Theme: Three phrases with double OOK in them
20A: Gave additional consideration: TOOK A SECOND LOOK
36A: Falsifying accounting records: COOKING THE BOOKS
49A: In any way possible: BY HOOK OR BY CROOK
Argyle here. (Note: This puzzle has no three-letter word entry.)
If there is anything clever in the theme, I missed it. I felt the whole puzzle was flat and tedious for a Monday.
I need to thank Kazie for her tip yesterday.You can print the whole puzzle by opening the "print" drop down-window and choose "print with my solutions". However, I think you have to leave at least one letter blank to get the clues with it.
Across Lite didn't have the puzzle available early today and I had to use the Flash version.
There is a food sub-theme: Cheese, oils, ice cream, gumbo, rice and chicken(Foghorn Leghorn).
Across:
1A: Sandler of "Funny People": ADAM.
5A: Do a pre-vacation chore: PACK.
9A: Musicians' org.: ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
14A: Island tourist destination in Indonesia: BALI. Map
15A: 1975 Wimbledon champ Arthur: ASHE.
16A: Words of compassion: I CARE.
17A: Like flights from the USA to Eur., e.g.: INTL. INTernationaL
18A: "Birthday suit": SKIN.
19A: Vacation time, for short: R AND R. Rest and recreation
24A: Bosses (around): ORDERS.
25A: Corsage flower: ORCHID. The shy boys would give a wrist corsage.
28A: __ Jones's locker: DAVY. The bottom of the sea.
30A: Detox locale: REHAB. Both Detox and REHAB are words formed by shortening.
31A: '70s-'80s consumer electronics giant: AIWA. Purchased by Sony Corporation.
32A: Sharp cheese: BLEU.
39A: "Even __ speak ...": AS WE.
40A: Anise-flavored liqueur: OUZO. Widely consumed in Greece and Cyprus. Its taste is quite similar to pastis (France), Sambuca (Italy), mastika (Chios), raki (Turkey), and arak (Lebanon).
42A: Days at an inn: STAY.
44A: "Bless you!" elicitor: AH-CHOO. Updated to add the hyphen
48A: Agent 007: BOND. For C.C.
56A: __ stick: bouncing toy: POGO.
57A: Dust Bowl migrant: OKIE. And if they stayed and played sports, 42D: Oklahoma athlete: SOONER.
59A: Letter-shaped fastener: T NUT. Various styles.
60A: Paris-__ Airport: ORLY.
62A: Trig ratio: SINE.
Down:
1D: Slightly: A BIT.
2D: "Book'em, __!": "Hawaii Five-O" catchphrase: DAN-O. Dec. Danny Williams was played by James MacArthur.
7D: In fashion: CHIC.
8D: Popular bar game: KENO.
9D: Hang on a clothesline: AIR DRY.
10D: Burn badly: SCALD.
12D: Intense passion: ARDOR.
13D: Company car, expense account, etc.: PERKS.
22D: Exploding stars: NOVAE. Singular: NOVA
26D: Vintage cars: REOS. I wonder if there were any other old cars with only three letters.
27D: Chuck wagon fare: CHOW. GRUB is four letters, also.
28D: Scatterbrained: DITZY.
29D: Dr. Seuss's "Horton Hears __": A WHO.
31D: Water in Juarez: AGUA. Spanish.
32D: Conference table site: BOARDROOM.
34D: Heart tests: Abbr.: EKGS.
37D: Prohibited: NOT OK.
38D: Mel who voiced Foghorn Leghorn: BLANC. He was the voice SO many others....
43D: Toon Wile E., e.g.: COYOTE. Suppose he was a cousin to 45D: "Laughing" critter: HYENA.
44D: Bottomless depth: ABYSS.
46D: IHOP or Borders: CHAIN.
47D: Nomadic tribe: HORDE.
48D: Shooter with small shot: BB GUN. Now if I wanted to be 58A: Slyly derogatory: SNIDE, I would say it was ANON.
50D: Elects: OPTS.
51D: Rice-A-__: RONI. The San Francisco Treat.
53D: Cook's array: OILS. Question of the Day: How many different oils do you have in your kitchen? (I just have Penzoil.)
54D: Florida islets: KEYS.
Answer grid.
Picture of the Day: Here is a lovely photo of our fellow solver Kazie and her family at her older son's wedding in Saxony last August .
She said: "Left to right: Our younger son, my husband, the happy couple, my husband's brother and sister, her husband and me. In the background you can see some of the Augustusburg Castle where it all took place."
Argyle
67 comments:
Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - easy but fun puzzle today, slightly over 4 minutes.
The theme was apparent after the first theme answer, so that made the other two pretty obvious. Lots of familiar clues; Aiwa I think we saw within the past couple days. I wasn't real thrilled with 'not ok' for 'prohibited', but everything else was very straightforward.
'R&R' (Rest & Relaxation) reminded me of my R&R from Vietnam when I went to Taiwan with a couple buddies. I have no memory of the first week, second week was more than memorable.
Nice way to ease into the week. Is anybody still bothered by the 'new' format since we switched? Seems like we've all adapted pretty well.
Today is National Thrift Shop Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "I've always been in the right place at the right time. Of course, I steered myself there." -- Comedian Bob Hope
Some Fun Facts for Monday:
- Gerald Ford worked as a fashion model. Hopefully not a runway model...
