The other day I learned something that I found really interesting about myself.
I was standing on the front porch, listening to thunder rumbling closer and smelling rain in the air, as I happen to love storms. I was just standing there, smoking a cigarette, when I heard the little "Doo-doodedado-dedo-dedo -da-dedade-dedoo-doo!" chiming of Mr Softy.
That's what our local ice cream van is named. Fortunately, it's generally run by women, so no self-esteem issues come into play.
Anyway, I stood there, watching the ice cream van come down the street and I thought, "Do I feel like having a milkshake?"
I wasn't sure. That's important, so I want to make specific note that I was on the fence and indecisive as to weather I was in fact in the mood for a milkshake. But, it had been one of those just-starting-summer-in-earnest days, where it catches you flatfooted with temperatures you're not prepared for, even if it's not quite hot, per se. So, I decided, more as a sort of seasonal starting summer thing,"What the hell, why not? I'm gonna have a chocolate shake."
In the process of making my decision, though, the rain had started. It fell just lightly, at first, but by the time I'd made my way halfway down the block to where Mr. Softy had stopped and his line started, it was a pretty healthy patter.
As I said, I happen to like storms, and I also rather like rain, especially in the summer. So, this wouldn't be so much of a problem. Except it's early summer, and the storm seemed to come out of the north.
So, it wasn't quite like one of those old NesTea commercials where the sweaty people in the street are all going "Ahhh, that rain is so refreshing on a hot day!" It was actually a very unpleasantly cold rain. I'd say it was more reminiscent of Louis Gosset Jr. in "An Officer and a Gentleman" with a water-hose saying "You don't want that chocolate shake bad enough, do you, boy?" kinda rains.