The title could also read: me against Goliath.
Me Vs. AI: Record-Breaking Heat and Mother Nature’s Beauty
AI
After doing all the research on my last Blog, I decided to try using AI. After googling AI so many options popped up; so I picked the third one down from the list. Copying and pasting my Blog to their site was a no brainer, but what happened next was unimaginable. The magic took place in seconds; while adjusting my eyes to the screen, the work was complete! It took less than a minute to spill out my changed diction.
The first thought that came to mind was, “Wow, this is unbelievable!” But when I read my Blog, it was perfection. Reading my new words over and over convinced me that I owned it. I was beaming with the lust of pride. But when I read it to Mike he went even deeper, “You don’t need an editor, use AI.”
The Secret
I made a conscious decision not to tell anyone that I cheated. The daily Bible verses mentioned in my video reminding everyone to read my Blog never mentioned a change. I kept this secret from my editor as well.
When my editor and I were reviewing the Blog, there were very few changes; a deleted comma here and there, but nothing significant. In the meantime I was overcome with grief in having to tell my editor that I no longer needed her services. “Dear Lord, I can’t do this to her, she is a personal friend. How, how Lord am I going to tell her?”
The Bubble Burst
I was still somewhere high in the atmosphere when I received a text message from my son Mikos. It read, “Did you use AI?” My reply, “Why?” Like a deflated balloon, my ego came crashing down. Will others know? Dear Lord, what doors have I opened?” Later that week I called my confidants Jo, Helen and Sarah, and asked them to read the Blog. It was evident to them that they were not my words or style. Guilt set in.
Dinner
Over an enchilada dinner with my family, I asked Mikos what he really thought. “Well, Mom, are you perfect? Because the writing was too perfect.” In my mind I quickly responded, “Pretty near perfect!” I laughed it off. Then my daughter Sonja threw in her two cents worth, “You can use AI, but you need to guide it with your own words.” Again my inner thoughts, “Really, it was through the grace of God that I accomplished what I did.”
Anything that takes control over your thoughts is not healthy. So I decided that I will not be using AI for my Blog. The main reason is because although I wrote it all the additional words were amplified. They and hid my voice. So in a way my words were muffled with correct diction that did not come across as me.
Record-Breaking Heat
In 2025 the entire month of March was what we love about our state – the weather was in the mid 70’s. Not this year – we are walking in sandals and putting on sunscreen and running our air conditioners!
Belen De Leon (local Los Angeles meteorologist) said the current high-pressure system is extending very high into the atmosphere, “more like something you’d see in the middle of the summer.”
“[The high-pressure system] is very tall. So, the taller and the stronger that high pressure system is, the more air it pushes down,” she said. “And, when air sinks, it warms and it compresses. When that air compresses, it heats up. Plus, we’ve got clear skies, wall-to-wall sunshine — that’s what causes the temperatures to climb so quickly during the day.”
De Leon said the biggest issue with this system is that it’s not budging.
By Monica Garske
The Upside Of Scorching Heat: Roses and Humming Birds
