google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Bruce Venzke

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Feb 2, 2010

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Bruce Venzke

Theme: Room (66A: Dorm unit, and a word that can follow each word in 18-, 27-, 34-, 47- and 57-Across.)

18A: Laundry room device: STEAM PRESS.

27A: Nonmember's club amenity: GUEST LOCKER.

34A: Place for a dip on the road: HOTEL POOL.

47A: Patient strategy: WAITING GAME.

57A: Indisputable evidence: SMOKING GUN.

Argyle here. There is really little to say about the theme. Pretty straightforward though some of the rooms may not be common, they exist. The use of ROOM in the 18A clue is unfortunate. It would have been better clued as Commercial laundry device.

Some old crosswordese reappears today, also. I think 2D: Prepares, as leftovers: HEATS UP sums up my feeling today. We have been served hash.

Across:

1A: Weary comment: "AH, ME".

5A: Rx's: MEDS.

9A: By oneself: ALONE.

14A: Square fare?: MEAL. "Three square meals a day". Nice rhyme.

15A: Film beekeeper: ULEE. Old crosswordese. Film: "Ulee's Gold".

16A: Defunct flier with a blue-globe logo: PAN AM.

17A: Links goals: PAR. Not quite true; the goal is to use the fewest number of strokes.

20A: "Four Quartets" poet: TS ELIOT.

22A: Leavening agent: YEAST.

23A: Havana residue: ASH. (Cigar)

24A: Organ with a hammer: EAR. Also called the Malleus.

25A: Some daisies: SHASTAS.

30A: "__ Beso": Anka song: ESO. Old crosswordese.

31A: Printer brand: EPSON.

32A: Cone maker: FIR.

33A: Zoomed: SPED.

38A: __-date: current: UP-TO.

41A: Harem chamber: ODA. Old crosswordese.

42A: Like Homo sapiens: HUMAN.

46A: Arafat's gp. until 2004: PLO. Old crosswordese.

50A: Jones or Johnson: SURNAME.

52A: West in old films: MAE. Old crosswordese. Mae West.

53A: Swaying direction: FRO. To and Fro.

54A: Crete peak: Abbr.: MT. IDA. Old crosswordese.

55A: Mental blackout: AMNESIA.

59A: Okra units: PODS. Not like pea pods. These are cut up whole, not shucked.

61A: Mortise's mate: TENON. Old crosswordese. See this illustration.

62A: 1993 Nobelist Morrison: TONI. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed black characters. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved.

63A: Land east of the Urals: ASIA. The Ural mountain range runs north/south and is used to divide Europe from Asia.

64A: Lead singer with The Police: STING.

65A: Graceful molding: OGEE. Old crosswordese.

Down:

1D: Roadie's load: AMP. Old crosswordese.

3D: Heron habitats: MARSHES.

4D: "Anything __?": ELSE. A new clue?

5D: Stan "The Man" of baseball: MUSIAL.

6D: Matador's opponent: EL TORO. Old crosswordese.

7D: Insect repellent ingredient: DEET. Old crosswordese.

8D: Triton's realm: SEA. Greek God of the Sea.

9D: Perform on stage: APPEAR.

10D: "__ Theme": "Doctor Zhivago" melody: LARA'S. Some cool images with this clip.

11D: Basic dance: ONE STEP.

12D: Ilie of tennis: NASTASE. Ahh, his last name for a change.

13D: Ambulance initials: EMS. Emergency Medical Service.

19D: Rescued damsel's cry: "MY HERO!".

21D: "... __ man put asunder": LET NO.

23D: Some lie about theirs: AGE.

25D: Partner of hop and jump: SKIP. 'Hop, skip, and jump' is a track event.

26D: Groundskeeper's buy: SOD.

28D: Artsy Manhattan area: SOHO. Old crosswordese.

29D: Key equivalent to B: C-FLAT.

33D: Punch hard: SLUG.

35D: Without exception: TO A MAN.

36D: Falco of "The Sopranos": EDIE. Old crosswordese.

37D: "Gosh": ""OH, GEE".

38D: Co. with brown uniforms: UPS. United Parcel Service, what can brown do for you.

39D: Nose-dive: PLUMMET.

40D: Trattoria dessert: TORTONI. An ice cream made with eggs and heavy cream, often containing chopped cherries or topped with minced almonds or crumbled macaroons.

43D: Crime family member: MAFIOSO.

44D: Medium with much talk: AM RADIO.

45D: Prefix with natal: NEO.

47D: Walking in the shallows: WADING.

48D: Protected by shots, perhaps: IMMUNE.

49D: Family nickname: NANNIE. Not in my family. Nana is common though.

51D: F-series camera maker: NIKON.

55D: Bug-eyed: AGOG.

56D: Practice on canvas: SPAR.

57D: Bourbon et al.: Abbr.: STS. (Street)

58D: Pontiac in a '60s hit song: GTO.

60D: "Casablanca" pianist: SAM.

Answer grid.

Argyle

115 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - very easy, straightforward puzzle, and as Argyle said, lots of very familiar words in this one. For a minute, I thought this was a throwback tribute to the previous regime.

Didn't have a clue as to the theme until the very end. Not knowing musical notes, 'Key equivalent to B' was an unknown. Not one of my favorite puzzles, but as always, I appreciate the effort.

Welcome, Brandon - thanks for joining our ever-growing family.

Today, in addition to Groundhog Day, is Candlemas, the last holiday of the Christmas season.

Today's Words of Wisdom: "The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it." -- Dudley Moore

And here's some quotes from a few people in power that should cause us all concern:

- "As we know, there are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns." -- Donald Rumsfeld

- "I have opinions of my own - strong opinions - but I don't always agree with them." -- George H. W. Bush

- Those who survived the San Francisco earthquake said, 'Thank God, I'm still alive.' But, of course, those who died, their lives will never be the same again." -- Sen. Barbara Boxer

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, CC, Argyle and Friends. I loved this puzzle and its theme. I found some cute new clues, as well as some clever Theme Clues. I especially liked WAITING GAME. How true!

I'm not going to lie about my AGE, but I don't want to tell the truth either!

Some of my favorites today included Cone Maker: FIR and Havana Residue: ASH.

In addition to living in MARSHES, Herons also live in the Bayou.


Will PETA really require Punxsutawney Phil to be a robot?

The NFL has finally decided that Saints fans can use the phrase WHO DAT! How generous.

QOD: G~d gives us relatives; thank G~d we can choose our friends. ~ Addison Mizner

Bob said...

About the same level of difficulty as yesterday. No surprises or particularly tricky clues. No lookups or errors. 16 minutes.

tfrank said...

