google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday September 12, 2013 Peter A. Collins

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Sep 12, 2013

Thursday September 12, 2013 Peter A. Collins

Theme: TOSSED SALAD (62A. Light lunch (and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters)) - Six different kinds of salads are anagrammed (Or jumbled, to be exact) in the grid. TOSSED is an anagram indicator in Cryptic puzzles.

17A. Scrooge's underpaid clerk : BOB CRATCHIT. Cobb salad.

23A. Frighten off : SCARE AWAY. Caesar salad.

37A. Reading in an unruly class? : RIOT ACT. Taco salad.

56A. Forest shade : DARK GREEN. Greek salad. I see a "Green salad" too.

11D. Divas have them : BIG EGOS. Egg salad.

42D. Beach acquisitions : SUN TANS. Tuna salad.

C.C. here again. Cruciverb did not have the puzzle ready at their regular time last night, so Marti could not blog the puzzle. She'll be back next week. Please email her (HeartRx@me.com) if you want to join the Corner New England gathering next Monday.

Peter Collins never ceases to amaze me with his creativity & craftsmanship. Notice all the salad words span across two words? And there are 7 theme entries. I'd be happy with 5. That's why Peter is Peter, and there's only one Peter Collins.

Across:

1. Meter site : CURB

5. After Chicago, the most populous Illinois city : AURORA. Gimme for our Chicago crowd. In case you missed, TTP posted this hilarious ad yesterday. Jordy Nelson is from Kansas.  Wisconsin is indeed pretty in fall.

11. Cave dweller : BAT

14. Atlas section : ASIA

15. Adds excitement to, with "up" : SPICES

16. Syr. neighbor : ISR

19. Fed. property manager : GSA (General Services Administration). GSA, GSA, they need to have some kind of scandal for me to remember it.

20. Lotto-like game : KENO. Saw it at Treasure Island.

21. Take down a few pegs : DEMEAN

28. First host of "America's Got Talent" : REGIS. Look here, the box on the right. Another Simon Cowell creation.

29. __ the cloth : MAN OF

30. Senseless : NUMB

32. Piano concerto highlights : SOLI. Plural of Solo.

33. Not impressed : UNAWED. Never used this word in my life. Unimpressed, yes.

35. Lab subj. : SCI

36. Entry-level pos. : ASST

40. Morse's rank: Abbr. : INSP. Inspector Morse.

44. 30-day mo. : APR. Very general clue.

45. Combed (through) : SIFTED

50. Toi et moi : NOUS. In Chinese, Ni + Wo = Women (We). Strange, isn't it?

51. Time, in Germany : ZEIT. No idea, though I do know Zeitgeist, literally "spirit of the time"

53. North of Mexico : NORTE

54. Hit __: run into trouble : A SNAG

58. Shape of Michigan's Lower Peninsula : MITTEN. OK, please link in the Comments section. Let me see the MITTEN.

60. Reversals, slangily : UIEs. Or UEYs.

61. Memorable period : ERA

68. Hill VIP : SEN

69. For hire to sire : AT STUD

70. Tibetan priest : LAMA. Tibetan's main dish is Tsampa, roasted barley flour. The accompanying drink is of course Yak butter tea. You won't survive there, D-Otto.


71. His, to Henri : SES

72. Bottom-of-the-line : CHEAPO

73. Learning experience? : EXAM. This is hard for me.

Down:

1. Part of a pickup line : CAB. Great clue.

2. Troupe for troops: Abbr. : USO

3. Bone in a cage : RIB

4. Auditorium late-comers' seating : BACK ROW

5. Yoga pose : ASANA. This refers to any pose, right, Marti, Lucina and J.D.?

6. Above Manhattan's 59th Street, say : UPTOWN

7. Ocasek of the Cars : RIC

8. Glaswegian's "Gee!" : OCH

9. Tim or Tara of Hollywood : REID. I only know Tara Reid.

10. Fall flower : ASTER

12. Goes after : ASSAILS

13. It may be rapid : TRANSIT

18. Illegal smoke, quaintly : REEFER

22. Southwest sight : MESA

23. Rice rival, briefly : SMU

24. Axe : CAN

25. Collection of literary odds and ends : ANA

26. "The Sound of Music" setting : AUSTRIA

27. Interactive party song : YMCA

31. Some lighters : BICs. Pens too.

34. "In Her Shoes" co-star : DIAZ (Cameron). In the movie, her workaholic sister has lots of expensive shoes in the closet. Shirley MacLaine is the grandma.

