Rain Check

Once upon a time in Cube City, I was new to Texas. I asked my native Texan boss if the summer would ever end, and he said, "Oh, yes. On October 15th, we always get rain and cooler weather. It is our official end of summer."

Sure enough, he was right. October 15th came, and with it came rain and cooler temperatures until spring.

For the next six years, I was amazed at the accuracy of his statement. He was better than any meteorologist on television, which actually isn't that big of a feat around these parts.

October 15th came and went for many rainy years, as did the number of jobs I had in Cube City. One year, in passing conversation with a fellow cube dweller, I mentioned how it would rain on the return date of his business trip and explained how I knew this. He thought I was pulling his leg, so he wrote it down in his day planner. On that fateful day, he called me from his departing airport to inform me that his flight was cancelled due to heavy thunderstorms. He was really spooked about October 15th from that point forward. I'm sure he'll never be the same on that day, and neither will you.

This summer hasn't exactly been characteristic of Texas, but beware of what you do today anyway and take an umbrella with you. You might need a rain check.