Rainageddon!

     Look out SoCal it's raining, and you know what that means! Get on your snow boots, down jackets, and thick scarfs because the temperature has hit 49 degrees! Remember to bubble wrap your children and get a couple of good books out, you're going to be stuck in traffic for the next five hours.

A plant in my garden during a break in the rain

    For those of you who don't live in Southern California, or have never visited us when we encounter a 'rain storm' let me enlighten you.

       For most of the world rain is a completely normal experience. You look at the rain and think 'I can just wear my hoodie' and then get on with your life. In Southern California most people take one look at drizzly rain and throw on a huge jacket and arm themselves with an umbrella. Now sure, I'm guilty of this, but to be fair its the ONLY TIME we're able to wear something even resembling fall fashion. The real problem here is driving.

      If you will recall an older entry I wrote on driving etiquette in the OC, then you will know how awful our traffic is. So you can imagine then just how god awful it is in the rain. People in California can barely drive (I should know, I've been 'almost' hit more times than I can count) and when the rain comes your safest bet--if you're smart or a visitor--is to just stay inside. Don't say I didn't warn you! I have seen a huge SUV spin out right in front my car because they were driving too fast, and CA roads are not designed for rain.

     Most people however treat it like a regular day and don't driver slower despite the knowledge of the slick roads--thus leading to 20 car pile-ups (car crashes). My personal favorite occurrence is a small fender bender where there is almost NO damage, but it doesn't stop 1.2 million people from wanting to look at it like its a new ride at Disneyland and creating traffic for NO GOOD REASON.

    I suppose my love of rain is in part due to my childhood, where I spent most of my rainy days happily listening to stories my dad would make up, read books, or snuggle into a couch with tomato soup and a movie. In other words, to enjoy the rain and use it as an excuse to not work. But most people in CA are hardly ever prepared for rain--not even a light misting.

    So please, if you visit while its raining and you want to live, stay inside while it rains. Or toddle over to a movie theater and stay there until the rain leaves (or the other people), because if you don't you'll be coming face to face with wild eyed freaked-out SoCal residences who will look at you and bemoan the rain that we actually need to keep our water sources and hills replenished. And you, you lucky people, only have to throw on a hoodie!

A Rose in my garden after a good soaking!