38. Page with views : OP-ED

39. Trace amounts : TINGES

40. Really botched up : IN A MESS. Speaking of mess, thanks for the link on "important" in CSS,  TTP. I was just fiddling with various Advanced buttons in the new Template to make the blog color and layout more like the old Template. All was fine until I decided to mess with the Header. Boom! Everything cascaded and I couldn't see. All was just blank.

41. "Not on your life!" : NO SIREE!

43. Hurdle for a jr. : PSAT

46. Lawn sign : FOR SALE

47. Roman numeral? : TRE. OK, I know it has a ? mark, but TRE is a number, not a numeral.

48. Le Tour de France time : ETE

49. Kit's home : DEN

52. Make even, to a carpenter : TRUE UP.  Marti is a Carpenter, of course.

55. Pass, but not with flying colors : GET A C. Crossing A SNAG. This is a tough area for Peter: stacked 6's connected with stacked 7's.

57. Buddy : KIDDO

59. Chris of "The Good Wife" : NOTH. The guy in black suits. Gimme for JD.  She likes the show. NOTH is Jerry Orbach's first "Law & Order" partner, if I remember correctly.


63. Flint-to-Detroit dir. : SSE

64. Depot: Abbr. : STA

65. SoCal destination : LAX

66. Marcus Welby's gp. : AMA. Marcus Welby, M.D..

67. Block : DAM. Verb!



C.C.

1) There are still tickets left for "An Evening with the Puzzle Master" tonight. Click here for details. Her is a Minnesota Daily interview with Will Shortz, editor of NY Times crossword. Please come and join us. It'll be fun.

2) Happy Birthday to dear Steve, our witty and efficient puzzle sherpa. Steve is always ready to pinch-hit whenever one of our blogging member needs help, despite his heavy traveling demands. Thanks for your time and commitment, Steve!




97 comments:

Lemonade714 said...

This week we have C.C. and Steve doing all the work, thanks guys. These are our salad days, clearly. I do like anagrams and Peter Collins' work.

FOR HIRE TO SIRE:AT STUD was really cute, ASANA and MITTEN were tricky..

Miss you Marti.

Barry G. said...

Morning, all (and Happy Birthday, Steve)!

Bit of a challenge today. Hilariously got off on the wrong foot as I tried to fit DONALD DUCK into 17A (I was thinking Scrooge McDuck, of course) and couldn't understand why it just wouldn't work.

Almost ran aground at the crossing of AURORA (never heard of it) and OCH (wanted ACH). But AURORA just looked more likely than AURARA and I finally realized that ACH is German.

Hardest part by far was down south, however. TRUE UP just didn't occur to me, I don't associate "buddy" with KIDDO (probably because I call my son KIDDO as a term of affection and a diminutive of "kid"), all I could think of for 56A was FOREST GREEN (which obviously wasn't right and didn't fit) and UIES is just bad no matter how you spell it.

The theme reveal was useless since I had no circles to see. But I finally did guess KIDDO which opened things up for me. Fortunately, I was also able to guess ZEIT solely from knowledge of the word zeitgeist, sot hat helped a lot down there.

[ysightr]

River Doc said...

Happy Thursday everybody!

Well, nit after nit kept the Ta-Da at bay today….

Personal Waterloos were the crossings of KIDDO and CHEAPO and ZEIT and DIAZ….

Could not get the middle SALAD idea to work – had the C and the A and so tried to force-fit CRAB, but the T from AUSTRIA had to be correct, so…. Ran through the alphabet a few times before the lunch bell called me back to work – turning on the red letters left me red-faced, since the TACO salad is one of my favorites….

Also, Frawnch clues usually leave me NUMB – give me Espanol any day….

Other “Ow-ies” = HUD for GSA, GET BY for GET A “C,” TCU for SMU, DEMOTE for DEMEAN, MEN for MAN (OF), and FAWN for DARK (GREEN)…. NIDDO…?

Just don’t like = KIDDO, ZEIT, and of course the infamously spelled UIES…

Auditorium late-comers seating may be the BACK ROW, but church-going late-comers sit in the front pew….

Don’t think I’ve ever heard REEFER described as quaint….

Would never have guessed that REGIS hosted “America’s Got Talent.” Interesting Side Note: There are spin-off TV shows here called “Arabs Got Talent” and “Arabian Idol.” Same background theme music, so it must be from the same production company (35A, SCI = Simon Cowell Incorporated…?)….

