google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday March 11, 2013 Jeff Chen

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Mar 11, 2013

Monday March 11, 2013 Jeff Chen

 Theme: IOU's - The first word in each theme entry spells out I, O, U's phonetically.

17A. Cyclone center : EYE (I) OF A HURRICANE.

26A. Roy Orbison hit featured in a Gere/Roberts film : OH (O) PRETTY WOMAN. I used to think the song title was just "Pretty Woman".

43A. Exerciser's motto : USE (U's) IT OR LOSE IT

56A. Debtors' documents suggested by the sequence of the first words of 17-, 26- and 43-Across : PROMISSORY NOTES. Plural form as a 15-letter spanner eases up the gridding considerably.

C.C. here, giving Argyle another break. No new puzzle at Cruciverb. Their monthly glitch. I cried wolf last Monday. 

Excellent puzzle from Jeff Chen, who's a master at coming up with smooth Monday grids with eye-popping fill.

Across:

1. Money under a mattress, e.g. : STASH. And 39. Reliable moneymakers : CASH COWS. "Money" clecho (clue echo).

6. Poses a question : ASKS. To answer your question Bill G, it doesn't happen often with LA Times, but there are certainly times when I can't figure out a theme. As for when, no rules.

10. Hired rides : CABS

14. Singer Lena : HORNE

15. Apt name for a windstorm? : GAIL. Very strong wind here last night.

16. Hollywood celeb : IDOL. I really like Bradley Cooper now, esp since Daniel Craig & D-Otto never called me. Bradley, this is crazy, but here's my number, so call me maybe?


20. Spotted : SAW

21. Pitcher's mistake : BALK

22. Feral no more : TAMED

23. Adds highlights at the salon : DYES. I've been thinking of having the hairstyle Marti and Garlic Gal sport. But it's hard to pull it off. Looks like high maintenance.

25. Sources of storage chest wood : CEDARS.  So Blue Iris has some Peter Rabbit melmac dishes in her cedar chest. What's in yours? We don't have a chest.

31. By surface area, second-largest Great Lake : HURON

32. Rent-a-car choice : AVIS

33. Apply daintily : DAB

36. Ladder rung : STEP

37. Taj __ : MAHAL

39. Gospel singer Winans : CECE

40. Needing no Rx : OTC

41. Late-night Jay : LENO. Not my cup of Java.

42. Coffees, in slang : JAVAS

47. Shipping container : CARTON

49. Inaugural pledge : OATH

50. Sarandon of "Thelma & Louise" : SUSAN. She's in "Bull Durham".

51. Channel for business types : CNBC

53. Magna __ laude : CUM

60. 50-and-over org. : AARP

61. 1,000 meters, briefly : KILO

62. Hindu guru : SWAMI

63. Loch of legend : NESS

64. "By Jove!" : I SAY

65. Extremely pale : ASHEN

Down:

1. Her, subjectively : SHE

2. Hot Wheels and hula hoops : TOYS

3. Region : AREA

 4. Flower that usually blooms in winter : SNOWDROP


5. Playboy founder, for short : HEF. Newly wed.

6. Thunderstruck : AGHAST

7. Bellow in a library? : SAUL. Saul Bellow.

8. Spock's captain : KIRK

9. Photog's camera choice : SLR

10. Large, noisy insect : CICADA. I used to pick up cicada skins in the summer time, then sold them to the Chinese herb shops. I can't remember what they are good for.

11. Starters of the first race? : ADAM AND EVE. Great answer/clue.

12. Silly mistake : BONER. Rich won't allow HOOTERS in a grid.

13. Winter coasters : SLEDS

18. Help illegally : ABET

19. List components : ITEMS

24. Japanese money : YEN. It has the same character as Chinese currency Yuan.

25. Spiral shape : COIL

26. Too-too : OH SO

27. Sci-fi's Jabba the __ : HUTT

28. Forerunners : PRECURSORS

29. Search engine name : YAHOO

30. Appalachian state: Abbr. : WVA. WV is more common.

34. Berry in modern diet supplements : ACAI

35. Oscar category word : BEST

37. Chow __ : MEIN. Chow= Stir-fried. Mein= Noodles. Cantonese.

38. Picnic pest : ANT

41. Téa of "Tower Heist" : LEONI

42. Scribble (down) : JOT

44. Postal purchases : STAMPS

45. Drink named for a Scottish hero : ROB ROY. Scotch.

46. Like some nighties : LACY

47. Channel for political types : C-SPAN

48. Psychic glows : AURAE. Never know if it's going to end in S or E.

51. Forensics team members: Abbr. : CSIs

52. The Big Easy acronym : NOLA. Hi there Hahtoola.

54. The Beehive State : UTAH

55. Kid's enthusiastic "I do!" : ME, ME

57. Compete in a slalom : SKI

58. Clandestine govt. org. : NSA

59. Admission in a confessional : SIN


1) Congratulations to Marti on her first ACPT! We're so proud of what you achieved! Marti only had one week to prepare for the tournament. With more practice, she's going to jump way ahead next year. Congratulates to Dan Feyer as well. You're just amazing, Dan.
 
2) Happy Birthday to our beautiful Mari!  She said this photo "shows two of my favorite things: cats and needlepoint. It leaves out my two other loves: Crosswords and books! I also included recently discovered photos of my great grandparents and my grand parents."





94 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, gang - well, it doesn't get much faster than this, for me anyway - a nice smooth Monday offering with a couple great DF answers. Never saw the theme until the unifier; clever, as always from Jeff.

Happy Birthday, Mari (great picture, BTW), and a belated Happy Birthday to Avg. Joe, who adds so much to the the blog. And a big congratulations to Marti - nicely done!

Have a fun day.

Barry G. said...

Morning, all (and Happy Birthday, Mari)!

Really struggling with the time change this morning. Did NOT want to get out of bed and barely made it....

[Blog post was late this morning, so maybe I'm not the only one?]

Tougher than usual Monday puzzle, but maybe it's because of how tired I am. CECE Winans and SNOWDROP were unknown to me, and the clue for SHE just refused to make any sense for the longest time. And then I went with LEONE and PROMESSORY NOTE for some strange reason. Oops...

In other news, happy posthumous birthday to Douglas Adams! 42 reasons to miss him every single day.

[ocultsen]

Anonymous said...

Why's blog posted so late? Sorta ruined my morning.

Anonymous said...

Is KILO 1000 meters or 1000 liters?

Dennis said...

anon@6:07, yes.

