google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, June 30, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

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Jun 30, 2015

Tuesday, June 30, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Po' Boys - Answers with the word HERO sandwiched within them.

20A. Coastal storm concern : BEACH EROSION

34A. Follow local conventions, metaphorically : DO AS THE ROMANS DO. (when in Rome)

41A. Get rich illicitly : FEATHER ONE'S NEST

55A. Deli lunch ... or, based on a word hidden in 20-, 34- and 41-Across, what each of those answers is? : HERO SANDWICH

Argyle and C.C., our hero. Two spanners today and two different religious climbers. Unique. Progressive split of  HERO.

Across:

1. Cereal aisle regular __ Crunch : CAP'N

5. Classic Christmas stocking punishment : COAL

9. IRS submission method : E-FILE

14. "So sad!" : "ALAS!" and "Alack!" plus, 54D. Self-pitying lament : "WHY ME!"

15. Dance performed in grass skirts : HULA

16. Lag behind : TRAIL

17. Ready for harvesting : RIPE

18. Website for handmade goods : ETSY.com

19. Rooftop spinners : VANEs. Weather vane on Gary's house.

23. NBC skit show, familiarly : SNL

24. Enjoyed a meal : ATE

25. Checklist marks : TICKS

28. Prefix with sail : PARA

30. German automaker : OPEL

32. "Look at that!" : "OOH!". Got your "oohs and aahs" all set for the Fourth?

38. Web links, briefly : URLs

39. "__ out!": ump's call : YER

40. "Now I get it!" cries : "A-HA!"s

46. Org. policing Internet neutrality : FCC. (Federal Communications Commission)

47. Has yet to settle : OWEs

48. Play the lead : STAR

49. "The Family Circus" cartoonist Bil : KEANE


51. Cartoon shopkeeper : APU

52. Dawn moisture : DEW

59. Boxcars, in craps : SIXes. Presumed to resemble a pair of boxcars on a freight train.

62. Lay off : FIRE

63. Join forces (with) : ALLY

64. Halloween reward : TREAT

65. Steady stream : FLOW

66. Rock music style of the New York Dolls : GLAM. Hit the mute button and just watch them.



67. Rice field : PADDY

68. Julian and Sean, to John Lennon : SONS

69. Italy's Villa d'__ : ESTE. The Villa d'Este is a villa in Tivoli, near Rome, but there is a second one, in Cernobbio on the shores of Lake Como.

Down:

1. Dieter's count : CARBS. (carbohydrates)

2. Spock's father, but not his mother : ALIEN. Sarek is a Vulcan astrophysicist.

3. Castel Gandolfo holy retreat : PAPAL PALACE


4. Tiny amt. of time : NSEC. (nanosecond)

5. Speedy feline : CHEETAH. No, not that fast, not measured in nsecs.

6. Freakish : OUTRÉ

7. "Besides that ... " : "ALSO ... "

8. Air Pops chips maker : LAYS

9. Pierre's "And there you have it!" : "ET VOILÀ!". "Tada!"

10. Mali currency : FRANC. Mali still has a relationship with France, its former colonial ruler. Hence the use of the franc.

11. "Dr. No" novelist Fleming : IAN

12. Fib : LIE

13. Above-the-street trains : ELs. (elevated)

21. Lyricist with Rodgers : HART. They worked on 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs. Another lyricist: 60D. Gershwin brother : IRA

22. Checklist component : ITEM

26. Vlasic varieties : KOSHER DILLS

27. Fizzy drinks : SODAs

29. Mgr.'s aide : ASST.

30. Twistable cookies : OREOS

31. Often blocked online lewdness : PORN

33. Run the party : HOST

34. Fanny : DUFF

35. Hoover rival : ORECK. (vacuums)

36. "Reader, I married him" governess : EYRE. Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre

37. Granny : NANA

42. Forthrightness : HONESTY

43. Pitcher in many still-life paintings : EWER

44. Cable station for game highlights : ESPNews

45. Small earring : STUD

50. Leading : AHEAD

51. Hank of Cooperstown : AARON. (baseball)

53. Flashy display : ECLAT

56. Does in, mob-style : OFFS

57. Farmland skyline highlight : SILO

58. Minimum __ : WAGE

59. Gas treatment letters : STP

61. Crossed (out) : Xed

 
Argyle

Note: Today is C.C.'s birthday. How cool is that, to be published on your birthday?

