the score is

new haven, 1. winter, 1. asshole in SUV with bush bumper sticker, 1.

amelia, 0.

yesterday, it rained and then snowed. this morning the intersections of our fair city are full of disgusting slushy gray-brown water. as usual, i walked to the department. at whitney and sachem the aforementioned asshole barrelled through a yellow-almost-red light, soaking me from head to foot with the aforementioned slushy gray-brown water. it was almost, but not entirely, unlike standing on the bridge at the foot of The Wave at valleyfair. in that that water is chlorinated and blue instead of lumpy and murky and you stand there in summer after having already been voluntarily soaked riding the ride, and you're not wearing a wool coat or carrying a computer or trying to get to your place of nominal employment.

anyway. a nice man came along just after the soaking, when i was still marveling at the absurdity of it all. i advised him to stay well back from the curb while waiting for the light to change, noting that i had learned the hard way. he said, "i wondered why you were smiling," and offered me a bandana from his backpack.

the really cool part is that, when i finally got to the department, and went to wash my face more thoroughly, i still had two rather artistic looking dirt smears on just under my right eye. i considered leaving them there (it made me feel slightly warlike, and that is always a nice feeling when you're reading about european party systems), but ultimately decided that no one would really understand.