google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Sunday Nov 13, 2011 Jeff Chen

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Nov 13, 2011

Sunday Nov 13, 2011 Jeff Chen

Theme: "Kewpies" - Each two-word theme answers start with Q(U) & P.

22A. Fast food item since 1971 : QUARTER POUNDER. Earlier than I thought.

35A. Market report detail : QUOTED PRICE

63A. "'Sup, señor?" : QUE PASA

92A. "Shh" : QUIET PLEASE

108A. Hawking field : QUANTUM PHYSICS. Stephen Hawking.

14D. Fruity dessert : QUINCE PIE. I've never had it. Looks tasty.

20D. Leg cramps treatment : QUININE PILLS. Are they preventive or you take them when you're having leg cramps? Boomer sometimes suffers Charlie horse after a round of golf.

51D. Template at a bee : QUILT PATTERN

74D. Look that doesn't last : QUICK PEEK. Quick! Don't you think Bar Refaeli is pretty?

Occasionally I spot cute Kewpie dolls during my flea market hunts. The plastic ones. I've never seen an original bisque.

Solid grid today. QU are tough to place. Quite challenging to locate Q-starting intersecting entries that are familiar words/abbreviations.

Across:

1. "Monty Python's Life of __" : BRIAN. We also have ENO (116A. Co-producer of the U2 album "Achtung Baby".

6. It usually occurs twice a day at the shore : EBB

9. Locks in a stable : MANE. Hair locks.

13. Condo meas. : SQ FT

17. Hershey's competitor : BOSCO. Chocolate syrup brand. New to me.

18. Corrida competitor : TOREADOR

20. Reason for some holdups : QUEUES

24. GPS data connection : UPLINK

25. Babe's home : STY. Babe the pig.

26. Improves in the cask : AGES. Wine.

27. Hit on the head : NAIL

28. Like baked dough : RISEN

29. Dossier letters : AKA

30. Homes for the Skipper and Gilligan : HUTS

31. Stimpy's friend : REN. Ren & Stimpy.

32. Duped? : CC-ED. Dupe copy.

40. Name for a poodle : FIFI

41. Polo of "Meet the Fockers" : TERI

42. "Burnt" color : UMBER

43. Rotating machine : LATHE

44. Lady's employer? : AVON. Oh, Avon Lady.

45. The "Star Wars" films, e.g. : EPIC

46. Duel tools : EPEES

47. Burden : ONUS

48. Electrician's supply : WIRE

49. Dutch engineering feat : DIKE

50. Hitchcock title : SIR. Sir Hitchcock. Not movie title.

51. Small cleaning tool : Q-TIP. And 55A. 51-Across target : EAR.

52. Blowing in the wind, as hair : UNKEMPT

56. Cressida's love : TROILUS. No idea. Son of Priam.

59. Scornful expression : SNEER

60. "Embraceable You" lyricist Gershwin : IRA

62. Martial arts master : SENSEI. "Teacher". Same characters as Chinese "Mister"/"Teacher".

65. Seldom : LITTLE

69. Bien's opposite : MAL

70. Up to : UNTIL

71. Loser : ALSO-RAN

72. Letters for Johnnie Cochran : ESQ. Lemonade, did you want to be a lawyer when you were a kid?

75. Enter on tippytoe : STEAL IN

77. NCAA Bulldog rivals : VOLS. Tennessee Volunteers. I drew a blank.

79. Money alternative? : INC. Both are magazines.

80. RSVP part : VOUS

82. Unit for a duel : PACE

83. 1958 winner of nine Oscars : GIGI

84. Religion that uses the pentagram : WICCA. This pendant is pretty.

86. "And When __": Blood, Sweat & Tears hit : I DIE

87. Sets a price : ASKS

88. Holiday cookie bakers : ELVES

89. Brown et al. : IVIES

90. "Livin' La Vida __": Ricky Martin hit : LOCA. Ear worm.

