Smorgasbord #32

spontaneity/kino/summer drinks

Hello friends! This is Smorgasbord, a self-service buffet of ideas—the cup o’ noodles of newsletters. I’m writing these lines on a Friday morning, after breakfast, which means I didn’t have this ready by Thursday night as usual. I know y’all are very forgiving of my shortcomings, but I can’t help but feel I have missed the mark.

It’s been a rough week with a couple of kids with ear infections and another one with a cough. Neither Diana nor I have slept great, but you know what? I have a four-day weekend (Monday is a holiday in the US, and I took today off), and we will make the best of it.

If you’re also in the thick of it, please be assured of my prayers, as I would ask you to include me in yours. Let’s lift each other up and find those little moments of joy that can sustain us through the day (like a nice cup of coffee).

Alright, let’s get on with it.

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The loss of spontaneity

I had been lamenting not making time for my friends lately (missing the mark has been a theme this week), so I reached out to a couple of friends to go out for cigars at a nice cigar lounge in Scottsdale, AZ.

Only one of my friends said they would be there, so in a Hail Mary moment, I texted three other friends. Two of them couldn’t make it, but the third one didn’t have a lot going on, so he came over to hang out. This guy just moved to Phoenix with his wife, and he happens to be from my hometown as well. He hasn’t made a lot of friends, so he jumped at the opportunity to have guy time.

I apologized for reaching out at the last minute, but he said it wasn’t a big deal. I told him that the twelve years I’ve lived in the US have conditioned me always to make plans ahead of time. Especially now that most of my friends are married and have kids, it is way more challenging to get a group together because we all have things going on at any given time.

And that’s when I briefly lamented the loss of spontaneity. I remember one Saturday night when Diana and I were newlyweds, Jim Gaffigan had two shows at Talking Stick Casino, and I saw an ad for it while the first show was happening. I went to StubHub, bought tickets, got ready, drove over, and watched his show. Those days are long gone.

However, I don’t think it’s all negative. What I like about American culture, in terms of scheduling at least, is that if you agree to meet on a Thursday at 7:0 PM, people usually show up on time without having to be reminded. Yes, people will flake, but it’s more the exception than the rule. It is also unfair to compare my younger, single years in Mexico vs. my older, married, with kids years in the US, but somehow something remains the same: you have to be intentional.

I know I spend a lot of time online and can feel a false sense of connection with my friends because I text them every once in a while, and I don’t like phone calls; I think I’m at my best when I hang out with people in a small group. That way, I can pay attention to most people in the room. Building a community is work, and friendships take effort. A good friend from college would jokingly say that hanging out was like watering the plant, the plant being our friendship.

So, here’s your assignment for the weekend: water your plants.

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Kino

This week, I finished year one of two of the Adult Faith Formation program at the Kino Catechetical Institute at the Diocese of Phoenix. I took seven five-week courses that started with the Creed, going through scripture and Christology, and ended with the Church’s teaching about the Church.

It has been a good experience, mainly because I’m a nerd who loves learning new things. I also love Jesus and his Church, so anytime I can get to know him better is time well spent, in my book.

However, I’m happy not to have homework for a few months and get my Wednesday nights back for a bit. The religious education director at my parish has already asked me to be a catechist next year, which I’m excited to do, especially since I could be teaching one of my children’s classes, God willing.

I know that being a poorly catechized Catholic almost made me lose my faith in my twenties, and slowly getting to know what the Catholic Church teaches about everything has made me realize how fortunate I am that my parents handed over this treasure to me as an infant—even if I took a ten-year detour and then came back.

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Bevvy

It’s getting hot in Phoenix, so I decided to make something refreshing and bright. In the process, I also killed four mint plants (missing the mark again). Still, I found a lazy way to make mojitos that, with a little bit of work beforehand, will make building this delicious cocktail a breeze.

The prep work entails making a mint simple syrup. Put one cup of sugar, one cup of water, and one-third of a cup of mint leaves in a pan and leave on low heat until it simmer. Take the pot off the fire and let it cool to room temperature. Strain the mint leaves and set aside. You will also need lime juice and some extra mint leaves if you want your drink to be mintier and visually appealing—otherwise, the syrup should be enough.

To make a lazy mojito, add a half ounce of the mint simple syrup, one ounce of lime juice, and two ounces of a light rum (I like Plantation three-stars or Don Q) and shake vigorously with ice. Fill a highball glass with ice and strain the cocktail into it. Top with club soda. If you want it mintier, drop about ten mint leaves at the bottom of the glass before you add the ice and rub the mint leaves around so the oils get released. Add a straw and enjoy.

Now close your eyes and pretend you’re in La Bodeguita del Medio

Bonus drink! I haven’t tried this one, but I want to. It turns out that Tom Hanks doesn’t drink that much alcohol but is fond of Diet Coke. Legend says that one night while celebrating at a restaurant, he asked for a shot of Champagne, which he poured over his Diet Coke. The result: Diet Cokagne.

To make the Diet Cokeagne, fill a glass with ice two-thirds of the way with Diet Coke and the rest with Champagne or your favorite sparkling wine. It doesn’t have to be Diet Coke, either; according to Mr. Hanks, any Coke product works.

If you try it, let me know how you like it.

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Sobremesa

1. When was the last time you saw your best friend in real life?

2. What’s the most recent thing you have learned this week?

3. Are you team mojito or team Diet Cokagne?

   Have a lovely weekend!

   -W