Theme: Location, Location, Location - The "Living on the Edge" mantra is placed around the edges of the grid, clockwise.
1A. Start of a thrill-seeker's mantra: IF YOU AR(E)
8A. More of the mantra: (AR)E NOT LIV(ING)
14D. More of the mantra: (LI)VING ON T(HE)
45D. More of the mantra: (T)HE EDGE Y(OU)
67A. More of the mantra: YOU A(RE) - My answers here are in clockwise sequence, same with the remaining theme answers.
66A. More of the mantra: (A)RE TAK(ING)
65A. More of the mantra: (TAK)ING U(P)
38D. More of the mantra: UP TOO MU(CH)
1D. More of the mantra: (MU)CH ROOM I(F). Letter I overlaps with the starting I in "IF YOU AR(E) and closes the quote.
"If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much room", from Jayne Howard, a name I am not familiar with.
Very inventive rendition of an otherwise ordinary quote/quip puzzle. Edgy indeed. When did you glom onto the theme? It took me quite some time to figure out the gimmick due to to its unusual circular theme answer placements and some non-recognizable letter string breaks.
I also did not notice the left to right symmetry until I read Alex's Interview.
Across:
15. Conductor's nickname: MAESTRO. And ALLEGRO (44D. Fast, to a 15-Across). Italian for "cheerful".
16. European car company with a prancing horse logo: FERRARI. Fiat. Sometimes we see its founder ENZO Ferrari in a puzzle.
17. Government heave-hos: OUSTERS
18. "Million Dollar Baby" Oscar winner: FREEMAN (Morgan). Loved the movie. With Hilary Swank.
19. Shoppe sign adjective: OLDE
20. Set one's sights on, with "at": AIMED. The tense of "Set" can be tricky, not today though.
22. Big ape: KONG. King Kong.
23. Artery: Abbr.: RTE. Was thinking of blood vessel artery, not road.
24. Poet who won the 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature: YEATS. Irish. I tend to confuse him with Keats, who's English.
25. Juan's uncle: TIO
26. Piles: HEAPS
32. Percentage on a bank sign: CD RATE. Can't fit in INTEREST.
34. 2007-'08 NBA Rookie of the Year Kevin: DURANT. With the Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly Seattle SuperSonics). Total stranger to me. I can only think of Kevin Garnett.
35. Trig, e.g.: MATH
37. Letter opening: SIRS. Oh, DEAR.
38. Sounds of hesitation: UHS
42. Rotate, as a camera: PAN
43. Casual "I'll pass": NAH
46. Floor exercise surface: MAT. Any Pilates/Yoga fans?
48. "Star Wars" saga nickname: ANI. Darth Vader's boyhood nickname. Mystery name to me.
49. Corrida shout: OLE
50. At the ready: ON ALERT
52. Tablet alternative: CAPSULE
54. Dungeons & Dragons creatures: OGRES
55. Farmyard female: EWE. And 64. Farmyard female: MARE. Alliteration.
57. Kept: SAVED. Didn't Tiger expect his text messages to be saved?
58. Bandleader Puente: TITO
59. Step: TREAD
61. __ Mason: asset management giant: LEGG. Our local paper just profiled one of their star investors a few weeks ago. Alex also gave us TITAN (30A. Giant). Giant echo.
62. Nabokov's title professor: PNIN. Here is the book cover. Is P silent?
63. Scorch slightly: SINGE. Alliteration again.
Down:
2. Blamed: FAULTED
3. "Whatever you say, honey": YES DEAR. Sweet clue and answer.
4. Bone: Pref.: OSTE. As in Osteoarthritis.
5. Mountain West Conference athlete: UTE. Utah Utes. Sports team of the University of Utah.
6. Deck out: ARRAY
7. More optimistic: ROSIER
8. Decadent: EFFETE. Like the ELOI in "The Time Machine".
9. Unlikely class presidents: NERDS
10. Mine find: ORE. Assonance in the clue.
11. Hike: TREK
12. "Raging Bull" boxer: LAMOTTA. What's your favorite De Niro movie? My husbands loves "Casino".
13. Shiraz resident: IRANIAN. Shiraz is a city in southwest Iran. I forget what it's famous for.
21. Might: MAY. Would've preferred the season May clue. We are having beautiful spring weather here in MN.
27. Kitchen spray: PAM
28. Hoards: STASHES
30. Root vegetables: TURNIPS. Not my type. I do like thinly sliced daikon though. You?
31. Collection agcy.?: IRS. Nailed it.
33. Bygone anesthetic: ETHER
34. Roman goddess of the hunt: DIANA. The Greek counterpart is Artemis.
36. Mass reaction, perhaps: HYSTERIA. Good clue.
37. Era that began in 1957: SPACE AGE. Started with the Sputnik.
39. Like some drying clothes: HANGING
40. Commence: START IN
43. __ riche: NOUVEAU. Literally "new". Same root as novelty, isn't it?