91. Binds : TIES

94. Many a Punjabi : SIKH

95. Media mogul Turner : TED

96. Signaled to enter, say : CUED

97. Clio award honorees : ADS

98. Gondolier, e.g. : POLER. 106. Wolf, at times : LEERER. Sometimes you just need "Meh" entries.

100. Crossword pattern : GRID. 21*21 for Sundays.

101. Box office take : GATE

103. 19th Greek letter : TAU

111. Traps at a lodge, maybe : ICES IN

112. Shouldered weapons : BAZOOKAS. Great answer.

113. Like many Poe works : EERIE

114. Jab : POKE

115. "Divine Comedy" river : STYX

117. Condo documents : DEEDS

Down:

1. Jul. 4 events : BBQS

2. Beat the pants off : ROUT

3. Holmes preceder? : I SAY. Sherlock Holmes? I don't get this clue.

4. Unlike this ans. : ACR (Across). This answer is Down.

5. "Isn't anyone interested?" : NO TAKERS?

6. Tours infinitive : ETRE. Tours, France.

7. Conks : BOPS

8. Pal : BRO

9. Mammal linked to mermaid folklore : MANATEE

10. Half of Ethiopia's capital : ADDIS. Addis Ababa.

11. Seasonal song : NOEL. Very soon Santa will be busy.

12. Botch the job : ERR

13. Picked : SELECTED

15. Bog : FEN

16. Cluck of disapproval : TSK

19. Harem guards, usually : EUNUCHS

21. Shipping choice : UPS. My favorite UPS guy. He should be your home improvement choice too. You've seen the consistently quality posts he produces here every Saturday.

23. "Omigosh!" : EGAD

28. Turn over a new leaf : REFORM

29. Fit to __ : A TEE

30. Put the bite on : HIT UP

31. Mediterranean resort : RIVIERA. Been there, Marti?

33. Soap Emmy winner Slezak : ERIKA. She looks familiar.

34. Chopping gadget : DICER

35. Knightly missions : QUESTS

36. Masked man, maybe : UMPIRE

37. Fairy king : OBERON. King in "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

38. Plans with malice : PLOTS

39. Sari-wearing royal : RANI

40. Guy from England : FAWKES. Guy Fawkes.

52. Let down, as hair : UNPIN

53. Harlem Globetrotter great Curly : NEAL. Nope. Total stranger to me.

54. Speaker of baseball : TRIS. Tris Speaker. HOF-er.

57. End of a belief : ISM

58. Farm lands : LEAS

59. Alien-seeking org. : SETI

61. From __ Z : A TO

63. Made like a mallard : QUACKED

64. Hedger's word : UNLESS

66. '60s-'70s White House daughter : TRICIA. Nixon's daughter.

67. Knight sticks : LANCES

68. Completely cover, as a museum piece : ENCASE

71. Cream of the crop : A-LIST

72. Pandora's release : EVILS

73. "Me too!" : SO DO I

76. Less like a stumper : EASIER

77. Strikingly bright : VIVID

78. Graceful molding : OGEE

81. Fish with a prehensile tail : SEAHORSE. True. Cantonese make soup with dried seahorse. Good for skin.

83. Transfixed by : GLUED TO

84. Agog : WILD-EYED

85. "Variations on 'America'" composer : IVES (Charles).

88. March time : EQUINOX. Another nice answer.

93. Route : PATH

96. Bonkers : CRAZY

99. Luau wear : LEI

100. Neighbor of Mex. : GUAT. Guatemala.

101. FBI agent : G-MAN

102. Lhasa __ : APSO

103. Flag : TIRE. Verb "flag". "His interest/energy is flagging"

104. It turns litmus red : ACID

105. Dupes : USES

106. Guff : LIP

107. "Foucault's Pendulum" author : ECO (Umberto)

108. They may pass from shotguns: Abbr. : QBS

109. Luau instrument : UKE

110. "Got it?" : SEE

Answer grid.

C.C.
at

46 comments:

  1. Barry G.November 13, 2011 at 6:18 AM

    Morning, all!

    Man, what a change from yesterday! It took awhile to get through all of this due to the size, but once I got the theme early on I was able to knock down almost all the theme answers in very short order. The only one that gave me pause was QUININE PILLS. I've heard of QUININE (the "tonic" in a Gin & Tonic and a treatment for malaria), but I never knew it came in pill form or that it was a treatment for leg cramps. In fact, I recall that the Gin & Tonic came into being because the Gin was needed to cover up the bitter taste of the QUININE. I guess if QUININE pills were available back then, we'd never have had the Gin & Tonic in the first place...

    ReplyDelete
  2. fermatprimeNovember 13, 2011 at 6:39 AM

    Greetings, fellow cruciverbalists!