58 comments:

OwenKL said...

Batman keeps thugs from murder and robbin'
While Bruce with society dames is hobnobbin'
In the opinion of Freud
Would he be schizoid?
"Nah, we're just into GLAM ROCK," says his sideman Robin!

A neat superHERO is the wall-crawler, Spidey.
He's obsessed with keeping things nice and tidy.
He'll clean up a room
With a dustcloth and broom,
But the cobwebs he keeps in his wallet for I.D.!

An ersatz superHERO is the one known as The TICK
Strong as an ox, and mind just as thick!
His costume's bright blue.
Antenna, he has two.
Should a villain try to grill 'im, he'd have to say, "talk, Tick!"

Lemonade714 said...

A really great Tuesday from C.C. with the perfect progression in the HERO and two grid spanners.

PAPAL PALACE is both alliteration and a bit of a tongue twister. We also have ETSY ESTE RESPonses and ET VOILA. As always the fill comes from many areas but baseball did sneak in. Wonder write up, poems from Owen, along with the puzzle, a great way to start the day.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, C.C., for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.

Was very tired last naught and hit the hay early. Therefore, I was up at 4:30 AM and did the puzzle. Finished at 5:15.

This was a little tougher than most Tuesdays, but overall very doable.

Theme was easy and the answers came quickly after a few letters to get me started. I like HERO SANDWICHes.

Not familiar with ETSY. I bet my wife knows about it. However, I did not wake her up to ask her.

We had an OPEL, with an American name, Catera, for about two months for our daughter. She was in Milwaukee and some guy (dressed as a girl) stole it from her at a gas station and wrecked it four blocks down the road. Took care of that car.

There are probably as many SILOs in Illinois as there are in any other state. Just a guess.

Bought a net to wear on my head last night so I can go outside without getting eaten by mosquitos. That I will do today. Lots of weeds to pull.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

( )



Argyle said...

I see a similarity between the papal palace and Minas Tirith in LOTR. Just me?

Barry G. said...

Morning, all (and a very Happy Birthday to our dear leader, C.C., if memory serves)!

Mostly a speed run today. Hit a minor speed bump in the NE when I tried TARRY before TRAIL. And then, When I got down to the theme reveal, I parsed it as HEROS AND _____ for some unknown reason and wasted a little time trying to think what would be sold with a HERO [SANDWICH], despite the fact that the plural of HERO is, of course, HEROES. Fortunately, by brain kicked back into gear after a brief delay and I figured it out.

Thanks again for the birthday wishes yesterday. Had to work all day, but I did at least get to eat some chocolate cake (with chocolate mousse filling, chocolate frosting and chocolate pieces on top) with ice cream for dessert. And no, the ice cream wasn't chocolate...

Argyle said...

You are right; it is C.C.'s birthday. I must add that to my write-up.

desper-otto said...

Good morning, and happy birthday, C.C.!

Hand up for "HEROS AND WICH?" D'oh!

Argyle, that castle does look a little like Minas Tirith with it's pointy nose, but MT was much higher and pointier IMO.

I read Moss Hart's autobiography, Act One, many years ago. Interesting guy.

Down here BEACH EROSION is not the primary concern. All of the local weathermen will tell you it's not the wind and rain that you need to worry about, it's the storm surge -- a wall of water pushed ahead of the hurricane that floods beach communities like a tsunami.

What makes a KOSHER DILL kosher? Or to put it another way, since there's no meat or dairy involved in making them, why aren't all dill pickles kosher? Coneyro?

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Argyle and friends. I liked how the HERO was SANDWICHed between each theme answer.

BEACH EROSION is a big problem in Louisiana. We loose about a football field of land per hour due to erosion.

Wishing you a very Happy, Happy Birthday, C.C.

QOD: I made a promise to myself to be kinder to other people. ~ Lena Horne (June 30, 1917 ~ May 9, 2010)

Hahtoolah said...

Desper-Otto: Kosher Pickles. Not all Kosher pickles are Kosher.

unclefred said...

At the start, I struggled a bit, and thought "Wow, pretty tough for a Tursday!" But then things started to fall into place. I even figured out the theme early (very rare, for me!) and that helped. Very nice, fun puzzle. I forgot to time myself!! Anyway, Happy Birthday to C.C., and thanks for the terrific write-up, Argyle!

Avg Joe said...

Very cool to have your puzzle run on your birthday, C.C. Congratulations and HBD!

