monsoon .

Well, here I was just saying the other day that we had magically escape the torrential downpours of January and February that Clemson is notorious for. And yet, here we are, sitting in the middle of what some may call a straight-up monsoon. Looks like it's time to sacrifice Pierre Tong again to appease the weather gods....


It's probably my least favorite part of the year in Clemson. Don't get me wrong, I dig rain and all, but sometimes it's just too much. Like, for example, at the beginning of this year. First Friday parade: goes great, marching through downtown, it ends, and all of a sudden, TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR!!!

And I mean torrential. I've never seen anything like it. In New Jersey, if it rains that hard, there is no way it's continuing for more than an hour. But down here, it seems as if the clouds suck up as much precipitation as they possibly can until they are about to explode, and then decide to spit it out literally down all over Clemson. Thanks a lot, Mother Nature!

Normally, I wouldn't mind the rain. Watching it fall with such ferocity is pretty neat, and the sound it makes on the ground, the pavement, and the wind howling against the windows is an eye-opening experience, proof of the strength that the natural elements have -- a delicate operation that yields frightening results.

However, getting to class in this sort of weather, in a word, SUCKS. Being that I normally longboard to class, rain is my worst enemy. Even if the roads are just a bit wet, it goes from being an enjoyable ride to class, to a miserable one, or perhaps, if it's bad enough, a lack altogether of a ride. I can't stand walking to class. It's tedious, boring, etc. etc. Not to mention you can slip and totally eat it if you ride even when it is wet.

Well, this morning it had rained and was still kindof spritzing outside, and I decided to ride to class anyways. I was moving a bit sluggishly this morning, and kinda dragging a bit, and left the apartment later than usual. That was the first dumb thing on my part. The second, was that I wore white jeans. Note to self: never wear white pants when it's wet outside. Since I was running later than usual, I decided to board to class despite the wet pavement. Bad choice for 2 reasons: first, the water was spraying up from my wheels all over the bottom of my pants. Second, I seemed to forget that drivers in the south are stupid (stereotypical generalization, I know, but bear with me for a moment...)

 So I'm rolling down the right side of the road, and I notice a car behind me, so I'm like okay, and move over as far as I can. Bigger vehicle = I'm toast if I stay in the road. So they go to blow by me, and then all of a sudden move in front of me and slam on the breaks. Given that it's already slippery and probably too much so to stop abruptly, and I don't think there's enough room on the right side of the car for me to squeeze by, I swerve into the opposing lane of traffic to go around the car. Driver then proceeds to make a left turn while I'm passing, without a turn signal on nonetheless. So I am forced to turn with them into their stinkin' parking lot, almost sliding out and eating it face-first on pavement in the process. Point being, miss driver, you, are a stupidhead idiotface. Who probably shouldn't be driving.

Frustration, woo.

Rest of the day went well though, despite the wet weather. Presentation went well, and went for an excellent run. Bis morgen, tschüss!

Lyric of the day:
"And you never have to see, the light that wraps itself around me"