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National Tortilla Chip Day 2024
Feeling crunchy? That’s probably because it’s National Tortilla Chip Day. In my case, it’s just because I’m old.
One Word
One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love. ~Sophocles
Well, figuratively speaking, that is true. My heart is lighter and free of pain since I’ve had Kelly in my life.
In practical terms, I am far from free of weight and pain. I am significantly heavier than I should be and pain seems to come with age.
Of course, it really doesn’t help that I’ve got arthritis in the vertebrae of my neck or that a friggin’ minivan fell on me. Pain comes with the territory.
Since we’re accentuating the positive around here, let’s focus more on the love. How can I not when I’ve got a fabulous wife?
💙 Awesome Wife | Awesome Life 🤍
Not sure what more to say than that. I love Kelly. She makes my life better in more ways than I can comprehend.
Crunchy
How to Make Homemade Tortilla Chips 2 Ways | Easy Tortilla Chips Recipe
We love chips and salsa or chips and dip. We particularly enjoy the red and green ones they sell at Christmastime.
They’re crunchy and fun. They go great with a movie or a series binge. They’re great as a side for soup and sandwich.
They’re not as salty as potato chips and they have an inherent flavor. Honestly, how can you go wrong?
I’ve had a rather long week. My brain is basically fried, so I’m asking my robot friend to write a little poem about tortilla chips on my behalf.
Me: Please write a short poem about tortilla chips that extols their excellent qualities of taste, texture and nutrition.
ChatGPT:
In a world of flavors, vast and deep,
Lies a treasure, golden, for us to keep.
Tortilla chips, oh how they shine,
With taste and texture so divine.
Crisp and hearty, in every bite,
They dance on tongues, pure delight.
Salt-kissed edges, a perfect crunch,
A symphony of joy, in every munch.
Not just a feast for the senses alone,
But packed with goodness, it’s widely known.
Corn’s natural bounty, in every chip,
Fiber and nutrients, on every dip.
So here’s to the chip, so simple, so right,
Bringing smiles and health, into the night.
A staple of gatherings, a friend to all,
Tortilla chips, we heed your call.
Me: Lovely, thank you.
ChatGPT: You’re welcome! If you have any more requests or need assistance with anything else, feel free to ask. Enjoy your day!
I may be tired, but not too weary to be polite.
Dichotomy
There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt. ~Erma Bombeck
That’s surprisingly dark for dear Erma. I always found her to be whimsically wry, but there you are. There is indeed a thin line dividing 🎭 comedy from tragedy.
That’s another tool in the writer’s toolbox.
You can write pithy, comical stories like Erma or you can write soul-devouring horror like H.P. Lovecraft. If you can maintain that sort of tone for the entire work, it puts you solidly in a particular genre.
If you really want some contour and nuance, you need to vary the tone and cross that thin line periodically.
The Sentinels is going to be 13 books long and it’s only natural that you’d want the tone to ebb and flow. If I keep it light and silly the entire time, people would get tired of it before book one was complete. If I keep it grim and gritty, people are going to need hard antidepressants to slog through it all.
That was one of the things that got me hooked on A Song of Ice And Fire. A notoriously grim medieval epic, the incidentals of the books can range from the sweetly silly to the shockingly dark.
I mean, seriously, I sat there with my mouth hanging open as I read “The Red Wedding”. That is incredible writing. At the same time (literally), as Arya and The Hound approach The Twins in search of Stark loyalists, he makes a crack that still has me laughing today.
I love that kind of stuff. When you have that sort of reality mosaic depicted, that really gets me going. When you have a heart-ripping tragedy and right around the corner is something so silly it belongs in a Three Stooges flick.
Life is like that. So, let art resemble life and present the rich mosaic of ups and downs.
That’s all for this weekend. I’m well and truly shagged out. I’m going to sleep in and spend the day drowsing around like a 🧟 zombie. I hope you have a restful weekend, too.