More hot water

On my flight home from Costa Rica, I was treated to the wonderful aroma of a hot cup of ginger peach tea. A beautiful woman across the aisle had brought along a thermos and was enjoying it as she wrote stories on her Mac.

The scent reminded me of my first visit to the Leland Tea House on Bush Street in San Francisco. My friend Jeanne had taken me there; it's one of her special places. I quickly found out why: the room is inviting and comfortable; William, the co-founder, is charming and friendly; and the food is tasty. I had the opportunity to sniff a variety of teas and create my own custom blend. Ginger peach was one of my selections.

I told my fellow traveler about it and remembered promising William to spread the word. If you live here or are visiting the City by the Bay, check it out!

ANOTHER KIND OF HOT WATER--moisture in the atmosphere--may be more common in the future. Like much of the country, San Francisco has been having a warmer summer than usual. The Washington Post reported today that the heat waves we've been having in the U.S. and Europe are likely to occur more frequently due to global warming.

The other thing that has been common lately in America is a record demand for electricity. It occurred to me a week ago that this is something of a vicious cycle: global warming increases the likelihood of heat waves, which in turn drive up energy consumption, and that means power plants produce more CO2, further contributing to global warming. The problem is exacerbated by a growing population as well as people increasingly choosing to live in warmer areas, such as California's inland valleys.

We are all contributing to the problem, which also means we all have an opportunity to be part of the solution. So think about the local and global communities that you're part of when you're deciding where to set that thermostat... :-)

AND TO CONTINUE TO SHARE MY COSTA RICAN EXPERIENCE with you, here is a pic of my awesome new "New York Cute" friend Ellen. We had just donned our harnesses in preparation for a rain forest canopy tour... what a thrill!