Good morning, C.C., Argyle and all,

Ho Hum.

Dick said...

Good morning Argyle and All, a straight forward puzzle today. I flew through this one making the fills as fast as I could write and then I hit the SW corner and I plummeted. I had to walk away for awhile and then look again before wading appeared as I kept reading the clue as "Walking in the shadows", YIKES!!

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Six more weeks of bad weather.

Argyle, nice link for Lara's Theme.

Hope you all have a great Tuesday.

Anonymous said...

Can someone explain to me ACROSS 65. Graceful molding?

Sue Lin

Hahtoolah said...

Examples of Ogee Molding.

PJB-Chicago said...

Good Morning, Argyle, C.C. & puzzlecrew!

HASH in the fill today and the recently seen word "rehash" came to mind! I was thinking the reference to TONI Morrison's prize in 1993 was the most current clue, but I think the PLO won the recency test with 2004.

As Argyle pointed out, oodles of old-school crosswordese here, but a little reminder of them does help keep them fresh (alive?) in the brain. AH, ME! No complaints.

Quickish solve, with just okra's PODS, NANNIE and MYSTAL causing some slowing down. I motored my way through the theme answers without "getting" the ROOM part until I was here. That's PAR for my course.

Primary election day today, in Illinois, so I have to go do my part to "clean up State politics" so I'm bringing a bucket and a mop.....

Dot said...

Happy Ground Hog's Day, everybody.
The East coast & N.E. states may have to face 6 more weeks of winter, but I'm glad to report that we in the heart of the country will have an early spring! Jimmy, the ground hog from Sun Prairie, WI did NOT see his shadow. It's grey, dismal and snowing. The prediction is for light snow ending by afternoon with 1 to 2 in. accumulation before it stops. At my house, we already have two inches. Why is it still snowing?
Dot

g8rmomx2 said...

Hi Argyle, C.C. and all:

Easy puzzle, pretty much flew threw it.

Argyle: I also enjoyed the link to Lara's theme.

Dennis: And then there is Obama who claims to have visited 57 states when he was on the campaign trail with one left to go ? Alaska and Hawaii because his staff couldn't justify those trips. Yikes! (on you tube)

PJB-Chicago: MYSTAL? Where is that?

Have a great day everyone!

Anonymous said...

I would call this a typical Tuesday puzzle. I did get stuck with TO A MAN. Not familiar with that, nor MT IDA, so that area gave me some trouble. I did get the theme so that helped with the fills somewhat. When I saw the Anka song, I remembered that we had had it before, but knew that the answer wouldn't come out of the depths of my brain. The perps helped with that one.

AmieeAya you had asked to see a few of my scrapbook pages. Here are two pages of my senior son's book that I have been working on. I think when you link to the site you can just click the arrow to see the other page.

The senior page isn't super special but the words are cut from the cricut machine, which gives you an incredible array of options to do fun things with letters and die cuts. The other page is of my daughter's dog Murphy who my husband fondly refers to as "mouse". Was reading your blog yesterday, and I really like it. You have such a fresh attitude and an adorable son. Lucky for you this scrapbook stuff is around when your kids were born. I started mine later in life. When you do the pages right away the journaling is so much better.

Sorry to bore everyone else with this. Have a great day. Only six more weeks of winter sounds pretty good around here.

lois said...

Good morning Argyle, CC, et al., Thank you for the links, Argyle. Really enjoyed that Lara's theme one. Such a pretty song.

'Sped' thru this puzzle like a fly by. Loved seeing 23A Havana residue Ash today. I do enjoy a good cigar. Drew Estate Java has been my choice for a while now...about as good as chocolate. My 'guest locker' is a humidor full of Cuban cigars, just playing the 'waiting game' for the Super bowl - Wh'o-Da't? and hoping 'my hero' Drew Brees 'heats up' the 'Sts' and 'steam press'es the Colts. We'll put such a new spin on 'smoking gun'lessly that even the 'mafioso' will be 'one step' away from using 'slug's. 'Oh Gee', if we change venues, we could move to a 'room' by the 'hotel pool'. In which case, being only 'human', I'm not 'immune' 'to a man' who is 'up to' 'skip'ping the post game party and doing a little 'one step' from 'ten-on' 'til sunrise. It's all good.

Have to don my cape and go rescue a friend stuck in the snow. 6 more weeks to go? I think my snow blindness 'amnesia' is kicking in. What is sun?

KQ: fabulous scrapbooking! What a keepsake! Outstanding job!

Lemonade714 said...

Wow:

I appreciate the skill and effort of everyone who creates a puzzle, but having ROOM in the clue for STEAM PRESS was just plain lazy. We all have bad days and this appears to have been our editor's. Aside from lots of old standard crossword clues, I did not find anything to grab on to; Argyle, I give you credit for making the write up as interesting as possible; Dennis, you are a tact master.

I had some prints of holiday pictures printed up and I sent to my boys, who both were like, "Why dad, you can just send them to us by email?" I guess there are online scrapbooking programs as well, but I still like touching things. Thank you for sharing KQ.

g8rmomx2 nice to see you still are watching over us, and Sue Lin, GO BLUE and we can talk to YOU

kazie said...

G'day all,
Well Jimmy the groundhog would not see his shadow in SW WI today. we are still getting light snow which started last night. Hooray!

As already remarked, the puzzle was easy, as easy as yesterday's, so not much that's mention-worthy.

Notice how even the translation of the wedding vows is so male chauvinist: let no man put asunder. I wonder if that has happened as often as the splits due to another woman?

Jeannie said...

Although this was somewhat of a ho-hum puzzle I thought there were a couple of cute clues. I liked “Havana residue” – ash and “cone maker”- fir. I don’t follow baseball at all so was lucky the perps filled in Stan Musial. I don’t get the clue “without exception” –to a man.

Argyle, where is the link to my daisies?

Barb B said...

A good puzzle for beginners today. I’d call it an “ambic pentameter” puzzle. Ta DA, Ta DA, Ta DA Ta DA Ta DA. Very predictable, but not boring, and it’s good for newbies to have an easy time once in a while.

Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck both saw their shadows, but Gen. Beauregard Lee , the groundhog from Atlanta , and Jimmy from Dot’s part of the country didn’t. I wonder what's in store for my part of the country?

I googled a bit, and found an article written by Scott Sistek, a weatherman for a Eugene TV network (KATU.com). He points out…..
“But in the Northwest, I bet it's different. For instance, last year, it was cloudy and rainy on the 2nd, meaning no shadow. Yet winter stretched into mid-April.”

Just what I was afraid of; rain and darkness for a loooooong time to come. I think dot and I need to visit Atlanta.

kazie said...