HeartRx said...

Happy Birthday, C.C.!! I had it on my calendar, and I kind of figured we would see one of your puzzles today.
¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫

And it was a clever one, too, nicely executed. I loved seeing ET VOILA next to FRANC. Thanks for a fun start to my day!

Dennis said...

Hi guys -- long time.

Happy birthday, C.C. - hope it's a good one for you, and an even better year.

Southern Belle said...

Morning to all,

Just dropped to say Happy Birthday to C.C.

Southern Belle said...


okay....'dropped in'....

Tinbeni said...

Happy Birthday C.C. My "First Toast" at Sunset is to you!

Argyle: Nice write-up ... though I forgot to hit mute when I watched the New York Dolls GLAM link ... tears ...

I especially enjoy a theme that gives me a hint as to "What should I have for lunch today?" ...
Hey! a HERO SANDWICH sounds great!

And I guess that was a CSO to Dennis at STUD. lol

Cheers!

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

Best Wishes to CC for the Happiest Birthday ever! Of course, we're the ones who received a present from CC: today's puzzle. And what a fun and clever one it is. Didn't see the theme until the reveal and then "hero" just jumped right out. I liked Kosher Dills crossing Hero Sandwich and Sodas right next door. Add some Lays potato chips, Et Voila, lunch at the Deli!

Does anyone watch Major Crimes? I think it is getting very silly and over the top.

Gloomy, rainy day to end the month of June.

Have a great day.

Irish Miss said...

So sorry! Thanks CC and Argyle for brightening my day!

Tinbeni said...

Well I just read that tonight we get a "Leap Second" added to our Day.

... I'm going to use the "Extra-Time" to finally finish War and Peace.

I guess that makes June 30th, 2015 ... the "Longest Day" of the year. lol

CrossEyedDave said...

Happy Birthday CC!

HowardW said...

Happy Birthday C.C., and enjoy the extra leap second!

desper-otto said...

Tin, I was reading about the leap second. The last one caused major havoc with some computer systems. Who'd a thunk that one measly second could cause such consternation. This one's going to occur at 7pm CDT -- right in the middle of the Women's World Cup Semifinal. It's bound to have a major effect. I'm sure the losing team will use it as their excuse for failure.

C6D6 Peg said...

Very nice puzzle, C.C. and a very HBD! Like Marti, liked "Et Voila" next to "Franc". Really appreciated the "hero" sandwiched!

Argyle - very nice job, as usual.

Thanks!

Chairman Moe said...

Happy Birthday C.C. - many happy returns!

Misty said...

Happy, happy birthday, C.C., and thanks for encouraging me to try to keep checking in on the blog even during this difficult week. Also belated birthdays for yesterday, where I missed them. And what a delightful puzzle--a little tough but still very doable, and a pleasure. You too, Argyle, many thanks.

And thank you all for the good wishes and prayers yesterday. The results of Rowland's biopsy this morning, and then a feeding tube inserted. Tomorrow probably a trip to a skilled nursing facility. Rowland was awake and bright and talked yesterday, but there will be tough times ahead.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Happy Birthday, C.C. Good puzzle, today.

A little crunchy for a Tuesday, but fun to do. Thanks, Argyle, for elucidating the theme. Liked the long downs.
Only goof, I had E-bay for ETSY. Always want to spell OPEL with an 'a'.
My favorite KOSHER DILL is Nathan's Famous.

Venus and Jupiter are less than one-half a º apart in both altitude and azimuth tonight as Venus crosses to the E of Jupiter. We'll probably have overcast here.

Big Easy said...

Happy Birthday to C.C.- our HERO ( or should it be heroine) constructed this nice easy puzzle. Never heard of Castel Gandolfo or the New York Dolls but the answers were easily guessable. Liked the Pope's house crossing the ROMAN way of life and HONESTY crossing the last HERO. PORN was not porn in ancient Rome; it was normal to them.

ET VOILA and FRANC were only solved by the crosses and I no intention of going to either France or Mali. Born in the USA. Somewhere in my 300+ channels from U-Verse there is probably an ESPNEWS but I have never watched it. Jane EYRE- I was force to read it and her sister's 'Wuthering Heights" in college and remember exactly nothing about it or do I care to recall any of it. Quasi-autobiography = narcissism IMHO. If you are so great, somebody else will write about it.

Yellowrocks said...