Finally, Happy Birthday to Steve…! Your expo perspectives are always entertaining…!

Adieu, mon amies…! Whoops, I meant to say Adios, amigos…!

HeartRx said...

Good morning C.C. et al.

Man, you sure are getting a workout this week, C.C.! Thank you so much for pinch hitting (again!).

For my fellow posters: I decided to go to bed after trying to get the puzzle for hours last night, with no luck. I got up at 4:00 AM to see if the puzzle was up yet so I could write up the blog. C.C. was already up, and working on it! That is true dedication.

Anyway, I never did get to actually work the puzzle because of all the problems. But I see that it was a beaut!

Happy birthday, Steve. You do so much for the corner, and add a wonderful sparkle and wit with your blogs!!
¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, C.C. and friends. I was so on Peter's wave length this morning. I amazed myself by even getting some of the multiple word answers such as GET A C and IN A MESS on the first pass.

Here is a may of Michigan with a hand imposed so you can see how it looks like a MITTEN.

Tim REID was on WKRP in Cincinnati.

Happy Birthday, Steve!

I won't be in New England for the Corner Gathering, but wish I could be there.

[oblempoo]

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

Abejo,
Does your iPad puzzle today have circles? Did you find out why you did not have circles the last time? Or do you use a different app than Montana & Dudley?

PK,
Are you alright?

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

Hahtoolah,
Thanks for the MITTEN. You could start a LA Corner Gathering.

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

Virginia Sycamore & other Ann Arbor readers,
Does your paper have a different puzzle today?

Martin said...

I couldn't finish yesterday's puzzle as I couldn't get THEFT, HERB, GOMEZ, LHASSAAPSO, MARC or HOSEA. I also wanted LOT for TON. I got the theme fills by myself for the third day in a row. CUNEIFORM came from the perps but I had heard of them: they started out as pictograms but later had phonetic elements that differentiated words of similar meaning but different pronunciation. This happened independently of the development of Chinese.

Today's puzzle was much harder. I got TOSSED SALAD and COBB, TUNA and EGG but I was sure CAESAR was going to be POTATO. I also wanted CUBANS for REEFER, PURSUES for ASSAILS, GET BY for GET A C, DUMB for NUMB and TEXAS for NORTE. I didn't stand a chance.

Martin said...

I also wanted BALCONY for BACK ROW. Seriously, if you arrive late at the theater and there are seats in the BACK ROW then you are lucky. I don't know why anyone would want to sit in a BALCONY when that means the actors are even farther away and they look like ants.

PK said...

C.C. & Creature, I'm fighting a virus or something. So far, virus is winning. I'm up for food & meds now and look at the puzzle to get my mind off aches. Thanks for asking. I'll be back when more coherent. Headed for bed.

Yellowrocks said...

Happy birthday, Steve. Thank you for your entertaining blogs.
Dear CC, always to the rescue of the Corner. Thank you for all you do.
PK, I am sending healing thoughts your way. Feel better soon.
This was a quick romp in the park.
With a few perps I knew it had to by AURORA. I have seen the road signs when I visit my sister in the Chicago area, but I didn't realize it was so large.
I was looking for a German time like, hour, day, month. Then I realized it was literally the German word for time. I come across ZEITGEIST frequently.
I had no circles so did not get the anagrammed salads, although I got all the theme answers.
Hand up for GET BY before GET A C. AT STUD settled that.
CC, I also thought TRE is not a numeral.
ASANA and NOTH were all perps.
I think of KIDDO as a name for an adult pal and KIDDIE for a child.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Peter Collins, for a very good puzzle. Thank you, C.C., (again) for the fine review.

Got started before my paper came so I went to cruciverb and it was there. So, I worked it on the IPad.

Other than all the TV/movie people, foreign words, and the circles I could not see, this puzzle was a cakewalk. I got it, but with some difficulty as just mentioned.

C.C.: As you can see I did not get the circles. We will see if Montana did. She says she normally gets them.

AURORA was easy for me. I live pretty close to that city. However, TTP lives even closer. Mari is not too far either. Years ago Rockford was #2 in Illinois, then came Naperville, and then Aurora. The word on the street is that by 2020 Elgin will be #2. That is real close to me.

I bounced around this puzzle and picked up a word here and there. When I did I built on those. Gradually got it.

A tried A THUMB for 58A, the Michigan peninsula. I knew it was something like that. Right hand pointing downward. After a couple letters MITTEN appeared.

