a seventies atrocity ringed in chartreuse, Tang orange, electric violet, and hippo-shit brown. Had that for over 30 years. Couldn't lose it, couldn't break it, couldn't wear it out. Until one day, I opened it and every rib and joint and strut in it disarticulated, and it fell apart, like the Deacon's masterpiece.

The nice ones go first.

Nine

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

If we were anywhere near you, Martin would have skinned your umbrella and added it to the collection of brollyhides for the motley sou'wester he's currently not making.

*sends you some spring with this*

[beowabbit]

I mourn the loss of your umbrella. May it rest in peace.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

That's too bad about the umbrella. They always make for a very frustrating sort of conceptual art, even when it's a rainy windy day in a major city and the rubbish bins become tight packed umbrella necropoles* which might actually be rather aesthetic if one weren't at that very moment being bombarded by water performing its very best impression of several thousand gross of shoemaker's knives.

I felt bad for the pandas, but I think "decorative" is the least endangered species.

Good point!

I am told it's going to snow tonight.

Did it? It dropped thirty degress between seven and eleven PM here, and turned from sleet to snow around when I got home from sessioning in Hamden. The yard was still mostly coveredd at noon, and patches of snow in the shade made it through the day.

ALL RIGHT, NEW ENGLAND, YOU CAN STOP NOW.

Word.

*Or should I say necropoleis?