- Jay Leno and David Letterman were both writers for the TV show Good Times.
A pretty easy puzzle today. Just the right way to ease into a Monday workweek. I loved the theme. A tad of trouble in the NorthEast corner, but nothing serious. I also wanted Sneeze for ACHOO (44A), but quickly realized the error of my ways.
Favorite clue: “Birthday Suit” (18A).
I saw “Funny People” with Adam Sandler (1A) last weekend. It was enjoyable.
Keep your eyes on the Florida Keys (54D) this week as the tropical storms build in the Atlantic. On this date in 1969, Hurricane Camille slammed into the Gulf Coast, ultimately killing nearly 250 people.
Also, keep your thoughts and prayers for all of our friends in the path of the California fires.
Birthdays:
1601 ~ Pierre de Fermat (d. 1665); French mathematician, whose famous Last Theorem was not solved until just a few years ago.
1893 ~ Mae West (d. 1980)
1943 ~ Robert De Niro
QOD: Get your facts first, then you can distort them how you please. ~ Mark Twain
Dennis,
I had to get NOT OK via perps, apparently I still have trouble with multiple words. What did you do on the second week in Taiwan?
Hahtool,
I liked SKIN too, though we've seen the identical clue before. I also liked STAY (Days at an inn). Nice play on Days Inn.
Argyle,
Wish OILS (53D: Cook's array) were clued as "Masseuse's array" rather than "Cook's array" as COOKING is part of the theme answer. Besides, it will please our "it" girl Melissa. Thanks for the Bond picture. Daniel Craig has such a rugged sexiness. He was so good at "Munich", quietly so. Thanks for the nice write-up.
What did you do on the second week in Taiwan?
Everything.
Warren & PJB,
Thanks for the ECCO shoe name origin and all those Italian words. Very informative and educating.
Clear Ayes,
Ah, you fattened Chanel's name by one extra L.
Dogberry,
Welcome!
KQ,
Thanks for Willie Mays' 20-20-20. Now I know why Mike brought out his 1957 season for the TRIPLE clue.
Argyle: Actually there are lots of oils a cook might have: Sesame oil, peanut oil, canola oil, walnut oil, pecan oil ... For some reason, I even have several different types of oil and I try to avoid cooking as much as possible!
What? No Mongolian Fire Oil?
Kazie,
What a beautiful picture! How did it feel to be the only girl in the house in all those years?
WM & Hahtool,
Have you tried coconut oil in cooking?
Good morning all,
c.c.,
Thanks for posting my picture. Being the only female in the house when the boys were home made up for my husband being the only right hander. I've always been good at doing my own thing, so when they were off doing "boy" things, I had fun being alone.
I was searching for a way to hook the theme clues together better too, but can't come up with any. I had some trouble in the middle because I misspelled DITSY, so OUZO took a while to fall because I also don't know the Seuss quote. Other unknowns that filled themselves were ASCAP and TNUT. NOT OK looked very strange too.
Not only does virgin coconut oil add a distinct flavor to foods, but it is the safest oil to use with heat, because it doesn't break down as much into harmful by-products. It also improves your immune system and has a lot of other benefits. Just make sure it does not have the word Hydrogenated on the label anywhere. even partially-hydrogenated means trans fat. Sick with the virgin version.
Good Morning!
The theme was very straighforward. But I had trouble in 2 places: OUZO intersection with DITZY (didnt know either words. Put in Z as that seemed the only alphabet missing from the puzzle)
and OILS with OKIE and ORLY.
I hardly cook (2-3 times a month) and yet I have Saffola(safflower oil), Olive Oil, PAM and Mustard Oil (Assamese food is made with mustard oil and its so yummy with mashed potatoes)
Coconut oil is used for cooking in South India and it gives a distinct aroma and flavor (easily available in Indian frocery stores in the Bay area). I have never tried cooking with it though.
Kazie, Such a beautiful picture..your sons are handsome.
Wedding in Germany? Must have been fun.
I managed to do this without having to google even though I had never heard of OUZO: I stared at NOTOK for a while before reading it as NOT OK. I also wrote ITS OK for I CARE, SNEEZE for AHCHOO, LET DRY for AIR DRY and ASKS for USES.
C.C., I hear that there's a Chinese superstition that if you sneeze then it's because someone is thinking about you. Also, if someone is talking about you then your ears are burning, although that expression might have had its origin in the West and was translated into Chinese. A similar expression is "kill two birds with one stone" which I've seen as a Chinese proverb.
Martin
No trouble with this one today. Didn't need the theme at all to complete. My only oops was putting sneezes vs. AHCHOO. I have never spelled it that way, with the additional H after the A. I did catch the "cooking" sub-theme though. I must still be thinking of Julia Child.
Kazie, lovely picture. Must have been a beautiful day for you all. The bride and groom look so stunning, as do the parents.
Nice job Argyle. The boys almost always do a wrist corsage these days. No place to pin something on today's dress styles.
Dennis, I can only imagine what you did on your R&R!!!
Off to count money - my favorite task. I'll check back later.
c.c., KQ and Moon,
Thanks for the compliments on the picture. It was really wonderful that as many of our family were able to attend. We felt it was the best wedding ever, those Germans really know how to celebrate!
c.c.,
I thought after my last post, I should have mentioned that since my grandmother had nine boys before scoring a girl, I figured after two I'd better give up while I was ahead!