51. Téa of "Ghost Town": LEONI. Know her. Not the movie.
53. Actress Hayek: SALMA. Here she is.
56. Left: WENT
59. Sound of disapproval: TSK. What's the difference between TSK and TUT?
60. German article: DER. So are DAS and DIE.
Answer grid.
Happy Wedding Anniversary, Windhover & Irish!
C.C.
1A. Start of a thrill-seeker's mantra: IF YOU AR(E)
8A. More of the mantra: (AR)E NOT LIV(ING)
14D. More of the mantra: (LI)VING ON T(HE)
45D. More of the mantra: (T)HE EDGE Y(OU)
67A. More of the mantra: YOU A(RE) - My answers here are in clockwise sequence, same with the remaining theme answers.
66A. More of the mantra: (A)RE TAK(ING)
65A. More of the mantra: (TAK)ING U(P)
38D. More of the mantra: UP TOO MU(CH)
1D. More of the mantra: (MU)CH ROOM I(F). Letter I overlaps with the starting I in "IF YOU AR(E) and closes the quote.
"If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much room", from Jayne Howard, a name I am not familiar with.
Very inventive rendition of an otherwise ordinary quote/quip puzzle. Edgy indeed. When did you glom onto the theme? It took me quite some time to figure out the gimmick due to to its unusual circular theme answer placements and some non-recognizable letter string breaks.
I also did not notice the left to right symmetry until I read Alex's Interview.
Across:
15. Conductor's nickname: MAESTRO. And ALLEGRO (44D. Fast, to a 15-Across). Italian for "cheerful".
16. European car company with a prancing horse logo: FERRARI. Fiat. Sometimes we see its founder ENZO Ferrari in a puzzle.
17. Government heave-hos: OUSTERS
18. "Million Dollar Baby" Oscar winner: FREEMAN (Morgan). Loved the movie. With Hilary Swank.
19. Shoppe sign adjective: OLDE
20. Set one's sights on, with "at": AIMED. The tense of "Set" can be tricky, not today though.
22. Big ape: KONG. King Kong.
23. Artery: Abbr.: RTE. Was thinking of blood vessel artery, not road.
24. Poet who won the 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature: YEATS. Irish. I tend to confuse him with Keats, who's English.
25. Juan's uncle: TIO
26. Piles: HEAPS
32. Percentage on a bank sign: CD RATE. Can't fit in INTEREST.
34. 2007-'08 NBA Rookie of the Year Kevin: DURANT. With the Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly Seattle SuperSonics). Total stranger to me. I can only think of Kevin Garnett.
35. Trig, e.g.: MATH
37. Letter opening: SIRS. Oh, DEAR.
38. Sounds of hesitation: UHS
42. Rotate, as a camera: PAN
43. Casual "I'll pass": NAH
46. Floor exercise surface: MAT. Any Pilates/Yoga fans?
48. "Star Wars" saga nickname: ANI. Darth Vader's boyhood nickname. Mystery name to me.
49. Corrida shout: OLE
50. At the ready: ON ALERT
52. Tablet alternative: CAPSULE
54. Dungeons & Dragons creatures: OGRES
55. Farmyard female: EWE. And 64. Farmyard female: MARE. Alliteration.
57. Kept: SAVED. Didn't Tiger expect his text messages to be saved?
58. Bandleader Puente: TITO
59. Step: TREAD
61. __ Mason: asset management giant: LEGG. Our local paper just profiled one of their star investors a few weeks ago. Alex also gave us TITAN (30A. Giant). Giant echo.
62. Nabokov's title professor: PNIN. Here is the book cover. Is P silent?
63. Scorch slightly: SINGE. Alliteration again.
Down:
2. Blamed: FAULTED
3. "Whatever you say, honey": YES DEAR. Sweet clue and answer.
4. Bone: Pref.: OSTE. As in Osteoarthritis.
5. Mountain West Conference athlete: UTE. Utah Utes. Sports team of the University of Utah.
6. Deck out: ARRAY
7. More optimistic: ROSIER
8. Decadent: EFFETE. Like the ELOI in "The Time Machine".
9. Unlikely class presidents: NERDS
10. Mine find: ORE. Assonance in the clue.
11. Hike: TREK
12. "Raging Bull" boxer: LAMOTTA. What's your favorite De Niro movie? My husbands loves "Casino".
