On a more frivolous front

[trixtah]

I went up to the Hippo Bar this evening, because I am over this week, over this month, and over this fucking year, already. So a margarita was definitely on the agenda. For all the queer-orientated and andro/butch-appreciating ladeez in the audience, there is a very cute new (in the sense I hadn't seen her before, but I haven't been for months) bartender who knows how to make a damn good margarita with Herradura tequila and Grand Marnier. There was no fucking about with blenders or fruity additives - just the pure rendition in a chilled martini glass with salt. She reminded me of a thin tomboyish combination of Stan Campbell and Dayna from Blake's 7, and looked just right in a waistcoat. Alas, about 20 years too young and not girly enough to be true eye-candy for me, but it's nice to see appealing potential members of the sisterhood about.

And it really is useful that alcohol cheers me up in general. It'd be horrible to be one of those people who got morose when they were slightly squiffy. After the margarita, I had a pleasant walk home, despite the humidity (more on that shortly). Up at the IGA in Lyneham, I found some new beer, by Knappstein. They're a winery that does a very tasty riesling (and other wines), and it seems they're branching out. I'm pleased to say that this is the best beer I've had in ages. It says it's a "distinctively fruity and floral beer" (and slightly wankily), with a "distinctive wine-like balance". It's not nearly as sweet as it sounds, although it does have a kind of honey note, and it contains enough alcohol - 5.6 percent - to carry off the rich, but not cloying, flavours. The good hop balance gives it a fairly clean finish. It's reminiscent of good Belgian beer, but not in the slightest bit fungusy or as over-powering as many of those can be. The website says it's a "Bavarian-style lager", but honestly, it's more flavoursome than most of those. So, yum. Yay.

I also found some fun things today about temperature averages - yes, I know I'm obsessed by this topic - since the relative level of humidity today reminded me of Auckland at this time of the year. In fact, the temps and humidity (70-ish percent) were very similar there and in Canberra. I also found the Beeb site that gives a nice rundown on average temperature ranges by city across the year.

Canberra has an average temperature range of 11-28 degrees during the daytime, and 1-13 degrees at night. Record extremes are -10 at night in winter and 43 in summer. So that gives us a daytime average temperature range of 17 degrees over the year, and 13 degrees at night. Extreme range is 53 degrees. Humidity can range between 35 and 85%, but averages just under 60%. Average rainfall per month is 49mm, ranging between 41 and 56mm (ie. pretty steady). These are historical averages, by the way. The last decade in Canberra has been hotter and drier than average.

Auckland, where I grew up, does not have such extremes. Average daytime temps range between 13-23 degrees, and 8-16 at night.  The daytime spread is only 10 degrees over the year, and 8 degrees at night. Record max is 32 in summer and minimum is 1 in winter. So an extreme range of, OMG, 31 degrees. Can we see why I don't cope with temperature extremes very well? :-) Average rainfall per month is 104 mm, with summer being relatively dry with 80mm or so and the winter months with around 130mm. This makes the Auckland region quite green. Humidity is 70% on average, ranging from 60-75%, although over 90% is not uncommon.

Yeah, I really am a wuss when it comes to temperature.

Some more figures for comparison purposes. London agreed with me quite well climate-wise, except for the shocking lack of sunshine hours. Daytime temps between 6 and 22 degrees, with night-time temps between 2-14 degrees. Historical low of -10 and high of 34. This gives an average daytime range of 16 degrees during the year and 12 degrees at night (with a extreme range of 44). Interestingly, not too different an average spread compared to Canberra, but I think that daytime average downshift of 8 degrees or so, and lower extremes, suits me much more (especially since it doesn't get comparatively colder at night). Also, English houses nearly all often have central heating, double-glazing and adequate insulation. Canberra, like most of NZ, seems to bask under the illusion it doesn't need proper heat-management in housing.

As for North America, in the middle of the continent, no thank you. Chicago, with winter nighttime minimums of -8 (-8 to 19 over the year, a range of 27) going up to an average of 27 in summer (daytime average range 0-27). So, yuck, an average range over the year of 27 degrees. Historical lows of -29 and highs of 41 - a bloody hell, 70 degree extreme spread - means the US/Canada is not a place I'd ever live in unless it's right by the sea in the middling latitudes. And I'll be visiting pretty much only in May or September.

So, yes, I'll be sticking to my cool sub-tropical/moderately-warm temperate climates where I can, thank you very much.

Comments

[buddleia.livejournal.com]

English houses nearly all have central heating, double-glazing and adequate insulation
OMG, I wish that were true. I reckon you've been inordinately lucky when you were here!

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

Heh, I somehow managed not to visit a house that didn't have these things, except, of course, the 2 places I lived in! Oh, and my ex's 16th century stone building in Hay with wattle-and-daub interior walls.

See, all those middle-class home-owning types I hung out with gave me false expectations... :-)

[jekni.livejournal.com]

That beer sounds great. I like Tim Knappstein's wine, so I'm definitely interseted in getting hold of the beer! 'S funny, after 45 years of not-drinking-beer in the past two years I'm getting quite a taste for it. Lyneham IGA, hmmm? I will have to venture northwards. What's its name BTW?