    What a wonderful puzzle and super exposition, Jeff and CC!

    Filling in the Qus was fun. Favorite answers: CCED and I SAY. (Try to catch an old Rathbone and Nigel Bruce
    Holmes mystery, CC.) Dr. Watson frequently said "I say, Holmes." Rathbone is the Holmes that has been most faithful to the Conan Doyle description, I have heard.

    I had some fresh pineapple last afternoon. I woke up after 4 hours' sleep feeling no pain whatsoever (except urge in you no what). Thought I had gone to heaven.

    Have a refreshing Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
  3. ArgyleNovember 13, 2011 at 6:49 AM

    Great Sunday morn, y'all.

    A somewhat strange feel to today's puzzle. Decent fill if not sparkling but with so much themage, that's to be expected. No, it's the clues that seem to be a little off, IMO.

    86-Across: the BS&T song took me awhile because I think of the name as "One Child Born to Carry On". C.C. might find this interesting, the clip came from a flea market cassette. And When I Die which reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Wikipedia.

    ReplyDelete
  4. desper-ottoNovember 13, 2011 at 6:56 AM

    Easy pickin's today. Got the theme at QUARTERPOUNDER and things rapidly fell into place.

    CC, "Troilus and Cressida" is a Shakespeare play, though not among the better known ones.

    Best clues: Sup, Senor? and March Time.

    ReplyDelete
  5. HahtoolahNovember 13, 2011 at 7:07 AM

    Good Morning, C.C. What a fun Sunday puzzle. I loved seeing all the "Q's" My favorite Q clue was Reason for Some Hold-Ups = QUEUES.

    Other favorites included Locks in a Stable = MANE.
    and, Masked Man = UMPIRE.

    I was also amused by the crossing of Blowing in the Wind, as Hair = UNKEMPT with Let Down, as Hair = UNPIN.

    Guy FAWLES day was last Saturday, on November 5. Nice Cuppa can fill us in on the details.

    QOD: Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing. ~ Harriet Braiker

    ReplyDelete
  6. Grumpy 1November 13, 2011 at 7:27 AM

    "I say, Holmes, 'tis a Quaint Puzzle we have here" says Grumpy in his best fake British accent.

    Jeff certainly covered all the bases on this one. Everything from fast food to Quantum Physics to medicine thrown at us in one theme.

    It was an easy theme to figure out and most of the fill was not too obscure, but TROILUS was a total perp.

    Thank's, C.C., for the write up and Jeff for the fun puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
  7. ArgyleNovember 13, 2011 at 7:59 AM

    I think the Natick of Troilus and Oberon is particularly onerous because they are both in the same genre. An obscure cross of, say, a sports figure and a rap star, at least you may have one field you have a chance at.

    ReplyDelete
  8. HeartRxNovember 13, 2011 at 8:16 AM

    Good morning C.C. et al.

    Thank you shedding light on this theme, CC! If I had taken a moment to actually look at them all, it probably would have dawned on me. But I didn’t really need the theme in order to finish or appreciate this fine offering from Jeff Chen. As you said, a couple “meh” entries don’t detract from the overall solving experience.

    Yes, I have been to the Riviera several times. Although Nice is “nice”, I like to visit the lesser-known fishing villages like Sete

    TROILUS / OBERON wasn’t as difficult as spelling EUNUCH, for some reason. Fun puzzle for a Sunday. Have a great day, everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AbejoNovember 13, 2011 at 8:53 AM

    Well, it's Sunday morning in Long Beach. I went out and purchased an L A Times Sunday newspaper and this crossword was not in it. There was one constructed by a Merl Reagle.

    Any thoughts anyone?

    Abejo

    ReplyDelete
  10. DudleyNovember 13, 2011 at 8:54 AM

    Hello Puzzlers -

    Definitely easier than yesterday! A few complete unknowns, such as VOLS, never heard of 'em, along with BOSCO and TROILUS.

    What Barry Said about Gin and Tonic. I read someplace that quinine was used as a remedy for malaria as well as leg cramps, and that gin made it palatable. Actually downright tasty if you ask me! Quinine pills are no longer available in the US, apparently; no idea why. We keep tonic around for cramp relief.

    ReplyDelete
  11. fermatprimeNovember 13, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    Really, Argyle!
    Sports stars and rap stars?