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, C.C., and friends. What a great puzzle to start off a rainy Monday. What fun. Thanks for the shout-out, C.C.

I laughed at Channel for Business Types/ Channel for Political Types = CNBC and C-SPAN.

My favorite clue was Starters of the First Race = ADAM AND EVE.

I also liked Bellow in the Library = SAUL.

We recently saw Stormy Weather, which is about the life and music of Lena HORNE. Mary Wilson, formerly of the Supremes, sings the music in the show. It was very interesting.

Who could ever forget SUSAN Sarandon in the Rocky Horror Picture Show?

Happy Birthday, Mari! Hope you have a great day and Chicago is clear of snow.

QOD: I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. ~ Douglas Adams (Mar.11, 1952 ~ May 11, 2001)

[vershmn]

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Jeff Chen, for another excellent puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for the great review.

First, congratulations, Marti, you are in the record books. Start planning for next year!

Second, Happy Birthday, Mari. Many happy returns. TTP and I missed you on Saturday, but we understand you had a family event. Family always comes first. We are planning for another get-together. TTP and I had a great couple hours with a lot of crosswordese.

This Daylight Saving Time really goofs me up. I was tired last night and I was in bed by 9:15. Therefore, I was up at 4:00 this morning. Puzzle done by 4:30. Too early for my paper and Cruciverb did not work, so I printed it from the Chicago Trib Site.

No problems with the theme. Very clever. GAIL as a name for a storm could apply to a storm called a GALE. Nifty. I remember when all storms had women's names. I took it as a compliment to women. Tough, to be reckoned with, stormy at times, etc. Then some do-gooders with nothing but time on their hands had to change that. Oh well.

My only inkblot was at 46D. I had LACE instead of LACY.

I hope some time the US will convert to the metric system. Then KILO will have a good meaning. My scales is metric. This morning I weighed 73 kilos.

I have seen two cycles of the 17 year CICADAS in Illinois since I have lived here. Not sure I will be here for the next one.

Had lots of rain this past day or so. Snow melting. My back yard was a lake. Diverted my sump pump discharge to the street and put a pump in my pond pumping to the street.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(donoti)



Middletown Bomber said...

CC: great write up in relief for argyle.
Jeff: Great Puzzle:
Happy birthday to all those with birthdays esp Doug Adams we miss you here in the Assylum and I know where my towel is. no problems with todays puzzle except for the usual brain farts that prevent me from properly reading the clues. enjoy monday all.

TTP said...

Thank you Jeff Chen and thank you CC! I enjoyed the write up. I still love that song.

Flew through it but did not get the TA DA. Thought it was another typo but couldn't find one. Had to turn on red letter to find that my "berry in modern supplements" was a Japanese consumer electronics brand and that my "Gospel singer Winans was named "CEkE."

Middletown, yes, SAUL clue misread here.

Congratulations Marti !
Happy Birthday Mari !
No Mai ?

Why is it still so dark outside ?

Sfingi said...

Thought I was done, but had BALl, not BALK. Don't know what it is. Tried to read about it on Wikipedia, but fell asleep and drooled all over the keyboard. Sports.

My sister gets the CICADAs in Baltimore. I guess it's quite a mess. St. John the Baptist lived on locusts, so maybe there's a recipe there.

Concerned said...

Is Argyle OK?

HeartRx said...

Good morning C.C. et al.

And happy birthday, Mari! Loved your picture with the cats. Are the black ones all related? They look so similar, it would be hard to tell them apart!
.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.

Just when you think you have the glitches figured out they throw in another one, right? Thanks for stepping in for Argyle this morning, C.C. I loved your explanations for YEN/Yuan and CHOW-MEIN. Maybe I will remember those next time.

I love this type of puzzle, where the theme is not obvious until you get to the reveal, and it's always an "Aha!" moment. Nice clean fill, but like C.C. I always wonder if it will be AURAs or AURAE. Nice start to the week - thanks, Jeff Chen!

61Rampy said...

Fairly easy Monday. I too had AkAI/CEkE with no other errors. Sheesh, if I had trouble with this, how well would I do at the ACPT??
On a sadder note, one of my three kitties is extremely sick, and will be off to the vet (again) tomorrow, where I have a feeling the news will not be good.
Happy Birthday Mari!
Congrats Marti! My guess is that it was much tougher than you thought!

kenbord

Mari said...

Good Morning Everybody! Nice easy puzzle today. I reallyliked 11D: Starters of the First Race? Adam and Eve. I also liked seeing the word PRECURSORS in the puzzle.

OH Pretty Woman didn't fool me this time - last time I forgot the "Oh".

I wanted EGAD for I SAY

Douglas Adams is of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy fame, correct? My brother is a big fan.

Thank you for the birthday wishes! The time change was a most unwelcome gift. I am sleepy this morning!

TTP and ABEJO: I'm so glad you had a good time! Sounds like fun.

Congratulatons to Marti!! The kitties were unrelated (the tabby is the only still with us and she's 14 years old). They were all shelter cats.

Now off to sleep...um I mean work.

thehondohurricane said...

Good morning everyone,

Nice to start the week with an offering from Jeff Chen. He alway offers a fair and clever challenge.

A bit dicey in spots today, but got it done thanks to one lucky wag, the crossing C for CECE & ACAI. Both were unknown.

A couple of mis-steps along the way...Gale/GAIL,
cone/COIL & A- Pretty... before OH PR.... So the eraser had a bit of a work out and perps were very helpful.

Happy birthday Mari, enjoy the day, Belated best wishes to Ave Joe. Marti, I'm sure the weekend was a huge success because of all the new friends you made.

Argyle said...

As mentioned, Cuciverb didn't have the LAT puzzle last night. Neither did my usual source. I did get it at the Mensa site but we had already agreed that C.C. would blog today (plus there was the CeCe shout out).

Were there other sites that had problems?

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Boy, it's sure late when it finally gets light now that DST is back. I slept in until after 7. Fortunately, there's nothing I absolutely have to get up for.

Nice puzzle, Jeff. Thanks for the shoutout, C.C. I notice that David solved today's LAT in 1:48, and Dan completed the Saturday Silkie in 3:02, according to Dan Feyer's blog. That's pretty heady company Marti competed with.

Happy Birthday, Mari! How'd you ever get all four cats to pose with you? We've got seven, and there's no way to get more than two in a photograph.

HeartRx said...

61Rampy @ 7:36, it was every bit as difficult as I thought. But there are so many excellent solvers out there, and this bunch is the cream of the crop. So to even be able to finish was exhilarating. And meeting all those people was the icing on the cake!



kazie said...