Martin,
On that ears burning idea, I've also heard that if it's the right ear, someone is saying nice things about you, but if it's the left ear, it's something bad--that old left/right thing again.
My kitchen has extra virgin olive oil, which I use for practically everything I cook, vegetable oil which I use in my bread, and sesame oil for certain Asian recipes.
Argyle et al,
I forgot to mention that I did not find any 3-letter word in this puzzle. Amazing!
Al,
Yeah, I've heard plenty of talks about the benefits of virgin coconut oil. Just don't know how to use it.
Martin,
If you sneeze only once, then someone is thinking of you. If you sneeze twice, then someone is cursing you.
C.C., whenever I sneeze, it's 3 times. What's that mean?
@C.C. I use VCO wherever I would cook with butter, like pan-frying veggies such as squash and zucchini with onions, garlic and sea salt. I also warm it up so that it is completely liquid and drizzle it on steamed asparagus, broccoli, or califlower again with a pinch of sea salt. Of course for the latter I also use almond or avacado oil. Sometimes I add salsa to the steamed veggies for an added zip.
Morning all,
Almost too easy. Some of these ans should be retired. Aiwa won't be because of the three vowels. When I see RANDR, I try to make a word out of it. At least QANDA looks like a word. My canoe is not is not tippy. Any ship or boat can turtle-up. That's all folks.
eddyB.
Good Morning, C.C. and all
No obscure clues, so easy sailing today. I, too, liked the veiled reference to Days Inn (42A).
C.C.--We have extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, and sesame oil, which are used in that order by volume.
QOD--When writing grants, don't put all of your begs in one ask-it. --WAB
Enjoy the day!
Breezed right through the puzzle with two small things. I had an 's' in DITZY at first and I filled in "ook" as the 2nd, 3rd and 4th blanks for 49A. Not really a clean theme with "by" before the "ook" words in the third theme answer.
Kazie: Lovely picture - the bride looks like she stepped right out of a bride magazine.
In addition to the usual olive oil and corn oil, I have walnut, avocado, sesame, soy bean, and hot chili oils and Dr. Ellis's Old West Style Snake Oil (Hawaiian Chile Water). Amazing for a person that seldom cooks.
Good morning Argyle, CC and all,
This was a nice start to the week. Had very few problems. Needed perks to finish ascap and r and r. Couldn't read notok until I came here. Nomadic tribe had me thinking of the Indians who followed the hordes of buffalo.. but the perps filled it, a d'oh moment.
Our big fire will be contained by Thursday. The residents of Bonny Doon who were evacuated have returned.No homes burned.
Kazie, lovely picture of you and your handsome family. It's so nice seeing everyone!
Good morning, everyone.
Argyle, Foghorn Leghorn as food -- LOL. That was a bummer to not have the puzzle available on Cruciverb last night. Looks like they've changed some of the site -- only the LA Times is in the Archive section now. Didn't catch that there were no three letter words.
Wanted AFTRA for ASCAP, didn't know how to spell AHCHOO, and wanted AIROUT for AIRDRY.
Nice photo of the kazie family!
IMBO -- back later.
Good Morning All, I always look forward to Monday, after fighting through the weekend crosswords. Yesterday, not only did I fill in 1A with the wrong name, I spelled it incorrectly too.
I had a little problem in the NE because I spelled 13D PERQS, as in "perquisites". Perp LOOK changed my mind quickly and the rest was pretty easy.
I lOOKed for a more clever theme too, but it seems that double OOK is it.
There were several other single double OO fills that weren't theme related, AHCHOO, SOONER and BOARD ROOM.
Interesting that SNIDE followed OKIE. My mother-in-law, who comes from Oklahoma, told me a long time ago that she finds the term OKIE offensive. She was one of those Dust Bowl kids. She has said that it was always an insult when she was growing up. It was used as a catch-all word meaning poor, uneducated, low-class and stupid. The meaning has changed over the years to be less disparaging, thank goodness. A lot of Oklahomans use the term freely. But I do understand M-I-L's feelings and I don't use the word myself.
GAH and I are quite far away from this year's California fires. The closest fire is nearer to our daughter's home, but not dangerously so. That fire is burning in the Altamont Pass area we discussed a few days ago. We can see some smoke on the horizon, but the wind doesn't carry the smoke smell this way.
Kazie, nice photo, nice looking family.
Hi Argyle, C.C. and everyone:
I had such fun until I got to the middle and then was completely stopped by 31A (AIWA), 29D (A WHO) AND 37D (NOT OK). I had it filled in correctly but looked at it as: 'NO TOK' and wondered what the *^$$# a 'TOK' was.
Kazie, great picture of you and your family...so nice to put a 'face' to your postings.
I am waiting for Dick to post before I put another picture up. He should be back by now so maybe he'll comment later.
It's heating up here again - hope not for long. I love summer, just not 95+.
Kazie--Lovely photo of all! A very happy looking, handsome group.
A straight forward easy Monday puzzle today. Only perp help was ascap, aiwa (which I should have to eat worms), and orly. ‘birthday suit” – skin was my favorite clue today.
Argyle re: 3 letter classic cars, how about GTO or LTD? Also, the oils I have in my kitchen are olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil and sesame oil.
