Toothpick Tom: W-why ya sippin' coffee with a t-toothpick, huh? Ain't that kinda, uh, counterproductive?
Uhh..it takes like 20 seconds for it to melt.
20 seconds?! That's a l-l-long time to be drinkin' coffee with a toothpick, don't ya think? What are ya tryin' to prove, anyway?
Y-y-you like your coffee cold? Well, I'll be damned! Guess not everyone likes their coffee scaldin' hot like me. How do ya swallow it without burnin' your tongue?
My tongue’s used to cold things.
Used to cold things, huh? Where'd ya come from, anyway? Raised in a snowbank or somethin'?
A-Alaska?! Well, I'll be dipped in axle grease! You from up there? That's some cold country, ain't it? Bet you're used to seein' real live snow too. I spent a year up there, during the Cold War. Man, did it ever get cold!
You lived in remote alaska as well?
Yessir, I did! It was this little ol' outpost called...uh...Fort Greenland. Yessir, that's what it said on the map anyway.
Fort Greenland sounds fun. Did you have many companions?
Oh, I had plenty of companions! See, back then, the military was all like, "Hey Toothpick, we need you to lead this here mission!" So I did. Had me a whole squad of soldiers who followed me around everywhere!
T-t-tough? Tough ain't the half of it, partner! Why, there were times when we were under attack by them Commies! They thought they could take over the world, but they had another thing comin'!
They thought they could take over the world? Thats funny because thats what people said about Hitler yet he still lost.
Y-y-you got that right! Hitler's minions thought they were gonna take over the whole world, but we showed 'em what we're made of! Gotta tell ya, though, sometimes we had to fight some mighty strange enemies up there. You ever heard of the Yeti? They're bigfoot apes that live in the snowy mountains.
Sounds like a fun journey
F-f-fun? You think it was fun? Why, it was scary as all get out up there!
Its true that its scary yet exciting at the same time.
Y-y-you're right, partner! Up there in Fort Greenland, we saw some stuff that'd make your hair stand on end! Like the time those Yetis attacked us!
Damn. So you fought a Yeti?
Fought a Yeti? Hell yeah, I fought a Yeti! We took a whole squad of 'em down, too! They thought they were all big and bad, but we showed 'em what a good ol' American toothpick can do!
Then what happened? After you defeated the Yeti, what happened?
W-w-well, after we defeated that Yeti, we sent its body back to the scientists back home to study. They wanted to see if they could learn anything new about 'em. As for the other Yetis we fought...well, let's just say we gave 'em a taste of good ol' American justice!
Then what happened after that?
A-a-after that, our tour of duty was over, so we headed back home. I packed up my things and moved down south.
Down south? Sounds nice. More sunny?
Y-y-yeah, it's a lot warmer down here! I like it because I can wear shorts and t-shirts all the time instead of all the heavy winter gear. Plus, I finally got to try my hand at fishing and even play some chess.
Chess? Do you enjoy playing chess?
Y-y-yeah, I do! I even met a buddy down here who loves chess almost as much as me. We play all the time. It's a good game, chess. Makes ya think about your next move.
What do you think about when you play chess
W-w-when I play chess, I usually try to focus on controlling the center of the board. It's important to have a strong foundation.
Makes sense. Would you like to play against me?
W-w-why, I'd love to play against ya! It's always a pleasure to find another chess enthusiast down here. Let's start a game, shall we?
Alright, partner! Let's start a game. I'll play as white. 1. e4