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The rain poured into the roofs of the apartment buildings that lined 3rd Avenue in this part of Oakland that was about a block from Lake Merritt. The whole bay area was getting the torrential downpour as the residual aftermath of a typhoon that hit Japan days ago.

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I even heard thunder when I left my apartment to walk to the Lake Merritt BART Station for my train commute into San Francisco.  The water was boiling as waves rippled with the splashing drops of  rain that hit hard from the dark gray sky. Rushing mini rivers formed along the roads as I navigated down wet, slippery sidewalks holding my umbrella overhead, my bag over my shoulder- with my headset dangling from my ears connected to my iphone which was tucked in my coat pocket. I was listening to Mika’s latest album.I was humming alone to “Blame It On the Girls.”

The winds were especially gusty when I was walking around the lake itself.  It was when I was making it around the bend that it happened.  A strong wind completely whipped up my umbrella , trying to lift me up like a Mary Poppins curse gone bad, when all of the sudden the complete frame snapped! The umbrella collapsed on itself and I felt the gushing of water from the sky all over me. I got soaked!

Then my iPhone rang.  It was my ex-wife.  So there was the wind blowing, the rain drenching me, a broken umbrella whipping around my head, and the voice of my ex wife on the phone. It was the End of the World.

Actually, she called to let me know that my son in college needed help for rent.  Of course.  So amidst the storm, daddy gets hit up for cash.  I told her the check will be in the mail.

I made it to the station and I finally threw my umbrella, which was now unrecognizable, into the trash bin on the main floor.

I stood waiting for the San Francisco/ Daly City Train to arrive as water trickled down from me onto the station floor.  It was going to be one of those days.