What to do on a rainy Summer Friday

There is nothing like half a Friday off of work to do all the things that you never get to do because work usually gets in the way.

Like going to the Rockaways to see what everyone is talking about (and by everyone, we mostly mean last year's New York Times style section), or get day drunk, or catch up on manuscript reading. But there aren't that many Summer Fridays left, especially now, as August approaches and the excitement of early summer and plentiful half days starts to wear down. And there is a whole weekend to catch up on work. 

Today is rainy and chilly, so that rules out all the outdoor activities that sound fun but are kind of a drag (Rockaway Beach, looking at you). So no guilt there. But also, a rainy Summer Friday seems less festive. Here are some ways to make the most of the afternoon:

5. Christian Marclay's "The Clock" at Lincoln Center's Atrium. The film collage of real-time scenes of clocks is oddly addicting and entertaining. It also goes for the full 24 hours over the weekend, starting on Friday. Which means that you could spend the next 24 hours watching time go by. Or at least the afternoon. Follow the line on Twitter so you don't waste a whole half day waiting in line.

4. Movies. There are a lot of movies out right now. Or at least some that you probably want to see. Why not spend the afternoon watching something and eating candy?

3. Museums. Theoretically, museums should be empty during the day. But actually, tourists have lots of time of their hands to go to the Met on a Friday at 3. Still, walking through a museum behind a hoard of foreign tourists makes you feel like you are a tourist yourself (or at least, that's what it does to us). It's kind of great, like traveling to a foreign city but without the hassle of actual travel.

4. Day drink! Because, why not? You know all those bars that have really good happy hours? The ones with early afternoon specials that start in the afternoon? You know how you always wonder who starts drinking that early. Good news! Today, it's you.

5. The whole reason that Summer Fridays were invented was to beat the traffic to the Hamptons. So, get out of here. It may be rainy today, but the Jitney is much more relaxing when you aren't stuck in traffic on the L.I.E.