Not The Northeast

Besides the weather, there are lots of things that set Davis apart from Rochester. For example, infrastructure lends itself to being more environmentally conscious. There are bike racks everywhere, more electric vehicles, a bigger food co-op and local food, etc. Today on my rainy ride to the grocery store  I found something I've never seen before.

Outside of the Whole Foods is a public bike repair station. There's an air pump, a bike stand, and a set of tools for quick repairs. Most places in Rochester I have to lock my bike to a no parking sign and I've never seen a place to put air in your tires.

Another thing about California that I have noticed is that everything out here tends to be carcinogenic.

I guess they know something that us Nor-Easterners don't. This sign didn't stop the Home Depot employee from turning Mike's plywood into cancer-dust. So I guess California just wants us all to know that we're slowly killing ourselves.

I don't really eat much citrus unless it is a lime wedge floating in gin, but it is refreshing to see so much produce growing around town. I'm not used to seeing piles of orange on the sidewalks when I go running in the morning. Nothing seems to go to waste though as people tend to eat a lot of oranges around here and what they don't eat, roving bands of pirate-squirrels use to prevent scurvy.

One day this week the temperature dropped below freezing. I guess that still happens here, and I was unprepared so I did what any reasonable person would do and wore sock-mittens on my morning bike commute. I guess that isn't a normal thing to do around here because some lady glared at me in the parking lot at Sudwerk while I was taking this picture.

The last thing I've noticed is that people drink a lot of hot beverages in the morning. Maybe that is true everywhere, and maybe it is just true in our class because we have free tea and coffee every morning but it is obscene how much hot water these people consume. Since I'm trying to make friends I play along. I like to match my tea variety to the instructor that is lecturing. Today since Dr. Lewis was teaching I had Bigelow English Teatime. It pairs well with Dr. Lewis' welsh accent and poetic manner of lecturing.

So overall I am fitting in alright out here in California. But I will be glad to be back to Rochester even if it is twenty degrees below zero and I have to lock my bike to a no-parking sign. At least I will understand what's going on.