13. Shiraz resident: IRANIAN. Shiraz is a city in southwest Iran. I forget what it's famous for.
21. Might: MAY. Would've preferred the season May clue. We are having beautiful spring weather here in MN.
27. Kitchen spray: PAM
28. Hoards: STASHES
30. Root vegetables: TURNIPS. Not my type. I do like thinly sliced daikon though. You?
31. Collection agcy.?: IRS. Nailed it.
33. Bygone anesthetic: ETHER
34. Roman goddess of the hunt: DIANA. The Greek counterpart is Artemis.
36. Mass reaction, perhaps: HYSTERIA. Good clue.
37. Era that began in 1957: SPACE AGE. Started with the Sputnik.
39. Like some drying clothes: HANGING
40. Commence: START IN
43. __ riche: NOUVEAU. Literally "new". Same root as novelty, isn't it?
51. Téa of "Ghost Town": LEONI. Know her. Not the movie.
53. Actress Hayek: SALMA. Here she is.
56. Left: WENT
59. Sound of disapproval: TSK. What's the difference between TSK and TUT?
60. German article: DER. So are DAS and DIE.
Answer grid.
Happy Wedding Anniversary, Windhover & Irish!
C.C.
68 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - what a fun puzzle! I was over halfway through before I caught on to the trick, apropos for April Fool's day. I really enjoyed this one.
Outside of the theme (C.C., I loved your 'edgy' comment), the rest of the puzzle went pretty well. Fell into the same misdirection traps as C.C., thinking something body-related for 'artery', etc.
Happy Anniversary to Windhover and the Irish; I wish you many, many more. Enjoy your celebration.
Today, in addition to being April Fool's Day, is International Fun at Work Day and International Tatting Day. And if I were you, I wouldn't believe anything I hear today.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. -- Josh Billings
A few more Fun Facts:
- Charles Darwin's cousin invented the IQ test.
- The typewriter was invented before the fountain pen.
- In about 250 B.C., Archimedes invented the screw. (And I've been trying to perfect it ever since.)
Good morning CC and All, this one kicked my a** but good. I just never got on the same wave length with the constructor. I managed to get enough answers that I saw the outer edge letter carry over, but never figured out the quote. Even thought my butt got kicked I admire the work and creativity of the constructor and I did enjoy the struggle.
Off for a few days to Myrtle Beach. See you Sunday.
Congrats to Irish and WH.
Hope you all have a great Thursday.
Good Morning, CC and all. I must say, I am not keen on quote puzzles. When I counted the 9 quote/mantra clues, I almost skipped doing today's puzzle. It took a while to get some traction, but I realized that, with the exception of the Mantra clues, the rest of the clues were quite easy.
It took me a while to figure out that each Mantra clues crossed over into the next Mantra clue.
Shiraz is know for two famous poets. It looks like a very beautiful city.
Happy Anniversary, Windhover and Irish. Hope you have a long and happy life together.
As Kazie said yesterday, she and her husband also celebrate the day that they met. My husband and I met 28 years ago on April 3.
In honor of the author of Pnin (and Lolita), here is today's QODs:
I cannot conceive how anybody in his right mind should go to a psychoanalyst. ~ Vladimir Nabokov
My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music. ~ Vladimir Nabokov
Good morning! What a great puzzle! Like Hatool, I am not a fan of quote/quip puzzles and I almost quit this one. I was at least half way through when I realized that the words were split across the next entry. It took longer than that to figure out the quote, but I did get it.
Happy anniversary to Windhover and Irish, what a beautiful property you have.
Spring weather is continuing here this week, today may be 70! It won't last long, but it'll be back.
Gracie
Alex, this was no walk in the Green Wood! Like others, I have mixed feelings about quote puzzles, but this approach was inventive and the fill was pretty straight forward, so it was over quickly, but it did take a while to see where we were going, and the quote never helped.
Happy Anniversary, I notice two farm references to females for WH and Irish, and many more together and happy.
Thank you for the Salma Hayek pic, are we going to debate real or unreal again?
Kevin Durant is doing great things for OKC, and is an exciting player.
I like turnips, and all root vegetables.
Well I must take the day off and go skydiving with a friend; wish me luck, I have never been, but I assume gravity will make it all work.
Good morning, C.C. and all,
This was an interesting twist today. I had solved about half the puzzle before I figured out the mantra scheme. The clue for me was completing 1D from the perps - when I saw that it did not make any sense, I knew something was up. The rest came easily. Fortunately, the rest of the clues were pretty easy except for 67A. Lots of fun
Happy anniversary, WH and Irish! One question; can one believe a vow taken on April Fools' Day?