Getting a lot of UIES lately, spelled various ways. I'm getting used to them.

YMCA is a great song. Lots of fun.

Wish I could go to the New England gathering. Too far. If I lived where my sister does I would. Melrose. Have fun!

Looks like Steve has a birthday? HBD. Enjoy your reviews.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(themaist)

Anonymous said...

Michiganders are really into their mitten. Whenever you are asking somebody from Michigan where they are from they always lift up one hand and point on the "mitten" where they live. I always thought Wisconsin has a mitten too (with Door County being the thumb), but I guess it never caught on.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone. C.C., good to read your comments.

Got the solve without any look-ups, but was impatient with the circles but came here to see how they were to be used.
ZEIT - gimme for German speakers. Low German Tiet. My dad would say: "Wat is de Tiet?" 'What is the time?'

Husker G - In case you missed it I answered your yesterday question @ 1112 in the evening @ 7:46.

Well, off to Saratoga; have a good day.

HeartRx said...

C.C. my iPad does have the circles. I use the full version of Stand Alone, Inc.'s "Crosswords Classic for Mac" ($9.99).

Regarding ASANA, it doesn't just refer to any position. Ideally, it is more a process of attaining a position, and remaining there for a timeless period. Of course, I am not able to do any position for very long before I finally keel over...

Avg Joe said...

Thursday level IMO. Got most of it and had all the theme answers filled, but could NOT figure out Caesar. But the others were easy enough to unscramble. Still, a DNF cuz I didn't know the movie In Her Shoes and lacked the Z in Diaz, so I guessed an N. Bzzzt.

Happy Birthday Steve. Your twisted humor is always enjoyable.

Thanks for pinch hitting again CC.

Anon at 8:12, my Mother was from Wisconsin and frequently noted its mitten shape (usually mentioning either Door County or Green Bay in the process).

Montana said...

Good morning. Happy Birthday, Steve! May you enjoy many, many more.

I do have circles in my puzzle. I use the Across Lite app which takes me to Cruciverb. Abejo, I did use the ARCHIVE link to the LA Times puzzle and I still get the circles. I usually use the 'Today's Puzzle's' link.
Cruciverb finally remembers me and it is only one click now to get the puzzle each morning.

I did the puzzle last night. I found it quite hard, but not so hard as to qualify for a "Thumper" comment. I used a lot of red letter help.

Then I thought of the circles and tried to figure out the theme. I noticed EGG and GREEK and maybe COBB, but they did not put the idea of a salad in my mind and I forgot about 62A which should have clued me in. I guess I was doing the down words, and didn't let TOSSED SALAD register in my brain.

Time to finish packing and start my journey. Four hours to city with airport today.

Montana

Argyle said...

The Chicago Tribune site LINK has the circles and you don't need AcrossLite to use it; just have to sit through a commercial.

I'm all got up on puzzles, emails and the local paper...finally! I thank you, one and all, for the good wishes. I guess I lucked out missing Monday.

Mine is a cautionary tale for anyone with diabetes and neuropathy; check your feet. I had a pointed piece of crushed stone embedded in my shoe. It worked its way through and caused a break in the skin on the bottom of my foot. I never felt it, it got infected, I never felt it. It became ulcerous and then I smelled it. Bad kind of smell.

Checked in through the ER the next day and they had me on antibiotic IV that night. Several sessions of cutting away the bad stuff and checking my blood (clear of toxins), fitted with a shoe that keeps my weight on the heel and they sent me home. No follow-up till the 24th so they must feel it's doing alright.

desper-otto said...

Sure happy it's Thursday!

I got slaughtered at the Alamo. My student managed to GET A D and was turning UEES. (Reminds me of my all-American education: from C to shining C.) CAESAR finally got TOSSED, but KIDDO never did show up. So it was a crashing, crushing DNF. I didn't notice the circles until C.C. pointed 'em out. Not sure they would have helped, anyway.

When I lived in Illinois, Rockford was the second largest city. As a result, AURORA didn't dawn on me. I almost went with DIAN / NEIT, but finally wagged DIAZ / ZEIT. Somehow, I remembered that the Munich paper is the Süddeutsch Zeitung. And at first I thought Marcus Welby's group should be SAG -- Screen Actors Guild. Oh well...

Happy Birthday, Steve.

I'm slinking off to hang my head now.

desper-otto said...

Avg Joe, as a one-time cheesehead, I feel qualified to say that Wisconsin looks like a left-facing George Washington on a bad hair day.

