Bums with umbrellas

Another rainy day in Chicago.

You know, when it's raining downtown, and commuters are running to their destinations (with or without umbrellas), the bums might as well just stay home (at least, as they loosely define the term "home").

Not only is it not worth their time to stand outside to solicit money from people who are too distracted with their own wetness to care, but I've noticed that bums with umbrellas don't make much money anyway. If I don't have an umbrella, and the bum does, who do you think is in the better position at that moment in time? Who should be bestowing charity on whom?

And speaking of commuting, I've noticed something that's silly about women on their commutes. I understand that it is a long walk from the train to your office - of course I understand it, I walk a full mile to and from the train station every day. But I wonder if they realize how silly they look in nice skirts/suits, and white gym shoes on. Just commenting.

That's really all I've got for today - I have seen a couple of people that I recognize from ISU lately, such as my old copy editor buddy Amy, and my ISU historiography classmate James. Just as I was beginning to feel like the first ISU student that had crossed DePaul's law school threshold, I see some friendly faces again. Of course, they went to school straight out of college, so they're much further along than me...damnit.

And I just remembered a story from yesterday that will tie this whole post together: bums and students. (Nevermind that students essentially are bums - that's irrelevant.) I was walking to the train station and passed by the Bridge Bum, who plays his makeshift "drum kit" (a.k.a. some overturned paint buckets) every day on the Madison Street Opera Bridge. He saw me in my DePaul sweatshirt and yelled, "Hey, we got DePaul up in da house! There she goes!"

Yes, apparently this bum is a particularly virulent DePaul fan, and yes, everyone turned to look at me as I shrugged and laughed. I guess you never know who will recognize you, wherever you go in life.