Jeannie,
Each and every one was there, "to a man". It just means everyone, no exception.

After my last comment I have been thinking, it's nearly always the man with the wandering eye, but the "other woman" is such a common expression I must have been thinking of that. At least the woman has to be available and agree to the dallying. Maybe we tend in the modern world to excuse male philandering as a natural phenomenon more than a woman's, so she gets blamed when really the man starts it.

Warren said...

Hi Argyle, C.C. & gang, we finished all except the left bottom middle before my wife left. I got the room theme also. For Jeannie:
Here's
" to a man idiom
Unanimously, without exception, as in The committee voted against the proposal to a man. This expression, first recorded in 1712, uses man in the sense of “everyone.” It continues to be so used despite its sexist tone. To a woman is very occasionally used for unanimous actions in groups that include only women. Also see as one; with one voice."

Did anyone else think of the Beach Boys hit in my room ?

windhover said...

If someone could link the lyrics (or better yet, a video) to Kitty Well's "It wasn't God who made Honky Tonk Angels", I think she makes Kazie's point perfectly.
Argyle?

g8rmomx2 said...

Lemonade: Thanks, still tune in to check my answers and a lot of time get the theme from c.c., but don't usually comment of late :)

kazie said...

Kitty Well's "It wasn't God who made Honky Tonk Angels"

melissa bee said...

good morning c.c., argyle and all,

i'll agree today's offering wasn't overly exciting - but i do like the double theme word phrases, can't be easy to come up with.

made me think of my work at the resort, with steam, guest, locker, hotel, and pool rooms. no such things as smoking rooms any more, at least not in california.

i think i've seen 'to a man' before, but don't ever remember hearing it in conversation .. just sounds odd to me. also didn't know tortoni.

i'm one of the weirdos who hopes for six more weeks of winter .. been loving the rain, it'll be hot soon enough. i'm sure i'd feel differently if i lived anywhere else.

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, I liked the ingenuity of the theme today. It can't have been easy to come up with five two word phrases in which both words were ROOMS.

Do any businesses have SMOKING rooms anymore? It is getting rarer and rarer to see anyone smoking anyplace. Of our fairly large circle of friends, only one man smokes cigarettes. I don't know of anyone in our family who smokes, although a lot of us used to. (Oops, just saw Lois' post. I'd forgotten about cigar smoking rooms. Our governor has a smoking tent.)

I think you might need to have an English country estate to have a GUN ROOM. Nowadays, I think most people who own guns have a gun safe. At least I hope so.

All in all, even though there was all that older crosswordese, it was an enjoyable Tuesday level puzzle.

I just saw the Academy Award nominations on GMA. I was glad to see our local Modesto boy, Jeremy Renner nominated Best Actor for "The Hurt Locker", which was also nominated for Best Picture. It was an excellent movie. I've got my fingers crossed for that one.

GAH and I have seen six out of the ten nominated "Best" movies. This is the first year there are ten nominations, rather than five. I guess we will have to get busy.

Argyle said...

Here you go, Jeannie. I knew you wouldn't let it slide.

Shasta Daisies

Anonymous said...

@ Entropy, who said the first word in each theme answer is not a ROOM? Or you can not read Argyle's two different green colors for theme?

Anonymous said...

Lemonade - there are online scrapbooking sites. I do books online for both my mother and mother-in-law for Mother's Day each year. While I really like them, I like the hands on format better to do for my family. My brother is like your sons. He would rather look at the pictures on his computer. I don't get it either.

Kazie and Warren, thanks for the TO A MAN explanation. Hadn't heard that, but now I get it. Maybe it is something that I could retain in my brain? Probably not though.

Jerome said...

Very nice puzzle. Ten words that are a kind of room, fairly wide open grid and only 34 black squares instead of the usual 38.

Crosswordese IS NOT words we see alot in crosswords. It is words you rarely see outside of crosswords. That's a big distinction and one we should remember.

Fun oddities-

EL TORO, TORTONI, TONI.
OH GEE, OGEE.
TO A MAN, HUMAN.
ASIA, AMNESIA.

STUPIDITIES (mine, of course)-

I see a DIORAMA in AM RADIO.
In SMOKING GUN, I hear Fay Wray saying, "I'M SNUG, KONG"
In GUEST LOCKER I hear some dude yelling "LET GO, SUCKER!"

carol said...

Hi Arygle, C.C. and all - Yea, I did it all again....now I am so full of myself it will be difficult to get my hat on. Ok, so it was an easy puzzle, I have to hang on to my successes so I can face the latter part of the week.

61A (TENON) is something I really have trouble remembering. Thought 44D was a cute clue/answer. 57D had me thinking of booze.

CA - we have cigar lounges here too. I would cross the street before walking past one of those (sorry Lois)...I really, really hate the smell of cigar smoke. GAG!! None of our friends smoke anymore and only one of Joe's nieces still does...and her step-father is a pulmonary doctor!

PJB (7:28) I am another one who wants to know where MYSTAL is.

g8Rmomx2: You have been gone for a long time, nice you feel like posting again.

Clear Ayes said...

MYSTAL...just a typo for MUSIAL.

Melissa bee, California women must think somewhat alike. Either that, or @10:56 I was channeling your 10:53 comments.

The phrase "let no man put asunder," comes from Matthew 19:6. Women were under the guidance and protection of their fathers and husbands and had few legal rights. It would never have occurred to the people writing the King James version in the early 1600's to write "let no person put asunder".

Kitty Wells and Windhover are right on. GAH and I had a little chat before we got serious and moved in together, just to make sure we were singing off the same page. No hitting (not really a concern) and no cheating, and we weren't talking about me! It certainly has made the last 29 years easier on both of us, never having had a single jealous minute.

Kazie's comment "Maybe we tend in the modern world to excuse male philandering as a natural phenomenon" is probably generally (and sadly) true, but not in my world. Tiger Woods and particularly John Edwards are formerly admired men, whom I have crossed off my list...forever.

Barb B said...

Entropy, what happened to your comment? I thought it was astute.

Barb B said...

Smokers usually have no idea how bad second hand smoke smells to a non smoker.

When I pull books out of the library drop box, some of them smell so bad we can't put them back on the shelves. We wash them and put them in a box of kitty litter for a few days.

My grandmother dipped snuff, although in all other ways she was meticulously clean. After a stay in the hospital she came home to a house smelling of stale snuff and an un-emptied spit can.

She never dipped again.

Dick said...

Some fifty years ago, or so, when I quit smoking I started to dip snuff and soon found that snuff dipping was harder to quit than smoking. I thought I would need to start smoking again so I could quit dipping. I sure am glad I was able to quit both of those habits.