Argyle, Harold and I had a discussion about diabetics and foot problems not 30 minutes ago. I hope you caught it in time.

Hahtoolah said...

Argyle: so good to see you back with us again.

Husker Gary said...

DIA_/_EIT almost got me but the last stop on a trip through the alphabet gave me it to me. Dopey old me did not see the fun theme until the reveal or its intricacy until CC told us. Duh!

Musings
-Reading the RIOT ACT to an unruly class is counterproductive. Here’s why!
-Sports Divas can have BIG EGOS as long as they produce. Jordy never had one
-Our church is sending a group to ISR this fall. Would you go? Me either.
-ASST? I’m 22 with a college degree! I want $100K and a corner office!
-APR is the month you send in tax money to support those GSA scandals
-Lewis and Clark hit many A SNAG in the muddy Mo
-Our new mower will not be a CHEAPO
-EXAMs should be a learning experience not a memory test
-Why QB’s wear flak jackets to protect their RIBS
- Melodic UPTOWN
-I called a 50 year old colleague KIDDO once and she wouldn’t talk to me for a month. I had to confront her and ask her what the problem was.
-HBD Steve to a fellow Virgo with wonderful Brit wit!
-Who sits “down by the seaside SIFTing sand”
-Who was AUROA, IL’s biggest public access TV star?

desper-otto said...

Husker, Harry says that would be Marianne.

Bill G, I enjoyed the Typewriter Song you posted last night. The pre-downbeat moments were very Borge-esque.

C.C., you are correct. I'd have a tough time living in a yurt and drinking yak butter tea. The thought of it gives me the creepy-crawlies.

Dennis said...

Good morning, gang - great puzzle today; Peter's puzzles always please.

Most of my thoughts have been covered already, but as with others, I had no idea as to the theme until the end and for whatever reason, my mind blanked when trying to rearrange BOBC. Otherwise, a most enjoyable solve.

Timely cluing with ASANA: Because I was getting bored with my gym, I let a friend talk me into going to a Hot Yoga class with him this morning in the next town over. My second time visiting a Yoga studio. I have a few observations:

- In their ad, they say "warm and friendly atmosphere". "Warm" refers to the temperature of the sun, plus a little more heat added. "Friendly" evidently means "D.I.-like".

- Should you be going there with a secondary motive of enjoying the 'scenery', forget it. The sweat immediately appears, and blinds you for the duration and part of the drive home.

- The positions have no practical application. I've never been out in public, in a store or restaurant, and thought, hmmm, this'd be a good time for the 'squatting dingo' pose, or whatever the hell they were called.

- "Help in recovering from injuries"?? I felt great going in. I hurt everywhere now. I see a vicious circle developing here.

- I'm too old to be a pretzel.

A most Happy Birthday to Steve, whose blogs I always look forward to -- not just for the information, but the laughs.

Argyle, great news!

Have a great day; I'll be practicing the 'reclining bear in a coma' pose for a while.

thehondohurricane said...

Hello all,

Well, I finished it up today, unfortunately with a couple of incorrect fills. Had Zeif for 51A which gave me Free up for 52D. 60A, UIES never crossed my mind (seldom does .

We've had carpenters aplenty around here and I never heard one use the term TRUE UP. Have to admit, I didn't know what Eies was, but now I do...nothing at all.

Our printer died yesterday so I had to use the newspaper's puzzle and it had the circles. They did not mean a Damn thing to me.

In spite of my failure, I enjoyed Peter's challenge. Lots of fresh, clever cluing.

Riley will never be AT STUD. I always have mixed feelings when one of my dogs is (was) neutered. But in the long run, they should have a better life.

Steve, Happy birthday. I hope you have an enjoyable day,

Hahtoolah said...

Husker: I make several trips to Israel every year. It is much safer than the media portrays. I am probably safer in Israel than in many places in the US. In fact, I was just there last week with my family.

LaLaLinda said...

Hi All ~~

I was very perp-dependent today ~ even my starting point, the NW corner, didn't come easily. I had circles, but wouldn't have caught the theme without the unifier. After that, I still puzzled over SCAREA for way too long. Duh. But I did enjoy this! Thanks, Peter Collins, and thank you C.C. for filling in once again ~ what a busy lady!

Happy Birthday, Steve ~ I hope you have an enjoyable day! I always find your write-ups informative and amusing. :-)

Argyle ~ so good to hear from you. Glad you're on the mend.

PK ~ Hope you're soon feeling better. I always look forward to your posts.

