Another freaky gray summer day. I suppose I should get used to these, given my imminent move northward, but I suspect I'll always have a California soul when it comes to weather. In my experience, at back-to-school time there's a thermostat somewhere in Northern California that says to the sun, "OK, they're all back inside now—let's crank it up and make 'em sweat." But today, it looks like Portland (not that there's anything wrong with that)—gray, potentially rainy, but not so cold you feel compelled to stay inside. It's hard to decide whether to crack open a cold one or start simmering a batch of chai.