We went to the county fair this weekend and one of the blue ribbons was for “The zucchini that got away”. We would have won that one hands down! Next year we are going to enter.
Gee, Tarrajo,
I thought you'd have sworn off those giant ones after this year! Now you're anxious to get more of them. Maybe you can just let one or two hide under all the leaves.
Thanks to all others who have commented on the photo. I'm embarrassed by so many compliments! Everyone has to look good at weddings though, don't we? Now if only the younger one would get busy and decide if he's ready to commit with his girlfriend...
Hello All--A very easy puzzle today. I had the three long fills as some of my first answers. That helped with the rest of the puzzle pdq. I didn't know ASCAP, but that and AIWA were filled in with the perps. Horton Hatches A Who was a given as I've read it aloud more than a hundred times. It is a favoite of Kinders and First Graders.
Kazie, a beautiful family picture. A lovely bride and a very handsome family.
Terrajo, I thought you had learned your lesson re: zucchini. Yet you are planning to enter the fair with one that got away NEXT year.LOL.
In the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" the Ouzo was poured liberally for the unsuspecting. This made for some LOL moments. It can be quite potent! I think almost every country has an anise drink and all seem to be like "fire water".
12D ARDOR, "Intense passion". There are so many passionate poems, but this one is also overflowing with longing. Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote this love poem to his wife Mary in 1818.
To Mary
O Mary dear, that you were here
With your brown eyes bright and clear.
And your sweet voice, like a bird
Singing love to its lone mate
In the ivy bower disconsolate;
Voice the sweetest ever heard!
And your brow more...
Than the ... sky
Of this azure Italy.
Mary dear, come to me soon,
I am not well whilst thou art far;
As sunset to the sphered moon,
As twilight to the western star,
Thou, beloved, art to me.
O Mary dear, that you were here;
The Castle echo whispers 'Here!'
I enjoy most puzzles I can finish on my own. The ones I don’t like are the ones with no giggles, nothing of interest. Today, there were all the ‘ooks’, plus Ditzy, Wile E. coyote, BB Gun, and Rice a Roni. Works for me.
I am so loving all the pictures.
In reading the autobiography of Helen Hayes, I discovered that James MacArthur was her son.
Coconut oil is fabulous for your skin, and smells good too. In the kitchen I have olive oil and sesame oil. In the place I keep supplies for herbal remedies and cosmetics, I have almond oil, coconut oil, palm oil, walnut oil, avocado oil, persimmon seed oil, carrot seed oil, wheat germ oil, plus illipe butter and shea butter.
Barb B, wowser! You have a complete set of oils :) I have the standards ,like Tarrajo, olive, canola, sesame,and peanut.I'm probably a relic as I cook every day, and use the same cookware I bought while in college. What does that say? The girls have tried to update some of my utensils, but I don't need fancy to cook a good meal.
Very well done puzzle. Without easy crosswords we won't attract new solvers. Monday puzzles serve a purpose beyond just our enjoyment.
This puzzle brings to the fore a bad habit of mine. I often pronounce the number zero (O) as the letter O.
Good stuff- MILKSHAKE (Is that a dance step at a dairy farm party?), DITZY, COYOTE, and POGO.
KENO has ONE K.
COOKING THE BOOKS crosses BOARDROOM and BOARDROOM crosses CROOK. There you have it! Our economic problems summed up in a crossword puzzle.
On the "oo"s in today's puzzle, when I was looking for a deeper theme, I remembered the signs in German restaurants for the toilets. I don't see them so often any more, but in the '70s they used to look like -O-O-> , or <-O-O- , where the arrow pointed in the direction one had to go to find the convenience. We used to jokingly call the restroom the "OO".
When I first peeked in there were only 12 posts...had an early morning granddaughter sitting...lots of fun but she is in constant motion...tired her out in time for her mom to get her home for a morning nap. A nap is sounding awfully good right now.
Fun, easy puzzle and I realized as I read Argyle's most excellent blog that I never even read some of the down clues...LOL had to back and find them. The difference from the weekend to Monday is amazing. Just started at the top and worked steadily thinking that this would be a 4 min solve for Dennis...I can't read that fast, find the square # and get it filled that quickly...but it was fast and steady...Jerome and others have already picked out the best parts...so, what they said.
Kazie an absolutely gorgeous photo, lovely family, incredible setting and it is fun to see your lovely smiling face...this photo sharing is a terrific idea. Thank you so much C.C.
I cook everyday with few exceptions have a beautiful collection of copper/stainless pans and all kinds of tools(I worked in a kitchenware/cooking school for 3 years and we got a huge discount..haha)So on oils I have Canola(seldom used)EVOO for sauteeing, EVOO from Provence for drizzling, EVOO from Napa, for fun, some French roasted nut oils, walnut, almond, pistachio, pecan, toasted sesame, regular sesame, hot chili oil, grapeseed...I think that is it for now. Used to have an awesome Spanish EVOO which I can't get anymore...oh, and an Italian EVOO. I guess I will have to try the coconut oil.
CA...lovely poem...thanks.
Oh...and my only real puzzle hang-up was RANDR...took sec to realize what it was...D'oh! :o)
Jerome,thank you for more puzzle insights. Word crossings such as Cooking the books, boardroom and crook would have completely gone over my head. Are those crossing deliberate or a result of the words needed to complete a particular quadrant in a puzzle?