Hahtool, our church (Presbyterian) is having a Seder meal tonight in celebration of the Passover and our rich Judeo-Christian heritage. Jean and I are to play the role of mother and father at our table. We are looking forward to it.
Have a good day.
Morning, all!
Great puzzle today! Once I figured out what the @^%#! was going on, it was a lot of fun. I didn't know the quote, but it was relatively easy to suss out from the context. The rest of the puzzle was super fine, with no bad fill and some lively answers as well. And thank heavens I somehow managed to remember PNIN from somewhere. I think I remembered it simply because I have always had a major WTF moment whenever I've seen it before, so it eventually lodged somewhere in my brain.
That's more like a Thursday puzzle. Pretty tough without any perp help for all those starting and ending letters that are part of the theme. No google, but had to use letter checking in more than one place.
Salma Hayak's assets have been commented on quite frequently.
Good morning C. C. and all. Awesome puzzle today and, in hindsight, lots of fun. Had to google PNIN, LEONI, and SALMA. Then the aha moment seeing how the theme clues worked.
DER - Further to C. C.'s comment, the inflected forms des, dem, and den were also possibilities.
Happy 'Fools Day.
Hi CC et al,
Nice CW today especially the Mantra going around. Managed all except some of the names.
By the way this kind of CW is known as a NINA. Read about it HERE
WH looks cool.
Windhover, stop with the anon posts.
Seriously, anon - Windhover looks cool because Windhover is cool. One of the coolest.
Well, I'm on the other side of the polarization. I hate a puzzle with half the clues missing. I did eventually get all but the west side. Admired the ingenuity of it, but couldn't love it.
A major downfall was being unable to spell UH. I had ER, thought of UM, but not UH. Also couldn't spell NAH on the east side. Started with NAW, then NUP, NOT before getting NAH because of perp and mantra help.
There were nine names and items I tried to google, finally giving up because the D&D lists were too exhaustive (and exhausting), and the coronary artery abbreviations didn't work either. In a word UGH!
Oops, too much venom.
I forgot what I most wanted to do this morning, and that's wish WH and Irish a wonderful anniversary (a real one as it turned out!)
Hahtool,
In case I miss coming here Saturday, you have a great celebration then too. Ours was April 12th, 1971, on a train station in Granada, Spain, in the rain.
Good morning, all -
Never did get traction on this one... and that despite the fact that my ski group has tshirts with the mantra printed on them! (Our other mantra is: Life is an adventure, not a guided tour.) I think my brain was elsewhere trying to get the day started.
Happy Anniversary Windhover and Irish! A very fun day to get married - offers lots of fun celebration pranks. My mom was the queen of April Fools' pranks when I was growing up; you never knew what to expect. I always enjoy our annual phone call on this day to find out how she got my Dad. Can't wait to talk to her today.
Enjoy!
Finally, a highly intelligent and perceptive Anon shows up. But of course it's All Fool's Day, so as TFrank said, nothing can be trusted.
But seriously, Anon, Windhover was in fact very cool on that day, as evidenced by the coat, gloves, and calendar date.
The story of our wedding non-vows still to come, after this puzzle nonsense has played out. (Just kidding, of course.)
Good morning, everyone!
After sleeping on it, I was able to put this one away. Loved the concept. I can imagine that the fill was a bear to get!!
Happy Anniversary Windhover and Irish. Hope you have a loverly day!
Dick and Lois, have a great time on your respective trips!
Belated birthday wishes to Irv. May you have many more.
Tfrank, remember to take the role seriously and drink a glass of wine each time it's required, not just a sip!
Col Gopinath, it's nice to see you back on the board. Ditto for you, Barry G. Now, where's PJB-Chicago and my brother Buckeye?
Kazie, hand up for NAW.
Understanding the Press
Here’s how to keep all that political ‘news’ in perspective…
1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.
2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.
3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country and who are very good at crossword puzzles.
4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don’t really understand The New York Times. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.
5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn’t mind running the country, if they could find the time — and if they didn’t have to leave Southern California to do it, and if it did not interfere with posting on LA Times Crossword Corner.
6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and did a poor job of it, thank you very much, but the liquor is good.
7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren’t too sure who’s running the country and don’t really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.
8. The New York Post is read by people who don’t care who is running the country as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.
9. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.
10. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren’t sure if there is a country or that anyone is running it; but If so, they oppose all that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leaders are handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs who also happen to be illegal aliens from any other country or galaxy, provided of course, that they are not Republicans.
11. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery store.