    ReplyDelete
  12. fermatprimeNovember 13, 2011 at 9:35 AM

    The L. A Times always gives you the Calendar puzzle, as of late by Merl Reagle. Usually punny.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Husker GaryNovember 13, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    This puzzle was a QUitePleasant QUalityPuzzle! Thanks Jeff and C.C.

    Musings
    -I prefer Big Macs
    -Thanks for the quick peek, C.C.
    -Oh, not candy bars but drink mix
    -How do you fight ennui in queues?
    -I’ll have to look up difference between a toreador and a matador in this disgusting spectacle.
    -Meet The Parents was a fun night at the movies. The two sequels were horrible beyond belief and I only watched parts of them on cable out of curiosity.
    -Lawyers like Cochrane sleep like babies even when they get creeps like O.J. off
    -Our gondolier was on cell phone the entire time
    -I thought Katy was the Holmes precede
    -Eunuch (2:01) qualification seems to be very unpleasant but funny here
    -Early black bb players had to resort to Abe’s Globetrotters and that Curly Neal could dribble
    -Seahorse soup? Sounds yummy, C.C.

    ReplyDelete
  14. LucinaNovember 13, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    Hello, C.C. and fellow puzzlers.

    Argyle, I'm sorry but I must disagree with you on the Natick. For me a sports figure crossing a rap star would be completely obscure whereas TROILUS and OBERON are more familiar to me.

    Jeff, congratulations on this unique puzzle. On most fill it took only a QUICKPEEK to suss but the NW was a DNF. I never watched Monty Python.

    I loved seeing EQUINOX and QUANTUM PHYSICS. Wow.

    Lady's employer, AVON and money alternative, INC were especially clever.

    BAZOOKAS reminded me of bubble gum!

    Have a quite special Sunday, everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousNovember 13, 2011 at 10:11 AM

    Happy Sunday everyone! Thanks C.C. & Jeff Chen

    Fun puzzle! Favorite clue was "knight sticks"-LANCE.

    Saw the theme "Kewpies" and expected QU, so got most of the long themes. But missed on QUINCE. Don't think of it as a fruit for pie just jelly. I once had a Japanese quince bush, but no fruit at all.

    DNF because Brian & Bosco were unknowns. Read "pendulum" and wrote in Poe although we had ECO recently--nevermind, I wrote in ICESIN and POKE first then erased. And the word DIKE was absent from my mind--I "dams" it and regrets it. Didn''t know Erika or Teri so had an EPIC mess in that sector.

    Isn't there a college in Tennesee with VOLunteerS as their team name?

    I caught onto Hawkings, but thought of Astronomy of some kind before Quantum settled in my mind.

    Don't you think the eradication of malaria in the USA is why Quinine pills may not be available? My niece got malaria doing mission work in Africa and has to take some kind of medication all the time, but she's in India now.

    I have leg cramps if I'm not getting enough calcium. I just drink more milk then.

    Did y'all see that Joon got eliminated in the semi-finals? Had a couple of powerhouses in competition.

    -PK

    ReplyDelete
  16. Husker GaryNovember 13, 2011 at 10:22 AM

    My Huskers won a football game yesterday against Penn State University and that fact was the most irrelevant occurrence of the whole day in State College, PA.

    Musings
    -The focus seemed to be on the victims of these horrendous crimes and the incredible and unconscionable behavior of a cadre of men who kept this horrible secret
    -As time goes on, the true scope of this tragedy is growing as people who knew or should have known what was going on failed to do ANYTHING to stop this monster Jerry Sandusky.
    -Seeing people praying on Joe Paterno’s yard before the game repulsed me.
    -Pre Game Handshake and Prayer led at midfield by Husker Coach Ron Brown was a classy and wonderful beginning.
    -Husker coach, and father of a 12 year old son, Bo Pelini said three times in his post-game press conference that he felt this game should not have been played.

    ReplyDelete
  17. GeoDoschNovember 13, 2011 at 11:00 AM

    I have to quibble with 24A GPS Data Connection. There is a downlink component (satellite to receiver), but no uplink

    ReplyDelete
  18. HeartRxNovember 13, 2011 at 11:30 AM

    C.C., I forgot to mention that quinine should not be taken for leg cramps, as it is a potentially dangerous remedy. While leg cramps are not fatal, they usually are a sign of poor electrolyte balance.

