Having been out here in northern California and previously in Hawaii, I have gotten used to living without air conditioning. The last three days out here there has been no fog in the mornings, meaning that it really warms up by the middle of the day. Consequently, it has been warmer in the classroom. However, it's not been too hot (at least for me) but they have been turning on the AC, and it just gets freezing in there! I know that in the humid South, living without AC can be nearly impossible and unbelievably uncomfortable, but I hate, absolutely, positively detest having to dress for the AC. If it's warm enough outside to wear a tank top, I don't want to have to bring along a sweater and scarf and wear pants for the classroom. I wish people could just get used to the warmth and learn not to wear jeans when it's hot outside.
On another note, we had a coffee cupping today (like a tasting, but it's called "cupping"). It was quite an interesting experience, and I have come to the conclusion that I still don't like coffee. I enjoyed trying to figure out the fragrance (dry grounds) and aroma (steeped for 4 minutes). I think I may have been more easily persuaded with something like a cafe au lait rather than black coffee, but such is life! It was funny to watch a table of over 30 people "aspirating" the coffee (not to be confused with slurping!) and trying to determine flavors (the most interesting of which included conifers for one and mushrooms for another. Also one person compared the aroma of one to be like "baby poop". Hmmm...).
While my overall opinion of coffee hasn't changed, I enjoyed learning about coffee and experiencing it with connoisseurs. It makes me see coffee in a different light instead of simply an undifferentiated commodity, which is always important in understanding food systems.
Some things I could get used to:
Flowers on a morning walk.
Found objects from a morning walk: radio, feather, and two plums.
Flowers in the garden.
Moon rising over the hill.
Fog rolling in.
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