Bike Commute 97: What's a Cubit?

If you are familiar with Bill Cosby's early records, you'll know that he made a name for himself telling the story of Noah.  In his routine, Cosby's annoyed and busy Noah has a conversation with God who tells him to build an ark with the dimensions in cubits.  Noah asks God, "What's a cubit?"

Those of us who live in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States have seen enough rain in the last few weeks to turn us all pruney.  (How do you spell that anyway?)  Yesterday I drove for 6 hours from Westport. Connecticut to DC in a driving rain.  From what I could tell, New Jersey might as well be renamed Lake Jersey at this point. Delaware, Maryland and Virginia are no better.

Five minutes after leaving home this morning, the skies opened up.  Within a minute or two I was soaked to the bone.  All day I could look out my office window and see downpour after downpour.  Just before leaving for home I checked the weather radar on the Internet.  It showed massive rain straight up the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River.  Thinking "no guts, no glory" I headed out.  As it turned out the skies were kind.  I rode through a little light rain here and there but nothing too bad.  The real problem was on the ground. Puddle after puddle after puddle all the way home. Many were so big that I pulled my feet off the pedals and rode through like a little kid.  Here's the kind of puddle I am talking about.

It's supposed to continue raining for the next several days.  I'm thinking I better figure out what a cubit is.