HeartRx said...

Dennis, I loved your observations about the yoga class. I used to do Bikram (hot) yoga with my friend, and it was 10 x the workout you would get at a gym. Problem was, the studio floor was made of carpet, and that smell just never could be cleaned away. Ugh. If I ever find one that has a tile floor, I would go back in a heartbeat, though!

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

First, belated HB to Husker, and a more timely HB to Steve.

Argyle, glad you're back in your Corner!

Dennis, that was laugh out loud funny! I had to explain to the nearby diner patrons what was so amusing. Hehehe

Hondo - have you weighed in yet on the possibility of Monday's Hartford gathering?

John Sullivan said...

Husker: Is Ndamukong Suh a sport diva with a BIG EGO or is he just a jerk with a pellet gun and a dirty player?

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

Happy Birthday, Steve. Enjoy your big day.

Argyle, good to gave you back. Take good care of that foot!

Kudos to Mr. Collins for a challenging Thursday offering which, for me, was almost a Saturday level. What say you, Thumper? Yes, I agree!

I had the circles using my iPad but, then again, I always do.

Last today of the 3 H's, thank goodness. Yesterday was 93 with a dew point of 77, making it feel like well over 100! I'm ready for the fleecies and flannels!

Have a great day.

Irish Miss said...

That was supposed to read "Last day of the 3 H's.......

Sorry, I forgot to thank our indefatigable CC for pinch-hitting, yet again. You deserve a vacation!

Also, PK, I hope you feel better soon.

Dudley said...

What Irish said. Yesterday's HHH was miserable!

Bill G - enjoyed The Typewriter. That's a good one for hamming it up, and that guy didn't miss!

GarlicGal said...

GE-TAC? GET-AC? G-ETAC??? WTH. Ohhhh. GET-A-C! Diabolical. It also took me a while to see the TACO" salad. Had no idea REGIS was a host of AGT. But then again, we don't watch any of the TV competitions.

Thanks Peter Collins for a head scratching Thursday puzzle. Only clunky entry, IMO, unawed. Go ahead, try to use that in sentence...hehehe

Think I'll have a Wedge Salad for lunch in honor of today's theme!



Bill G. said...

Rather than read the puzzle analysis, all of the posts and then write WEES, I thought I'd jump right in with a tabula rasa.

I did the puzzle last night on the Mensa site. It seemed hard to me and I couldn't figure out the theme until I came across the clue to 62A with something about circled letters. Since there were no circled letters on the Mensa puzzle, I stumbled over to Cruciverb and found them. It still didn't make any sense at first until it all percolated for a few minutes. Then the light bulb went on. That was very satisfying.

(I can't imagine anyone figuring out the theme without knowing about the circled letters. Did any of you manage that?)

Here are two fun links. First, Irish Miss, Creature and Marti's favorite, Animal Tracks.

Then, a truly amazing automaton, The Little Writer.

Yellowrocks said...

Hopefully the brief thunder shower we just experienced will break the back of three days of HHH and bring cooler weather.

STORM AND SUNLIGHT by Siegfried Sassoon (1918)

In barns we crouch, and under stacks of straw,
Harking the storm that rides a hurtling legion
Up the arched sky, and speeds quick heels of panic
With growling thunder loosed in fork and clap
That echoes crashing thro’ the slumbrous vault.
The whispering woodlands darken: vulture Gloom
Stoops, menacing the skeltering flocks of Light,
Where the gaunt shepherd shakes his gleaming staff
And foots with angry tidings down the slope.
Drip, drip; the rain steals in through soaking thatch
By cob-webbed rafters to the dusty floor.
Drums shatter in the tumult; wrathful Chaos
Points pealing din to the zenith, then resolves
Terror in wonderment with rich collapse.

Now from drenched eaves a swallow darts to skim
The crystal stillness of an air unveiled
To tremulous blue. Raise your bowed heads, and let
Your horns adore the sky, ye patient kine!
Haste, flashing brooks! Small, chuckling rills, rejoice!
Be open-eyed for Heaven, ye pools of peace!
Shine, rain-bow hills! Dream on, fair glimpsèd vale
In haze of drifting gold! And all sweet birds,
Sing out your raptures to the radiant leaves!
And ye, close huddling Men, come forth to stand
A moment simple in the gaze of God
That sweeps along your pastures! Breathe his might!
Lift your blind faces to be filled with day,
And share his benediction with the flowers.

Lucina said...