    If they often occur after exercise (like a round of golf), they might be a signal that you are not sufficiently hydrated. A sports drink during the round might be much more helpful (and safer) than quinine.

    Or, maybe Boomer could try tossing back a few gin and tonics? It might not do much for his golf score, but if he still gets leg cramps after a few of those, he probably wouldn't even care...

    ReplyDelete
  19. AbejoNovember 13, 2011 at 11:44 AM

    Well, I printed the Sunday crossword from the hotel computer room. All I well, except I wasted $2.00. I am sitting on the plane waiting to take off.

    Abejo

    ReplyDelete
  20. SteveNovember 13, 2011 at 1:49 PM

    Mosquitoes became immune to quinine (they become immune very quickly to various drugs) so quinine's medicinal value was short-lived, the excellent G&T not so short-lived.

    Two quibbles, agree with @geodosch about UPLINK, and RIVIERA is not a resort, it describes the region of the Mediterranean coast between Marseille to the west and Genoa to the East. There are many resorts on the Riviera, such as Monte Carlo, San Tropez, Nice, Cannes and San Remo.

    @Hahtool - Guy Fawkes' Day celebrates the thwarting of a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament with King Charles inside back in the early 1600's. Fawkes and his co-conspirators were executed. Fawkes was actually arrested in the cellar of the building just as he was about to put a flame to the fuse of a pile of gunpowder kegs.

    ReplyDelete
  21. ArgyleNovember 13, 2011 at 1:50 PM

    Lucina, I'm not sure what your disagreement with me is. If Shakespeare is in your wheelhouse, then it isn't a Natick to you just like people in the Boston area wouldn't have a Natick with Natick.

    Rex Parker quote: NATICK PRINCIPLE — "If you include a proper noun in your grid that you cannot reasonably expect more than 1/4 of the solving public to have heard of, you must cross that noun with reasonably common words and phrases or very common names."

    ReplyDelete
  22. Bob L.November 13, 2011 at 1:55 PM

    Bosco was big in NY when I was a kid, so that was easy for me. We went to lunch afterwards, so I decided to see if my wife and 16 yr. old son knew the answer. My wife didn't. But my son did!

    "How ever did you know Bosco since we've never bought it?" I asked.

    "Easy" he said. "That was George Costanza's ATM password.

    Gee, and who ever said TV wasn't educational?!

    ReplyDelete
  23. AnnetteNovember 13, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    Nice, theme-rich puzzle, Jeff!

    I saw an article recently that stated seahorses were becoming endangered, which saddened me.

    I've heard all the warnings against quinine, but when I'm experiencing the intense pain of a cramp in my leg or foot, I don't care about anything but getting relief! And sipping a few ounces of it usually brings it fairly quickly. They also have non-quinine OTC pills with names like Leg Cramp Relief, that have helped relieve the pain too. I've found distraction from getting up and doing the puzzle in the middle of the night has taken my mind off the pain, as well.

    I don't see how a gin and tonic can be any safer for you than straight tonic though... dilution?

    Although I've acquired a taste for tonic water, I still prefer my gin "dirty", with lots of olive juice!

    ReplyDelete
  24. SteveNovember 13, 2011 at 2:14 PM

    Just to weigh in on the Natick conversation, when I run into one and have to WAG the letter, I think of it as a "personal" Natick. My ignorance is not necessarily indicative of the general population.

    I wonder if "Natick" itself is now so well-known that it can't qualify as part of one? I'm sure if we ran into a clue "Boston suburb" we'd all be filling it in without a second thought :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. ArgyleNovember 13, 2011 at 2:38 PM

    Then we have the two Bosco jingle versions, the real one as aired:
    I love Bosco
    It's rich and chocolatey
    Chocolate-flavored Bosco is mighty good for me
    Momma puts it in my drink for extra energy
    Bosco gives me iron, and sunshine vitamin D
    Oh, I love Bosco, that's the drink for me!"

    And the one that everybody sang at summer camp:
    I love Bosco
    It's full of TNT
    Mommy puts it in my milk to try and poison me
    But I fool Mommy, I put it in her tea
    And now there's no more Mommy to try and poison me ...

    A quote from Brent on this Site.

