Maintenance. Random Thoughts. The New Pope. The Question of the Week. Pure Talent.

Age is Just a Number. What Were the Odds? Answers Please. The Sneak Pass Maneuver.

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Quote of the Week: Let’s face it, the human body is like a condominium apartment. The thing that keeps you really enjoying it is the maintenance. There’s a tremendous amount of daily, weekly, monthly and yearly work that has to be done. From showering to open heart surgery, we’re always doing something to ourselves. If your body was a used car, you wouldn’t buy it. – Jerry Seinfeld

Whether you agree or disagree with Jerry Seinfeld depends on correlating our bodies to a used car. While cars lose twenty percent of their value in the first year of ownership and retain just 40% of their original value after five years, do we not become more valuable as we grow older? One of many “getting old” jokes I like: Someone told me they liked my alligator shoes. I was barefoot.

This take from Susan Rice has some truth to it…and her advice may resonate with many of us:

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I Have Some Questions

• When is the last time that you were in a Burger King?
• Why did Disney pick Abu Dhabi for its next park? The Middle East seems to be a hot destination for tourists led by Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya City, a new city being built with a mix of entertainment, attractions, sports complexes, and residential neighborhoods.
• Will any A-list celebrities and politicians will be subpoenaed to testify in the Sean “Diddy” Combs criminal trial?
• Have you seen the movie Conclave? It is well done and as always, Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci are fantastic.
• The Persian Gulf being renamed The Arabian Gulf. Do we really care what we call the body of water separating Iran and Saudi Arabia?
• Will last Thursday’s new trade deal with the United Kingdom be the first of many?
• Weeks later, why is the media is still all over the Bill Belichick/Jordan Hudson romance? Yes, I typed romance.
• Will Bitcoin and other cryptos stay above $100,000? Have you been asked to explain cryptocurrency? Is cryptocurrency a digital currency that could replace normal monetary systems?

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• In a post last month, I discussed how the new Pope is elected and offered up the question if an American had any chance of being selected: “Is there a chance that the next Pope will be an American? Most pundits point out that for the first time in history, fewer than half of those given a vote will be European. The voting process is known as the Conclave with one hundred thirty-three cardinals, all of whom must be under the age of eighty, submitting their vote. The voting process continues until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote.“

Last Thursday, one hundred thirty-three cardinals, after a few voting rounds did not yield a two-thirds majority, finally decided on an American-born Pope. As always, the Pope uses a name from the past that best aligns with their sacred work of leading 1.4 billion followers of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, born in Chicago, is now Pope Leo XIV. He speaks English, Spanish, and Italian, is a Chicago White Sox fan, and plays tennis on a regular basis. Let us hope that Pope Leo XIV becomes a strong voice for peace, social justice, and human dignity.

Note: for some of my friends who think Hard Rock Bet is the best app ever…Cardinal Prevost was listed as a 0.6% chance of being named the new Pope by various betting sites. Just saying.

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• Today is Mother’s Day. Yes, many of us live away from our mom, have had a contentious relationship with her, or our mom has passed on. With that said, whether your mom is still with us or not, don’t miss the opportunity to show your respect and appreciation for every mom. Mother’s Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as a day of “public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” Not all of us can gather to celebrate Mother’s Day, but at the very least, no matter the situation, call your mom and show your respect and appreciation. Just do it.

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• Question of the Week. Thank you to all who provided your answers and one interesting recipe. The question: With yesterday’s Kentucky Derby in the books and thousands of mint juleps consumed, as summer quickly approaches What is Your Favorite Summer Cocktail? Will you share your drink recipe with all of us?

My favorite summer drink forever has been Tanqueray and Schwepps tonic water. Then about three years ago, my A1c was elevated, and I started
looking more carefully at sugar intake. Tonic water had more sugar than you should consume in a frickin’ day. Johnny Walker Black and two ice cubes to the rescue!

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Not big on summer cocktails … cold Corona with slice of lime is all I need!

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Summer cocktail means Gin & Tonic. Here’s my fave summer cocktail served up in Atlanta at the Four Seasons Midtown lounge known as Bar Margot. it’s your kind of place. (Reminds me of The Palm, but they have a DJ).

This signature drink is the “Gin Margot”:
Here’s how to make it:

1. Ingredients:
   2 oz Papa Salt Gin
   4 oz soda water
   Orange twist for garnish
   Crack of black pepper for garnish
2. Instructions:
   Fill a glass with ice.
   Pour the gin over the ice.
   Top with soda water.
   Garnish with an orange twist and a crack of black pepper.
3. Variations:

CAPI Pink Grapefruit Soda – Using this soda as a mixer, which adds a touch of sweetness and a pink hue to the drink.

Rosemary Salt Rim – Rimming the glass with a rosemary salt mixture (blended rosemary and sea salt) for a more complex flavor profile.

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An Arnold Palmer made this way: unsweetened tea, lemonade, with most of it being tea. Add two ounces of your favorite bourbon and pour over a tall glass with ice.

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Here is this week’s Question of the Week: “How do you stop yourself from doing something to make yourself feel better, if it just ends up making yourself feel worse?” The reader who submitted the question gave these examples: impulse shopping, an extra glass of wine, a midnight snack, etc. Your answers and thoughts are appreciated.

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• Pure Talent. I have no excuses, but I have not been to an air show featuring the Blue Angels for many years. This video shows us the ‘sneak pass’ maneuver which demonstrates how quickly these planes can be right on top of their target without knowing they are coming. This maneuver is performed at just below the speed of sound (768 mph) from an altitude as low as fifty feet. No one can hear the jet’s engines until the jet moves past you. The Blue Angels are Pure Talent.

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Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and have a Sunday Funday Mother’s Day!