a fool in the rain

You know it's been winter for far too long, when you get excited because it's 40 degrees outside.

But excited I've been, embracing the 50 degree day on Wednesday, and the rainy 40 degree day yesterday, to the extent that I get off the el train several stops early, just so I can take a 15 minute walk through downtown Chicago, to my commuter train station.

Yes. I said "40 and raining! whoo hoo! I'm walkin!"
cuz, to reference led zepplin, i'm a just a fool in the rain....

Anyhow, part of the fun of the walk is to watch all the other folks around you. heading to dinner, to shows, leaving work late, flagging taxis....
It's high entertainment, the moment to moment hum of a big city. I've been doing this for years, and never tire of it.

Something was a bit off yesterday. Noticed it for the first time as a couple walked toward me. He was a few inches taller than her, and was moving at a good clip. She was literally trotting to keep up with him, while smiling and talking to him. They were obviously a couple, yet he's oblivious to the fact that he's making her run, just so she can walk next to him.

a block later, while waiting for my turn to cross a busy intersection, an older couple walks past me. He's got a small cheap umbrella out, and he's holding it directly over his own head. His wife's struggling to keep up, while walking sideways and leaning in, so that aprox. ½ of her head is under the edge of his umbrella. You could easily see how wet the rest of her was, which tells me they'd been walking like this for a bit.

Dudes. Where's the love?