What’s on your mind?

[Scepticalscribe]

Another deployment?

Yes, thank you for asking.

I hope you might find a glass or two of something later.

Am sipping a glass of Something Nice (purchased in the vineyard where it was grown, harvested, and bottled), as I write.

Even on my recent trip I drank very little. I’m down to a handful of alcoholic drinks a year now. I’m off to Paris next month (work) so that will most likely be my next and possibly last beer of the year.

Enjoy.

I love Paris.

The way the weather has changed makes me more likely crave a hot chocolate in the evenings at the moment. Already got a couple of light blankets out. It won’t be long until the electric blanket gets put back on the bed at this rate.

I hear you; am reading about it and shuddering and shivering in vicarious sympathy.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Yes, thank you for asking.

Am sipping a glass of Something Nice (purchased in the vineyard where it was grown, harvested, and bottled), as I write.


Enjoy.

I love Paris.

I hear you; am reading about it and shuddering and shivering in vicarious sympathy.

Well stay safe. Sounds like you are somewhere nice and warm. It’s been quite pleasant here today. Sun has been out for most of the day.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well stay safe. Sounds like you are somewhere nice and warm. It’s been quite pleasant here today. Sun has been out for most of the day.

The Balkans, an amazingly atmospheric, historic - and quite lovely - corner of Europe, and especially exquisite in autumn.

I enjoyed some wine last week in a gorgeous vineyard (trellised vines offering shade); in addition to grapes, the place - a building over 300 years old, dating to Ottoman times, - also grew lemons, grapefruit, olives, kiwis (not native, yes, I know), pomegranates, and peaches.

I thought I had died and gone to some sort of agreeable afterlife.

Even the cats and dogs are friendly.

And the coffee is sublime.

 

[Macky-Mac]

...
The way the weather has changed makes me more likely crave a hot chocolate in the evenings at the moment. Already got a couple of light blankets out. It won’t be long until the electric blanket gets put back on the bed at this rate.

sounds nice......where I live, we're having a brief relief from the heat waves. Typically September and October are the hottest time of year. The weather seems intent on proving it this year

 

[Apple fanboy]

The Balkans, an amazingly atmospheric, historic - and quite lovely - corner of Europe, and especially exquisite in autumn.

I enjoyed some wine last week in a gorgeous vineyard (trellised vines offering shade); in addition to grapes, the place - a building over 300 years old, dating to Ottoman times, - also grew lemons, grapefruit, olives, kiwis (not native, yes, I know), pomegranates, and peaches.

I thought I had died and gone to some sort of agreeable afterlife.

Even the cats and dogs are friendly.

And the coffee is sublime.

Sounds like they are looking after you. Enjoy.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sounds like they are looking after you. Enjoy.

Yes, they are.

Actually, I am in what is possibly one of the nicest places in Bosnia, the far south, which is glorious - and which is quite close to Dubrovnik (which lies in Croatia, I know; I've been there before - over twenty years ago - and returned last week to collect the luggage of an American colleague which had been delayed and should have arrived in Sarajevo but - strangely - was diverted to Dubrovnik instead).

In any case, I've been here nearly a fortnight - we had a few days of briefings in Sarajevo - while the election itself, which is what I am here to observe, is scheduled to take place on 6th October.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Yes, they are.

Actually, I am in what is possibly one of the nicest places in Bosnia, the far south, which is glorious - and which is quite close to Dubrovnik (which lies in Croatia, I know; I've been there before - over twenty years ago - and returned last week to collect the luggage of an American colleague which had been delayed and should have arrived in Sarajevo but - strangely - was diverted to Dubrovnik instead).

In any case, I've been here nearly a fortnight - we had a few days of briefings in Sarajevo - while the election itself, which is what I am here to observe, is scheduled to take place on 6th October.

Well enjoy. I hope you packed your camera.

 

[rm5]

The Balkans, an amazingly atmospheric, historic - and quite lovely - corner of Europe, and especially exquisite in autumn.

I enjoyed some wine last week in a gorgeous vineyard (trellised vines offering shade); in addition to grapes, the place - a building over 300 years old, dating to Ottoman times, - also grew lemons, grapefruit, olives, kiwis (not native, yes, I know), pomegranates, and peaches.

I thought I had died and gone to some sort of agreeable afterlife.

Even the cats and dogs are friendly.

And the coffee is sublime.

That is an area of the world I have not yet been to.

Yes, they are.

