If it’s the weekend and I’m in a gaming mood, I’ll probably hunker down in front of the tube for 3-4 hours. Usually, sometime during that period I’ll get a craving for some snack for subsistence until dinner. However, most video game consoles and computers have control devices that are collection pits for snack debris and prime targets for spilt liquids. We’ve all seen the dreaded “Cheeto Finger” and the devastation it causes when it comes into contact with any object. To save your controllers functionality and to battle your game time hunger, here’s a list of snacks that can be safely eaten while gaming.

Pretzels

Maybe not the most flavorful item in the snack world, but it is one of the cleanest if you buy the bite size version. If you don’t care much about crumbs on furniture this snack will suffice. If you’re brave you can get some dip and game on!

Chips and Salsa

The only reservation I had about this snack is the salt on your fingers and the salsa spill possibility. But, this pales in comparison with Cheeto Fingers. Just be cautions when handling a fully loaded chip. Alternatively, you could nuke a plate of chips with cheese on top for some home style nachos. Be careful with molten cheese; if it gets on you it’ll hurt and if it gets in your controller it might hurt your bank balance.

Cookies

Classic. Crumbs are the only foe you will face with most cookies out there. You probably don’t want to eat too many if you have to explain why half a batch of cookies is missing after one afternoon. All in all, this snack is great, especially if you have a variety.

Sandwich

If game time is over lunch time you might need more than a mere snack. Go for the gusto with a sandwich. But, keep in mind the ingredients you use. Condiments and juicy meats can drip out the opposite side wreaking havoc on whatever it lands on. Peanut butter, lunch meats, and sandwich spreads in moderation are good choices for game time foods. Choose wisely.

Licorice

Not much needs to be said here. Solid choice. Look out for sticky fingers or red fingers that can stain. Go for the rope so you can use the plastic wrap as finger protection and you should avoid any problems.

Most Candy

Skittles, M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, and other candy bar items are good if you are in a climate controlled environment. They’re even better if you can leave the wrapper on to protect your fingers. Don’t hold small candy like the Skittle or M&Ms in your hand for too long or you’ll have a colorful tie-dyed palm.

Bottled Beverages

This is your spill saver. The drink doesn’t even need to be sold in a bottle, just put it in one. Make sure it has a functioning cap to seal the liquid in. Even if you don’ have a cap, a bottle with a small opening will not allow for too much of your beverage to spill out if you catch it in time.

Hope this has given you a better idea of what is a good snack for your game time delight. Until next time…

Rx by,

Dr. M. CLK

There are a few versions of the tale of how vampires made it to New Orleans from the European continent, so I will give you here the version I have managed to piece together thus far.

The story goes that during the colonization of America, the British were having great success in maintaining and expanding their territories, but the French colonies were dying out due to illness and starvation, as well as due to the fact that the vast majority of the inhabitants of French colonies were males, so there were few marriages and few new births.  In a desperate attempt to keep a foothold in the New World, the King of France began sending women over to the colonies, but unfortunately, his first incarnation of this idea involved sending over female prisoners and prostitutes.  As was no shock to me, this didn’t really help the situation in the French colonies, and France’s influence in America waned even further. 

Finally, the King contrived another plan.  There are two versions I have read regarding this plan.  One claims that the King sent the daughters of well-educated, well-bred families to New Orleans, and another claims that it was actually “guaranteed virgins” from church orphanages and convents.  In either case, the girls were shipped over to the South in the hopes that the would marry quickly and get started on procreation.

These young ladies arrived in New Orleans in 1728, carrying their trousseaus in hand, and they were met by the nuns of Ursuline, who took them in to their convent and kept them until they found a husband.  Their trousseaus are what earned them the nickname “Casket Girls,” because this case was shaped remarkably like a traditional casket.

Now, though the details may vary, history pretty much agrees on all of the above.  Where it gets sketchy is after the girls’ unboarded in New Orleans.  Vampire lore holds that the trousseaus were really caskets containing the undead, and that the convent secretly housed these creatures of the night on the third floor of the convent.  It is said that the windows on the third floor are sealed shut by hundreds of screws that have been blessed by a priest, but that one of the windows is often seen open during the hours when the sun has dipped below the horizon.

“Authentic” Vampire Hunting Kit

So that is the story of how vampires came to the new world as best I could put it together, and just one more reason New Orleans is the unique and eerie place that it is.  From the printed page to the silver screen, we never seem to tire of the tale either.

Yours in this life and the next!

GhOsTwRiTeR KiM