Smorgasbord #36

CPR, Dark Heather Grey, Penicillin

Hello friends! This is Smorgasbord, a self-service buffet of ideas—the box of chocolates of newsletters.

Big changes this week at Châtelet Cantú. We moved our oldest son into his own room, promoted our second born to the top bunk, our princess to the bottom bunk, and the baby to his big boy bed. It was bittersweet to take down the crib and the day bed that used to be a crib and put together two IKEA twin beds. It’s all part of the journey. Next thing you know, we won’t need diapers or a stroller. Crazy!

Alright, let’s get on with it.

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CPR

I renewed my infant and adult CPR certification last week, and I hope I’ll never need to use those skills. It feels like a big responsibility to have this kind of knowledge and a piece of paper saying that, for the next two years, I know the current techniques for trying to keep someone alive while the first responders arrive.

Diana says I’m good in crisis mode. I’m able to act, do what’s needed, and crash after the fact. I’ve been thinking about how being calm can help those around you calm down. It would seem like calmness can be contagious, especially if it comes from me. If Dad’s cool, calm, and collected, things will probably be okay.

Being “on call” for my 9 to 5 has given me specific skills to perform well under pressure. You get a page at 2:00 AM, turn on your laptop, ask questions, get things back to normal, and crash. I work with software, so the stakes are lower than saving lives. Yes, the company might lose money, but hopefully, nobody dies.

When you’re responsible for little humans, that's a different story. Someone told me that you don’t rise to the occasion; you default to your level of training. I guess I’m trying to say that it doesn’t hurt to take a course here and there or watch a bunch of YouTube videos (I know it’s not the same), just in case. As the Boy Scouts motto says: be prepared.

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Dark Heather Grey

I recently learned about the sad beige trend for babies and adults. Apparently, this is a neutral aesthetic some people have adopted, and I see its appeal. It’s just not for me.

I do, however, gravitate towards dark heather grey, black, and navy, not necessarily as a fashion statement but as a way to reduce the cognitive power needed to choose what to wear daily.

I’m not a minimalist, but I’m minimalistic-ish. I have a kind of uniform that I’ve been building over the last few years. I found a brand of shorts I like at Costco (tell me you’re a dad without telling me you’re a dad) and bought five pairs. I have four pairs of jeans in light and dark blue, grey, and black. Seven Bella Canvas dark heather grey t-shirts. A couple of polos, four dress shirts, two pairs of chinos, and a suit. And that’s all I need.

the uniform

I have some “specialty” clothes, such as hiking pants and boots, my 4th of July shirt, and swimwear. That’s why I say I’m minimalistic-ish. I like simplicity and variety. And I haven’t given up crazy colored socks.

I guess it’s more about pragmatism than minimalism. If one of my kids is eating Cheetos, comes running to hug me, and suddenly I have Cheeto dust on my clothes, I can grab anything from my closet and be ready to go in seconds. Form follows function.

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Penicillin

Penicillin fights bacterial infections by destroying the bacteria's cell walls, and ginger has properties that kill microbes and inhibit their growth. But what if you want a sour-style cocktail that may have some health benefits?

You make a Penicillin, a cocktail created by Sam Ross in the mid-2000s. It’s one of the few Scotch cocktails I know about, so if Scotch’s your thing, you may want to try this one. I made some twists to the original recipe with great results. Here’s what you’d need to make one.

• 2 oz blended Scotch (I used gin and would like to try it with Mezcal)

• 3/4 lemon juice (I used Ingrilli Organic Ginger Squeeze Blend)

• 3/4 honey ginger syrup (I used honey syrup, equal parts honey and water)

I basically made a Bee’s Knees with ginger, which adds some spice and warmth to it. But you really can’t go wrong with citrus and honey. Cheers!

yum

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Sobremesa

1. What’s one skill that you hope you never have to use?

2. Are you into minimalism when it comes to clothes? What do you think of having a uniform that’s not jeans and a turtle neck?

3. Can you really tell the difference between Orange Blossom, Manuka, and Acacia honey?

P.S. In case you missed it, I wrote about The Best Taco (in my opinion). Have a lovely weekend!

-W