It they aren't done on purpose, I appreciate the humor you found in them.
JD, I'm with you. I had the same set of cookware for over 50 years. A few years back my husband gave me a new set of cookware for Christmas. I kept a few pieces of my old stuff because I couldn't do without it, and use those "old" pieces all the time. I too, cook every day. Does that really make us relics?
C.C. Thank you for the picture postings. Putting a face with a name is a real help.
Apparently there is hope after all. The Lexington Herald-Liar has dumped the Daily Commuter "Puzzle" and restored the LAT. I've been trying to call and thank them, but the switchboard must be jammed, either with fellow well wishers or complainers. I'll keep trying.
YAY! WH...:o)
Chickie and JD...love the fact that you love your old pans. My husband, right from the beginning, had a plan...we had a restaurant supply store in a nearby city and from our very first Christmas he did cooking "themes"...heavy duty set of restaurant pots, then Italian stuff one year(I still have the pizza pans and use the terrific pasta maker) and French...etc. I sill have many of the pieces. I have added and upgraded through the years, and continue to do so(JD and Elissa have seen me running loose in Sur la Table). Everytime I went to France I bought cookware at the most wonderful Chef's place ever...E. de Hillerin in Paris...like a kid in a candy shop! Woo hoo! I do have a few pans that are my "go to" pans and in the Fall, especially, out come the big Le Creuset cast iron enameled cassaroles( love all colors and they are wonderful). I find that the rhythm of prep work are very relaxing at the end of the day. And the best part is, when you are done with the work part, you get to eat it! :o)
Hey gang -
We're baaaaack from vacation, and this has been a rather stressful day. Didn't think retirement would be like this. Had another encounter with LeRoy today. Clearly, he is not getting proper supervision. More later, if I have time.
Just got to the puzzle a few minutes ago. Nice diversion. The theme isn't much, but there were a few fresh fills: coyote, caress, airdry, orchid, hyena.
Haven't checked today's comments yet, and I'm way behind on whatever has been happening here.
I have about 400 pix to download, so I'll be busy this evening.
Might check back later.
Cheers!
Hmmm.
I'm imagining RANDR in Taiwan back in the day might have involved some SKIN.
I usually sneeze three times. (?)
Hi everyone. Pretty hot day here today. easy puzzle tho, I have a comment on 3 clues/answers.
1. a letter shaped fastener to me is a 'wing-nut' since it really does look like a ' T '.
2. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what the word 'notok' was/meant.
3. A lovely and provocative word i.e. answer to 43A.... 'caress'.
Where is the 'it' girl, Melissa Bee? I haven't seen her here since that famous picture.
Jerome,
Loved your insights.
I think we had this cooking oil discussion a while ago. I generally use olive oil. I purchased some of the virgin coconut for popping popcorn. Works great. Then I put Flax Seed Oil on the popcorn rather than butter. Much healthier and tastes great - different, but great. I also have sesame for flavoring sometimes, you don't cook with it. I buy all my oils at the organic stores - Whole Foods usually. Love that place.
Thinking of anyone in range of fires or hurricanes today. Hope it all comes out well in the end. Good to hear that many of you are not near the danger.
I too would like to join the group in thanking CC for posting pictures. I have wanted to see faces for the longest time.
To Mary Shelly
O Monster mine, that life were here
In your dead eyes bringing fear.
To give you voice, so like a lizard
croaking to its scaly mate.
In the slimy bog disconsolate!
Voice as a howling winter blizzard!
And your brow broad . . .
As the . . . sky.
taken from a poor dead guy.
Monster mine, come to life soon,
This quest has taken me so far;
Tonight under the clouded moon,
With lightning from the western star
Thou, monster art art to me.
Oh, monster mine, when life is thine
The Castle echoes, "Frankenstein."
Cheers!
JzB the demented poetry writing trombonist
Kazie, I can relate to you. My daughter is home for a bit right now after four years of being away at college. Because of the difference in years of our kids it has been just me and the boys also. I think the guys are kind of fun though (although my daughter is awesome). I grew up with 3 older brothers, so I know a little about how to handle them (but never enough).
Dennis, I forgot to ask why you don't remember the first week of RandR at all? I can only guess that too.
Jazzbumpa, Just read your earlier post on LeRoy. Hard to know how much to intervene. But God bless you for the time you took previously, and your caring attitude. The world needs more like you.
Dennis...my husband always also sneezes 3 times...I'll ask him what it means.
I am really having a difficult time with Gerald Ford as fashion model???? What a great quote from Bob Hope...I work at that.
Jazz...what a fun poem! :o)
#3
5:40 today. I don't think I can write much faster, actually. I "saw" the theme (all those OOKs), but didn't really parse it, and it turns out there was no parsing to be done--just a bunch of OOKs. Maybe there's something we've all missed?
Spent the morning pruning the limbs encroaching on my 3/4 mile long driveway. Whew! The UPS guy was starting to get a bit snippy as his truck was getting banged up. If you ever get a place in the country take my advice and plant the tree seedlings well back from the edge of the driveway or you'll be sorry (as I am). After 20 years those suckers get really big.
Embien: What kind of trees do you have that line your driveway? I have a live oak in my backyard that is probably about 75 years old. It is being trimmed now, even as I type. All the rain we've had in the past few weeks has really done wonders for the tree. Almost overnight, the limbs just seemed to become full of foliage and the limbs reached nearly the ground.