Thanks to Jeff for a nice, easy and fun Monday. A couple of unknowns (LEONI, CECE), but no problems. I also paused at KILO, thinking of weights, but didn't let it stop me.

Happy birthday Mari!

Congrats Marti, on your debut in the puzzle contest world! I would never want to expose my dull mind to all that tense competition.

Having returned last week with the remains of a heavy cold, I was disappointed to find it freshened up again over this weekend. As if jetlag isn't enough to slow me down.

LaLaLinda said...

Hi Everyone ~~

Fast and fun today ~ thanks Jeff Chen. I thought I had picked up on the theme after USE IT OR LOSE IT ~ thought it was going to be a kind of vowel progression. It all made sense with the unifier.

~ Thanks for filling in again today, C.C. ~ liked having CECE in the puzzle. Also, I agree with you on LENO.

~ Interesting about Rich not allowing 'hooters' in a puzzle, considering the two DF answers in today puzzle.

~ Favorites: 7D - Bellow in a library - SAUL and 11D - Starters of the first race - ADAM AND EVE.

~ 61Rampy ~ So sorry to hear of your sick kitty ~ such a difficult thing to deal with. I hope things work out for the best.

~ Happy Birthday, Mari! I love that pic of you with your kitties ~ hope you have a happy day!

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Congratulations, Marti. You did yourself proud and it sounds like you had a good time and wonderful experience.

Happy Birthday, Mari. Hope you have a great special day.

Solved the cw without incident but it seemed a little crunchy for a Monday. Favorite clue was for ADAM AND EVE.

Have a great day.

Pinto said...

C.C. said "12. Silly mistake : BONER. Rich won't allow HOOTERS in a grid."

Well, maybe they shouldn't allow them in spring training either.

Hooters BONER

But hey, it is practice for everyone, right?

CanadianEh! said...

Seemed tough this morning for a Monday. Maybe it's the change to DST! Didn't know the channels and that held me up.
Nice to see a different Great Lake for a change from ERIE.
Liked Bellow in a library-was picturing a librarian shushing everyone!
Wanted "No pain, no gain" for Exerciser's motto.
It took a while to get used to metric system but now we can switch back and forth fairly easily. Still think of KILOS as weight though and KMS as distance.

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

Haven't done the puzzle yet because Cruciverb still doesn't have it available.

Thought I'd stop by and wish belated happy birthday to Avg. Joe, congratulations to Marti, and happy birthday to Mari! That's a very nice picture, and any woman who likes cats is OK in my book. Just ask Marti.

Cheers all -

AnnieB8491 said...

Good Morning all - Thanks Jeff for a smooth start to the week. Great review as always C.C.

No lookups and only one WAG and that was right (the C in CECI/ACAI - I wasn't familiar with either).

One other mistake - had LEONE/PROMESSORY like Barry G. Oops - guess I should go over my entries.

I also had LACE originally, the changed to the Y when 56A was filled in.

'Got' the vowel theme and was looking for the A and E until I read the unifier clue, then knew there would be no A or E.

As always Hahtoolah - your QOD's always give me a chuckle.

Congrats to Marti and Dan - a great accomplishment.
Happy Birthday to Mari - Hope you have a great day.

Hubby is all excited - they are going to open a Hooters in Venice.

Have a great Monday everyone.

gmture

Anony Mouse said...

Thank you Jeff Chen, for a nice and easy puzzle - I really loved it. Thank you C.C. for a very nice and very interesting commentary. I had a little trouble at snowdrop, OhSo (huh ?), and Saul. Despite knowing of Saul Bellow, I put in 'Sssh' initially. Also I have a question - did Hef marry the dog or the girl ?

Happy Birthday, Mari, you are prettier than all your cats combined. BTW, you didn't steal 3 of my ferals, did you. I wonder why black cats have green eyes - is it a dominant allele defensive trait or is it a genetically cultivated hypnosis tool ?

Marti, WELL DONE. We're so proud of you. Trust me, the awe you feel at the superstars at the competition, is much, much less than the awe, we, rather I, feel towards you stellar types at this little blog. I had a nightmare last night, wherein I was being wheeled into one of those competition halls, - very, very scary.

I saw Douglas Adams in the Google Doodle today, and read all about him. I didn't find 'Hitchhikers Guide -' that funny. Maybe its time to read it again, with heightened sensitivity and an open mind.

Now I'm going to start looking for the 2 DF answers that LalaLinda claims are in today's puzzle. Darn it, why cant I get these things the first time around ??

Good day, all.

Yellowrocks said...

-Happy birthday, Mari. Lovely pic. Enjoy your day.
-I found this puzzle to be as easy as most Mondays, but far fresher and more interesting. Good work, Jeff.
-My favorite was bellow in a library=Saul. Nailed it.
-Around here wasps are the main picnic pests. They love hot dogs, steak, and soda. At the Bronx Zoo the wasps made picnicking pretty nasty. They are bad enough on our patio. At least, the ants wait until you leave unless you are sitting on the ground, I suppose.
-Thanks, CC for the explanation of chow mein.
-Friday I was discussing the Chinese characters with a new Chinese friend. The Japanese have adopted very many of the Chinese characters. For instance, the numbers 1 through 10 are written with the same characters. She believes Mandarin and Japanese use the same word with a different pronunciation. I'm not so sure. Most of the Japanese number words have different consonant sounds from the Mandarin. Ichi, ni, san, shi. go, roku, shishi. hachi. kyuu, juu. Jayvce? CC?
-This lady is the friend of one of my Taiwanese friends who brought her along to our sushi lunch. It turned out that I taught one of her children and knew the others. Six degrees of separation or fewer). Small world.

Husker Gary said...

Solving was easy but theme hunting, not so much on Jeff’s just right Monday (Amen to CC’s assessment). Bellow cluing my fav. but First race starters and Feral no more right up there.