12. The Seattle Times is read by people who have recently caught a fish and need something to wrap it in.
L714-
Great post. LMAO
Lemonade, great post on newspapers and their readers. LOL
Good Morning All and Happy April Fool's Day! This puzzle was tailor-made for the day.
As soon as I saw all those "mantra" clues, I went straight to the middle of the puzzle and worked my way up and then out.
That worked just fine. All the three letter words in the middle were fast fill. When the perps got me (1A) IF YOU AR and (8A) E NOT LIV, I knew where we were going clockwise with this one.
I'm glad I didn't try to start at the bottom. I never would have understood the spelling in reverse at 65, 66 and 67A.
I also liked the neat longer fill like OUSTERS, FERRARI, TURNIPS, HYSTERIA and CAPSULE.
As much as I liked the puzzle, I didn't like Jayne Howard's mantra at all. It's pretty insulting to those (me included) who are not EDGE personalities. BTW, I tried "G-ing" Ms. Howard and couldn't find an exact match, other than listings of her quote. Jayne Howard-Feldman? If not, WHO?
Lemonade, loved it!
In honor of the day:
HAPPYD
HxxxxA
SxxxxY
IxxxxW
RIDNAH
Great post, Lemonade714 ... WOW ! I learn more from the posts and especially the smart, pithy, funny ones than from actually getting to solve the crossword ... you make it all worth it.
I just had to download this and print it out... Thank you, you made my day.
Has anyone Googled today? It has changed it's name to Topeka in honor of that city's name change to "Google"! Click on the link to see the why of the name change. It is pretty funny. Glad to see the company has a good sense of humor on April Fool's Day.
Kazie, you're meeting of your future husband sounds much more romantic than mine. We met at a party when we were both poor grad students.
This one was a bit of a challenge. Took me a few minutes to figure out that the mantra ran around the border of the puzzle and that some of the odd letter combinations were coming from words to be read backward. Missed one (62A) since I didn't know the Nabokov title and had a choice between "start on" and "start in" at 40D. I had a 50-50 chance of getting it right but in the end picked the wrong one. 37 minutes.
Fun April Fools puzzle.
Wow, as I counted the 9 mantra clues I knew that if I don't get it I'm screwed.
So, of course, my first fill was 31D, IRS. LOL
LEGG Mason was the second fill. I watch a lot of CNBC.
Seems to me I did this from the inside out until the "DUH" moment (followed by a slap of the forehead).
Fave part was the dyslexic bottom line.
You could ask me for last years NBA rookie of the year and I would still need all the crosses to get it.
Hahtool: I saw the Topeka change, now I have to click it.
Bob: Had the same 50/50 at 62A. Since 'Start on' 40D made more sense, I went with the 'I' for PNIN.
Windhover: I sitting on the "edge of my seat" for the wedding story.
Good day,all.
Thanks, Bob, for pointing out how to read the mantra. I didn't understand until I got to your post a minute ago.
I don't like this sort of puzzle. I like some way for my brain to figure out at least some of it. Of course, I admit, I gave up on all the mantra clues.
Most important: Happy Anniversary, The Irish and windhover. Celebrate well.
Cheers
Windhover, I've got my popcorn.
Good day, happy April Fools' Day, C.C. and fellow bloggers.
Wow! What a fun puzzle! I must say, I mirrored CA's reaction almost exactly. When I saw all the mantra fills, I went straight for the middle which was relatively easy. All filled in rather quickly, then suddenly, the light turned on with the obviously reversed words (I sometimes tend toward dyslexia).
Yes, edgy, indeed, but I feel it is quite cynical since I'm not a type A but rather take the time to smell the roses. There's room for all of us.
WH and Irish:
Again, congratulations! May you enjoy many more years together.
Lemonade:
Loved your post on newspapers. I think I'll print it.
C.C.:
Yes, I practice yoga, love it and feel great as a result.
Alex, this was a really good one for AFD.
For those observing passover or Holy Week, you are in my thoughts and prayers.
I'd like to share one April Fools' Day trick my students played on me back in the 60s when it was a more innocent time. After lunch when I walked into the classroom, they were all sitting with their backs to me; they had sneaked in during the break to turn the desks around. It was made me smile and admire their ingenuity.
Have a happy Thursday!
good morning c.c. and all,
both a timely theme, and a puzzle in a puzzle, perfect for april fool's. took a few beats to figure out the direction of the theme answers, but once i did it all fell into place. the motto is a great one, too.
so many great deniro movies it's hard to choose one, but i'm partial to a bronx tale.
april fool's was my late nana's birthday, and she loved a good prank.
lucina, funny classroom trick. i have a girlfriend who told her 4th grade class on april fool's day, which was the last day of school before spring break, that they had homework over the holiday. 'i want you to write everything you know, on two pieces of paper. and draw a picture.' one little girl asked, 'can we use more than two pieces of paper?'
happy, happy anniversary wh, looking forward to the story.
