rain, rain...get lost!

usually my morning commute is relatively pain free. go outside, walk one block, catch the bus right away (courtesy of the bus tracker, amen finally the cta did something right!) get off the bus 8 minutes later, walk 2 blocks to work and eventually settle in at my desk with a bottle of water and maybe even a delicious bagel.

today, however, that was not the case.

today i walked outside and it was raining hard. very hard. and the wind was blowing so fast that the rain looked as if it was literally raining horizontally.

luckily, i was prepared and sported my bright pink and navy blue wellies (courtesy of my older sister) they kept my feet warm and dry, and added a little touch of fun to the dreary chicago morning. thank you to my older sister for these lovely shoes.

i do sort of want to get a pair of pink hunters though, and the adorable wellie socks. however, the pinks are nowhere to be found, or else i'd put a link right here, and give you my shipping address!

now, you might be thinking-does this girl need another pair of pink rain boots? probably not, but what in the world makes you think i only buy things because i *need* them?

the nice thing about the hunter boot/sock combination is that the socks keep the inside of the boot as warm as my uggs, and the outside will stay nice and dry (unlike my uggs). the problem with uggs is that they are warm, yes, but they certainly were not created to deal with the slush accumulation in the windy city, and definitely not for a public transportation utilizer.

my next problem presented itself in the form of protecting my body from the elements.

i am not joking when i tell you that the wind was literally knocking people over. granted that girl needed a sandwich more than anything, but that is pretty fast wind. my umbrella was flapping around, and flipped itself inside out more than once. i thought i might literally be able to float to to work like mary poppins. alas, that did not work.

a friend of a friend presented the umbrella conversation on his blog today, and i completely and wholeheartedly agree with his conclusion. bubble umbrellas. bubble umbrellas are the best. i temporarily had one of these beauts in college, but of course lost it in a cab after a frat party, never to return again. it just might be time to purchase a new one. plus, because i so frequently use my umbrella to block the wind, at least with one of these bad boys i'll be able to see if anything is coming towards me. like people. or cars. or double decker busses!!

plus i absolutely love the curved handle, how very holly golightly. and the top, i don't know what else to call it but a stick at the top. perfect for keeping the plastic protected from the treacherous pavement. with a long umbrella like that, its sure to drag on the ground every now and again.

of course, it only seems fitting that just as i figure out my fall time weather gear that it is actually going to be winter soon and all that i will care about is warm warm warm. oy break out the north face coats and face masks chicagoans...the blizzards are just around the corner!!