Musings
-Last week I posted a link to Lancey’s getting the Cincinnati Kid’s $5,000 marker (IOU) on a straight flush
-I was the EYE OF A HURRICANE 15 years ago during a very bitter divorce on Joann’s side of the family
-OH is kinda like our appendix in Pretty Woman, it’s there but no one thinks about it
-A colleague got a huge gov’t grant to “train” some teachers. She had a lot of money left over and so, under “USE IT OR LOSE IT” she spent tax money buying $60 steak dinners and CD players for everyone. Hmmm…
-Lots of churches around here offer day care which is now a CASH COW for them
-CC, do you dig his 2 day old beard look?
-Missing a four letter car rental company would be a rara AVIS for me
-I’ve heard of a KILO being 2.2 lbs not as .67 of a mile. I have heard, “It’s a few clicks from here”
-HEF probably needs certain meds more than the AARP
-Captain KIRK is now doing fun Priceline commercials with TBBT’s Kaley Cuoco.
-I showed clips from schlocky Dante’s Peak because it showed many volcano eruption PRECURSORS
-YAHOO’s new CEO, Marissa Mayer, raised a ruckus when she banned “working from home.”
-Alternate word for a mistake is OK but the one for a group of owls ain’t happenin’. Hmmm…
-No pain no gain has been debunked by every trainer I know. “Doctor, it hurts when I do this. Then…”
-HBD to our Windy City Queen!

Avg Joe said...

Happy Birthday Mari. I hope you can get part of the day off to enjoy it.

WEES on the puzzle. Easy, yes. But interesting. Only writeover was changing a second E to an I in Leoni. Didn't see the theme until the unifier, but it made good sense.

cw stewart said...

oftNice puzzle, Jeff, and it is so nice to be able to picture you while I am solving. Glad I got to meet you.

Jeff Chen said...

Hi all!

Bleary-eyed this morning from the ACPT festivities this weekend. If you haven't been before, it's something to mark on your calendar for next year. Amazing to watch the super speed solvers up on stage, with Dan Feyer finishing a killer themeless in about 10 minutes.

Happy Monday!
Jeff
jeffchen1972@gmail.com

Montana said...

Happy to see that the blog works. Thanks, CC, for stepping in for Argyle. Explanations are great, whichever one of you is in charge. I got back to MT mid-week, but a blizzard kept me from getting home for a few days. (It was 80° one day in CA.) Interesting how having intermittent access to Internet is a BIG deal now! I did read most of the blogs while I was gone.

Happy Birthday, Mari! Belated Birthday wishes to Not-so-Average Joe! And I followed your progress, Marti, with great admiration!

I woke up in the night, so thought I would try Monday’s puzzle. No Cruciverb. I tried to remember the alternate sites you have mentioned. If the site uses Flash, it won’t work on an iPad.
Anyway, I found a site with the puzzle, but I spent so much time figuring out how to get the letters in proper squares, that it made solving the puzzle a lengthy process. As I read CC’s blog this morning, I realized I didn’t even look for the theme. (I rarely get them, anyway, but I have started looking.) I did get the puzzle solved, but then it is Monday. When Pretty Woman didn’t fit, I also went back and put in the Oh. Otherwise, a perp here and there, and puzzle done.

Avatar is picture near Monterey,
Montana

Yellowrocks said...

-The time change from standard time to daylight time does not upset my internal clock.. And I do the love the longer evenings. In another week or two there will be no more dark early mornings. I have no problem with jet lag traveling to and from Europe. The two times I flew to Japan I had no jet lag going there, but a tremendous one coming home. I think that the biggest part of it is the 24 hour or more of being awake, not the jet lag. Both times we had to check out of the hotel early and so could not relax before the afternoon flight. And .I can’t sleep on the plane, at all.

-Friday, my disabled son, Alan went to a Weekend Getaway at a hotel. Saturday night I was in my jammies snuggled on the couch reading my Kindle before a lovely fire. The Getaway program called me at 9:30pm to tell me the entire hotel complex had lost power for several hours. A generator was providing meager light and so they were closing the program and I had to come right away to take Alan home. I scattered my fire so that I had coals instead of flame before I left. Alan was very disappointed, but I was so happy he enjoyed it and wanted to return.

-Then I stayed up for hours finishing my novel. Unintended Consequences by Marti Green is a page turner about a man on Death Row who is convicted of killing his daughter and is being defended by the Help Innocent Prisoners Project. The question is how much would a father sacrifice for the love of his daughter?

-The lack of sleep which is finally catching up to me, not DST, is responsible for my being tired today. But it was worth it. Since retiring, I often read until 3 AM.

desper-otto said...

CED, I was off-line when you posted that cute HALTER yesterday. Yes, the second one was what I was thinking. Nicely done.

For you TBBT fans, I was watching The Universe, Expanded Edition over the weekend and one of the space scientists was Lucianne Walcowicz of Princeton. Really. So close to Wolowitz it's scary.

Lemonade714 said...

Jeff Chen is always one of my favorites and this work is no exception. A shout out to our own (CeCe Winanas) The Gail/Gale which still has my head spining, though one of the loves of my life was a Gayle who discarded her Y. Why you ask?

I agree about Adam and Eve and Saul Bellow, like the Cash?Stash rhythm, and face it, even a tough editor like Rich knows, there is not much that can be done about morning BONERS.

Happy birthday and many more Mari, a truly lovely picture.
I always found it interesting Susan kept her ex-hubby Chris' name, and she will always be Janet to me.

Marti you are an inspiration to us all.

Lemonade714 said...

Jeff thanks for stopping buy, and leaving your email, I can assure your Jeff answers all and is one of the truly good guys.

Did you play Jeff in the Tournament?

Anonymous said...

I see all the regulars loved this one. When was the last time this guy did a monday crossword? Tuesday puzzle for sure, or maybe wednesday! Sure some were real easy but others were not all for a monday especially theme suggested by 56a. Didn't it use to be hollywood star? Is it changed to hollywood idol??? 11b stump the chump. Use it or lose it, never heard it as an exercise motto being a gym enthusiest, ive heard it for vacation time. Love lena horne for all u in wet weather. Oh Rob Roy was a thief not a hero.

Montana said...

What a fantastic drive the Pacific Coast Highway is! No wonder it is listed as one of the top 10 drives in the USA. The Monterey Aquarium is amazing. I spent a day at the aquarium in Sydney, AU and couldn’t imagine any better. However, it was like eating lobster one evening and T-bone steak the next. They aren’t the same thing but they can both be incredible.

I thought of the CA Coven when we passed a sign for Gilroy at next intersection. I asked where San Jose was, and BIL said about 30 minutes that way, and pointed. I asked about Manhattan Beach, but he had no idea about it. We took our time along the coast, stopping at nearly every scenic pull-out. Second day, we turned back inland at Santa Barbara and drove straight through to SIL’s place in Hemet.