With the sudden activity in the gulf, we need to be sure that the tree is properly pruned before any hurricanes reach us.
I did all the cooking in our house for 15-20 years. I had what would probably be called a "limited" repertoire (87 ways to cook Costco chicken breasts, anyone?), but what I did cook seemed to always meet with approval.
I quickly got together a basic set of pans which I used for nearly everything (except the specialized stuff like patés and soufflés for which you really only need the exact pan/container and nothing else will do.)
I can probably whip together a three-course dinner for four using about three or four pans, I expect.
Then, a couple of years ago, I lost the passion for cooking and just stopped. (There was medical therapy involved as well.) Now my wife and I eat every meal in restaurants. The food generally isn't as good as my own, but it's a lot easier.
Now my wife is vegetarian, so I have no desire to go back to cooking--I'd be totally lost doing anything more than basic grilled veggies.
Jazzbumpa, LOL, Wonderful parody!
I'm a three sneezer also. Maybe it has something to do with blood type (unlikely). I'm AB+ and I think fellow three sneezer Dennis is too. How about you?
Windhover, Glad to hear that you may be posting pithy comments about the daily crosswords again. I just double checked to make sure my definition of "pithy" was correct. Merriam Webster's #1 has it as "consisting of or abounding in pith". Yep, that's the one!
WM, JD & Chickie, I recently passed my set of Dansk Kobenstyle Cookware on to a charity. This photo is in the popular 1950's turquoise blue. Mine were a sunny yellow. I received them for a wedding present in 1960 and they lasted for over 40 years (much longer than the husband). Not a bad run, but they had been pretty well chipped over the years. They were wonderful cook and serve pieces and I still miss them.
good afternoon c.c. and all,
little break to check in, quick puzzle today. great job argyle, thanks. don't recognize the constructor's name, anyone else? c.c., nice catch about no three letter words, amazing.
i'm an hour or so from the bonny doon fire, and smell the smoke daily. actually got engaged there.
c.c., nice 'masseuse's array' idea. i like arnica, jojoba, and peach and apricot kernal.
moon, never heard of mustard oil, must try that.
kazie, just beautiful.
dennis, everything, that's alot. three times for me too. sneezing. how was the concert?
joe, welcome.
jd, thanks for the congrats to my daughter. maybe we'll see you there sometime. where do you usually sit? (i'll tell her to throw a t-shirt your direction)
tarrajo, that's a fun reason to plant some again next year. sleeping well again?
windhover, great news!
Chickie- Pretty sure the BOARDROOM crossings are accidental.
Melissa bee- Alex Boisvert is a well known constructor. At least among constructors.
Jazzbumpa- Frankenstein= Mad doctor from Al and Gertrude?
7 down, CHIC= HI C.C.
Savory Hot Crackers:
Two, gallon zip lock bags
1 lb saltines
1 large envelope dry, ranch dressing/seasoning mix
2 TBS red pepper flakes (or 2 tsps. ground red pepper)
2/3 c canola oil
Place two sleeves of crackers in each zip lock.
Dissolve the dry ranch in the oil. Add pepper flakes and mix thoroughly. Pour 1/2 the oil mix over the crackers in each bag. Zip and rotate gently to coat all crackers. Turn the bags over every 15 minutes for one hour. Empty out onto paper towels and allow to drain 15 min. Store in air tight container.
NO BAKING! They will be quite crispy and tasty.
In 1966 while going to college, a door to door salesman sold me a set of Ekco Prudential waterless cookware for $275.I paid it off in 18 payments. The pots are still wonderful, but I do use other frying pans. He was a good salesman because my roommates also bought them. I still have the sales contract. LOL
PS Fire is not in our vicinity
Gotta go for our walk......
Good evening, all. Since I am always trying to win converts to the LAT puzzle, I brought copies with me to work and actually gave one to the lady next to me on the train (we sit together a couple times a month). Sure enough, people were stopping me in the hall for help. As Jerome says, it's a good way for people to see how fun puzzles are. I work elsewhere tomorrow & if the puzzle is as solver-friendly, will try the same tack. Tactic?
Glad that I am not the only one tripped up by NOTOK and RANDR. I still laugh when I pass by the NOCHIP manicure sign. Maybe I should share the puzzle-love there?!
Pure comedy gold in today's news:
* "Tom Delay to join Dancing With The Stars"
*"Report shows that 90% of paper currency has cocaine on it"
*"Did strep throat kill Mozart? New evidence."
*"Scientists find: Beer linked to improved bone density in women"
You don't need to be a professional comedian to do magic with material like that. Topical material has a short shelf life so if you were going to write stuff for sale, you'd need to get it out the door by the next couple news cycles. I sold four by noon, a personal record. You'd also benefit from a broker--they really are out there and they sell mostly to professional public speakers, a few cable TV shows, news compilers, and even professional comedians. Once you sell a bit, you sign over rights to use/publish/perform it, and if working with a third party, you aren't typically told who bought it. Violate those terms, and lawyers will get involved. Comedy writers take intellectual property rights very seriously. It's an honor system, and reputations are very slowly built and one slip up gets someone blacklisted as a buyer or seller.(You can, however, google your exact words and sometimes find them if they hit print.) Pay is lousy; competition is fierce. I make only enough to buy better brands of cheese. Since it's really hard to come up with something truly unique, the first few ideas that come to mind usually have already been taken. Members of the writers' union(s) understandably hate us freelancers. I didn't write anything during the strike awhile back, because my conscience said it was ANONO. Parse that!