    ReplyDelete
  26. LaLaLindaNovember 13, 2011 at 3:04 PM

    Hi Everyone ~~

    A fun and clever Sunday puzzle. I actually needed two theme answers before I picked up on the theme! Duh. QUARTERPOUNDER and QUILTPATTERN were first.

    On 63A 'Sup, Senor?' I first thought we were asking the man if he wanted to eat. And on 24A I couldn't figure out what was meant by U PLINK. I guess I'm kinda foggy today. I did finish it, though.

    ~~ I drank lots of BOSCO as a kid ... but I, too, though of George's password on Seinfeld first.

    ~~ Husker Gary ~ Thanks for the EUNUCHS link from Monty Python ... funny stuff!

    ~ ~ Argyle ~ Thanks for the musical link ... I'm working on Merl's puzzle listening to BS&T.

    ~~ Nice shout-outs to Splynter ... Yesterday -- CARPENTER and today -- UPS!

    ReplyDelete
  27. LucinaNovember 13, 2011 at 3:10 PM

    Argyle, I may have overreacted because both sports clues and rap star clues frustrate me and your remark simply pushed that button. I'm sorry.

    OTOH, I am open to learning and do so when those clues / answers appear.

    ReplyDelete
  28. ArgyleNovember 13, 2011 at 3:16 PM

    I like Steve's comment. Can Natick be a Natick anymore?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Bill G.November 13, 2011 at 3:30 PM

    Fun puzzle and write up. I discovered the plethora of Qs early on but didn't notice the QuP even with the Kewpie title. I felt a "little dense. I especially liked Sup, Señor?" I would have liked it even better with a ¿ in front.

    C.C., yes, I thought Bar Refaeli is pretty but you probably already knew that. Why did you dig up her photo except to brighten my day? Are you familiar with the Globetrotters? Curly Neal was the original showy dribbler. Other folks have carried it on since.

    Abejo, yes, it always seemed odd to me to have the Merl Reagle puzzle in the paper instead of the one here. I always thought maybe it was superior until I joined this blog and discovered the high quality of the puzzle discussed here.

    The word Eunuch always gives me an unpleasant contraction.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Avg JoeNovember 13, 2011 at 4:42 PM

    I noticed this past week in the paper that Saturday was Neil Young's 66th birthday. While it may be true that he's well beyond the age of innocence, you still can't be 20 on Sugar Mountain.

    ReplyDelete
  31. eddyBNovember 13, 2011 at 5:23 PM

    Hello. Wasn't able to finish either Sat's or Sun's puzzle.
    Was able to get out side for a few hrs this afternoon to enjoy the sun.
    Great as long as I stayed in the lee

    Hey, Navy won on Sat

    eddy

    ReplyDelete
  32. YellowrocksNovember 13, 2011 at 5:26 PM

    This puzzle was sparkling to me with clever cluing. The theme was evident almost immediately, making the puzzle easy, but still it was cute and enjoyable.

    My Grandmother gave us Bosco's one time, but we preferred Hershey's.

    I agree with Steve that a Natick is in the eye of the beholder. If the crosses are in our wheelhouse we believe that this is not a Natick. If they are not in our wheelhouse, we say it is a Natick. But, many other solvers have a different perception. Can we prove that most solvers think like we do?

    I have long felt this way about declaring a clue obscure. If we have never met it, we declare the clue obscure, not matter how common place it is to others. We often cry "Foul!" on clues that appear continuously on LAT puzzles.

    I like to look on things I have not met or remembered as learning experiences, and not obscurities. Hopefully, next time I will remember.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Bill G.November 13, 2011 at 5:35 PM

    Yellowrocks, I appreciated and agreed with your comment. Well said!

    Jason, our daughter's former husband and grandson Jordan's father, called this morning and asked if he could stop by to discuss something important. We had no idea what was up. He is applying for a new job as an LA County Sheriff. He had to write an autobiography and he said that writing it made him realize all over again how much he appreciated our relationship with him. His father has never been in his life and his mother is an oddball and isn't around very much either. He remembered how supportive we always were to him. He reminded me that I had taught him to shoot pool and drive a stick shift. So, it turns out, he just wanted to tell us how much he appreciates us.

