We're official

What's wrong with this picture?

a.) That's not our car

b.) I've been wearing those galoshes since 2005

c.) I'm holding an umbrella in the rain

Well, it's official. Dominic and I have a licensed Washington automobile. It's not that we're excited because we drive it all that much, it just gives us that much more respect on the friendly Pacific Northwest roadways. 

Truth be told, it was rough zipping down I-5 with California plates. Even more so to navigate the arterial neighborhood streets with that white and red marker. Like the scarlet letter, we believe that California plates imply to the Washingtonians that we are speeding, impatient daredevils. You'll have to ask Dominic about traditional Washingtonian behavior at 4-way stop signs in this state... be sure he's in a good mood first.

Despite the plates, and the fact that we've lived here for more than a year now, we're not quite true Seattleites. If you guessed "C" in my quiz above you guessed correctly. True natives don't carry umbrellas very frequently. Perhaps it's the abundance of REI-supplied gortex jackets, perhaps it's that normal rain comes down in light drizzles, for whatever reason, if you've lived here (at least longer than us) there's no need for an umbrella. In fact, you look foolish trying to carry one in the wind anyway. 

I carry mine regardless of how it makes me look. In fact, we've developed quite a collection of fashionable, wind-resistant, over sized umbrellas over the past few months. My favorites have the special wind catching flap that prevent the Mary-Poppins inside-out dilemma "inversion". 

For those out there who do try to protect themselves from the drizzle with an umbrella, here are some tips for polite handling, curtsey of Monica from the Big Blog.