Bill G. said...

Kazie, thanks for the Kitty Wells link. I really enjoyed hearing that again. They don't write 'em, play 'em or sing 'em like that anymore.

Jeannie said...

Argyle, you are a sweetheart!

Bill G, I was just reading your profile and noticed that you too were a Robert B. Parker fan. I was sorry to hear he passed away on January 18th.

Argyle said...

You know, Jerome, C.C. told me the same thing about Crosswordese so I went and looked at the CW101 list. Excuse me, but if what you say is true, there are quite a few that don't belong there.

I came up with two more entries for today; one good, one not so good.

"A letter from the folks __"
BACK HOME

Doctor's garb: WHITE COAT
Cream - WHITE ROOM

Bill G. said...

Yes, I was sorry to hear about Robert B. Parker too. I had just bought his most recent book.

3 of Four said...

I'll have to chime in with an afternoon all (nothing good about it!) Our wonderful paper San Angelo (sub)Standard-Times, decided, without notice, to switch to the WRW Xword :~( I guess it is time for me to voice my displeasure by canceling my subscription.

Did LAT on line no problems today. Did enjoy the tight theme.

Punxsutawney Phil sure isn't doing much to assist the Global Warming faction...

SYL

Jerome said...

Argyle- What is the CW101 list? Who compiled it? Where is it?

Lemonade714 said...

Kazie said: " Maybe we tend in the modern world to excuse male philandering as a natural phenomenon more than a woman's, so she gets blamed when really the man starts it."

Whoa there, any philandering takes two to tango, so I cannot see a distinction between a man's role or a woman's in the process. I can testify I was shocked when I married how many young ladies became more aggressive in expressing their sexual interest in me, rather than respecting my choice to marry. I honestly still believe it is always the woman who has the power to decide, and while obviously there are rapists and other really bad people, those do not have to do with cheating, just violence and power; the female still has final vote. IMBAO.

Crosswordese is stuff like BITTER VETCH: ERS which does not exist outside the puzzle world. Trite fill, is stuff like Roman Numerals or EEEE, or anything which appears too often. ULEE and OGEE are close.

This puzzle used some ingenuity, had lots of letters in the theme, but had no pizzaz for me, and violated the cardinal sin of having the theme in a clue.

dodo said...

ClearAyes @11:30 Hear! Hear! I'm with you all the way! And Melissa B, here's another Californian who wants a nice long winter. I thought it was just my north country childhood but after living for 30+ years in SoCal under clear unrelenting blue skies I know now that I was meant to see clouds, fog, and rain! Blue is boring, boring, boring!

Dennis, I've been trying to get the "next day" cw on Cruciverb.com but can't. What am I doing wrong?

eddyB said...

Hello.

Six weeks and four days untill March 20th anyway you look ATIT.

It is spring in the bay area anyway. Flowers and trees are blooming.

There is also a CW101 list on the other blog.

eddyB

Dennis said...

Lemonade, from your lips...

I've been amazed at how much more aggressive women are in person than they were, say, even 10 years ago. Not that I'm complaining, hell, it's very flattering when it happens (even though I reflexively look for their seeing-eye dog), but just quite a change.

Dodo, just go to Cruciverb.com after 10pm Eastern, and you'll find it.

dodo said...

ClearAyes @11:30 Hear! Hear! I'm with you all the way! And Melissa B, here's another Californian who wants a nice long winter. I thought it was just my north country childhood but after living for 30+ years in SoCal under clear unrelenting blue skies I know now that I was meant to see clouds, fog, and rain! Blue is boring, boring, boring!

Dennis, I've been trying to get the "next day" cw on Cruciverb.com but can't. What am I doing wrong?

carol said...

Dodo, CA, Melissa - Even though I have been known to carp about the rain and gray skies we have in western Oregon, I could not live anywhere that does not have a change in seasons. Sun and blue sky day after day would get old very soon. We do have beautiful summers here (we try not to advertise that fact too much). I would not want the extreme temps they get in the upper mid-west but I know many people just love it. Most of my family and Joe's came from that area to Oregon just to get away from the cold winters.

Mainiac said...

Never hit publish on this one this morning...............


Good Morning CC, Argyle and All,

I agree, a very straight grid this morning. The most lame clue was Cone Maker, my favorite was Place for a Dip on the Road.

I've only used okra when I make gumbo. I was browsing some recipes but there were too many to choose from. Anyone have any favorites?

Have a great Tuesday!

Argyle said...

Here is a direct link to CW101. Frankly, I don't know who coined the term and if there is a carved in stone(on a stele) definition.

How 'bout next time I coin my own term.

Bill G. said...

Did any of you try the Merl Reagle puzzle last weekend, Kindergarten Crime Spree, part two? He had a very clever ending to his theme I thought.

Dennis said...

BillG, very clever indeed. Which ending did you choose?

Barb B said...

BillG
I loved working both those puzzles. I've never had so much fun with crosswords, and as you say, a great ending.

Clear Ayes said...

I tried to find a verse or two from T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets to post here. Frankly folks, they are difficult, intense poems meant only for serious Eliot fans. I have liked some of his poetry, but after two readings and a Wikipedia explanation, Four Quartets still had me shaking my head. So, instead of that, here is a poetry salute to our midwest bloggers and Punxsutawney Phil.

The Snowman

One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;
And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter
Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,
Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place
For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

– Wallace Stevens

Buckeye said...

Guday all. I too am a Robert Parker fan. I think I've read all the Spenser books, Jesse Stone books and have read most of the Sonny Randall books. I like his Westerns, too.

For every man that "cheated" on his wife, there is a woman involved who didn't care about his wife's feelings, either. What does that tell us?

I rather liked today's X/W. It did have some easy entries, but I had fun with them. The theme was well thought out (except for "room" being in the 18a clue). What was really neat was that 16 across answers and 17 down answers ended in a vowel. 12 of them "O's". Too bad he didn't clue an answer "Sabu" so all the common vowels were used at the end of an answer.

The groundhog seeing his shadow is not a true harbinger of the weather. It is an "Urban Myth". I know this comes as a shock to some of you, but it's true. More to follow regarding the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

Ol' Dick Boner said to me a while back, "Hey, Buckeye! Ya know that Jesus feller, well they kilt him and three days later he pushed aside a big-ass bolder and come a walkin' out of his cave as big as you please".

"That's right, Dick. What do you think that signifies?"

"Well, ifin ol' Jesus sees his shadow, they's six more weeks of winter".

I think Dick's a little confused.

I must be off!

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Winter continues here - cold gloomy, and now snowing.