Drove to San Clemente for lunch on a wharf, then down the coast along Camp Pendleton. BIL had trained there when in the Marines. Went as far as Oceanside before driving back to SIL’s.
(Next day, BIL was looking at a map and said, “You asked about Manhattan Beach. We were really close yesterday.” What could I say, then?) We may plan a week in San Diego area next year. SIL is a new widow. She seemed to enjoy our company.

We drove around Salton Sea one day. A person only needs to do that once in a lifetime. Everchanging landscape was very interesting, though.

Took a drive to Idyllwild in the mountains. Lovely trip. Stopped for coffee and Pepsi (me).
Also went to a reservoir with several dams that hold water for coastal cities. Ended up on a road that was restricted, but we left when we realized it. No consequences. Great scenery.

Back to winter in Montana. They forecast above freezing temps are on their way for the weekend.

Have a great day,
Montana

Bill G. said...

CC, thanks for answering my question about themes. Happy birthday Mari! Thanks Jeff and CC. A very pleasant Monday puzzle.

Montana, Manhattan Beach is on the coast and about four miles south of the Los Angeles airport.

I would enjoy CC's LACY model even in flannel pajamas.

Ellen is the only talk show I enjoy these days. Letterman and Leno have gotten tired and dull and unfunny, except for the occasional JayWalking segment.

I have a friend who likes his steaks so rare that he only eats Unicorns.

Lucina said...

Hello, friends. How kind of you, C.C., to give Argyle another day off.

A very happy birthday to you, Mari!

And congratulations, Marti!

I found it interesting that the characters for YEN and yuan are the same. We spent many, many yuans in Hong Kong.

Jeff, I liked your puzzle, ran through it and actually saw the theme which I thought was clever.

Loved the clues for SAUL Bellow, and ADAM AND EVE.

I see now that I left PROMESSORY and LEONE. Drat!

Many years ago when CeCe was just starting her career she appeared at a fund raising event and we were told then that she would be a big star some day.

Surprisingly I remembered BALK from a long ago puzzle.

ACAI is spouted in so many commercials that it is firmly etched in my brain.

I hope my car will be ready to day. Have a lovely Monday, everyone!

Maverick said...

1,000 meters should be ONEK. If you're going for KILO, please use 1,000 grams. Sheesh! It is a Monday after all. And after the daylight savings time switch no less.

Irish Miss said...

Hi Everyone:

A nice beginning of the week offering by Jeff; thank you for a clever theme with some fun clues. Liked Bellow in a library and Starters of the first race. Thanks to CC for a neat expo. What is the problem with Cruciverb, anyway?

If any of the cat lovers didn't see the later posts yesterday, you might want to check out my post at 4:00 pm: smiles guaranteed!

Happy Monday.

Misty said...

Well, I usually love Jeff Chen puzzles but this one felt a bit tough for a Monday. I goofed on the spelling of LEONE and didn't know CECE, so no TA DA! for me today. But there were some terrific clues, my favorite being BELLOW IN A LIBRARY. And the theme was clever, too. So, thanks, Jeff, and you, especially, C.C. for being our hero on a tired Monday morning when lots of us are still recovering from that Spring Forward.

Happy belated birthday, Avg Joe, and Meeow, Meeow, Mari (that's Happy Birthday in kitty jargon).

Welcome back, Marti--you rock!

Yellowrocks, you are one heroic parent! I was totally moved by the story of your evening.

So glad you're having a fabulous trip in our home state, Montana! Can you believe I have a SNOWDROP blooming in my garden at this very moment, right here in southern California!

Have a great week, everybody!

PK said...

I SAY, what an interesting & suggestive puzzle, Jeff! Nobody has mentioned the SIN and the Laude word!

I looked at those long answers and couldn't come up with a theme. Didn't recognize PROMISSORY NOTE as a unifier. Didn't get the unifier yesterday either! Groooan!

Thanks, C.C.! I guess you have to give a hoot about what Rich likes.

I am AGHAST at a picture of HEF without his signature lounging p.j.'s or smoking jacket or dressing gown--whatever it is he wears. He must be serious about the wedding.

Montana, good to hear from you. The last time was when I was recommending the Coronado bridge. I was hoping you didn't go over the edge or something. Glad you had a good time. Are you wondering why you came home with the snow?

My daughter's dog got sick and couldn't eat. The vet picked CICADA wings out of her throat.

PK said...

Happy birthday, Mari! Much happiness to you!

Irish Miss said...

So, so sorry, Mari, for forgetting to wish you a very Happy Birthday! Also, great picture of you and the kitties. Have a wonderful day!

Dennis said...

AnnieB, tell your husband not to get too excited just yet -- the Hooters near here seem to have, uh, lowered their hiring standards, and not just in the namesake department. See Pinto's link @8:52? It'd be a bit difficult to get one of those in our local Hooters. (Speaking of, where the hell is Lois?)

Husker Gary, most military people who've been deployed overseas will talk distances in kilometers or 'clicks'. All of our maps and reference points were in kilometers.

Has anyone else watched Welcome to Myrtle Manor on TLC Sunday nights @10? The series just started; it's a reality show about a dysfunctional trailer park in Myrtle Beach, SC, and the equally dysfunctional residents therein. It's like an SNL spoof, but the people are real. Worth a peek just for the cringe factor. And no, I'm not disparaging trailer parks, but TLC found a beaut here.

HeartRx said...

cw stewart @ 10:26, it was fun meeting you - I have your "Lend A Helping Hand" puzzle from the American Red Crosswords book in front of me right now, and was planning to solve it over lunch!

Lemon @ 11:00, Jeff was one of the judges, so he did not compete.

Montana, I love that drive down the coast. It sounds like you had a great time! Did you email pics to C.C. so she can post them for us to see?

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, Thanks C.C. for another slick writeup. I didn't get the theme until I read your review of the CW. I finished this too fast and didn't go back to really take a good look.

I thought that the Starters of the first race/Adam and Eve was a great clue and answer. I also liked Bellow in the library/Saul.
Cece Winans was an unknown, but the perps handled that nicely.

A happy birthday to Mari, and a late Birthday wish to Avg. Joe. Also, Congratulations to Marti.

Montana, your trip down the coast of CA was one driving marathon. You were very close to all of the Coven when you zipped passed Gilroy. I'm glad you enjoyed your trip, but sorry to hear about all the snow when you arrived back home.

Have a great day, everyone.

CrossEyedDave said...

CC, I think I know why you don't remember what Cicada skins are used for... I tried to read about it on Internet, but fell asleep and drooled all over the keyboard ALA Sfingi @7:06.

Bill G yest@9:39pm, Your Captcha was "feeblepoop?"