Actually, I am in what is possibly one of the nicest places in Bosnia, the far south, which is glorious - and which is quite close to Dubrovnik (which lies in Croatia, I know; I've been there before - over twenty years ago - and returned last week to collect the luggage of an American colleague which had been delayed and should have arrived in Sarajevo but - strangely - was diverted to Dubrovnik instead).

In any case, I've been here nearly a fortnight - we had a few days of briefings in Sarajevo - while the election itself, which is what I am here to observe, is scheduled to take place on 6th October.

Best of luck! Seems very interesting. Hope everything goes well.

 

[rm5]

As for me, I flew back up north yesterday, which was... an experience. First flight was delayed, which meant I got into O'Hare mere minutes before the other one left (I boarded right before the gate closed). Running across the terminal with my carry-on from gates K to G was interesting. But thankfully I made it! Stayed in about the weirdest hotel ever last night, too. Was all good though!!

Got everything out of storage this morning (including my 2019 iMac, which I just set back up) and unpacked. There was (is? Maybe it's still happening) a big welcome-back event out on Main Hall Green tonight, which I briefly checked out.

Think my roommate and I will watch Koyaanisqatsi here shortly (I've been going off about it the past few weeks in texts, he seems interested).

Also, completely unrelated to everything above, but I'll be taking a class on modern China this term. It's cross-listed under History, Business, and East Asian Studies, so it seems to cover a wide range of topics. I know absolutely nothing about it, but it seemed interesting (plus it fulfills multiple general education requirements), so I registered. Hopefully it is!

 

[Abazigal]

Kinda random - but who decided that coffee and tea would be the default beverages served with breakfast at events? Is it by people who need their caffeine fix? I wonder why I rarely ever see other drinks being provided, like orange juice or honey lemon or milk or even milo.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Kinda random - but who decided that coffee and tea would be the default beverages served with breakfast at events? Is it by people who need their caffeine fix? I wonder why I rarely ever see other drinks being provided, like orange juice or honey lemon or milk or even milo.

Random indeed. I always start the day with tea. But many breakfast meetings I’ve attended would also include fruit juice.

 

[Clix Pix]

Since I was a little girl (born and raised in America) lo these many, many moons ago I have always had a glass of orange juice or some other type of juice the very first thing as part of breakfast. I usually had milk on my cereal or if we were having something like eggs and toast or pancakes I'd have a glass of milk with that. When I was in college I began drinking coffee along with that and have been doing so ever since. I quite quickly went from coffee with something else in it to just straight black coffee, which I continue to this day and much prefer. No sugar, no artificial sweeteners, no cream, no milk.....

My mother always drank OJ, too, at breakfast (obviously she got me started at a young age!) but my father preferred just coffee with whatever else we were having for the morning meal. My husband was like my father. I think the preference for coffee over tea is an American thing, from what I have observed.

I have noticed that some of my younger friends prefer to drink a soft drink with breakfast: either regular or Diet Coke or Pepsi. Most of my friends, regardless of age, are coffee drinkers rather than tea drinkers, but there are a few tea lovers in the bunch.

 

[Chuckeee]

When I was growing up, it was always milk for me at the breakfast table while both my parents had coffee. Coffee was just that forbidden drink. This continued all while I was living at home until I finally moved away for college. Of course, once I was in the dorm, it was coffee for me. I finally got my forbidden drink, and it has been that way ever since.

 

[Apple fanboy]

When I was growing up, it was always milk for me at the breakfast table while both my parents had coffee. Coffee was just that forbidden drink. This continued all while I was living at home until I finally moved away for college. Of course, once I was in the dorm, it was coffee for me. I finally got my forbidden drink, and it has been that way ever since.

I never had breakfast with my Dad as he used to leave the house around 3 am for work. So no idea what he did for breakfast.
My mum always had half a mug of black coffee before leaving. From around 11 I did the same. Before that it was fruit juice.
Then when I left home it would be black coffee until at some point (not sure when) I switched to tea.
I only have fruit juice if I’m staying at a hotel.

 

[scubachap]

Another from the UK here - back in the day we just drank gallons of tea, some people did drink coffee, but at the time it was pretty much all instant. (My Gran even used to drink Camp coffee - a sort of tar like bottled liquid - ugh!) In my world it was really a mid morning or after dinner drink for those who liked it.