I liked the dense themage of today's puzzle: five entries, each a double connection with "ROOM." For me, that's a wow. Remember Dan Naddor telling us about the theme - fill trade off? I think this is an example.

I'm not going to criticize anything today. I have a nasty headache, and that is coloring my world in a non-rosy way. Worst of all I can't even have a drink with dinner tonight. Boo - hiss!

KQ -
You are never boring.

A lot of our idiomatic expressions are inherently sexist. That's a historical artifact of language. The idea of gender equality is relatively new, and not widely accepted outside the English speaking world. Nor universal inside it, either.

I read somewhere long ago that 50% of married men cheat, and 30% of married women. Simple math suggests that the women who participate are almost twice as promiscuous.

Cheers!
JzB the simple trombonist

windhover said...

What Lemonade and Dennis said.
Straying is not the exclusive territory of either gender.
After I was divorced after 27 years of monogamy and faithfulness, I became inexplicably attractive to the opposite sex. Like Dennis, I
always looked behind them for the dog. I couldn't explain it, I just assumed the universe was rewarding me for my suffering. A significant number of these women had a ring on the left hand. If I mentioned it, they usually just took it off. BTW, that period didn't last long (guess the
universe didn't owe me all that much), and I am
once again comfortably monogamous. Mostly.

Annette:
I haven't been ignoring your question, just very busy. The lovely ladies in my avatar are Molly, almost 14, and her only daughter Maggie, aged 3 1/2. They are Border Collies, and much smarter than their so-called master. Truth is, they own me.

Al said...

No shadows here today, clouds and snow flurries all day. Phil wouldn't even be able to get out of his hole at all, it would still be iced over.

Not to dispute Buckeye, perish forbid, but this snip from wiki seems like it could have a grain of truth in it:

In western countries in the Northern Hemisphere the official first day of Spring is almost seven weeks (46–48 days) after Groundhog Day, on March 20 or March 21. About 1,000 years ago, before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar when the date of the equinox drifted in the Julian calendar, the spring equinox fell on March 16 instead. This is exactly six weeks after February 2. The custom could have been a folk embodiment of the confusion created by the collision of two calendrical systems. Some ancient traditions marked the change of season at cross-quarter days such as Imbolc when daylight first makes significant progress against the night. Other traditions held that Spring did not begin until the length of daylight overtook night at the Vernal Equinox. So an arbiter, the groundhog/hedgehog, was incorporated as a yearly custom to settle the two traditions. Sometimes Spring begins at Imbolc, and sometimes Winter lasts 6 more weeks until the equinox.

Anonymous said...

My arthritic hip tells the weather much more accurately than a hibernating mammal...

Clear Ayes said...

"For every man that "cheated" on his wife, there is a woman involved who didn't care about his wife's feelings, either. What does that tell us?"

That there are a lot more gullible women than men? It is fairly easy to pretend that the undeserving wife doesn't exist. Not so on his part.

Sure, there are some women who are in it for the sexual conquest, but I think most women want an emotional connection and are more likely to behave like a needy idiot. He is more likely to behave like a conniving user. ("I luuvv ya, baby."..."Oooh, he luuvvs me!") Either is equally unattractive.

Jazz, LOL, is that some kind of new math? It would work out very nicely for all, if the 50% were only having affairs with the 30% and vice versa.

I've never had an affair with a married man, but I've known some heartbroken (and stupid) women who have. We may have to agree to disagree on this one, guys.

Crockett1947 said...

Good afternoon, all. A beautiful day here in NW OR, the home of KATU and KATU.com. They are in Portland, not Eugene. Eugene's about 125 south of us, BarbB.

Hahtoolah said...

The Times Picayune posted this Open Letter to Miami yesterday. Sorry, I couldn't resist sharing it. Southern Florida, Get ready for the Saints!

Mainiac said...

Being involved in "affairs", no matter how sordid, definitely takes two. Having "sewn my wild oats" in my younger years (as my wife puts it)there were some women whose tan lines on their ring fingers were like glowing neon signs. If you asked about it they gave you some signal (a flaming middle finger) and moved on to the next fool.

Funny Story......Last weekend the wife and I were sitting around having a cocktail (or two), planning what to do with the kids during winter break. As usual when the kids aren't around, we joke around quite a bit. Of course our planning revolves around finances and this year we won't be going skiing (there's plenty of other stuff to do). My wife blurts out maybe I should start something up with this woman in town who is rather wealthy (I know the martini is working now, yeeha!). She and her husband have been struggling a bit with a partial separation (however that works). Of course I grew up across the street from her husband, which I noted "couldn't that make some awkward moments while visiting my parents?" Not letting it go there, I volunteered to put forth my best effort to gain some vacation funding for the family. Wife says "That would be really honorable of you to make such a sacrifice. But just remember, when you think like that, I start to think like Lorena Bobbit!" I made many notes to self.....Yikes!!

Another meeting tonight.....check in later.

Bill G. said...

Did you see the movie "Groundhog Day"? Very enjoyable I thought.

Regarding the Merl Reagle puzzle: I though either FINGERPOINTING or FINGERPRINTING had a better ring than FINGERPAINTING.

On a somewhat related note, Here’s a clever little 3x4 crossword puzzle created by Jeremiah Farrell. You’ll need to draw a grid with three rows, four columns and no black squares.
First toss a coin and note the result.

ACROSS
1 Result of a coin flip
5 Wagner’s earth goddess
6 Word with one or green

DOWN
1 Half a little laugh
2 Station terminus?
3 Dec follower?
4 Certain male

Chickie said...

Hello All--Another easy puzzle today, though I was led astray a couple of times--put in Reheat instead of Heats up, Kodak instead of Nikon and was looking for a first name for someone named Jones and Johnson.

All were fixed with the fills and perps. I think my problems happen because I do the across and downs together, rather than waiting to go across then fill in the missing downs.

I've just always done a puzzle that way, so have a hard time breaking that habit. Therefore the mistakes.

Buckeye--you crack me up, always! I liked your urban myth explanation for Ground Hog Day and for Santa and the Easter Bunny. The Tooth Fairy, though, has to be real, isn't she?

Mainiac said...

Al, that was really interesting. Thank you!

Buckeye, as always, very entertaining.

Dennis said...

Groundhog, schmoundhog. I'll continue to rely on the beaver for any indications as to how my future's gonna be.

Anonymous said...

Jazz, you are too sweet.

AmieeAya Where are ya? I posted by pics just for you and you haven't shown up!

Annette said...

I liked and got today’s theme in time to actually make use of the knowledge. My favorites were 34A Place for a dip on the road: HOTEL POOL, and 47A Patient strategy: WAITING GAME. Also, 49D Family nickname: NANNIE is new to me.