Hello all.
Loved this puzzle - especially reading the bottom line right to left. Must be missing the APF connection.
eddy
OK, before Dennis' popcorn gets stale, and by popular demand :-), here goes.
The Irish and I have been a couple since she was 24 and I was 45, in 1991. I was a recently divorced and poverty stricken college student at the school from which she had recently graduated. (watching out for the grammar police, but doesn't that last sentence seem awkward?). We met, I was immediately captivated and she gradually got used to the idea. Fast forward five years, I got a degree and we pooled our resources and bought a farm because it was the only thing I knew how/wanted to do. My children were grown, she had none, so there was really no reason to get married. There was mutual trust in financial matters and not enough money left over to split in any case. That phase lasted 10 years, and is the "first the Earth cooled, the dinosaurs died, and then I was born" version of our history. Then in 2006, for a variety of romantic and practical reasons we decided to "tie the knot" in the eyes of the state of Kentucky, which insisted that we consult with God or his earthly representative. That is where our story begins.
For people whose religious views tend toward the skeptical, we have an inordinate number of friends who are professionally attached to one deity or another, that is, preachers. I called one of our best friends, Homer, a minister of the Gospel, and invited he and his lovely wife to have dinner with us in Lexington. When he accepted right away, I said, "Wait, there's a catch". He sighed and said, "Isnt there always?". So I explained to him that our "wedding " was going to involve the four of us and two other friends meeting at a Lexington hotel and splitting 3 or 4 bottles of champagne, after which he and the witnesses would sign the marriage license and we would all go out to eat the wedding feast. A long pause, and then he said, "Well, all the state cares about is that I sign the license, and all I care is that you're both happy, so let's do it". And we did. And each year since then we have had a reenactment (minus the signing) with the same people present. We always have to do it on Friday night, because he has to work on Sunday morning.
This post is pretty long, so I'll be laying low the rest of the day, but thanks to all for your good wishes, and especially (can't believe I'm saying this) Anonymous.
PS:
tFrank:
You can see from the above that there were no vows to be believed (or not) on All Fools Day, but ours were made long before that, and have remained intact.
April 1 has always been a red letter day for me, and never more so than that day in 2006. Have a grand day, all of you. Thanks again.
Windhover,
Great story. I've always admired you on many levels, most of all for your honesty--both with yourself and with us. I'm sure the Irish saw that same quality in you back when. I hope you continue to enjoy these celebrations for many years to come. Have a great anniversary!
Lemonade,
I loved the who reads what post and have passed it on to a few friends.
Happy April fools (poisson d'avril) Day everyone!
I was about half asleep when I started this puzzle. I didn't notice the grid and I didn't get the theme yet. The whole puzzle felt unusual to me but I couldn't put my finger on why. The fill seemed different from usual but I was enjoying it. I finally got the idea of the theme and everything fell into place. Very nice solving experience.
Windhover, I enjoyed your story. Thanks.
~ Bill G.
Hi.
From the What were they thinkig file: Somali pirates attack USN frigate.
eddyB
Hi Gang -
Doing lots of last minute stuff today, and Samantha makes her first Communion this evening, so I'll be (gasp) in church.
Haven't looked at the puzzle. Saving it for tomorrow, so I haven't read comments either.
Not sure what kind of connectivity I'll have. See you all again sometime just before the Ides.
Will just mention in passing that Emmanuelle Boisvert is the principle violinist of the Detroit Symphony Orch. Could possibly be related to today's constructor.
w/u and away.
Cheers!
JzB the real gone trombonist
WH -
Thanks for the love story; very poignant. Whatever vows you took have stood the test of time, and that's what counts. Happy Anniversary to both of you.
WH:
Thank you for sharing your lovely story and I agree with tfrank, your actions have stood the test of time and I hope shall continue to do so.
When I first looked at the puzzle I wasn’t going to even attempt it, then I read the blog and ended up following Clearayes approach and it wasn’t too bad. I still don’t understand the theme though.
Lemonade, my goofy, gutsy counselor SKYDIVING???
Windhover, thanks for your wedding story. It was touching. I am so happy that you and the Irish are so happy.
I was out at lunch today and it is down right warm and muggy out. Too bad I am stuck in here but tomorrow I am taking a well deserved day off!
CC - Pnin: P is aspirated.