I wish you a very happy birthday, CC. Thanks for all you do for this blog. How cool to have your excellent puzzle published on your birthday. You are my HERO
Hahtoolah, thanks for your explanation of kosher pickles. I do like kosher style dill pickles.
Of course, kosher pickles are not the only crunchy style pickles. My mom made deliciously crisp bread and butter pickles, possibly my favorites. The store bread and butters are not quite the same, but I still love 'em. Alan loves crunchy sweet gherkins.
Mom also used to make PA Dutch crock pickles. They were cured in the basement for weeks in a crock with a weighted down piece of glass on top to keep them submerged. Every so often she would tend them. (Perhaps by stirring.) I haven't seen any crock pickles since I lived with her.

Living in the country with six kids on a pastor's salary, we had a huge garden meticulously tended by hand by all of us. My mother, older sister and I canned and/or froze so much produce. Also,we would buy fruit by the bushel to can and to make jam. For a few years mom even made home made sauerkraut and bottled root beer.

These country reminisces remind me of PK. I certainly do miss her.

Misty, my thoughts and prayers are with you and Rowland at this trying time. We are pulling for both of you.

Bill G. said...

I enjoyed the puzzle as I expected to. It is unusual for me but I glanced at the first two theme answers and immediately figured out the HERO gimmick. Well done for CC, Argyle and me! And Happy Birthday CC!

I said it before but you can't have too many good wishes. So good luck and best wishes headed your way Misty.

Dennis, it's good to hear from you.

Irish Miss: Yes, I watch Major Crimes though I'm only about halfway through the last episode. I agree that sometimes they get too silly with hijinks between Andy Flynn and Provenza but I like it in general. On a related topic, I am still ambivalent about 'Suits.' Mike Ross and Rachel are very likeable but Harvey is so arrogant that it gives the show an unpleasant feeling tone. I may give up on it soon.

If you haven't read last night's late comments, I shared my experience observing the conjunction and included a bit of a good article about it from CBSNews.com. I hope it's clear here tonight and also where you are.

Boo LuQuette AKA Boudreaux in Eunice, La. said...

Bon Fete C.C.

A good soft shell crab Po-Boy would be good right now. Po-Boys originated in New Orleans and so did the Oreck vac until Katrina came thru.

Lucina said...

Hello, Friends! And a very happy birthday, C.C.!

Thank you for giving us the present of your puzzle and serving HERO SANDWICHES. It was fun and quick though I was temporarily stymied by ET VOILA, however E-FILE helped with that. And a CSO to me, NANA.

The only other complete unknown was the New York Dolls and GLAM. It was perped.

Argyle, I couldn't open the PAPAL PALACE.

I also learned that SIXES resemble box cars.

Dennis: it's nice to see you. Stay awhile sometime.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

coneyro said...

Speedy run today.

This puzzle's food references brought me back to good old Brooklyn. At the Italian restaurants or pizzerias, HERO SANDWICHES were a lunch favorite. Nobody knew from the words hoagies or subs. They are not N.Y. expressions. The authentic long bread was hard on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. After moving to Florida, I couldn't get a good HERO for many years until N.Y. based bakeries and pizzarias popped up locally. Don't get me started on
the lack of quality of ethnic food where I live, it is abysmal.

As far as KOSHER DILL PICKLES go, desper-otto, besides the usual ingredients i.e. garlic, dill, and brine, there is an emulsifier, or fat used. Some manufacturers use fat which is animal based, and possible from a pig or other non-kosher animal. Only pickles made completely vegan are Kosher, and no animal products are allowed on premises.
The best pickles of all, IMO, are those made the old fashioned way in barrels. For a few cents, when I grew up, pickles were puchased at the grocery store, along with sour tomatoes, from big wooden barrels. My grandmother also made her own. Jarred pickles, nowadays, do not have anything in common i.e. taste or texture, with the original mode of preparation. Mass production has taken the TLC out of so many things. What a shame.

Happy birthday to C.C. A case of getting older, but getting better.

Irish Miss...I love "Major Crimes", and do not find anything negative about it. Love the relationship between Sharon and Rusty. Pair that show with "Murder in the First", and you have a great Monday line up.

CAP'N CRUNCH and others like it.....Might as well feed candy to kids instead. Junkfood. It's good to see that some manufacturers are removing artificial elements shortly. That does NOT mean that they will be nutritionly improved. I was spoiled. My mother cooked me breakfast every day, and I also did this for my son.

