Nothing left but to have fun once your undies are wet

I should've known that it was going to be one of those days when I got up this morning. All of the signs were there. When I woke up I was exhausted so Nancy had offered me the opportunity to sleep in because she and several nursing school buddies were carpooling to the Houston Women's Center and I could tag along. I initially took her up on the offer but decided I needed to get into work so I got up 15 minutes later.

So now I was rushing to get back on schedule (I don't like it when my morning "ritual" gets screwed up). As I was getting ready Belle, our 7lb Chihuahua, woke up and felt it was play time. So I had to entertain her a bit and give her half her breakfast so she would go back to bed.

Now I'm running out the door and it was lightly sprinkling. At this point I was just hoping that it would hold off.

I got to the bus stop and sure enough METRO had all the schedules screwed up. The line of people just didn't know where to go because they kept moving busses around. You just saw all of us moving in mass from one bus to be told we need to get on another.

Just as we pull into Downtown, the sky opened up. It was pouring. Fortunately, Houston has an intricate system of tunnels under the city. The problem is getting there without getting wet. So I decided to jump out where I knew a tunnel entrance was near the bus stop. If I didn't and tried to go topside, it was seven blocks of walking in sideways rain with zero chance of shelter. So I pulled the umbrella I had stashed in my backpack and way ready to engage it as soon as I got off the bus and make a dash for it. I jumped off the bus, hit the button and drat. The umbrella was broken. Now I know why the umbrella was in the back of the coat closet. So I ran across the street and dove into the building with the tunnel access. By now I was soaked. My hair was soaked, my glasses were fogged and coated in water, and my shoes were soggy and my pants were a little wet.

Now you have to understand, the Downtown Houston tunnel system is a series of interconnected pathways. It takes you forever to travel somewhere that topside would take you a few moments. I also only used the tunnels in the past to go between two specific locations. I had that path memorized. But to get from where I was to a location that popped up near my office building (it isn't connected to the tunnel system) was going to be a challenge.

The provide 'You are Here' maps periodically along the way but they don't orient them in a way that you can tell where to go. So here I am dripping wet trying to navigate my way to my office building and every time I thought I was there I would pop up and find that I was nowhere close. Eventually I got to the right exit. Now I had to cross two street and a parking lot in a down pour. I found my parka in my backpack, put it on and ran like crazy. By now, the streets were flooded and my shoes are soaked. I get into my office building and find I forgot my badge. It was still sitting on the bathroom counter and I forgot it because of Belle's distraction.

So, I go up to the security desk to get my "badge of shame" and then find out that I cannot continue to my office because there was nobody there to verify I work there. Now you have to understand, I work in a highly secure building. I have to use my badge to get through 4 checkpoint to get to my office. But my name was in the computer system and I produced ID.

Oh well, I am usually the first person to come to work and I had no idea when the next employee was going to show up. So I fired up my laptop and started working. Wet clothes and all.

Finally someone showed up and I got to my office, kicked off the shoes and sat in my chair with my wet socks, pants, shirt and underwear.

One of my co-workers came in later and I related my story to him. I ended it with telling him a little saying I used to spout when it would rain at college football games......

"There is Nothing left but to have fun once your undies are wet"