I communicate with Sam using simple sentences like “Jump on the bed” or “Fetch me a Guinness.” Sam is freakishly intelligent. She constantly watches me and knows my behavior patterns better than I do. So, it’s no surprise that she knows when I’m about to leave for a trip and kennel her. The day that I start packing, she leaves me “presents” in my living room. She resumes her housebroken behavior when I bring her home. Distress or payback? Psychologists know better than to anthropomorphize. (It’s payback.)
 

Chimichurri Sauce

I’ve just returned from a few days in Florida to visit my mom. The Bonefish Grill, part of the Outback Steakhouse chain, was a crowd pleaser. The scallops and shrimp and salmon were delicious with a chimichurri sauce, which originated in Argentina, which gained recent fame because of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s scandalous love affair.

 
One story attributes the name to an Irishman named Jimmy McCurry, who reportedly invented this blend of parsley, garlic, olive or vegetable oil, vinegar, and red pepper. I use chimichurri as a topping on baked potatoes. You can find this sauce at Clover’s market in Columbia.

Demon Alcohol

I would not be “fair and balanced” if I failed to discuss the downside of the demon alcohol. While people-watching at Lambert airport in St. Louis, I overheard an employee describe how he was awakened by the roar of Forest Park mowers, naked and alone in his Lincoln town car after a near-legendary night of drinking.

 
This sad casualty from the 1980s could be you waking up inside an eco-friendly Prius stranded in the Quad after making the rounds of freshman week parties. Don’t make the baby Jesus weep.*

* Southern Arkansas expression of unknown origin

Casillero del Diablo cabernet sauvignion is a
full-bodied red with bodacious amount of fruit. Wine & Spirits wrote: “With muscular tannins flanked by concentrated black fruit, this is untamed cabernet. A juicy steak would mellow its youthful energy. 88 Points.”

 
The name means “Cellar of the Devil.” Don Melchor, the founder of Concha y Torro, started the rumor that the devil lived in his deepest, darkest wine cellar to discourage his employees from impromptu wine tasting.

Don’t Forget to Breathe
Slow diaphragmatic breathing is the “Swiss Army knife” of stress management. Breathing should feel effortless as if your body is breathing itself. You might gradually slow down your breathing to 5-7 breaths per minute over several weeks. Take baby steps. Our undergraduates gained the most benefit by exhaling twice as long as they inhaled.

How might this help you? You might feel more calm and focussed, which can be great for exams and grad school interviews.

Breathing can also help you control pain. If you are about to experience a painful procedure like a blood draw or one of my podcasts, take a medium breath and slowly exhale. This increases the vagus nerve’s ability to block pain.

Sometimes when he has food left in his bowl, I’ll ask, “Bama, would you really mind if I gave Samantha all of your kibble?” He usually responds by sprinting into his crate and growling to remind Sam that it’s his kibble.

My student worker Bama claims that Bama respects him so much that he doesn’t need to use treats or strategy. He just meekly obeys. I suspect that this is because Bama lifts very heavy weights and might easily be mistaken for a wookie.

Reading
What are you reading, Dr. Shaffer? For work, Porges’s Polyvagal Theory. For play, Guy Gavriel Kay’s Under Heaven.

Wine
What is your favorite cab selling for under $100? 2007 Caymus.

What do you recommend for a student budget? A 2006 Rodney Strong cab.

 
Dutch cyclists make several supermarket trips each week since their bikes have limited room for groceries. The picture on the left shows the thousands of bikes that are parked at Amsterdam’s Central Train Station.

 Season Withdrawals

  
Glee, House, MD, and Supernatural have aired their season finales and I’m starting to experience withdrawals. Thank goodness for the HBO series Game of Thrones, based George R. R. Martin’s award-winning fantasy series. Check it out!

Brews

Need a new beer recommendation? Young’s Double Chocolate Stout and Ranger IPA are exceptional (don’t mix them up).