It’s about a 9-hour drive from Minneapolis to Gray Summit, Missouri, if you account for gas and bathroom stops.  I had about 3 weeks notice that I would be making this trip and, as is my habit, I began trolling the Weather Channel.  The forecast was for rain on both days of my travel.  All day both days.  Ick. 

Driving in the rain is not my favorite thing to do, especially on highways.  It’s harder to see and requires some serious attention on wet roads.  Then there is the inconsistency of the water hitting the window shield due to all the various traffic that passes you by.  Most cars and smaller trucks do not have flaps, so they throw up a lot of spray.  And the larger semis do have flaps but with 18 wheels, the flaps don’t help much.  So I spent most of two days changing the speed of the window wipers. 

The biggest problem was one of my own making.  Every single time I had to get out of the car, I got wet.  Most gas stations have their pumps under cover but the walk from the pumps to the store (for the bathroom break) were not.  Murphy’s Law held true in that whenever I made this walk was when the rain came down heavier. 

“Why didn’t you have an umbrella?” you ask.  As well you should, considering that I’ve already told you that I knew the forecast.  I have no good answer.  Between us, YA and I own six umbrellas in various colors and sizes.  They all hang on a hook on the back porch; I actually looked at them as I was heading out the door.  A very brief thought went through my brain about what a pain to open the umbrella, shake out the umbrella, close the umbrella and make sure I didn’t get the inside of the car too wet.  So it was actually an intentional decision to leave the umbrella behind. 

I was sorry about this decision almost immediately and more than once I thought maybe I would pick up a cheapo umbrella along the way.  But then I thought of the six umbrellas on the porch and didn’t really want to add a sibling to that family.  So I just got we over and over again; seemed like every time I was just about dry, it was time to stop again.  Sheesh.  Hopefully on the next road trip, I’ll remember this. 

Any time you’ve shot yourself in the foot (metaphorically)?  Where do you keep the umbrellas at your place?