After glancing at the first few posts this morning, and their so-so impressions of the puzzle – I couldn’t believe how many posts there are now that I’ve finally finished the puzzle and can read them. I’ve just started reading the blog and can’t wait to see what topics have inspired all this conversation today…

Dennis, you’re right – those quotes are scary!

ipo said...

I was pleasantly surprised with my ability to complete today's puzzle. How long can I say I am new at this? Stan Musial, GTO, (Muscle cars, in my day most of us had male friends with Goats, not of the Hatool type GTO .

Jeannie
I have not had the pleasure or pain of ice fishing, though I do like to go out on a large boat and fish in the ocean... Sun shining, breeze blowing, beverages available.

Lemonaid:

The picture is of my husband and son--yes! Though I could have cut it out of a magazine, I must take full ownership of both. My (our) son is graduating from law school (University of FL) in May. I mention this because someone mentioned you were the resident attorney on this blog. Where did you attend law school?

MJ said...

@Bill G., Dennis, and Barb B in the 2 o'clock hour-I also thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Reagle's puzzles of the last two Sundays. Absolute genius, IMHO!

Dennis, I went with the "O", although all three options were extremely clever.

We're off this evening to celebrate some friends' 41st wedding anniversary. Not a "big" one that many might celebrate, but on their 40th last year she was a patient at the City of Hope Hospital in Duarte, CA (she was there for close to six months straight), so this is extremely special!

Enjoy the evening!

Annette said...

Warren: No, I didn’t think of the song, but I’m glad you did – and shared it with us! I hadn’t heard it in a long time.

Melissa bee: I’m with you on enjoying the cooler temperatures – although my yard still hasn’t recovered from that big cold front we had… The tree in my swale is looking pretty bare!

Jerome: LOL, I thought Dennis’ quotes were scary, until I read your post: In GUEST LOCKER I hear some dude yelling “LET GO, SUCKER!” I bet that would clear the room pretty quickly!

Argyle: Great additional entries!

Windhover: Don’t all our pets own us?! I find myself rushing home to be with mine, or thinking twice before taking any trips away. And I was getting worried about you. But, busy is good, right?

JimmyB said...

Bill G. - Clever little mini-puzzle indeed!

I'm probably the only one here that was a tiny quibble with Argyle's mention of "hop, skip and jump" as a track event. Technically he is correct since I've seen the reference used, but believe me, no one in the track and field world today uses the phrase as a substitute term for the triple jump. Many years ago the event was known as the "hop, STEP and jump" but no one uses that one either.

As an aside, I used to do the triple jump in high school. It's a great way to destroy your heels, especially when your form is as bad as mine was.

Jazzbumpa said...

C.A. -

People have affairs because they're gullible? Maybe the lady that Michelle Pfeiffer played in Dangerous Liaisons. But only maybe. And only her.

Here's an anecdote. A friend of mine was in the Navy - this was in the 50's, between wars. At times when the ships were out doing whatever they did for a couple of weeks, the pick-up bars in town were loaded with fresh-faced, eager women you would never see before or again.

So, yeah, we're going to disagree on this one.

Speaking of Shasta Daisies - is it my imagination, or do they really smell like barf?

I'm having some intermittent internet access problems. If I disappear, it's not my fault.

Cheers!
JzB the still have a headache trombonist

carol said...

Dennis (4:41) Just make sure that 'beaver' doesn't see the shadow of the 'morel' ;)

Robin said...

I am just wishing you all a very fine evening, full of love, lust, or anything that may bring enjoyment your way.......

kazie said...

I thought this morning I might be offering a topic of conversation for a relatively non conversational puzzle day. Looks like it worked.

I've been busy most of the day working on the next newsletter and then doing the annual church audit. So on returning to the computer this evening after 3 hours away, I had 12 emails to deal with, many for the newsletter, and finally just now got back here.

Sexism exists in all languages of course, and sometimes other languages have more ways to deal with it than English does.

As to the wandering eyes, I agree the fault can be on either side and it definitely takes two to tango. But I got you talking about it, didn't I?

Buckeye said...

ipo; Forget the ice fishing. I tried it when I lived in Montana. What a bummer. By the time I got a hole cut in the ice big enough to get my boat in, I was too tired to do any fishing.

Besides; what do you do with the ice once you catch it?

IMBO

Dennis said...

Carol, yes, I should keep it well hidden.

Robin, a great picture of a great woman.

Brandon said...

It was a Tuesday puzzle, but felt like a Monday puzzle. I agree with you Argyle, it was a crosswordese rich solve. The theme was almost too easy to be enjoyable, but nonetheless solid.

Favorite clues: "Square fare?" MEAL and "Cone maker" FIR.

As a retired musician at my ripe AGE of 25 years old, I've had plenty of opportunity to haul my AMP myself, as we traveled ALONE. We never played anything written by STING, yet played several songs containing C-FLATS which never became hits, not even on AM RADIO.

Wanted SPS instead of STS for 57D "Bourbon et. al." (I conjured up "spirits" instead of "streets"). My mind must have been on liquor. I partially blame you, Tinbeni.

Argyle, 17D PAR is not only a goal, but a reason to celebrate for several million duffers out there.

Thought of the day: Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?

I give it a 7.5/10 on my "enjoyability, worthwhile, and solvability" scale.

Good day everyone.

Robin said...

mmmmmmm yeah

Mainiac said...

Dennis, I almost hate to ask....how does a beaver give an indication of your future?

Ipo, Probably why I like either type of fishing. Your drink is either on the ice or has ice in it.

Clear Ayes said...

Kazie@7:24, just me and a few guys. No other women seemed to want to talk about it.

Jazz, Maniac, WH, Lemonade and Buckeye, It does take two, but all too often the woman is lied to. Why, unless the guy thinks she is dumb enough to fall for it? Even if it doesn't lead to anything, how many airline pilots, doctors and entrepreneurs can there be out there? (On that one, I speak from experience.) Speaking of gullible -

"I can't leave until the kids are older."
"She won't have sex with me, or She doesn't understand me, or We don't have anything in common anymore"
"I really respect you."
"She is sick, or The kids are sick, or The dog is sick."
"I have to wait until I can afford the support, or until the house is paid for, or until hell freezes over".

I am not saying there aren't women who are willing to have a one night stand. Bars and grocery stores are full of both men and women who are willing to take the next step. All I'm saying is that most (not all) women are looking for something beyond the sexual gratification. I don't think most men are looking for anything other than sex.

Interesting topic, but this is my 5th and I'll have to take the 5th on anything else. Have a good night all.

Hi Brandon, Welcome, don't mind us.

MR ED said...

Is tortoni anything like spimoni?
Never heard of a steam press!

