It rained like...

I bring my umbrella to work every day. Whether the forecast says 10 percent chance rain or the weatherman predicts an afternoon storm, I bring my umbrella. I bought a purse that was big enough to store one for inclement weather, deodorant for when I'm not feeling fresh and comfy shoes so I don't have to re-live my first day of work and suffer blisters for two weeks.

But today, I didn't heed the words of that Channel 4 weatherman, who promised afternoon showers that might turn heavy.

Boy was I stupid.

About 15 minutes before I left work, I asked my officemates if it was raining. It was pouring. Lucky for me, someone had an extra umbrella.

You know that expression "It rained like cats and dogs"?

It did just that. It was funny, really. No umbrella in the world protects against the downpour I endured on my way home.

Half-way home my pants were soaked. I smiled. But the guy pushing a stroller with his six-year-old running alongside him wasn't the least bit happy. He wore that laugh-and-you're-dead smirk on his face. He didn't have an umbrella.

I laughed when my foot slipped out of a sandal. But it barely registered a 2 on the funny-o-meter to the passersby.

And I thought this rain isn't so bad when I stepped off the curb and into a pee-warm puddle. It's the same sensation you get from a dip in a pool after kids have been in it all day.

Tomorrow I'll remember by umbrella.