Behind the Wheel

As long as I have to be in the car, I’m going to enjoy myself.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a classical-music-in-the-morning guy. It is by turns soothing and invigorating. Combine a bit of soaring orchestral or chamber music with an open roof (or top down on the convertible) and a beautifully cool morning and you’ve got a recipe for a wonderful start to the day. Besides, it’s fun to watch the reactions of other drivers when I pass them playing Mozart, say, really loud. Commuting never seemed so luxurious. At least until I employ a driver….

The midafternoon often finds me singing along to now “classic rock” (what we called modern rock in the 80’s) or some Bossa Nova.

Evening, well, evening drives are always accompanied by cool school jazz or American Standards. All that crooning about starlight in the eyes, with the sky glimpsed overhead and the moon on the rise, is just perfect. It’s funny, I remember those drives to dinners vividly. And I’m always in black tie. It occurs to me that that can’t always be the case. I guess it just makes me feel that way.

What is your favourite driving music?

(From Ralph Lauren, of course….)

Ignore the rest of it. This has got to be one of the best ideas I’ve come across in a long time. Need to be business casual? Need to dress down without looking like…. well… without looking down and out? The herringbone knit sportcoat from Ralph Lauren. The shirt-jacket gone one better for fall.

Just a thought.

I’m paying it forward. Or something.

Over the last few months, I’ve been the grateful recipient of several favours done to me by consummate professionals. They are the reason that this blog looks and functions as well as it does and the real reason that I have any sort of a public image at all. These were not simple little things to do. They took time, thought and some effort.

Both were very elegant gestures.

I can build a persona, sure. They fleshed it out for me.

And then you all come along and read me and, better still, engage! Comments, encouragements, corrections, it is all collectively wonderful.

Yes, I am very grateful.

So I’m doing a favour for a friend who is launching her own business. And I am enjoying myself immensely. Doing the same sort of thing for free that once would have bankrolled a new suit feels pretty good. I hope that it’s useful to her.

But that also means I’ve got some work to do chop-chop. And that has prevented me from deep and meaningful reflection on elegance as it relates to our everyday lives. Yes, I’ve got some work ahead of me on all fronts.

And you know what I like to do after I’ve worked very hard? Reward myself. I bet you do, too.

I give to you THE secret to brilliant store-bought sorbet.

A splash — just a dash — of vodka to citrus based ones. A splash of white rum to other fruit based sorbets.

As long as you’re using a primary ingredient of a good cocktail, why not serve your dessert in a cocktail glass? Garnish with fresh sprig of mint for a very easy and very elegant summer’s night dessert.

Back with more after this brief commercial break.