Dennis,
You're quotes today, re Rumsfield and Boxer, are a clear indication of the caliber of the people who are running our country. Sad, sad situation, don't you think?

Lemonade714 said...

Hey Ipo nema:

Small world, I am a graduate of the University of Florida College of Law. Law school in Gainesville was so much fun, I highly recommend it. In fact it would be fun to know where everyone wnet to school among our group. I graduated college and went to a year of graduate school at the University of Connecticut, in Storrs.

Dennis, Jeannie, Robin...help me out here.

Buckeye, you remain the king of this blog; I am all tuckered out just thinking about chipping the ice, but you use the ice for drinking bourbon.

Ladies is everyone good tonight? Some quiet people, and some MIA.

ipo said...

Buckeye: I will stick to deep sea fishing.
Maniac: Are you near Waldoboro?

MR ED said...

PJB Chicago,
Good luck in your attempt to clean-up the politics in Illinois, or anywhere, for that matter.

MR ED said...

Penn State graduate here.

Lemonade714 said...

On the current them of frozen things, we have ice fishing, Spumoni and Tortoni and my ex-wife.

We also have lots of fish

MR ED said...

Robin, you look soooo fine.

Dennis said...

Maniac, let's just say it's long been a determining factor in my disposition.

Clear Ayes, I think there's a lot more women looking for a 'quickie' than you might believe. I've found that the most effective single attractant for many women is a wedding ring. Oh, and being happily married.

Mr. Ed, it's because the most talented people are smart enough not to run for political office.

Hahtoolah said...

Ouch! Lemonade, that's COLD! (Fear not, I promise you I am not your ex-wife.)

carol said...

CA - (8:05) Hear, Hear! I hear you loud and clear...Men have always lied to women to get what they want and women have done the same. It will never change...although the excuses of why, although he is married, are the stuff of legends! To be fair, women can do the same but I really don't think they do in the same numbers. Of course, I admit that I don't know what goes on with today's 'younger marrieds'.

Jazz (7:02) Funny you should mention the disgusting smell of Shasta daisies.
I planted some years ago because I thought they were pretty and the tag said they were good 'cutting' flowers. When they were in full bloom, I cut them, brought the big bouquet in the house, arranged them in a vase and just about then, realized they STUNK!!
I threw them out. They are pretty in a flower bed but I still dug them up the next year.

Anonymous said...

CA I was ready to chime in, but was afraid I would rant for too long. I almost threw up when I saw Lemonade's comment that the women has the final vote. I can only say that when I was holding the cards and said no to the married scumbag I lost my job. Guys just have no idea what it is like to be in the women's shoes and have some married guy hitting on you. We are so vulnerable as it is almost always a guy that has some type of power over you. Absolutely a double standard on this issue too.

So now that I have said that, I also can never put myself in their shoes, so cannot speak to what they might be feeling about the subject.

Just thought I wouldn't leave you and Kazie hanging out there.

Buckeye, thanks for brightening my day. The picture of you ice fishing is one in a million.

Anonymous said...

Oh, almost forgot. Thought this was cute.

Drive-in banks were established so most of the cars today could see their real owners.
- E. Joseph Cossman

g'night all.

Anonymous said...

Clear Eyes,
On the view of sex, all I can say is if GOD made anything better, He kept it for himself.

Dennis,
You are probably right.

MR ED said...

that was from me

Lemonade714 said...

KQ:

It is time women knew about tape recorders and sexual harassment lawsuits. That situation is a form of rape, which I did allude to earlier as being part of an entirely different set of rules; I was speaking of truly consensual sex, and I believe women have perhaps more control than they know, but if they 'succumb' from fear, even it is fear of reprisal, it is wrong and probably illegal. On certain levels, I am naive as there are many thngs to which I cannot relate, but whether I owned a company, or worked in the mailroom, if a woman said no, it meant no. Never have been fired for refusing to put out, but watched Disclosure , does that count?

Hahtool, anything for a laugh, and besides she will never see this blog as she does not read this kind of stuff.
Where did you go to law school?

Hahtoolah said...

LSU Law

Anonymous said...

A lonely service man approached a chaplain and confessed being close to infidelity. "But what do I do with those powerful urges, Sir? " "Well soldier, do the same thing with your urges that you want your wife to do."

PJB-Chicago said...

Good evening!
Dang, I missed a lot of good stuff today.

Sorry about the typo for MUSIAL. I type like I drive: I go too fast and forget to look behind me!

Voting accomplished. Very low turnout, esp. with important posts up for grabs: Obama's old senate seat amd the Governorship. Can't speak for other states, but the level of corruption in IL rivals Milan, Italy etc. The names and parties may go back and forth but the games don't cease. that is *not* me being partisan, just jaded!

Per the Chicago Tribune today. Really. The Wisconsin wife --- along with the three women who'd been having affairs with the same man --- who lured him to a hotel room and applied "krazy glue" to his most prized possessions [!] were NOT sentenced to jail today. Probation was granted.

Sounds like a really good plot for an opera. My guess is the role of the husband will require two singers: a Bass and a Soprano.

Tinbeni said...

Brandon:

LOL, I accept the blame, but my mind is never on liquor.
Please note, I only consume when I see my Avatar.
Haven't been OFF-LINE in years ...

With the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl, I thought a reference to Bourbon Streets (STS) was very timely.

The thing I have also noticed over the years is not once, not one single time, in all the puzzles I have done, has a constructor ever referenced "Scotch Street," Carlisle. (and IT IS a real street!)

Buckeye - I would have absolutely no use catching all that ICE.
I like my Scotch, in a brandy snifter, NEAT!

Anon - I guess it's a Goose / Gander thing, nice joke.

PJB-Chicago
Wisconsin is now off my list of places to visit.

lois said...

Wow! The minute I turn my back and look at the trouble y'all get into!

Carol, CA, Kazie, KQ, you are so right. Men do lie to get what they want and they have a million excuses, but then so do women. From my perspective, it seems men lie more, but then I'm not hit on by women either. A married man is usually off limits for me, but if I'm ever hit on by a married man, it has always been from his instigation.I would never judge somebody or assign blame for a marriage that went awry. There are too many variables. And I don't trust any guy who talks to me when I'm out and about. From now on I'm going to insist on a background check, a lie detector test and to see their divorce decree. Who needs that mess?

Lemonade: Lucky thing you clarified what you meant about a woman having the final vote. I still don't see the power thing but have heard that more than once lately. Must be a lot of decent horny guys out there.

Hahtoolah said...

