Why do people duck when it's raining? Will the raindrops be smaller when they finally land on you if you are closer to the ground? Do they get warmer if they have farther to fall before they touch your skin?

Even though those are dumb questions, this time, I'm offering a bit different of an approach. This time I really want you to respond with an answer - by living.

When is the last time you played in the rain? Why don't you splash in the puddles anymore? If you are concerned about your shoes getting wet, take them off.

Life is about living and enjoying all that is offered. If God meant for us to stay dry, He wouldn't have made water! Hello! Rain?? It's water! Play in it. Splash in it. You don't have to go to a waterpark to have fun with water. The next time it rains, go out in it.

Walk in the rain. Look up into the sky and let the rain drop onto your face. It is like being baptised by nature. Feel the cold drops run down your neck. Feel how wonderful rain can be. It cleanses your spirit from all the day to day stress. Rain makes everything grow...even your soul.

I have spent the evening in my convertible, with the top down in the rain. The rain felt great. It was renewing. It made me happy.

It's your turn. Play in the rain. Feel happy.

To celebrate a happy event, and to hear a good band, I went to a bar. Before the band went on, there was music from cds. It was loud, but not too loud to hear a regular conversation. I ordered my usual, 7UP with a cherry, no ice and no straw. I was given 7UP, no ice, no straw, but instead of a cherry, the bartender put in Absolute Cherry. (For those not in the drinking world, that's serious Vodka with cherry flavor.) WOW! Someone scrape me off the floor! Luckily, I questioned why there was no cherry and the bartender told me he thought I wanted Absolute Cherry. He corrected the drink and all the world was safe from another "drunk dialer". Funny thing is that the alcoholic drink was in a glass - made of real glass. When he gave me the non-alcoholic drink, it was in a plastic cup. (Seriously, if I am old enough to drive to a bar, I can have a glass made of glass.)

After about 5 minutes, I was able to get the bartenders attention and requested a real glass. It took a lot more effort to request an empty, real glass than I thought it would. It wasn't that noisy in the bar. (Another surprise was that it was a "Biker Bar" and I was the only one with leather. It was a regular bar that wanted people to think it was tough, so it's web site info said it was a Biker Bar.)

The band set up and started to play. The band was really good. I'd heard them before, so I already knew to expect a good night of music. It was now very difficult to hear other people, or even myself, talking. While I enjoyed the band, my drink ran low.

Ordering this mystical drink became the joke of the night. 7UP with a cherry, no ice, no straw. That doesn't seem like such a hard request. I got drinks with ice and no cherries, a drink with lemon, a drink with lime, and all of them kept coming in these plastic cups. (They cleared my real glass from before.) Every time I'd pick up the drink, the sides would squish in. Sometimes the beverage would go over the sides. (I did not realize my own brute strength. Apparently, I am much too strong to drink from a plastic cup.)

I gave in; they were not going to get my drink order correct. I would have to drink watered down 7UP with no flavor except lemon or lime. My next mission was to order another empty glass. A real glass made of glass! The bar was noisy and the band was great - and loud. The challenge was on. Instead of empty, I received three more plastic cups full of 7UP, some kind of citrus wedge, ice and two straws. The band hit a spot of one song where it was almost dead silent. At the same time, a different bartender was refilling the chilled glass section of the cooler. Quickly, I shouted, "Can I have one of those empty glasses?" The guy looked so confused as he handed me an empty glass. It was as if no one, in the history of the drinking world, had ever ordered an empty glass at a bar. I poured my watered down, lemon/lime drinks into the tall glass. I tossed the straws to the side and took one sip. Aah! Nice and col...Oops, it's late. Now, it's time to leave the bar.

Is it just me, or does the guy who says, "Printing Started" for my computer sound really hot?

How do companies decide which voice to use for their customer service numbers? Do they get a successful, comanding sounding voice for the new business line and then get an understanding, sympathetic sounding voice to handle the complaint lines?

Did you notice the more of a rush you are in, the more the recorded, helpful lady's voice says, "Huummm, I didn't get that"?

When I get a new e-mail, my computer makes a little "whish" noise. How awful am I that my computer won't even talk to me in that happy voice to let me know, "You've got mail!"?

Why is it that when I get a song stuck in my head, I never get to pick the song? (The Burger King 'Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce...' song from the 70's is not even in my top 5!)

Can you be charged with 'Road Rage' if that inner voice screams your opinion of their driving abilities in your head, while you just smile at the other driver?

People ask questions, but they don't want the answer.
To help you through your day, here are some of the questions you may encounter, and helpful responses you can try.

"How are you?" Usually asked by a total stranger in place of what they really mean, which is, "Hello".(This type of question should only be asked by a doctor, or Mom.)
Always respond with some type of body issue. Say something like,: 'Fine, except for being constipated' or 'Why? Do I look sick? Does it look like there's something wrong? What's wrong with me? Oh, my gosh, I better get to a doctor'

"Are you ok?" often asked after you injure yourself. I like to use, 'Yep, just have to plummet down a flight of stairs every now and then to remind myself that I'm not dead yet.' or 'Of course I'm ok. Now could you call an ambulance for me, I'm having a dickens of a time removing this 7 inch blade from my left eye.'

"Paper or plastic?" as if it matters. Paper's made from trees - bad for the environment. Plastic is made from oil based products, encouraging more dependence on foreign oil and plastic doesn't break down as easily - again, bad for the environment. The real issue is of more immediate concern to me. 'Are you going to bag my raw hamburger with the lettuce, thereby risking cross contamination of bacteria in my next salad?' or 'What kind of bag guarantees that you won't put the bread with the scented dryer sheets?'

"Where are you?" is only dumb when they call your home or office land line. It's best to respond with something simple for these folks. 'I'm right here. Can't you see me?'

You can't get people to stop asking dumb questions; you can have fun when they do.