WH, it's a beautiful sentence in a beautiful story! Yours always are and interesting besides! Have you considered writing for a living (in your 'spare'time)? May you have many more years together! Irish, you recognized a keeper.
I, too, almost abandoned the puzzle, and started out more or less in the middle. I was truly amazed that when finished, the mantra actually made sense! A pretty unflattering sentiment but perhaps one of those tongue in cheek things like "you're invading my space." , etc.
Good Afternoon CC and All,
I did a WTF at 5:30 this morning on my first look at this one. After surviving the kids attempt at an April Fools joke, Saran wrap under the toilet seat, (even blind at 4:30 they didn't get me)I didn't think LAT would pull a prank. Things got busy so I didn't get back to it until lunch and after my bike ride. What a difference but I still needed red letter help. I didn't know any of the names but will forever remember Salma Hayek now, real or fake! Very unique puzzle. Wouldn't expect anything else from a Maine college grad! Nice work Alex.
A very happy anniversary to WH and Irish. Great wedding story as well. My eloping (sort of) has similar characteristics. Biggest was my oldest was attending in a foolish hat. By the way, that cow doesn't look too excited about what you have in your left hand. What are you doing?
Lemonade, Great perspectives are the newspapers. LOL. Looking forward to the report on skydiving. Reminded me of a bumper sticker. There's no such thing as gravity, the earth just sucks! Optimistic outlook that author has.
I got the boys back. Turned off the hot water, took my shower. We have two showers so I'm guessing about the time they get soaped up they'll run out of hot water. Mess with the bull, you get the horn. Right WH?
Have a great day!
They're real. I know because they look just like mine used to.
April Fool!
Doreen
Hi C.C. and all -
I didn't have a clue (well, yes, I had many of them) as to what this puzzle was all about. Never got it at all. After reading C.C.'s comments, it became clear to me. I didn't even bother with my V-8 can - sigh.
Happy Anniversary WH and the Irish! Hope you do all you want today. You have lots of room for it.
WH, thanks for a wonderful story, I will add my admiration for your ability to make things clear and for not being afraid to speak out. Keep it up (;).
Lemonade: LMAO at you newspaper comment! Very clever. Do let us know about the sky-diving (YIKES)
Dick: safe and fun travels!
You didn't really think I would let the chance for a bit of YEATS poetry go by, did you? Yeats was from Ireland and he did have a way with words, particularly words of love. Ireland...Irish....anniversary love poem
He Tells Of The Perfect Beauty
O CLOUD-PALE eyelids, dream-dimmed eyes,
The poets labouring all their days
To build a perfect beauty in rhyme
Are overthrown by a woman's gaze
And by the unlabouring brood of the skies:
And therefore my heart will bow, when dew
Is dropping sleep, until God burn time,
Before the unlabouring stars and you.
Hello Puzzlers - I vote for liking the puzzle, even though it took two work sessions - and some red letters - to fill in. I never could spell Ferrari!
I think Salma could make Marisa Miller feel like a runner-up...
Whindhover: Enjoyed your story!
Lemonade,
Another Bob from our blog emailed me the same fun comments on different newspapers, except #12 is our local Star Tribune. I liked what you added to #5 LA Times. Cool!
Jazzbumpa,
Travel safely tomorrow!
Windhover,
Lovely story. Thanks for sharing.
Dudley et al,
What do you think of Gong Li?
Gong Li really is beautiful, isn't she?If we're still on the are they/aren't they path, I think I'd say real, as are Salma's, IMHO. As for MM, I doubt if she has real ones that show! She's too skinny.Your hormones get all out of whack when you're that thin.
DoDo:
Yes, I have considered it. But when I brought up
the subject to a very good friend of mine who is a real writer (and who is mentioned in my profile), his response was, "Larry, just keep farming well." I intend to do that.
Speaking of writers (and writing) for our anniversary the Irish and I are driving 25 miles in to Richmond, Ky, the home of Eastern Kentucky University and Jeannie's Mom, to hear the other writer mentioned in my profile, Derrick Jensen, speak. My favorite DJ quote: "All writing is propaganda, including what you are reading now".
Maniac:
the thing in my hand is a breeding rod, used to artificially inseminate cows. The calf that resulting from that session now weighs 500 pounds. I was asking her if it was good for her, too.
Doreen:
You rock!
Cc, I think Gong Li has big boobs. Real or otherwise is not my concern.
Hi C.C. & gang, Happy Anniversary to Windhover and Irish, marrying on April fools day is a bold statement...
Today's puzzle was a stumper for me, I think my wife and I only finished ~25% of it before she left for work.
