I had some errands to run today . . . so I did just that. Well, almost. I walked. Even though I have a car at my disposal this year and the weather was rainy, I decided to resolutely brave the elements in the hope of (a) saving gas and all those other good things like burning calories and (b) acclimatizing to move to a place where I might not have the luxury/convenience of an automobile. Besides, I love walking. It’s a good time to think.

But it was definitely raining. Halfway through my journey my jeans were wet through not quite up to my knees, my recently acquired waterproof jacket was a full shade darker, and my perfectly straightened hair was now curling out from beneath the confines of my hood.

And then, as I was walking to the grocery store, I saw another young Eugeneian student who was more obviously in the spirit of this great Northwest than I was: besides only wearing a sweatshirt to protect himself from the rain (okay, I’ll grant him the fact that it was a hoodie), he was wearing birks and socks.

Crazy hippie town.