@Kazie: not only are you smart and funny but you and your family are very distinguished looking. I admit to being old-fashioned in that I love it when people dress up for weddings!
@Argyle, I owe you email. Soon, promise. Fine blogging as usual.
@C.C. Another fun Italian word is "morbido" which is an adjective for "soft" as in fabric or hair or even fruit. Won't ever help with a puzzle, but may come in handy at parties!
Enough.. enjoy the rest of the evening, all.
Jerome -
Now that Al is in the senate, he can send you a beer mug, and the government will pick up the postage. Frankin's franking stein.
Thanks to those who commented on my various acts of foolishness. It means a lot.
Here's the scoop on LeRoy. As the LW was returning home this afternoon, she spotted him in his wheel chair rolling down the road at the east end of our sub. He lives on the West end, around the corner from us. She came home to get me, and saw a young man at L's house, looking perplexed.
We got in the van, and located L, who had rolled a couple of short blocks. We then went back to L's house, and picked up the young man, Javon, who was looking for him. We took him to where L was, and dropped him off. He was talking on a cell phone to somebody, explaining what was going on.
We drove around the block, and returned to see the two of them more or less wrestling on the ground. L had fallen out of his chair, and was struggling with J, who was trying to help him. That's the story, anyway. L does not like being helped.
I talked him back into his chair, and he then let J push him home. I stewed for an hour or so, then called the police. They've had a couple of other similar calls recently. The officer told me that to get some agency intervention - what I was looking for - a police report is necessary. The next time they're called will be the third, and evidently that is the magic number. My call today didn't count, since L was back home, and there was no situation to respond to.
My concern is for his safety. Obviously, there is nobody home who is capable of dealing with his situation. I'm guessing that LeRoy remembers what it was like before he got injured, and wants to be OK again, and free to lead a normal life. That's why he heads out on his adventures. All speculation, but it makes sense to me.
Once again, I'm sure we did the right thing, but it sure has me agitated.
Cheers!
@jazzbumpa Yes, Yes, Yes, you and lw did the right thing. L needs help, and getting him into some organized assistance system should open an avenue for him to explore where he can go.
Jazzbumpa, you obviously have a huge heart. We have a "group home" at the end of our block where the inpatients all have suffered some head trauma or another. One guy has taken a liking to LGJ and LJG has taken to him. I am proud of my son for sitting there talking to him while he's in his wheelchair. I have warned Brady though that (Jim's) mentality can change instantly. I just keep a sharp eye on him and I really do think it does "Jim" some good. Most kids in the neighborhood make fun of those poor guys.
Melissabee, gentle, pretty one...no; sleep is eluding me as now I got the stupid "list" of school supplies I have to come up with. I don't remember having to follow a list of supplies. Kleenex? Come on.
Contrary to anyone's belief, I don't take any of the state's money to help raise my young guy. His passion is football and I couldn't believe the money I just had to fork out for "used" equipment.
Another thread re: cooking. You all know I cook every breakfast, lunch and dinner. My Mom has given me Farberware pots every other Christmas. WM, I covet your Le Creuset big soup pots...I can't go by a Cooks of Crocus Hill or William and Sonoma store without at least fondling one.
Dennis, I would like to know what you forgot about your first week of RANDR. Okay, maybe the second week too.
Tarrajo, keep up with what you are doing. Good things happen to good people. I admire you greatly, and can't imagine what your every day life is all about.
WM, my passion is cooking; I would go broke just purchasing your equipment, and I am very jealous. One thing I have acquired from my Southern Granny is a "well seasoned" big cast iron pan with the coveted lid. I have found if you rub it down with common lard and rub it out after using it it won't rust. That pan must be at least 80 years old and weighs about 30 lbs; you probably couldn't count how many batches of corn bread or chickens were fried in it. BTW...I am sworn to secrecy on the fried chicken recipe. I can only pass it on to family which is a shame. Well, maybe....
Tarrajo, as an ex 6th gr. teacher I can assure you that kleenex is very necessary.On some days a box will not last a whole day. I'm sure the teacher continues to buy some of it. Supplying extra pencils, paper, binders,white board pens,spiral notebooks,etc. really uses up the small amount of money given to each teacher. If every child brings just 1 box it really helps.
MelissaBee, I will e-mail you our section, and seats in an e-mail; I can even include the games as a huge group of us share season tickets.
tarrajo, i feel your pain. school shopping will burn right through a perfectly good paycheck. it's a good thing they're cute.
Dennis or c.c., could you please do your thing?
@hahtool: When we moved to this place we planted about 300 Douglas fir seedlings, about 50 "true" firs (grand fir, white fir), and 20 pines and Western red cedars. That was over 20 years ago. I ran an irrigation line down the driveway, so those trees did especially well.
A couple years later we planted about 50 poplars (from a special strain developed at Washington State University, bred for fast biomass production).
Our big problem is I didn't allow enough space for the trees (those seedlings are soooo small you can't believe that 15-feet between trees won't be enough). I've cut a few for firewood, but really need to cut a bunch more. Some of the trees (the ones that have been irrigated when young) are over 50 feet tall.
