A bit windy in downtown Boston today

^{♬ ... he repairs them all, with what you call a thingamajig! ♬}

I've worked in the area for years and I usually don't bother with an umbrella. I also can't use one on a bike, and they don't protect you from puddle splashes from passing vehicles, either.

A few years back I picked up this nifty combo at Costco for under $30. It packs up to the size of a clutch purse and fits easily in luggage, computer bags, etc. The jacket has pit zips, but is still too stuffy to wear unless it is in the 35-50F temp range and under moderate exertion. It was absolutely great when paired with waterproof boots and mittens this evening, though!

Of course this rain hit just the day after I ordered a new GoreTex jacket on clearance - one big enough to fit over one of my many surviving 3 in 1 inner jackets. I'll hopefully get the 11 years of wear out of it that I got from my last one. But that's not an investment that anyone needs to make unless you want to spend a lot of time in wet conditions.