Negotiating

I'm reading a book for my management class called Getting Past No. I would underline the title, but I'm new at blogging and don't know how. Anyway, the book is all about negotiating your way out of a tough conversation, situation, or conflict.

While there are many applicable environments for negotiation skills, I would like to bring up one where I don't think it will help me much: the weather.

So, I moved from Los Angeles to New York City about two months ago. I'm an East Coast kid born and raised, so I understand that it will rain and snow here. I'm sad about it, but I accept it.

However, I found myself stuck in the rain the last night--with no umbrella, no rainboots, and it was coming down pretty bad. Lucky for me I had a jacket to throw over my head and backpack (protect the precious laptop at all costs!). It was late-ish and so the umbrella vendors had given up for the day.

So today, like a proper Brownie drop-out (that's pre-Girl Scouts) I came uber-prepared for rain. I was so prepared it was scary. I had rainboots on AND they matched my shirt. I know, I'm good. I had my not-so-heavy water-resistant jacket with a hood. And I was ready and willing to invest in ingenious technology--an umbrella.

All that said, there was no rain to be had today. So, at the end of the day, I had to shove my rainboots and my jacket in my backpack. My backpack, at maximum storage capacity, made me look like I was really planning to hike somewhere far away. I also hit lots of people with it when I tried to enter buildings, elevators, and the subway.

I must have been a sight to see. It was amusing enough to my new colleagues that they decided my nickname would forever be: Dora (the Explorer).

As I sit and write this post, it is unbearably hot in my room. I desperately want to open the window. But I might have to negotiate with Mother Nature about the chance that rain is in my future.

10/11 UPDATE: I got soaked head-to-toe today--no boots, my new umbrella is too small, and no water repellent clothing. So much for negotiating...