There were only like three trees when we moved here--now there are hundreds, so we feel better.
Anyone in danger of fire, do what we do. We have a large plastic box, with handles, we call our "emergency" box. It has our passports, insurance papers, wedding photos, etc. Easily transportable (very important), and my wife can lift it easily (there's a temptation to fill it will all kinds of stuff, but if my wife can't carry it, it isn't as useful).
We can grab that box, the cat, and be out of here in minutes, if need be. Everyone should have an emergency box. Also, have a place that everyone in the family knows to go to (like a relative's house) in case the kids are at soccer practice or something.
JD, I do realize that there is a certain amount of funds for school supplies allocated to schools themselves. I have a very good friend that is a great teacher that spends on average about $500.00 out her pocket every year. I just don't remember my Mom and Dad having to come up with the amount of school supplies for us. Just stating some frustration here. I kind of knew I would get some feedback as there are numerous teachers on this blog. Somehow I will muddle through as I always do.
I think Linda prays for me a lot. Thank you, Linda. I happen to have an extra zucchini with your name on it. It's one of the big one's we have decided to leave.
I am going to attempt sleep now...going to dream of all kinds of cookery gadgets.
Thank you Embien...you are sweet.
All you folks within harms way whether it be fires or tropical storms, take special care.
Jeannie.
Jeannie, I lost my cast iron skillet in a move many years ago. I've been tempted to replace it, but they is SO VERY heavy. Maybe if you bribed us with that fried chicken recipe, I might buy another skillet to prep it in.
Tarrajo, it is wise of you to teach LGJ about being kind to others who are less fortunate than he is. It will help him to become a thoughtful decent adult....just what you want for your boy. Keep up the good work.
JD, I had to smile about the Kleenex situation in school. Kids are walking, triple-sneezing germ factories. I'm sure teachers spend more than their share of money on tissues for the students.
PJB, Interesting and funny information this evening. Tom DeLay? Unbelievable!
Did someone say fried chicken? First off, CA, don't make fried chicken without a cast iron skillet. I have my wife's mother's cast iron, and it is devine to cook with.
Marinate the chicken pieces in buttermilk for 24 hours. Drain on a sheet pan with a rack on top. Make a rub with flour, cayenne, salt and pepper. Dredge the now-drained chicken pieces in the flour mixture and set them on a second rack on top of another sheet pan. Let them sit there for five minutes (so they are nice and dry).
Meanwhile, put some Crisco in a deep cast iron skillet and bring nearly to smoking point (you want at least 1/2-inch of hot fat in the pan). Put the chicken in the pan (careful for spatters!). Thighs take the longest to cook, breasts the least, so put the chicken in the pan in stages. Fry about 12 minutes, then turn the pieces in the pan (they should be deep bronze color) and cook another 12 minutes.
Drain on a rack over a sheet pan (don't drain on paper towels). Wait 15 minutes (this is the hard part) as the chicken is too hot to eat immediately.
It will be the best fried chicken you've ever had. (Adapted from Alton Brown's Fried Chicken
Mmmm. Fried chicken is absolutely a favorite. I have attempted it several times and despite minute by minute coaching by excellent cooks, it doesn't turn out even close to good. Applying heat to anything that used to graze, fly or live under a dock just isn't something I have mastered. I'm okay with the rotisserie oven thang though, but that's it.
Of all the cool stuff that Mom has, the one thing we 4 kids all want to inherit is the cast iron skillet. Belonged to her grandmother so has to be over 150 years old. Supposedly it came over from Ireland, but who knows.
The fires/hurricane season are certainly worrisome. Slate magazine on line did a great series a couple weeks ago covering scenarios of how the world as we know it might end. No hysteria or fingerpointing, but some of the nation's top scientists have mapped out different models and the one thing they agree on is that climate change is inevitable. I once heard a comedian say that NASA should send Brad & Angelina into space along with their brood, so they can repopulate the planet if need be. There are probably better options, I hope! Then again, I was either brave or foolish enough to be on a plane home from London on 01/01/2000! Got a great deal on the ticket....did it again on 01/01/01.
School supply lists sure have grown. A friend with a 2nd & a 7th grader showed me the list. Wow. She's a pro at shopping and mapped out which stores have which items on sale.
Time to pack tomorrow's lunch. I spend a few hours on days off prepping food so that reasonably tasty/healthy snacks/lunch & often dinner can be put together without major trauma. Am not a great cook by any stretch but am very good at assembling!
See y'all Tuesday. Split shifts mean more time on the train = more puzzle time. Stay safe!
Jeannie..Its really late, but I will post anyway...your grandmother's seasaoned cast iron skillet is worth it's weight in gold...cherish it...I have my grandmother's also but a lot of the time I use the le Creuset. Lodge is still making great cast iron and they even make a pre-seasoned pan...just not the same...garage sales are often a good place to find the older pans. People don't know how to take care of them and they get rusted...clean them up and season them and Voila! like new.
Maybe a few of your "closest" blog friends could coerce the recipe out of you. Hint Hint... :o)
Embien, from the sounds of that recipe it is shame you don't cook anymore...a loss. You are very knowledgeable...Like Al and all his nutrional info...always spot on!
You said you didn't see a theme besides the obvious "ook". I connected the 7 double "o"s with Bond agrnt 007. Bond was an answer to one of the clues.
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