When times get tough — and when I refer to times I’m meaning mornings now that I’m no longer socially distanced from my office in Montgomery — I reach for the elixir of the Gods.
No, not whiskey — well yes, whiskey, but that’s more of a social drink with friends in areas away from work.
kAmx’> E2=<:?8 23@FE E96 H@?56C7F=[ >28:42= 4FA @7 42776:?2E65 DFDE6?2?46i r@7766]k^Am
kAm*6D 4@FD:?D[ E@52J H6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ E2=< 23@FE 9@H 72?E2DE:4 4@7766 :D 2?5 9@H[ =:<6 *2?<66D 2?5 E96:C H6:C5 42<63C625[ E9@D6 H9@ 5@ ?@E 5C:?< E9:D H@?56C7F= 8=2DD 42F=5C@? @7 >28:4 2C6 ?@E E@ 36 ECFDE65] %96J AC@323=J 62E E96:C DE62<D H6== 5@?6 H:E9 <6E49FA 2?5 =:<6 q:8 %6? 7@@E32==]k^Am
kAmx 5@?’E ?665 E92E <:?5 @7 F?D@=:4:E65 ?682E:G:EJ :? >J =:76] x =@G6 E9C@H:?8 :? BF@E6D H96? x HC:E6 E@ >2<6 >6 D@F?5 >@C6 :?E6==:86?E] xE’D H@C<65 7@C 2== >J AC@76DD:@?2= 42C66C D@ x A=2? E@ 4@?E:?F6 5@:?8 :E] x DEF>3=65 24C@DD E9:D ;6H6= @? k6>mv@@5 w@FD6<66A:?8’Dk^6>m H63D:E6]k^Am
kAm“*@F H2?E E@ <?@H 2 52?86C@FD 5C:?<:?8 82>6n $66 9@H =@?8 J@F 42? <66A >6 7C@> 2 4FA @7 4@7766]”k^Am
kAmx =2F8965 @FE =@F5 C625:?8 :E 2?5 EJA:?8 :E] qFE :E’D ECF6] x’G6 366? H@C<:?8 7@C E96 $E2E6 @7 p=232>2 7@C >@C6 E92? 7:G6 J62CD 2?5 x DE:== 92G6?’E 8@EE6? E96 92?8 @7 >@C?:?8D] x’G6 8@EE6? 36EE6C[ 3FE >J >@C?:?8 4@>>F?:42E:@? :D 3C@<6? 5@H? E@ 2 D6C:6D @7 8CF?ED[ 4@F89D 2?5 >@?@DJ==23:4 H@C5D]k^Am
kAm*6D] }@] %96 H@C=5[ 2E E9:D A@:?E :? E:>6[ :D AC6EEJ 8C2J]k^Am
kAm%96? x 5C:?< >J 7:CDE 4FA] {:<6 s@C@E9J =2?5:?8 :? ~K[ 4@=@C DAC:?8D 7@CE9 7C@> 6G6CJ 4C6G:46[ E96 3:C5D 49:CA >28:42= 96==@D[ >J 5@8’D E2:= 96=:4@AE6CD[ E96 42E 49:CAD 2 AFCC:?8 96==@[ ?@3@5J 5:6D 5FC:?8 >J 4@>>FE6 E@ |@?E8@>6CJ 2?5 E9:?8D 2C6 C:89E H:E9 E96 H@C=5]k^Am
kAmv@:?8 324< E@ k6>mv@@5 w@FD6<66A:?8k^6>mi “xE’D 2>2K:?8 9@H >F49 E96 H@C=5 492?86D 27E6C @?6 4FA @7 4@7766]”k^Am
