Mocktails, Miles, and More
Experiments in NA drinks, a mile race, music worth sharing, and a workday tip.
Apologies in advance for the potpourri nature of this edition—there’s no single thread tying it all together, other than “things I’ve been doing and things that caught my attention this past month.” From experimenting with non-alcoholic drinks to running another mile, from music-induced goosebumps to keyboard symbol trivia, I hope this winds up being a fun, meandering read that sparks at least one “oh yeah, that’s cool” moment along the way.
An alcohol-free option
Since alcohol has started messing with a good night’s sleep, we’ve been experimenting with non-alcoholic options for special occasions. Our grab-and-go standards include Athletic Brewing’s Hazy IPA, Hop Water (love the Ruby Red Grapefruit), and Brooklyn Brewery’s NA Variety Pack. But, what if your inner mixologist wants in on the action? Here’s a few options to stand in for a margarita or an Aperol Spritz.
NA Margarita
We’ve enjoyed this several evenings since picking up the Ritual Agave Spirit Alternative, and it’s quite nice. We used a mixture of Clasico Tajin Seasoning and “Master of Mixes” margarita salt (both from Wegmans) to give it a little more pizzazz.
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz agave nectar
Garnish: salt and/or tajin rim
The Perfect Spritz
We’ve also added 2 parts of Giesen 0% Sparkling Brut NA or similar to add some volume, but it’s a perfectly delightful drink without the added cost.
2 parts tonic (or seltzer)
Ice & a slice of orange
Tiny Desk
Sarah McLachlan was one of our favorite artists in college and beyond. She recently did a set on NPR’s Tiny Desk that I found delightful. Here’s how NPR introduced it:
During a Sarah McLachlan performance, the chills come when you least expect them. One of the most expressive singer-songwriters of her generation, McLachlan makes the goosebumps happen with her gloriously gentle, iridescent voice — particularly through her negotiation of the break between its registers. – NPR
Another day, another mile
Amy and I volunteered to hand time for Finger Lakes Running Club’s February track meet. Here’s how that looks, where we all have a lane assignment and a button we click when the runner in our lane crosses the finish line. Amy had a bye for this particular heat, as no runner was in her lane. It’s a really fun job, especially when timing the very youngest runners who can weave from one lane to another, so you have to pay close attention to what they’re wearing!
Anyway, I took the chance to run another mile race during the meet, and Amy helpfully called out my splits. Adam Engst created a cool web-based app, Spliterator, to help people do just that. You plug in the track distance, race distance, and goal time, and the app does the rest. As Amy pressed the split button as I crossed the 200m mark each lap, the app clearly showed the split time and how many seconds fast or slow it was. Zoom into the screenshots below for a closer look. It was SO helpful to have her shout 1 fast, or 1 slow, and I was able to make minor adjustments each lap in response. It helped me best last month’s Hartshorne time by 2 seconds.
1 mi in 5:29.77 // 14 of 72 overall, 5:29 pace // strava
What’s in name?
Take a look at the row of numbers on your keyboard. Those symbols above them, you know the ones – ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) – each has a name that I’m sure you have in your head when you’d describe them to someone else. Before you go on, indulge me in answering this quick poll:
When the New York Times Strands puzzle had a category that was clearly these symbol names, HASHTAG was one of the last that I found. When I answer the poll above, pound is the first thing that comes to mind. I bet there’s a nice correlation of answers with when one learned to type. Here’s how Google summarizes the timing of # being correlated with the term:
People started calling the # symbol a “hashtag” in August 2007, shortly after former Google developer Chris Messina proposed using the pound sign to group conversations on Twitter. On August 23, 2007, Messina tweeted the first hashtag example, #barcamp, and blogger Stowe Boyd coined the term “hashtag” two days later.
A Tip for the Modern Worker
Send a daily text. This tip was inspired by Tim Ferriss’ interview with Hugh Jackman. Every morning, Hugh writes or types a summary of his day using the past tense as if it’s already happened. After using this tip for the greater part of a year, I’ve come away with three benefits. First, by putting things out into the universe, using the past tense, you help to manifest them. Second, you can be more prepared for the day ahead by thinking about what it entails. And last, it helps keep you accountable, especially for the tough tasks you say you’ll do.
This tip is one of 365 in my Handbook for the Modern Worker. That followed my first book, The Art of Working Remotely, about my experience working from home since 1998. Depending on where you work and which way the wind is blowing, these may be banned books or fan fiction. I hope it’s the latter.
Mail Bag: If you work remotely and have come across an issue that needs solving, a thorn that needs removing, or just an observation you’d like to share, hit reply. I’d love to hear from you.