Clinton, South Carolina, Saturday, May 2, 2020, 11:28 a.m.

The times demand resourcefulness. Me? I invented a cocktail.

I’m not a big drinker these days, but occasionally it helps me sleep soundly and without dreams. Occasionally I put some bourbon in a mug of coffee, but the weather is getting warmer, and the java and booze are counterproductive at night.

About a month ago, I had dental surgery, and the dentist gave me a pain prescription and a can of ginger ale to wash one down after I stopped by the nearby pharmacy. I had a leftover Diet Coke in the truck, so I saved the ginger ale and used it as a mixer a few nights later. I made a mental note to buy some ginger ale, but when it finally occurred to me in the grocery store a week or so later, there was none available. I put some thought into the matter and finally bought a 6-pack of flavored tonic water.

I don’t much care for tonic except with gin, and even that doesn’t appeal to me without lime juice

The flavoring was almost undetectable. When I tried bourbon, it was terrible.

Last night I put some Sweet ’n’ Low in the glass, then added a few ice cubes, the tonic, and the bourbon.

Voila. I like it. Maybe nobody else does. I don’t care. Contrary to popular belief, different folks have different strokes, not to mention palates.

 

Take a look at my new website, Laurens County Sports. It’s undoubtedly going to be better when Laurens County has actual sports again.

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Lightning in a Bottle, the first of my two motorsports novels, is now available in audio (Audible, Amazon, iTunes) with the extraordinary narration of Jay Harper.

My eighth novel, a political crime thriller, is called Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It’s right up to date with the current political landscape in the country.

My writing on other topics that strike my fancy is posted here.