swimmin' in the rain, just swimmin' in the rain

As usual, I could feel the laughter. It began as air in my chest and worked its up my throat becoming a little giggle. The giggle was hard to suppress (as many giggles are), and I was quickly laughing out loud. I tried to hide the "haha's, hehehe's, and hoho's"....tried to bury my face into my towel, but the thought of the situation was just too much for me. The laughter couldn't be hidden.

The day was beautiful. A storm came through during church, but by the time it was over, the sun was shining and it was becoming rather muggy. My friend, Raina, and I had started the summer with this great plan of laying by the pool at her apartment complex every Sunday after church. The first two weeks, we were rained out. The third week was father's day. But today, well, it was going to be the day! Raina called and I drove out to her place...just imagining the bliss of the next two hours. We walked across the street, through the clubhouse, and into the....oh wait, the pool...it was a scummy green and had a "Closed for maintenance" sign gloomily hanging above it. We were doomed. A fourth Sunday with no pool.

Raina made a phone call and found a place for us to swim or...er....not swim. An apartment complex nearby. We arrived, staked out our spots, stripped down to our swimsuits, and settled into sun and good conversation. We had been discussing the state of men (which is another topic for another time) when we noticed a rather large, looming, gray cloud headed our direction.

"It's gonna blow over," I said. "Nothing is keeping us from our relaxing by the pool." A few minutes later, small drops of water began to land on us.

"It's just a little sprinkle," I said. "Nothing to worry about. The sun will be back in a minute."

Within a few seconds, people were scurrying to get underneath those tabletop umbrellas; away from the downpour. I merely rolled over on my stomach to keep it from pounding on my face.

"It's just a little sprinkle," Raina said in the same voice I had used. That's when the laughter began.

So there I was, roaring with laughter while lying on a towel by the pool; rain splattering on my back; the irony of the whole situation running through my brain. We decided that we didn't mind being the rain, but wanted our stuff to stay dry so we moved beneath an unoccupied umbrella. And then instead of returning to our towels...we did as the children were doing...we got IN the POOL! It was so fabulous! Swimming in a downpour! (the pool was actually warmer than the rain, too!)

I love rainy days. They make me feel refreshed, renewed; like starting something new. And today....it also made me feel like a kid...swimming in the rain. Raina and I could have run for the car....let the rain ruin the afternoon we had planned. But instead we embraced it and made it part of the fun!

I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain

Dear Diary

Dear Diary,

Today is a day that needs to be on record so you have the joy of listening and being the time capsule that you are so grand at being.

I started a new weight training program at my local gym. My friend Jon set up my program. After doing my day two routine today, I discovered that my cellphone had been stolen...most likely by one of the teenaged day campers. The only reason I believe this is that when we called it, EVERY time the same voice would answer and it definitely sounded like a kid.

So I trudged home...I say trudged not only in light of the circumstances, but also because I was incredibly sore from this new routine. I parked my car, went inside, and again, called my cellphone. I checked the messages and then called the cellphone company to put a lock on my service for the time being. Then I returned one of the phone calls. I had just hung up the phone when I heard a crash outside. And then I heard on of the male teenagers that live in my neighborhood say "oh dang!" And THEN I realized that the sound had come from the direction of where I had parked my car. So I trudged to the window not wanting to see what I already knew. The guys were playing catch and had nailed (and SHATTERED) my back window with the football. There was glass everywhere - even in my front seat! So I dealt with that.

Then I went to work. And now I'm going to bed because tomorrow I still have to deal with both my cellphone and my window being gone. I'll share some pictures with you as soon as I get them developed.

Dreaming already (of a world where stuff like this doesn't really matter)

Amanda