Enough complaining for one day. I'm sure there's plenty more for tomorrow's blog.

Good day to you all.

Chickie said...

Good Morning All, I didn't exactly whiz through this today, but perps and guesses helped fill in everything. Thanks you C.C. for the puzzle and Argyle for the always fun write up.

Nana was Mama to start with, but that soon changed with "Feather Ones Nest". Nana isn't what we call Grandma in our family, though I should know that because it is so common. I'm called Grammy or Grandma.

Etsy is a site that I'm on quite often. It isn't always just handmade items, but used goods, too. Vintage things are often found on Etsy. I look up the silver, pewter, and other vintage things donated to our thrift shop for resale. Etsy is a wonderful source for pricing these things.

A voice from the past, Dennis. Speak up more often. We've missed you.

Abejo, Iowa has plenty of silos, too. Just saying.

Happy, happy, day, C.C.

Irish Miss, I've noticed that with "The Closer" and the spin off, "Major Crimes", there are some episodes that are almost comedic. Maybe it helps to break up the somber mood of the rest of the season.

Have a great day, everyone. We will be in the triple digits heat wise here. The drought continues with a vengeance.

Chickie said...

Pickles are something that my mother made--in a crock weighted with a pottery dinner plate. I make bread and butter pickles almost every year. They are a family favorite.

When very little, my father worked in a pickle factory. Every so often he would come home with a delicious dill pickle in his lunch pail. The employees were given permission to have a pickle with their lunch, but he often brought his home. They were a special treat.

Anonymous said...

Lorenz not Moss dummy

Lemonade714 said...

Happy Birthday and many more!!

Good to see you Dennis

Beach Bum said...

What people call that particular type of sandwich is one of those shibboleths that reveals where they're from. There are actually maps online. Anyone else here call them grinders?

D-O@6:57: I thought that clue was fine. It read, "Coastal storm ...," not, "hurricane." A few years ago, tropical storm Debby sat offshore here for a couple of days and we lost tons of beach (literally). They've since been replenished but the sand isn't the same.

Jayce said...

I hope you have had a really really really really really really really really terrific birthday today, C.C.

Jerome said...

Have a great day, Awesome Blossom!

"Who am I?", asks Ernie.
"URLS", chant the ORECK ELS of Delphi.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-A lovely Tuesday exercise with just enough bite
-We mail in our tax return as we never get/want a refund and it is safer
-The race is on to see who has the first RIPE ‘mater
-We have fireworks OOH’s and AHH’s every night from the 26th to the 4th
-YER out or maybe not
-Where do you land if you roll BOXCARS in Monopoly and start on GO?
-Speaking of Fizzy SODA drinks
-Fanny with _ U _ _. Guess what I was thinking
-HONESTY can hurt at first but is usually the best policy
-HBD, my friend C.C.! Your creation of and presence on this blog makes it so we get all the presents!

Yellowrocks said...

Chickie, do you remember how the crock pickles tasted? All I remember is delicious and quite sour.
When I was college age I was disappointed that heros or hoagies were never that good outside the NE. Soon the rest of the country caught up. Also at that time the only decaf available outside the NE was Sanka packets, not brewed as we had at home. Waiters were frequently baffled by requests for decaf. And of course we had to ask for pop, instead of soda in the Midwest and coke cola in the south.

kazie said...

Happy Birthday C.C.!

I was rushing so much after doing this today, I have only just made time to come back and say hello. In fact, I didn't even take the time to check who the constructor was, and was surprised not to have noticed when I read Argyle's comment that it was C.C.

No real problems but it took me longer to parse FEATHER ONE'S NEST than the rest. Came back to finish the midwest area after doing the Sudoku, and like always when returning after a break, it looked totally different.

AnonymousPVX said...

Many happy returns for your birthday.

Had RUMP for DUFF before crosses fixed it, and that was it.

Bill G. said...

Whinging: Air quotes - Making "air quotes" with both index fingers has really gotten a foothold among some folks. The young actress who used to play Rudy on The Cosby Show was expounding on a talk show about something and if you turned off the sound, you might think she was doing finger calisthenics. Have you noticed this? Does it seem annoying?

Lost cash - I was on the bike path when a tandem bicycle passed me going the other direction. Just as it passed, I was bombarded with paper money; mostly ones but some fives, 10s and 20s also. The cash landed in the middle of the bike path but the breeze started blowing it around. I yelled "Hey" and dismounted, trying to round up the stray moolah. The couple realized what had happened and they came back looking embarrassed. We got all of the money and had a good laugh. Silly accident? Drug dealing?

