Trouser Trouble . . .

This story is one more reason why I love working from home.

Every Thursday morning I roll myself out of bed at 4:30am and get ready for my longest day of the week.  Thursdays are my one day of the week to commute to Bellevue.  I leave home at 5:30am, don my motorcycle gear, and trek out for the 6:20am ferry boat.  I arrive at  my desk just before 7:30.

I'm kind of a freak of nature.  Most of the people I work with roll in somewhere around 9am or later, bleary eyed, and looking for coffee.  By that time of day, I'm looking for a mid morning snack.  I usually get some quiet productive time before "stuff" starts to hit the fan.

One particularly rainy Thursday, I was very happy to have that quiet morning time.

I mentioned that I donned my motorcycle gear.  One thing you have to know about rain gear: It can't be trusted.  Like a playground bully with a water balloon: it lulls you into a false sense of confidence, and then BAM!; you're sopping wet, and everyone's looking at you funny.  This is why I always keep an extra pair of pants on my bike.  You never know...

And so it was that Thursday morning.  I had a nice ride to the ferry and trudged up for my usual nap across the water.  The weather was so nice up to then that I didn't even look outside when I headed back down to my bike.

I strapped on my helmet; put on my gloves; and mounted up, ready charge into a new day.  It was around then that I looked outside.  The front of the ferry was drenched.  Cars were running their wipers.  And the riders at the very front of the boat were waiting under cover until the last minute.  Mother nature's heartless ambivalence at work.

No problem.  My rain gear is waterproof.  I've been riding for months in the rain with no problems.  I have extra pants in my bag.  Nothing to worry about... Off I go.  It's only a few miles to Bellevue.

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Wow.  This is some pretty hard rain...  Did I put those extra pants back in the bag???
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My legs are colder than usual.  Meh, can't be wet.  It just cold...  Hmm...  That cold feeling is spreading..
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Mother nature and my raingear have conspired against me.
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Sigh, it's too late to turn around now.

When I got to work, I quickly confirmed that, yes, I did indeed forget to put my extra pants in the bag.  Once inside, I confirmed again that yes, indeed my rain gear had leaked.

I am convinced now the First Gear hires playground bullies to design rain gear.  Job requirements include past experience with water balloons.  I've never had rain gear leak on my neck.  Never on my knee, or my arms.  There is only one place that a bully will target a water balloon.  Maximum humiliation, square between the legs.

I'm at work now.  Luckily I'm the only person there.  I have no idea how long it will take for my pants to dry, or if there will be a water stain.  The only thing I can do is stuff my pants and my chair with paper towels and hope I dry out before anyone shows up.

My desk sits right next to the main door.  I listen as people slowly file in.  Several people pass by without stopping to say hi.

Then I hear someone coming around the cube wall.  I'm still sitting on a pile of paper towels.  This isn't pretty ...

Whew.  It's another bike rider.  One brief explanation, a few laughs, and a brief uncomfortable moment and I'm beyond any major humiliation.

Luckily I dried out, and sent the towels to the trash can before any other embarrassment happened.  I write "Buy extra rain gear; put extra pants in bike bags" in about twelve different places so I don't forget (Like I'm gonna forget, ha).

I've survived another day of commuting, and it's a week back at home before I need to do it again.

I love my work from home days :)