Ice Fishing. A blonde decides she wants to go ice fishing. She finds a nice patch of ice and begins to drill a hole. From above she hears a booming voice, "There are no fish under the ice." She is startled, but continues to drill. Again the voice booms out, "There are no fish under the ice." This goes on, until finally she is frightened and calls out, "Is that You, Lord?" "No, you are in the middle of a hockey rink!" comes the voice over the loud speaker.

Jazzbumpa said...

PJB -

That certainly is a sticky wicket. Prosecutors probably thought they had that one in the bag. I'd say the legal system is all balled up.

I still have to believe the worst part of that guy's day was when he walked into the room and saw the FOUR of them.

Jerome -
Love the anagrams.

C.A.
how many 1)airline pilots, 2)doctors and 3)entrepreneurs can there be out there?

1) Sky's the limit
2) Well, they're operators anyway
3) Just lookin' for a partner to do some business.

Degrees: B.S. and M.S.: University of Toledo, MBA: U of M, Dearborn.

Cheers!
JzB the 3rd degree trombonist

Bill G. said...

BS: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

MS: USC

Teaching credential: Cal State, Dominguez Hills, CA

But I learned the most about teaching from experience and on-the-job training. I learned the most about life the same way; getting married and raising three kids.

Dennis said...

Cross Keys High School, Atlanta GA.

Dennis said...

Who brought up educational credentials??

kazie said...

Bill G,
You not only learn about teaching by teaching, you learn the intricacies of your subject matter by teaching it. Right?

Dennis CA, KQ and others,
One's opinion obviously depends a lot on personal experience. There are many sleazeballs out there of both sexes. The attraction of the married man is probably the challenge, to see if she can lure him away from his wife, or to prove she can "do it" better.

Jeannie said...

I just typed a helluva long post that just disappeared. I will try my best to make it smaller.

Cutting to the chase...just got my first ever cell phone and it kicked my ass. I can create a very detailed Excel spreadsheet, type the most beautiful document on Word and create you a very powerful Powerpoint presentation. I think I managed to take a pic tonight but am tired and will figure it out tomorrow. Perhaps Lemonade and Windhover will finally be satisfied that I get a new avatar.

Hahtool, being a blonde ice fisher person but not a hockey fan, I LMAO at your joke.

Mainiac, I went out tonight and bought two smoked herring. I ate one and the other one is smelling up my fridge.

Buckeye darlin...good to see you again. Also Dick Boner even if he's a relative of Stu Pid.

Jazz, yes, I agree about the aroma of daisies. They don't smell the best but they are simple and pretty whether in a field, vase, or in my yard. They make me happy.

Annette said...

Jeannie: UGH! Your "smelly" herring reminds me of the smelly sardines my neighbor ate at his desk yesterday! I snatched up the paper and sat in the lobby doing the puzzle, hoping it'd clear out by the time I finished... Sadly, it was a Monday, so I finished too soon!

windhover said...

Freshman at University of Kentucky, 1962, Physics major on National Merit Scholarship, 16 years old. Flunked out, 1963, partly due to the discovery of beer and older (19) women.
BS in Political Science, Berea College, 1995.
Only took 33 years to get a degree, after which I went back to farming with what Lemonade recently referred to as dumb, smelly animals. One of professors recently commented, "I didn't teach you a damned thing, did I?" Actually, he did. I went there in 1991 intending to go to
law school. He taught me that I really just wanted to farm.
Most of what passes for my education has occured between midnight and three AM, reading. College is a waste of time and money for anyone under 25, and even then most of it is vocational training, not education.
YMHADO, buts that's mine.

Jeannie said...

One last note on affairs. Many moons ago I unknowingly dated a man for about a year or so that turned out to be married. Yes, I was that tainted woman you are all talking about. Key word in the sentence above was "unknowingly". He never had kids and owned his own residence so I had absolutely no clue. He claimed he couldn't find her to divorce her. When I pointed out there were ways to get divorced otherwise and he didn't follow through, I ended the relationship. Too bad as he was a match. Does that make me a "tainted" woman so to speak? I know what I feel in my heart, just curious....

I am sure I am opening up myself to anons here, try to restrain yourselves or self's.

Clear Ayes said...

Jeannie, I have to take a quick 6th. Not "tainted" at all. You got lied to. Sad story and IMO too common.

Sorry, C.C. I promise not to do it again, but I wanted Jeannie to know that her experience is exactly the kind that my heart goes out to.

Frenchie said...

lemonade714...correct me if i'm wrong, mae west, i never met a man i didn't like


dennis@4:41 PM
Groundhog, schmoundhog. I'll continue to rely on the beaver for any indications as to how my future's gonna be.

that reminded me of the old show, leave it to beaver... when beaver's mother would say on beaver's behalf...ward go easy on the beave!
...on that key of b, i'm out!
Frenchie

PJB-Chicago said...

Jeannie: I don't see how that would make you tainted. You didn't knowingly involve yourself in that guy's deception. When faced with the facts, you ended the relationship because doing what you saw as the right thing mattered to you *more* than keeping the "catch." I'd say a lifetime of fishing taught you a lot.

I don't lie to people I like, so that's the unvarnished truth.

Jeannie said...

Clearayes, thanks. I always knew I got, for a better term "screwed" but the topic was up and I decided to speak out for the other peeps out there that in their minds did nothing wrong. I was neither stu-pid or dumb. I just didn't know, but knew enough when to cut the ties as painful as it was. PMSing right now guys, just wished I had cut out something else.




Yep, cooking for him.

windhover said...

Jeannie:
There's a statute of limiations (or there should be) on things you do when you're young. And who's to say what "young" is? I've done a lot of stupid s--- in my life, but there's very little of it I would change. Here's my philosophy: change one thing, change everything. If you like who and where you are now, then everything that's happened to you before is part of that. There's no Cliff Notes on life.

Mae West:
When forced to choose between two evils, I always take the one I haven't tried before.

Love is like bridge, if you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand.

I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.

Chickie:
I'll bet when June had a couple of drinks in her, her request to Ward was just the opposite.

Attention:
Tomorrow I have a modest proposal for my fellow bloggers. Watch for it.

57

MamaRuth1950 said...

Windhover--about dogs and ownership. I could never bear to say that I owned my dog for 8 and 1/2 years. I always said that she allowed us to give her a place to live and food to eat. Unfortunately, she died last December. I'm starting to think about another dog but I'm not sure I'm ready yet.

Hawtool--thanks for the link to the discussion about Punxatawney Phil and PETA. It made me think of a discussion about banning cell-phones that I heard on public radio today. Someone called in and asked if people are too stupid to do 2 things at once, why don't they take radios out of cars or ban talking to passengers? It was good for a giggle.

Bill G. When were you at Cornell? I graduated in 1972.