A trip to Boston has put me way behind my time and then the drive home was slow because it rained almost the whole trip. Even now it’s raining enough to keep Gracie from venturing outside.

The alarm was an unwelcome intrusion when it went off this morning at 7. I cursed my fate but got up knowing I needed a cup of coffee before I left. The trip wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I brought a pillow for my back and got home with nary an ache. In two weeks, I have the marathon to work so I know I’ll be fine after I did so well today.

The house is chilly with the dampness the rain has brought. My hands are cold, and I feel the need for a nap under warm covers. When I finish here, Gracie and I will get cozy.

When I was a little kid, we walked to school in all weather. When it rained liked today, we’d run as far as we could hoping to stay as dry as possible, but I still remember the smell of wet wool from our uniform skirts and winter coats. The drips from those coats would soak the cloakroom floor. No recess on a rainy day made us cranky.

I used to get home, change into my play clothes or even my pajamas and lie in bed and read. I needed to feel warm after the walk home through the rain. I loved lying in bed with a favorite book while listening to the rain hit the window panes. Sometimes the rain was so heavy, I couldn’t see outside because of the drops. The lights were always on in the kitchen and the living room. I’d go downstairs in time for Superman and The Mickey Mouse Club. My mother would fix dinner while we watched TV. My Dad usually came home too late to eat with us, but my mother would keep his plate warm. We’d do our homework and then watch some TV before heading up to bed. I was always tired on a rainy night. I swear it was all that running to stay dry.