Monday, April 28, 2008

Murphy's Law

Here's my solution to the drought crisisii of the world:

Throw a black-tie gala with lots of outdoor locations, under a tent, with lots of VIPs scheduled to arrive by car service, and lots of money to raise.

Yes, I know this sounds weird, but bear with me.

You are guaranteed a 95% chance of rain. Not Irish/Seattle sunshine kind of rain, which is a light mist or drizzle. You'll get a full-blown gale, with pouring down side-way rain of puppies and kitties, with huge puddles, and cold-n-damp, which renders an umbrella basically useless.

I kid you not. Here's my evidence for this hypothesis.

At my last non-profit job, whenever we threw the annual black-tie gala, 9 times out of 10, it would be exactly as described as above, but much worse, as the tent was set up on the grass fields -- which rapidly became mud pits. (Well, until they started sacrificing the small woodland creatures, but that's another post). Women would still wear stilettos, which was ridiculous. People wouldn't bring umbrellas. Also ridiculous. Don't you listen to the weather forecast? Just because you are wearing black-tie, does that mean you have your own clear-weather bubble? NO!

Flash forward a year and a half later to the current job's every-other year gala. For the last two weeks, it's been beautiful, sunny, and warm. Guess what it's doing today?

Pouring down cold and freezing rain.
In N.Y.C.
In two venues.
Blocks apart.

Guess who's on umbrella patrol -- AGAIN!?

Not little Ms. Sunshine, let me just tell you that.

Crap. I hate black-tie, dressy, heel-necessary Galas ... IN THE RAIN!