Keeping Your Cool

Working on behalf of charities is a most rewarding experience. It is a labor of love. When you can help others, whatever their respective goals, you feel you have made some kind of mark in life. Your imprint comes from your personal sense of self. The sense of community is dwindling in America as urbanization is rampant; but you can help to foster it if you try. Any place, any time—good work can be done.

In New Mexico, it is a hot, arid place for sure; but it is also beautiful and picturesque. The air is clear and the vistas are long. There is an old west atmosphere and a laid back spirit that never flags. I am proud to be a resident. I work hard on a daily basis to further my causes, and it keeps me busy and proactive. I am always looking for more fellow volunteers.

When working with a group of people on a project, we need to accomplish tasks according to a timeline. However, I believe in kicking back now and then and getting to know everyone a little better. Thus, I find a quiet place to retreat and recline when we are overly embroiled and want to have a glass or two of wine. A crisp, cold chardonnay or pinot grigio does the job of keeping me cool. It does so since it has been chilled at the perfect temperature in the communal wine refrigerator.

This wine cooler was donated by another volunteer who runs a review site and had received one from a manufacturer to test out some time ago and has gotten its share of frequent use. It is the perfect way to store wine for those special times. It holds several dozen in two zones: for reds and whites. Each has a correct temperature setting. People thus have a choice. It is nice that volunteers bring bottles leftover from parties or given as gifts. We don’t often have to buy them. We do, however, have to take care that our stash never runs low and that the unit is operating optimally.

The fridge is so quiet you hardly know it is there except for a very low hum. It is modern and elegant so doesn’t take away from our “décor” such as it is—in a makeshift sort of fashion. In short, it fits right in. It is inconspicuous and demure. No eyesore this beauty! I for one am glad that manufacturers take the time to design utilitarian things so well on the exterior. On the interior, I am impressed how they keep vibrations to a minimum so as not to impact the flavor and quality of the wine. Plus, I love the interior display light and the auto cycle defrost.

In short, I am praising work breaks to the skies (ever blue here in New Mexico) and especially the ones that are long enough to merit pouring a glass of vino. Wine helps you keep your mental and physical cool and as such has no counterpart. Sure, I like sangria, beer, sodas, and mixed drinks. But give me a glass of cabernet sauvignon anytime. Domestic or imported anyone?