I'll be leaving in one week and staying in San Francisco for one month. I'll be busy, to say the least. What should I do with the blog in the meantime? After all, it is the middle of the summer when everyone is travelling or enjoying the great outdoors and the online traffic is pitiful - my traffic is about half of what I had in April and May. So, I doubt I'll be penning long thoughtful essays (unless I get really inspired once or twice).
I think I'll sit down one of these days before I leave and schedule for automatic posting a Clock Quote to appear every day around 4am for the next month or so.
Perhaps I'll pick some of my 'greatest hits' and repost them as well, perhaps two per day, all science, no politics. How about the entire Clock Tutorials plus some of the best from the Clock Zoo, Clock News and Friday Weird Sex Blogging categories? After all, my traffic is, even during the summer slump, double of what it was when I just joined scienceblogs.com, so there must be a bunch of readers who have not read some of the good old stuff yet.
I check ScienceDaily every night anyway, so I'll probably continue to post my picks every or almost every day - that really takes just a few extra minutes.
I'll meet a lot of people and take pictures, so I'll post those whenever I find a minute and of course, I'll let you know what I'm doing and what I'm seeing and whom I'm meeting while there (especially liveblogging the Science Foo Camp in the early August). And if you are in the area, e-mail me and we can meet in person.
I am starting to pack and I am wondering what books to take to read there. I got a bunch of Vernor Vinge books waiting to be read, but perhaps you have better ideas.
What's the weather like in SF in July? Will I need a sweater for a chilly night? Something against rain? Or are t-shirts sufficient?
Comments
you need to google mark twain quote: "the coldest winter i ever spent was a summer in san francisco..." t-shirts and shorts will work during most day, but you will need layers if the fog rolls in... rain is rare in the summer here...
we are a city of microclimates... while the mission district can be warm and toasty, others are burning their furniture in cole valley to stay warm...
i endorse armistead maupin "tales of the city" to read while strolling about this beautiful, whacky city... or perhaps you can pop into north beach's "city lights books" to browse, read, or just soak in the ambiance of the beats' legacy...
Posted by: Rick MacPherson | June 28, 2007 1:55 AM
If San Francisco is anything remotely like Seattle in the summer (and I suspect it definitely can be), you need a jacket for the evenings. Because you're near the coast, the heat doesn't stick around very well after the sun goes down.
I'd pack some cool weather clothes if I were you. That is, at least one outfit you'd wear on a cool fall day. Like Rick said, if the fog rolls in, it can get really cold.
Posted by: Leah | June 28, 2007 7:09 AM
Weather in July is just like weather in every other summer month- save some extra AM fog. I would imagine you are used to NC weather by now- so SF is going to be like the Artic for you.. Daytime highs MOST places in SF are only in the mid 60's, and drop to the mid 50's in the evening/night.
For things to do- make sure and check out the Museum of Modern Art, Haight-Asbury is you are interested in the Hippie Movement- of just seeimg a bunch of freaks, The Ferry Building on Saturday mornings for the farmers market, Marin for the wineries... OH, and obviously, you'll have to make it over to Berkeley to see campus, etc.. Do you know Irv Zucker, a fellow chronobiologist?
Posted by: Matt | June 28, 2007 9:04 AM
well some of us get vacation:(
Summer re-runs, eh? I'll take the introductory biology lessons and the Clock Tutorials.
Posted by: greensmile | June 28, 2007 1:32 PM
Thank you all. I guess I'll need to buy a light jacket. Here, it is either 100 degrees or 0, so it's either body-paint or a scaphander and nothing in between.
I'll definitely go over to Berkley. I know Zucker, though he probably does not know me.
Having just finished teaching the BIO101 course, I am currently sick of it and the series needs editing and rewriting anyway (science moves on!) so I'll pass on that, but will do ClockTutorials and a few other greatest hits.
Posted by: coturnix | June 28, 2007 3:16 PM
I live in the city and today it is very windy and slightly cloudy - probably won't get up to the mid-60's. A windbreaker with a light lining might be a good way to go - it has been very windy every day.
Don't forget to check out the Exploratorium and the Academy of Sciences (they are downtown temporarily). If you have an opportunity, also go to the de Young Museum. Definitly fit in Lawrence Hall of Science over in Berkeley and if you have time, Chabot Observatory over in Oakland.
As for books, if you run out of reading material there are many good used book stores where you probably can find something.
Posted by: Michele | June 28, 2007 3:39 PM
Oops!
See previous post for redundant comment.
*chagrin*
--ml
Posted by: Martin Langeland | June 28, 2007 8:07 PM