kAm}@H H92E’D :?E6C6DE:?8 :D E96 H2JD 4@7766 :D 4@?DF>65]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 H63D:E6 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^4@7766\DE2E:DE:4D]4@>Qm4@7766\DE2E:DE:4D]4@>k^2m[ p>6C:42?D 4@?DF>6 fdT @7 2== E96:C 42776:?6 :? E96 7@C> @7 4@7766] t2E E92E r@42\r@=2] p?5 23@FE ahT &]$] 4@7766 4@?DF>6CD 5C:?< 4@7766 E@ C6=2I] wF77A@DE ?@E6D >@C6 E92? 92=7 @7 2== 4@7766 4@?DF>6CD H@F=5 C2E96C D<:A 2 D9@H6C :? E96 >@C?:?8 E92? D<:A E96:C >@C?:?8 4@7766]k^Am
kAmx 8C6H FA :? E96 9@FD6 H:E9 2 E9:C5\D9:7E A2C6?E[ 2 >@> 25;246?E E@ E96 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 H6?E E@ H@C< :? E96 >65:2 D@ x AC676C >J 4@7766 =:<6 >J E9@F89EDi 52C< 2?5 F??6CG:?8 3FE H:E9 2 =:EE=6 92=7\2?5\92=7 3642FD6 x’> ?@E 2 E@E2= ADJ49@A2E9 3642FD6 @?6’D >6?E2= 7@CE:EF56 :D 5:C64E:@?2==J AC@A@CE:@?2E6 E@ E96 DEC6?8E9 @7 9:D @C 96C >@C?:?8 4@7766]k^Am
kAm$@>6@?6 AC@7@F?5 2?5 72>@FD D2:5 E92E] ~z[ x D2:5 E92E]k^Am
kAmx’> :? E96 >:?@C:EJ 2D @?=J 23@FE bdT @7 4@7766 4@?DF>6CD 42? 92?5=6 E96:CD 3=24<] |@DE W2<2 E96 C6>2:?:?8 edT[ 8:G6 @C E2<6X 92G6 E@ 92G6 2 DH66E6?6C @C 2 7=2G@C65 4C62>6C 25565 E@ E96:C 4@7766] pAA2C6?E=J E96J 42?’E E2<6 5:C64E D9@ED @7 2H6D@>6?6DD] k^Am
kAmx 4@?5F4E65 2 4@>A=6E6=J D4:6?E:7:4 A@== @? E96 @=’ 3@@< @7 7246D E@ D66 9@H @E96CD AC676C E@ 5C:?< E96:C 4@7766 2?5 E96 C6DF=ED H6C6 :?EC:8F:?8]k^Am
kAm$@>6 @7 E96 C6DA@?56?ED 72:= E@ 24EF2==J A2CE2<6 :? E96 4@7766 >2<:?8[ A@FC:?8[ 5C:?<:?8 C:EF2=] x’> BF6DE:?8 E96:C D2?:EJ >@C6 E92? >J @H?]k^Am
kAm~E96CD AC676CC65 E96:C 4@7766 H:E9 D@>6 D@CE @7 7=2G@C65 DF3DE2?46 :?D:56 @7 :E] $@>6 AC676C E@ :>3:36 9@E E62 @G6C 4@7766] x 92G6 ?@ H@C5D 7@C E9@D6 A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm~9 2?5 7@C E9@D6 @7 J@F H9@ 2C6 4@?7:?65 E@ 2 =:76 @7 56427[ 3=6DD J@FC 962CED 7@C E92E :D 2 E@CEFC@FD 6I:DE6?46 H:E9 G6CJ 76H 52JD E@ =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@]k^Am
kAm{:76 H:E9@FE 4@7766 :D =:<6 D@>6E9:?8 H:E9@FE D@>6E9:?8… x’5 =@G6 E@ 7:?:D9 E96 E9@F89E 3FE E92E’D 2== x’G6 8@E 2D >J A@E ;FDE 3682? E@ CF??6E9 @G6C]k^Am
kAmxE’D E92E D:>A=6]k^Am
kAmk6>mvC:77:? !C:E492C5 :D 2 C68F=2C 4@CC6DA@?56?E 2?5 4@=F>?:DE 7@C %2==2A@@D2 !F3=:D96CD x?4]k^6>mk^Am