Do you believe in magic?

If it hasn't started raining by the time I leave my home in Virginia for work in DC AND I carry my umbrella, my magic umbrella will control the weather until I return home that evening rendering it useless (other than the magical part).

So, for those people in the DC/MD/VA metropolitan area, when it's supposed to rain, but hasn't, be glad I'm hauling my huge umbrella around the district.

Conversely, when it's not supposed to rain, and it has, feel free to curse me for not hauling my huge umbrella.

Today, it's raining. I'm wearing a newly purchased cologne which, being newly purchased, I'm not used to how much spritz comes out with how much pressure. For those who had to sit around me on the bus, train, and in any meetings today, if my cologne is giving you a headache, I apologize. I tried to wash some off in the bathroom but apparently, I have magic cologne too, it's like long lasting mascara, it's just not budging.

On a side note: When it rains, the back of the bus usually collects water on the seats from leaks in the emergency exit on the roof. Today, I was one of the last to board the bus and had only wet seat options. So, I looked around, and then opened my magic Mary Poppins bag (it has practically everything and anything you need in it) and pulled out two tabloid newspapers (with Wednesday and Thursday's crosswords) and threw them on top of the small puddle to soak up the water, and then sat down on top of them. A lady in the oppososite corner of the bus (who I've always secretly disliked) smiled at me and my ingenuity and I smiled back.

Why have I secretly disliked her? The first morning I rode on the bus, she was on her mobile phone talking to her child. I could hear her telling her child to lie to the teacher, say she had some kind of problem, and ask to go to the nurse so she could somehow either play hooky or get out of doing something, and if the nurse asked certain questions to lie to the nurse. I formed a bad opinion of her parenting abilities and then every time she sat down, she'd take up her seat and put her bag in the seat next to her to deter anyone else from sitting. I prefer people who wait until the bus/train has moved and all are seated before taking up extra seats with carry-on bags. Now that she's smiled, I don't dislike her as much as I did before, but the seat-hogging has got to stop.