This is the first puzzle I've seen with a word link and I didn't recognize what it meant until I came here. I'll file it away for future reference.
;-)
WH Congratulations on your anniversary. Your special post was both eloquent and elegant.
L714 ROTFLMAO. I shared the Press post with my son, the journalist. He apparently agreed with it because he said "You know what? Most of this is really funny because it is TOTALLY true, particularly regarding the Boston Globe." (He formerly lived and worked in the Boston area.)
Hope your "Fallschirmlandung" went well and that you ALIT ok.
Your answers to the clues do not match the grid at all!
New avatar alert:
This picture is titled:
"Two of my favorite things"
Irish ass and German lager
Lecture about to begin.
Quiet!
Funny new avatar, WH, but what are you doing on the computer at this hour on your anniversary???
Lemonade: I hope the skydiving went well. Gravity may work, but it's the sudden stop that really counts.
Today almost feels like a Friday, since tomorrow is a state holiday. Unfortunately, it was one of those crazy work days, where new problems kept rolling in. Maybe I can sleep late tomorrow morning.
Thanks, Tfrank. I hope your seder goes well this evening.
WH, somehow I can't imagine Julie Andrews singing about those particular favorite things.
Anon@5:40, Follow the outside of the grid all the way around clockwise. Read the bottom line letters from right to left. Then read the left side letters from bottom to top. We are used to reading from left to right and top to down, but we don't get asked to read from right to left, or bottom to top very often...except for today.
WH, You da Man!!
I thought that was what your are up to. One of my BILs is a dairy farmer and I've witnessed the routine. The State and government is smothering the industry. Love the new avatar!!
Spitzboov, Nice to hear the confirmation of Lemonade's post from your son. I'm forever a cynic of everything I read.
Gong Li, Salma..... What a great Day!
Good Night All.
it's.... 'Gong Li' for me!
You can keep the lager, give me the Irish.......
WH, I mistakenly said that my Mom went to UK, she did in deed go to the same University you are at tonight. You have an unbelievable memory to remember that she grew up in Richmond.
Quiet tonight on the blog, and I am taking a well deserved day off tomorrow.
Mainiac, here was a prank pulled on me today. As you know I am the buyer for BK and buy most of their products. One of the things you never want to hear about is a product "recall" or "hold", as you have to follow through the "recall" process. BK is in the process of a promotion on Steakhouse burgers and my Q/A guy sent me an e-mail stating that ours were put on hold and we had to call every store. I may fogive him by June. BTW it was about 4:15pm. I leave at 4:30pm. Some not so nice ladylike words came out of my mouth. My "proper" Mom would not have been pleased.
Jeannie, Let him have it! Even in my twisted book, work issues go over the line often.
The youngest and I just had a set to. He doesn't feel well due to the new Hinges in his mouth. They are really huge in comparison to his brother's, which is totally a mouth size issue. Anyhoo..... he's pissed and wants his mother who is finishing up a project at work because she took the day shift to get him to the Ortho.
I'm glad All Fools Day is over.
Windhover and the Irish: I hope you had a wonderful anniversary. Congratulations, and best wishes for many, many more!
Hey Mainiac, do you live anywhere near Cumberland? Barbara and I belong to a FirstClass bulletin board. It was originally a for-profit business though now it's just for fun. The administrator lived in Cumberland. She invited us, sight unseen back in the 90s, to visit her. She put us up for a wonderful week full of good friends, whoopie pies, Moxie, and, best of all, lobster. She left her house unlocked and her car keys in the ignition. I really enjoyed her hospitality, visiting the Portland head light and all the Mainers we met.
For those of you who haven't thought about it, it's the only one-syllable state and the only state with just one other state bordering it.
C.C. - I didn't know about Gong Li! Thanks for educating me, she's lovely, and probably on the same shelf as Salma.
Mainiac, as they say, pay back is a biach. You never said how the cold water shower prank panned out.
Lemonade, did you come through your skydiving experience? I am hoping so as I would of thought that you would have shared it with us. You are making me a little bit nervous.
Dennis, it's always good to have a goal (Archimedes) for those of you that don't play along.
C.C. what are your plans for Easter? I am making the marinated pork loin, roasted rosemary and herbed potatoes and the screaming heads all of which have been posted here one time or another. Another friend is bringing a salad and another a dessert.
Tomorrow I hope to sleep in, grocery shop, prep, and clean my house. I know it doesn't sound all that relaxing, but it's all in my own good time.
Jeannie, you menu sounds fabulous. Enjoy your day off, it seems you deserve it.
L714:
Did you land?
The most annoying crossword puzzle I've ever done. Not at all fun.
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