I love a rainy night

It's raining softly but steadily here in Dallas, and my thoughts turn to ... personal-grooming and household products. These often bear names like "Soft Rain," "First Rain" and "Gentle Rain," but I have yet to find one that smells as delightful as it sounds. I wish they'd replace the heady floral scents with the sharp, clean metallic smell that arises just after the first drops fall. The company that manufactures such a product will have my business for life.

I'm missing my hometown tonight. Our house in Tulsa was surrounded by beautiful, mature trees. I love rain no matter where I am, but I prefer the sound of it falling on earth, grass and leaves to the thud and clatter it makes on concrete, cars and gutters. When I find my giant bag of money, I'm going to build a house in the woods.