For most of my life I lived in a one-story house in Oceanside that was built in 1928. Over the front porch was a green tin covering so that you could stand there in the pouring rain and barbecue, which we occasionally did. Anyway, absolutely the best thing to do in the rain at that house is to start a fire in the fireplace, listen to the rain tapping on that roof, and curl up on the couch with a good book. We still have that couch, but unfortunately we're fixing up the house and then selling it. We don't live there anymore. Even if we did, we got rid of the tin thing, whihc I think was absolutely the worst thing to do.

As for being told to get out of the rain, I hate it when my teachers tell me to quit standing in the rain, as if it's toxic or some such. They act as if being cold and wet will get me sick, which it won't, despite common belief to the contrary. There's nothing wrong with standing in the rain.

-eric "Gene Kelly" sleator
Mon 21 Feb A.D. 2000