HBD Mari It's nice to hear you like:

cats doing crosswords (Note: yr pic appears somewhere between page 8 & 9)

cats reading books

&

cats doing needlepoint (well,, it almost worked!)

(Boy, I hope Manac doesn't see this post)

Dennis said...

Forgot to mention -- I got a very strange piece of mail today, from one of the online business stationery companies. Normal solicitation, but the address had my name, next line was "Cc Ross Word Corner", then my home address. No big deal and it's certainly not a concern, but I'm curious how that would happen. The only two places that have my full name and address (in connection with the Corner) are Rich Norris' office and Will Shortz' office. Oh, and CC.

Any thoughts?

Chickie said...

As for Cedar Chests. I had a "Hope Chest" while in my teens. It included everything from crocheted doilies and runners made by aunts--now gone, and embroidered dish towels.

Does anyone have things like that anymore to keep for their first home?

My granddaughter has my mother's cedar chest, made by my grandfather. It contains mother's china and some of my MIL's hand embroidered linens. Sometimes you just can't bear to give up beautiful family things and I'm grateful that my granddaughter even wished to have the family heirlooms.

Husker Gary said...

Musings 2
-My original posting included “I’ll bet Dennis has heard of Kilometers as clicks” but I wanted to fit my musing on one line
-The only time I have heard KILOS is on drug busts and in my physics lab for mass
-BTW, my 8th grade science teacher told me in 1960 that America would be using only metric units in 10 years.
-Here are the 3 countries still using English units of measurement
-Fully sheltered personal information seems to be an anachronism
-Lincoln has no Hooters (er, no establishment called Hooters) but have added a Tilted Kilt franchise at their Gateway Mall. Their station where they stand and wait for orders is strategically placed by a door opening into the food court. Bait?
-HEF seems to have a young thing on both sides in that picture. He’s had more restoration work than a ’52 Studebaker found in American Pickers but still looks his actual age to me. You go, Hef!
-A boy was making a CEDAR chest last week where I subbed. The aroma of the project was the only thing positive about the entire thing. Splynter would have been AGHAST at the shoddy work.

Bill G. said...

We have my mother's old cedar chest. I love the smell of red cedar.

CED, not really. Just a little joke. I find it interesting that some people think that their Captcha word would be interesting to the rest of us so I made a little joke about it. But I'm often wrong... (No offense intended.) Did you like the unicorn joke? I guess it's a good thing that I'm not trying to earn retirement money with a stand-up routine...

A lady gardener just can't get her tomatoes to ripen a nice red color. One day she notices her neighbor's tomatoes and they're a beautiful shade of red. Curious, she asks how he does it. He replies, "Sounds odd, I know, but everyday, twice a day, I put on a raincoat and go out to the garden and flash them. They blush and turn a beautiful shade of red. You should try it." She decides to do so. A month later, she meets the neighbor and he asks if her tomatoes are now a nice red color. She replies, "No. But my cucumbers are enormous!"

Rob Roy said...

Scotch? "Scotch" is unrelated to Scotland. You mean Scottish. Rob Roy (yes, my real name).

Lucina said...

BiilG@1:51
LOL! That is too funny! It provides a strong visual image.

Mari:
I failed to comment on your picture. You are a beautiful woman!

Mari said...

Thanks everybody for your kind words.

CED @ 12:55 pm: I LOVED the pictures - espcecially cats doing crosswords :) How did you ever find a cake that says "Happy Birthday Mari"? Your skills are amazing!

Yellowrocks @ 10:44 am: It sounds like the perfect night (almost). A roaring fire, a good Kindle book, etc.

Bill G @ 11:20 am: Too funy about the "unicorn". I have a friend who likes his steaks so rare they're still mooing.

D-Otto: 7 cats? Wow. I'd love it if I could get DH to handle literbox duty.

My grandmother was born in Germany and her parents spoke broken English. When her first daughter, Gail, was born her father hated the name. He couldn't pronounce it correctly, and said, "Jail?! What an ugly name! Why did you name your daughter Jail?"

CrossEyedDave said...

Bill G @1:51

I smiled but did not comment on your unicorn joke because I intend to steal it from you.

(I already copy & pasted the red tomato joke in an email to my neighbor who says I have too much time on my hands.)

Mari,
it wasn't
too
hard

Yellowrocks said...

-Rob Roy @2;29. A rob roy is Scotch, Scotch whisky, not Scottish whisky.
-Misty, thanks for the affirmation. It goes a long way. When the children grow up parenting is still not easy. Husker Gary, I sympathize with your worry about your son and grandson.
_Montana, that sounds like a delightful trip.
-USE IT OR LOSE IT is quite common when referring to vacation days, the brain and the muscles. Google USE IT OR LOSE IT and you will find a DF meaning. Google “USE IT OR LOSE IT muscles” you will find plenty of references. Your calf immobilized in a cast for weeks will shrink dramatically. These days orthopedists advocate greater mobility so as not to lose muscle mass.

Argyle said...

Rob Roy, an outlaw? Anon@11:05 must be English.

During the American Revolution, he would have been a Tory and labeled all the patriots, scoundrels.

Argyle said...

Rob Roy MacGregor was a Scot.

Argyle said...

The Rob Roy is basically a Manhattan made with scotch whisky. And my opini0n, a waste of scotch.

Pookie said...

Fun puzzle, Jeff. Thank you C.C. for the write-up.
Didn't check answers, so ended up with AURAs and Loch NsSS. Darn!
Not doing well with time change. Feel like half the day is gone already.
Happy birthday to YOU, Mari.
(How do pronounce your name?)
I was thinking of a song, "Marie" but not sure how you say YOUR name.
Hatoolah changes her avatar often.
Hope it's not long before she switches again. ;)
All I can think of is how much Mom used to hate the darn snails that ate her plants.
If we went out at night they would seem like a VERY slow army marching across the lawn toward her plants. She would hand pick them and then step on them! UGH!
One time we planted marigolds and their little heads were all missing the next morning.
C.C. I have my mom's Cavalier cedar chest from the 30's.
There is a little bib overall that says Junior Airman made of khaki colored cloth. Also her brother's medals from the Air Force. His plane was shot down over Bari, Italy.
(if I remember correctly)
And my dad's medals from the Navy.
He was at Pearl Harbor, but his ship survived.

Chickie said...

Kilo was the weight measure we used in Colombia--not drugs--bacon, butter, etc, at the local deli. In looking at the clue on the CW today, I noticed that it asked for a shortened form for Kilometer, (1,000 meters, briefly) I guess Kilo would be acceptable, though I prefer it as a weight measurement, not a distance.