Hello, friends! Thank you so much, C.C., for your yoeman duty. It's been a rough week for you. I hope you can get some rest along the way.

Happy, happy birthday, Steve! I hope you have special plans for today.

Whoopee! Since eating food is one of my favorite activities, I loved this puzzle and caught the theme on TOSSED SALAD. Going back to check, the various SALADS were apparent.

AURORA is familiar to me because that is my middle name and I notice it on maps. Does that mean I have a BIG EGO? Oops.

In the SW I hit A SNAG for a while and I had to try several fill before finding a good fit. Finally, it all came together.

The same with TRUE UP/UIES, LINE UP seemed right but no, then I remembered one of my friends calls me KIDDO and bingo! Done.

Dennis, Bikram Yoga is not recommended for beginners. If you're really serious, try gentle yoga to learn the poses then progress forward.

Have a really special Thursday, everyone!

Dennis said...

Lucina, now you tell me! No wonder my friend was smiling when I was attempting some of the positions, such as the 'crippled yak'.

Marti, this place had no carpeting anywhere. They even advertise "no sweaty smells". That was before I got there, of course. I left a small pond on their floor.

PK, hope you're feeling better; there's some nasty stuff going around down here too.

Anonymous said...

I really like the American Mensa site, (no commercials,easy to navigate), but I get very frustrated when puzzles have circles and mine doesn't. Puzzle was fun but I had no chance of figuring out the gimmick.Now that I see how clever it is,I kinda feel cheated that I had to come here to see it. Why aren't there circles? Surely a group called American Mensa should be able to master the technology necessary to have the puzzle appear as the constructor intended?

TTP said...


Another restless night and another toughie. Did the top half after waking up around 3:00 AM. Then slept late and my mojo was nogo until giving in to a cup of coffee. I felt the south was substantially tougher than the north. But after changing SORTED to SIFTED and A THUMB to MITTEN, I got back on track.

Enjoyed seeing EX and LAX intersecting in the southeast corner after D-O's query yesterday.

Thank you Peter Collins and thank you CC.

And Happy Birthday Steve !

Dennis, you are too funny. MY D.I. was about as friendly as a prickly pear cactus, but that was ok. I wasn't looking for friends. I never got yelled out much, as I gave them no reason to, and it probably didn't hurt that I had the same last name as the C.O. At any rate, if I decide on Yoga one day, it won't be that type.

Argyle, I'm glad you got that taken care of quickly. Maybe time to put a mirror on the floor in an out of the way area ?

Bill G, no circles for me. Got the theme reveal easily enough, but didn't bother to try figuring out the others as I was running way late this AM.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

The circles were in the FREEP, so that helped. I was eating TUNA SALAD for lunch as I worked it, but that didn't help.

I think this was a puzzle made for constructors - very strong technically.

But, as a solver, I am UNAWED - too much French, plus a smattering of Spanish and German; really weird spelling of UIES. Plus, anagram themes do very little for me.

What is ANA?

Anon @ 8:12 is exactly right about the MITTEN. NORTE from Detroit is the thumb, with Port Austin at the tip. Mackinaw City is the tip of the middle finger, appropriately pointed right at St. Ignace.

We really do use our hand as a portable map of the L.P. The gap between the little and ring fingers is Grand Traverse Bay, and the tip of the little finger is the Leelanau Penninsula - a great place for fall color, and home to some fine wineries.

I guess the assimilation of this Ohioan is complete. Oh, my.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Jazzbumpa said...

And HBD, Steve!

Cheers!
JzB

Husker Gary said...

-After 5 minutes on the Internet and 82⊄ worth of nuts and bolts, I just fixed the recoil starter on our mower. Can I get another 11 years?
-Spitz, I did read your post last night. I was trying to figure out if an ENSIGN’s equivalent is an Army equivalent of a noncom corporal/sergeant or a second looie.
-Otto, yup, Marianne spend “all day, all night” SIFTing sand down by the seaside
-Dennis, loved your take on yoga
-Hahtoolah, that is great to hear about ISR but it just seems the stakes are higher than ever right now. Thanks!
-John, Suh was a model player/citizen here at UNL and donated millions back to the school. He was a man among boys then and now seems to get frustrated when everyone is about as fast and strong as he is.
-Garlic, How ‘bout, “Dorothy was UNAWED when Toto pulled back the curtain”
-PK, get better. That’s an order! ;-)

TTP said...

Oops, that should have been, "... never got yelled at or called out much, as I gave..."