Most people I know (including myself) are still heavy tea drinkers - and until relatively recently it's been ubiquitous to the point that it's not that uncommon for a dog to occasionally get a (cool) cup of tea in it's bowl after a hard walk to perk them up etc. But over the last 20-30 years 'proper' coffee has gradually become more and more popular to the point that we're now actually quite sophisticated in our coffee tastes here. The yoof really don't drink tea like we used to

Orange juice was quite common and you could even get it from the milkman in the 70s in bottles with the milk but it was considered a bit of a luxury breakfast item and not something us kids should quaff... But again nowadays even 'freshly squeezed' is now widely drunk.

Soft fizzy drinks at breakfast? That not one I've come across unless you have an enormous hangover in which case a can of 'medicinal' Coke can really help first thing before attempting a fry up followed by lots of tea or coffee.

 

[Herdfan]

Kinda random - but who decided that coffee and tea would be the default beverages served with breakfast at events? Is it by people who need their caffeine fix? I wonder why I rarely ever see other drinks being provided, like orange juice or honey lemon or milk or even milo.

Or Diet Coke which is my breakfast go to.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Another from the UK here - back in the day we just drank gallons of tea, some people did drink coffee, but at the time it was pretty much all instant. (My Gran even used to drink Camp coffee - a sort of tar like bottled liquid - ugh!) In my world it was really a mid morning or after dinner drink for those who liked it.

Most people I know (including myself) are still heavy tea drinkers - and until relatively recently it's been ubiquitous to the point that it's not that uncommon for a dog to occasionally get a (cool) cup of tea in it's bowl after a hard walk to perk them up etc. But over the last 20-30 years 'proper' coffee has gradually become more and more popular to the point that we're now actually quite sophisticated in our coffee tastes here. The yoof really don't drink tea like we used to

Orange juice was quite common and you could even get it from the milkman in the 70s in bottles with the milk but it was considered a bit of a luxury breakfast item and not something us kids should quaff... But again nowadays even 'freshly squeezed' is now widely drunk.

Soft fizzy drinks at breakfast? That not one I've come across unless you have an enormous hangover in which case a can of 'medicinal' Coke can really help first thing before attempting a fry up followed by lots of tea or coffee.

I drink about 4 to 5 cups of tea a day, it’s a national pastime.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I drink about 4 to 5 cups of tea a day, it’s a national pastime.

Lightweight! At least 7-8 here. Big mugs to.

 

[Clix Pix]

Or Diet Coke which is my breakfast go to.

Maybe you can answer my question, which my friends don't seem to do: WHY?

 

[Herdfan]

Maybe you can answer my question, which my friends don't seem to do: WHY?

I don't like coffee and for some reason never think of tea. But want/need the caffeine so it is the best/easiest option.

Plus I don't think there is Diet Coke breath. LOL.

 

[Abazigal]

My initial post was also made as someone who doesn't drink coffee due to a sensitive stomach (something about the acidity, I suppose, drinking it as a child always gave me an upset stomach). I can maybe tolerate tea, and only on a full stomach, or it will be bad gastric for the rest of the morning. I am okay with simply drinking plain water with my meals, just an observation about how the caterers (for me at least) tend to default to coffee and tea and there doesn't seem to be any other variety.

It's a similar occurrence if I have McDonalds for breakfast. I will typically have the coffee switched out for bottled water, which incurs no extra fee (does an alternative like their iced lemon tea really cost that much more than coffee to prepare?).

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Lightweight! At least 7-8 here. Big mugs to.

I do have at least 2 cups of coffee too

 

[Clix Pix]

I don't like coffee and for some reason never think of tea. But want/need the caffeine so it is the best/easiest option.

Plus I don't think there is Diet Coke breath. LOL.

Thank you! Yep, that caffeine first thing in the morning does really help get most of us started for the day!

 

[Apple fanboy]

I do have at least 2 cups of coffee too

I’ll let you off then! I only drink coffee occasionally. If I’m out or travelling in Europe.

 

[Apple fanboy]

My initial post was also made as someone who doesn't drink coffee due to a sensitive stomach (something about the acidity, I suppose, drinking it as a child always gave me an upset stomach). I can maybe tolerate tea, and only on a full stomach, or it will be bad gastric for the rest of the morning. I am okay with simply drinking plain water with my meals, just an observation about how the caterers (for me at least) tend to default to coffee and tea and there doesn't seem to be any other variety.

It's a similar occurrence if I have McDonalds for breakfast. I will typically have the coffee switched out for bottled water, which incurs no extra fee (does an alternative like their iced lemon tea really cost that much more than coffee to prepare?).

McDonald’s for breakfast? No thanks. I’ll stick with my cereal thanks.