Bill G. Both of your jokes were laugh out loud. They are too funny.

Marti, I am hoping to attend the CW puzzle tournament that is held on the west coast near our home. However, and a big however, I'll be a spectator not a participant. They have a special section for the gallery. Garlic Gal attended last year. She is much more skilled than I am. I thought it would be fun to meet some of the people we just hear and read about here on the blog.

Anonymous said...

Calm down, please, dear Argyle, we'll allow no more desecration of your hallowed libation, on this site. (I personally am partial to Margaritas.) And, as for Rob Roy, despite his first name, let the Brits and the Scots, across the pond, fight it out, about his legacy. lol.

Pookie said...

Abejo @ 6:28
"I hope some time the US will convert to the metric system. Then KILO will have a good meaning."

NEVER!!! They tried to ram that down our throats years ago.
What would happen to Farenheit 451, 110 in the Shade, 26 miles across the sea, (Santa Catalina)
Even the SCOTTISH group(Proclaimers)
would "Walk 500 miles"
How many songs can you think of with "kilometers" in the lyric?
Sheesh, give 'em and INCH and they'll take a MILE.
Can you all think of some more?

Qli said...

Great puzzle and commentary. Good learning moments from C.C. re: YEN/yuan and CHOW MEIN.
I was laughing about bellow in a library! I knew the answer, but thought of a person yelling anyway!

Happy birthdays to Avg. Joe and Mari. Love the cat picture! Good for you, Marti, braving the ACPT!

Bill G also had me chuckling with this jokes. I'll have to steal the unicorn one!

Abejo said...

To: pas de chat


pas de chat said...
Abejo @ 6:28
"I hope some time the US will convert to the metric system. Then KILO will have a good meaning."

NEVER!!! They tried to ram that down our throats years ago.
What would happen to Farenheit 451, 110 in the Shade, 26 miles across the sea, (Santa Catalina)
Even the SCOTTISH group(Proclaimers)
would "Walk 500 miles"
How many songs can you think of with "kilometers" in the lyric?
Sheesh, give 'em and INCH and they'll take a MILE.
Can you all think of some more?

I think the real reason we never switched to metric is that now the tooling companies get to make both sizes of tools, US and metric, and sell them both. Any self-respecting garage, or home tool shop, has both types.

No big deal to me, really. I think metric would be easier in the long run.

Abejo

(dvasks)


Bill G. said...

Pretty much any silly unit can be used OK for measurement, i.e., hands for horses, stone for weight, fathom, etc. Our units of inches, pounds, pints, etc. are handy and intuitively divided into halves, halves of halves (fourths), etc. Where metric units are superior is in computation. How many km is 47 meters? 0.047. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy. How many miles is 47 feet? You've got to divide 47 by 5280. No easy task without a calculator.

Give him a centimeter, he'll take a kilometer. I'd walk a kilometer for a Camel. I love you a liter and a dekaliter.

kazie said...

Mari,
I'm wondering if the reason your great-grandfather hated the name Gail was that in German it would be pronounced the same as our word guile. There is a German word that sounds like that but spelled geil, and it means "horny". These days it is used universally by young people in the same way that our youth (and many of us) use "cool!". Their parents don't like that either.

desper-otto said...

Pas de chat: How 'bout 500 Miles (Away From Home) by Bobby Bare, The Inchworm Song by Danny Kaye, Moonlight Mile by the Rolling Stones or Walk A Mile In My Shoes by Joe South?

Montana said...

Adding to the Hope Chest stories—my mother-in-law had 3 daughters who each stored items for ‘someday.’ In the late 40s/early 50s, one joined the military and the other 2 married military men. My MIL had a HUGE trunk on her back porch she kept the items in, although no one thought about it much. Few people had money in those days, so none of the items were ever mailed to the owners.

My MIL moved into a retirement studio in 1978, so my husband and I, being the only ones left in MT, took the trunk to our garage where it sat for quite a few years. Then, in 1999, we had a family reunion at Big Lake, MO that nearly 60 relatives attended. We had a new pickup, so we put the trunk in the back and drove to the reunion.
Those daughters were quite up in age, but were thrilled to find their items. There were doilies made by grandmothers as well as tablecloths, etc. A grand-daughter from Texas wanted the trunk itself, and rented a trailer to pull behind her car to get it home. She refinished it and sent pictures.
We also found mementos of things like school awards, first communions, confirmations, baptism candles, and cards they sent to their mother way back when. Even the 4 brothers found some of those items were theirs. Many memorable stories were shared that week.

Montana

PK said...

Chickie, the woman in our family were all skilled in hand stitching and made some beautiful things. When I left the farm, I passed to my daughters and DILs a lot of these things from four generations of my family and my husband's.

My daughter has a quilt that we think came from her great-great grandmother's hope chest around the time of the Civil War. it was in her trunk.

One set of embroidered tea towels is of "pickaninnies" doing dishes with clustered French knots for hair. I watched my beloved grandmother work on these towels when I was small (she died when I was 11.) I treasure them and gave one or two to each girl. They seemed delighted.

Then there is the linen tablecloth embroidered with pink roses with gray foliage that my mother did for my wedding present to match my Noritake china.

TTP said...


Pas de chat...

The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

HeartRx said...

Chickie, I know you will enjoy yourself, whether you compete or just observe.

My three sisters and I each had our own hope chests in our teens, all made by the Lane Company. Lots of embroidered towels, pillowcases and other linens, which later were replaced by baby booties, bonnets, sweaters, and christening gowns.

Much later, those started getting replaced with memories, rather than hope. Now, my hope chest sits in the attic, full of pictures, newspaper clippings, year books, and (sadly) obituary notices and prayer cards. I don't open it much these days...

Pookie said...

In addition to the items from WW2 that I mentioned, there was one obituary clipping after another. Cards from funeral services, certificates, family pictures and even the wreath ribbons and a few dried flowers from her brother's funeral. (the pilot who was shot down)She really never got over losing him at such a young age.
As I said, Dad survived Pearl Harbor and they had a good life together.
I was sad going through all of it.

Avg Joe said...

TTP, you beat me to it. I was distracted by the need to get soup on the stove. Always liked that song, and loved the movie. Have to get Benny and Joon on the NetFlix list. It's been too long.

But, it sent me on a YouTube search that ended with a song from the same era. Not wanting to waste a perfectly good search, here's the result: What's Up.

