Not really — not today — but one can dream. At least it isn't raining. The sun will shine again, perhaps as soon as tomorrow. The basement will drain, so I can stop babysitting the sump pump, clearing its clogs, making sure it's operating at its highest capacity, that it hasn't burnt out. I can so relate to that sump pump ... without which we'd be sunk (seriously) right about now.
Meanwhile, here's a looking-at-the-bright-side snippet I overheard at the coffee shop yesterday: "One thing about Newporters; they've got nice foul weather gear." It's true. I confirmed it by looking around me at the sea of heavy-duty jackets in red, yellow and blue with hard-to-open velcro pockets and industrial-strength zippers and reflective trim and strangely-shaped hoods with stretchy strings attached. Hey, we need our foul weather gear — not just in Newport, of course. And (lest you think otherwise) it's not about money, or showmanship, or even about boats. It's because there are good deals on foul weather gear at the Boat Show, spring and fall.
I saw the spectacle — the foul weather gear spectacle — again this morning, on TV (back at the coffee shop), where a reporter stood beside a closed ramp of Route 95 in a very sporty red raincoat with a huge "HH" logo on it. Nothing against Helly Hansen; I love Helly Hansen. But is this the image Rhode Island conveys to the world?? Yes, the tiniest state is making headlines for its foul weather (even its figurative foul weather):
CRANSTON, R.I. – A record-shattering rainstorm hammered the Northeast on Tuesday, delivering widespread flooding for the second time this month and unleashing particular havoc in Rhode Island, a tiny coastal state already beleaguered by a sagging economy and backbreaking unemployment rate. The storm soaked all corners of what is known as the Ocean State, pushing rivers over their banks, closing roads and schools, and requiring hundreds of people to evacuate, including by boat. The rain finally tapered off by Tuesday afternoon but resumed in Providence by evening, with officials bracing for what is expected to be the most severe flooding to hit the state in more than 100 years.
Great. Looking forward to it. The sunshine, that is. Despite whatever storms, imperfections, energy issues, emptiness — and all manner of foulness — may arise (or fall) in the meantime ...
