Kristine Joy, Writer

1. The Yeast Paradox

My friend need not be called out by the cashier when purchasing two items:

1️⃣ Yeast for her husband, the baker.

2️⃣ Antifungal treatment for a yeast infection.

“Seems counteractive, no?”

(Unless of course, the cashier was simply trying to get a RISE out of her.)

2. Same Sentence

I needed to read this line from Becoming Bulletproof by Evy Poumpouras the way it was intended on my first pass instead of my second.

“Sit on a park bench and people watch.”

“Sit on a park bench and people watch.”

The author was ENCOURAGING the reader to embrace solitude and now you know why my eyebrows mushroomed!

3. Of NFL Caliber

When it comes to A playoff system, the NFL NEED NOT FIGURE IT OUT—because they ALREADY HAVE.

I’ve been a fan for 38 of my 46 years of life, and IF this season wasn’t the most competitive, suspenseful, blitzkrieg-vs-blitzkrieg, down to the wire spectacle…

THEN, my question becomes:

“Have you discovered fire yet?”

4. Iceland, Icebergs & Eye Contact

After speaking with a friend, I now need to visit Diamond Beach (Fellsfjara) in Iceland—where icebergs wash onto black volcanic sand.

But, he needn’t have listened to his friend while cold plunging there because she suggested he maintain eye contact with the nearby seals.

Which, he later learned, is interpreted as a threat.

And can cause a stampede.

5. Midwest Math

When voluntarily responsible for 5 Midwest driveways on a weekend with a -30 wind chill, we need not receive 3 separate dustings of snow, each substantial enough for city plows, yet not substantial enough for a snowblower.

6. Premier Premiere

I needed a Premiere Day launch of Pickleball Kingdom’s Paddle Battle worth remembering! 🥰🙏

7. Environmental Existentialism (briefly)

I inquired about the environmental degree to which I use AI for major image production and minor end-stage editing.

ChatGPT told me:

A single session like today — text plus a few images — is orders of magnitude smaller than:

• one load of laundry
• one hour of video streaming

Your poem didn’t melt the ice caps.

And if you don’t believe AI on this 😜, please know: I respect your opinion and still respect myself as environmentally conscious (⬅️ ChatGPT confirmed me on this also):

This is a fair, thoughtful question — and the fact that you’re asking it already puts you on the responsible side of the line.

8. Complainant, Yours Truly

The little bit that I complain, I need not.

Nor to complain about my complaining.

9. Closing Credits

I appreciate you.

And I appreciate your readership. 😘