Speaking of strange movies, I've been wracking my brain for the last couple of weeks trying to remember the title of a movie. I can't remember a single actor, but one of the primary plot aspects was a group of gamblers that would bet on ANYTHING. One scene in particular that comes to mind was on a small jet. After paying the pilot off to initiate a number of unsettling air maneuvers, they were all betting on who would be first passenger to upchuck. Any suggestions as to what it might have been?

CED, I failed to mention yesterday that my wife especially liked the horses looking in the haystack. Thanks.

And Marti, I was remiss in not congratulating your first appearance at the ACPT.

HeartRx said...

Avg Joe, are you thinking of "Rat Race?"

Anonymous said...

A fun way to start the week. Thanks, Jeff Chen, for the entertainment. Thanks C.C. for the explanatons.

I experienced most of the issues others have had, and caught a couple that some thought were hard.

Congrats, Marti!
HBD, Mari!
Belated HBD, Ave. Joe!

Here's my first attempt to link something. It's what I think of when I see "NOLA"

Liberace playing "NOLA"

Pat

Ree said...

Fun Monday puzzle ! Mari , happy birthday from another cat lover! Our tiger, black & tuxedo now ; my favorite 19 yr old calico & her brother , were all rescue cats ! Nice to hear the stories from the tournament, congrats on your talent ! Wonder if we'll ever get close to that level, we do have good teachers ! Loved seeing Jeff stop in! Thanks to all !

Avg Joe said...

No Marti, I don't think that's it. The movie I'm trying to remember had no star power at all. No Whoopie, no Cuba. If it helps, a large number of the cast portrayed Arabs. Especially on the plane I'd mentioned earlier.They would bet on anything you could imagine, millions of dollars, and that was the main plot. Just goofy stuff.

This film was a complete B movie. But it was funny.

Chickie said...

PK and Marti, I loved your "hope chest" stories. More often than not a trunk held all the precious memories collected over a lifetime. When we went through my Mom's trunk we found ration cards and ration tokens from WWII, our baby shoes, long curls from our first real haircuts, and a packet of V-mail letters from my cousin to my parents during the war. The letter on top was from my Dad and it stated, "Undeliverable". My cousin was shot down over the Pacific and his body was never recovered.

Blue Iris said...

Happy Birthday, Mari! I bet you treasure the beautiful picture with your cats. You said all are gone but one. How many cats do you have now? We get tickled at our cat riding the dog down the hallway:)

I did the crossword in the paper for a change today. The numbers are too small to see so back to MENSA sight.
I caught on to the theme quickly when I said the first word of long clues out loud.

I am very proud of my cedar chest. My husband was working on his degree in Building Construction and Design. One course requirement was to make a big piece of furniture. Everyone was making their chest with only red cedar which wasted the white cedar. My husband told the instructor that he couldn't afford to buy more cedar, so he was allowed to use the red and the white. His cedar chest turned out very pretty and the other students wish they had also used the white parts. It is a treasured piece of furniture and my children are already discussing who's going to get it.

Good evening everyone!

Bill G. said...

There was an earthquake southeast of here this morning. I didn't feel anything.

PJE, Nola was fun!

These stories about hope chests got me to remembering... I remember my mother with ration stamps. I remember my mother taking jars of something (bacon grease?) to the market. I kind of remember it was used in gunpowder but maybe I'm misrembering. I remember firecrackers and car horns in the neighborhood on either/both VE Day and VJ Day.

A very pretty afternoon, temperatures in the high 60s. If the marine layer stays away, I'm going to go comet-hunting just after sunset. Wish me luck.

AnnieB8491 said...

I love all the stories about mementos being found, shared and enjoyed. My MIL was a beautiful knitter and crocheter. We have many baby sweaters and blankets, older boys sweaters and vests. She also made me a couple of sweater coats which I still enjoy.
PK - I also have a set of Noritake China. I bought them right before we got married - $49.95 for 12 place setting - dinner plates, luncheon plates, dessert plates, salad bowls, cups, saucers, sugar and creamer. I probably couldn't buy a plate for that now.
USE IT OR LOSE IT - my mantra for my muscles. It's why I run and go to the gym. Not to beef them up - lord knows I don't want that at my age, but just to keep them moving.
Bill G - love your jokes.
Also enjoying all the links.

Til tomorrow.....

JD said...

Nice to see you on a Monday, C.C. Glad you are not sick, Argyle.


Enjoyed your puzzle, Jeff.Had to let the perps fill in more than usual for a Monday, but lots of fun fill. Am I the only one who did not know Saul Bellow? In the meantime I had to check him out. Dennis will like this quote from Saul: "I've never turned over a fig leaf yet that didn't have a price tag on the other side."

Congrats Marti! Anony mouse said it best for the way we all feel. :)

Happy Birthday Mari..you are lovely. What a sweet picture.
Belated wishes to you, Avg. Joe!

The Lane Co. must have given out mini cedar chests when I was in HS, because I have one that is the size of a jewelry box.It now has a stash of silver dollars, $2 bills, pieces of my mom's old jewelry, and my WWII ration book.My oldest sister had a hand made Hope Chest. At 10, I thought it was exciting, like a treasure chest.

61Rampy, hope all goes well with your sick kitty.

JD said...

Use it or lose it! So right you are, Annie

Pookie said...

Thanks a LOT, BillG !!..... ;(
I've been singing this ALL day.
Can't find the movie clip on youtube, so here's the song for CAT lovers.

Bushel and a Peck

Avg Joe said...

Marti, I take it back. We're watching it on Netflix now, and that's it. Thank you.

Rob Roy said...

Good grief. When I wrote Scotch is nothing to do with Scotland (after Jeff had written after Rob Roy, Scotch), I was thinking of Rob Roy the Scottish hero of the 18th century--NOT thinking of the drink. Sorry. I don't drink but do love history. Rob Roy

61Rampy said...

Wifey took our sick cat to the vet today. Maybe its not as bad as I thought. We are going to try to give him some liquid meds. Just gave him his first dose tonight. If you havent seen THIS , you have never given a cat meds!!
And, he seems better today.

61Rampy said...

I also now have a large scratch across my chest...

Argyle said...

Rob, not to worry.

Bill G. said...

I'm back from my comet-foraging. Maybe I saw it and maybe I didn't. I had to wait for the sky to darken more before I could see anything in that general vicinity. I could make out a couple of dim fuzzy things made even fuzzier by the haze settling on my binoculars. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow night when the comet will be very close to a very faint crescent moon.