    Wow! That was totally unexpected and much appreciated. He seems truly repentant for leaving Bonnie. He has always been a charming fellow; very friendly and easy to get along with. Our complaint when he was with Bonnie was that he was somewhat immature and irresponsible. But he's grown up and seems to have gotten things together. He is a good father to Jordan. Thankfully, he and Bonnie get along well. It made me feel good for him to tell us how much he has appreciated our relationship.

    ~ Bill

    ReplyDelete
  34. AnonymousNovember 13, 2011 at 6:13 PM

    Post size.

    ReplyDelete
  35. windhoverNovember 13, 2011 at 7:00 PM

    Thanks Joe. The Irish liked that one a lot. Can you find the video to Harvest Moon?
    That Neil is really getting old. He's got 25 days on me.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Avg JoeNovember 13, 2011 at 7:03 PM

    QED, Windhover.

    Here ya go

    ReplyDelete
  37. YellowrocksNovember 13, 2011 at 7:07 PM

    Bill,
    How wonderful that your ex son in law appreciates you. I have had a wonderful relationship with my ex mother in law. She has always been there for me and very supportive. Ex's don't have to be enemies. I see how very helpful you have been to him. The grandchildren benefit greatly from this kind of relationship.

    To the ANON line police, Bill hardly ever exceeds the 20+ line limit. Patience and forbearance are a virtue. A real contribution, other than policing, would be more helpful.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Avg JoeNovember 13, 2011 at 7:15 PM

    Windy, since I noticed that Emmylou was featured in that Neil Young video (and if you recall, I kinda like her), I thought of a bonus track. Here's a Neil tune fronted by Emmylou with Neil sitting in doing backup. Rodney Crowell is also involved, but I don't recall if he's got a featured role in this tune.

    Wrecking Ball

    ReplyDelete
  39. AnonymousNovember 13, 2011 at 7:46 PM

    Windy and Joe are so cute together.

    ReplyDelete
  40. dodo1925November 13, 2011 at 8:19 PM

    Hello everybody,

    Argyle, quinine pills are a wonderful preventive for leg cramps but they are no longer available. The powers that be have decided that the amount of quinine prescribed for leg cramps was danferoous so they took them off the market. I took them for about 25 years and I'm still alive and kicking! I don't know what they're using for malaria now!

    ReplyDelete
  41. AnonymousNovember 13, 2011 at 8:26 PM

    Bill G.-thank you for sharing your ex-SIL's appreciative comments. One always hopes they are making a positive impact on those around them. He must have a good heart to be man enough to approach you in that way. Savor it!

    -PK

    ReplyDelete
  42. AnonymousNovember 13, 2011 at 9:23 PM

    Someone posted on here a while ago that tonic water (which contains quinine in small amounts) was good to drink for leg cramps...once or twice a week. What say you, Heartrx?

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  43. AbejoNovember 13, 2011 at 10:10 PM

    Good evening, folks. Thank you, Jeff, for a really good puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for the write-up.

    Well, it was tough, but I finally got a copy of the puzzle and did it on the airplane flying back to Chicago. Great puzzle.

    The theme appear right away and I was able to get them all. QUANTUM PHYSICS was a little tough, but it fell, finally.

    I remember BOSCO.

    Liked QUE PASADENA. One of the few Spanish phases I know. (What's happening)

    Took me a while to get TIRE from flag. Eventually, it rang a bell.

    I think I expressed my frustrations earlier, in trying to find this Sunday puzzle. I still do not know why this Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle was not in the Los Angeles Times newspaper. Any thoughts out there?

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

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  44. JDNovember 13, 2011 at 11:00 PM

    Dodo, both times we went to South Africa we had to take Malarone tablets for malaria. When we returned I could not donate blood for a year.

    Yellowrocks, excellent explanation of Natick.

    Bill, a great story. It says a lot about you.

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  45. Bill G.November 13, 2011 at 11:30 PM

    Abejo, as I said at 3:30 and Fermatprime said earlier, it is standard practice for the Merl Reagle puzzle to be in the Sunday paper and not this puzzle. I don't know why but it's been that way for years. You'd think there would be interest and room to have both puzzles in the Sunday paper. Maybe Rich Norris could drop by and explain why.

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  46. TuttleNovember 14, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    As a Tennessee alum I feel I must point out that Bulldogs are to Volunteers as Dawgs are to Vols.

    On a plane once I told the old lady sitting next to me I was on my way to a Unix conference. She said she didn't know there were eunuchs any more.

    ReplyDelete

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