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, C.C.! I enjoyed your gift to us on your special day! Wonderful expo, Argyle!

I had rear b/f DUFF, but perps corrected that rather quickly. No other problems.

I hear thunder and the sky is quite dark, so no sky-watching for me tonight.

My MIL made the best dill pickles. DH and I tried to duplicate them but were unsuccessful. Just didn't taste as good as hers.

Enjoy the rest of your June. July starts soon.

Pat

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Happy, happy birthday, CC!

Great puzzle, CC! Swell expo, Santa!

GLAM was perped.

Hang in there, Misty and Rowland!

Hi there, Dennis!

Agree with Coneyro about Major Crimes.

Cheers!

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Whoot! A Tuesday from our CAP'N, C.C.! Fun puzzle, great theme, and just the right amount of ___Crunch. Thank you and Happy Birthday!

Thanks ALSO for the write-up Argyle. Always a TREAT.

Anyone else feel like you lost an N filling ESPNEWS?

Fav - KOSHER DILLS xing HERO SANDWICH.

Yum. Now throw some LAYS down on top and SODAS on the side (unless you don't want the CARBS to add to your DUFF) and you're set.

Close second - 31d & 48a juxtaposition PORN STAR xing STUD?!? Perhaps that's why they had so many $1's Bill G. :-)

Owen - #2 - funny.

Boo Laquette - I love me NOLA Muffalettas too. (I've had #1 and a Shrimp Po'Boy at #4 - I can't wait to get back).

Cheers, -T

Anonymous T said...

OwenKL, I almost forgot... Spoooon!

(and for those w/ no idea, the back story. Cheers, -T

JD said...

Good evening all and HAPPY HAPPY birthday C.C.!
My start was my downfall. I put Capt., and never changed t sec to n sec.
I should have realized this was your creation when changing He's out > yer out. ETSY was all perps..you amaze me with your extensive knowledge!
Found hero early on which really helped with feather ones nest.
Thanks for the write up Argyle. I always learn many things from you.

nice to see you Dennis!

Irish Miss, I like Major Crimes, but mostly like the storyline between Rusty and Sharon. They really softened Sharon for this spin off.

Are we all glued to the soccer game??

inanehiker said...

Happy Birthday, CC and enjoyed your puzzle today.
thanks Argyle for the write up

GarlicGal said...

I haven't posted in a long while, but I wanted to wish CC a HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Thank you, once again, for your dedication to our corner and for your always clever crossword puzzles.

Tinbeni said...

Bill G
The Venus and Jupiter show tonight was SPECTACULAR !!!

C.C. ... I went a little overboard tonight ... and toasted you and this wonderful group more than a few times ...
OK ... there were 3 toasts ... one over my normal limit ...
But, I'm at home ... and the car-keys are "out-of-the-question."

Cheers to One-and-ALL !!!

Bill G. said...

It's been cloudy most of the evening. After about six walks up and downstairs, Venus and Jupiter finally appeared. They're even a little closer than last night. Very pretty! I'm glad you liked them TIN.

Anonymous T said...

Just back from a wonderful dinner with two friends I haven't seen in 2 years (sad, since we all work w/in 10 miles of eachother). We had to wait until 8:30 to eat as one friend observes Ramadan. The restaurant didn't have a HERO, but the Mexican-influenced seafood & steaks we ATE were quite good. The heads on the shrip were OUTRE, but delish; no LIE.

Cheers, -T

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

A trifle late to the party...didn't want to miss the chance to wish our leader a not-too-belated Happy Birthday! I admired the perfect letter progression in your theme answers, C.C. Very crafty!

Thick overcast tonight, no hope of seeing the planets.

Lucina said...

Tonight is quite overcast so no celestial sightings for me except the full moon which has managed to shine radiantly through the clouds. I would normally be upset about the cloud cover but we really need the rain.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Good to see some of the old timers. Windhover, I could not find the thread of your comment, but you left a post on Monday blog, in case you wonder where it went.

Thanks for the sweet birthday wishes. Thanks for making me feel special.

Anonymous T said...

C.C. Well, we can make you feel special... But, HONEST(l)Y you just are. A very Merry Un-Birthday to you. FEATHER your NEST in that :-) C, -T