"EXAMs should be a learning experience not a memory test", said the resident proctologist to the interns.

OK, so I am sure there is a more witty comment than that. D-O ? Anyone ?

"Who was AUROA, IL’s biggest public access TV star?" Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar ?

Irish Miss said...

Bill G @ 11:50 - As usual, Animal Tracks brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart. Especially enjoy the Pandas and seeing the various "youngsters" next to their enormous parents.

The Little Writer is astonishing. All I could think of while watching it is the sadness I feel when I hear that, in some schools, cursive writing will no longer be taught.

Thanks, Bill.

Anonymous said...

I got the theme today which helped get the theme answers, but it was a DNF for me. The Northeast and the Mid-south were beyond me. Since I am a former Michigander, I know about using my hand as a map of the L.P. My few years of French helped, too. Glad to make use of my education.

Thanks, Peter Collins, for the challenge. Thanks, C.C., for pinch-hitting again.

Anonymous T--I have had my Escape Hybrid for 3 1/2 years. No problems. I'm happy with it. I love the gas mileage: 32-33 mpg in warm weather; 25-26 mpg in cold weather. When I fill the tank I have to drive through a small village for a couple miles. I can keep it in electric motor and get the mileage up to the max--102.1! As soon as I hit the gas, it drops quickly.

The cold front is supposed to move through this afternoon. Yeah!

Have a good day.

Pat

john28man said...

Thank you CC for doing extra duty.

I lived in and around Chicago until about 40 years ago and I didn't know AURORA was so large. I even at one time in my career worked on the design of a Dial Soap plant for which Aurora was a possible site. It wound up in the next town South.

I too had trouble with the deep South, so I don't feell so bad since my peers on the site did too.

Tinbeni said...

C.C. Another great job 'Pinch-Hitting' again. That gives me an idea ...

Happy Birthday Steve. How appropriate that today we had a foodie theme.

My fave today was REEFER. hmmm, that gives me another idea ...
Cheers!!!

Steve said...

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! I'm starting another orbit and still one day behind Husker Gary!

Misty said...

C.C.: our hero, once again--thank you! Peter, fun Thursday puzzle with all those clever circle salads. I got stuck only on the NE corner, even though I had REGIS and SOLO--not SOLI. It was DEMOTE rather than DEMEAN that caused most of the trouble, I think. Still a lot of fun, and I'm thankful because the rest of the day is going to be stressful and tough (caregiver problems, lunch company, etc. etc.).

Happy Birthday, Steve.

Dennis and Garlic Gal--finally saw "Newsroom" last night--boy is that place having problems. Can't wait to see the finale.

Have a great day, everybody (including me, I hope).

Husker Gary said...

-Yes, TTP, Wayne and Garth were Aurora’s public access hits. But even more unlikely are the girls they wound up with!. As if! No way! Way! No Way!
-Irish, I was led to that cursive water trough, but I definitely did not drink. Now that kids are using computers with spell and syntax check, I can at least read their drivel faster and they can edit it faster.
-Birkam Yoga Poses. Ouch!

Ol' Man Keith said...

The perps weren't working for me in the NE corner today. Like DD and Misty, I had DEMOTE long before DEMEAN, which kept me from trusting BAT, ISR, or TRANSIT. I couldn't finish finally w/o peeking at BIG EGOS to re-set the fatal corner for me.

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Thanks for swell puzzle, Peter, and another great review, CC!

Scratched my head at KIDDO. No circles and cruciverb would not cooperate. Bummer.

Happy birthday to you, Steve!

Friend took me go Costco yesterday. Spent an inordinate amount as I hadn't been there is ages (and neither had Harvey, whose blood pressure seems to get no better).

Found something great there--a gluten-free pizza. Russian dolled it up with toppings (it only had cheese). Hadn't had a pizza in maybe 10 years.

The Newsroom is one of my favorites and I surely will miss it. However, we get Homeland again in two weeks!

Cheers!

Lucina said...

HG:
Most yoga practitioners try to master all those poses.

Argyle:
I'm so pleased to see you back and know that you are on the mend. I know too many diabetics who have lost a foot or an entire leg so, please, do take care.

Ol' Man Keith said...

Argyle,

GREAT news about saving your foot. As a fellow diabetic I know how dangerous it can be to have one of those sneaky injuries working away on a foot. Last year, after a nasty neuropathy flareup, I found myself with ulcerations at just about every angle of my body--from elbows to heels. They finally receded except for a chunk out of my left heel.

Thank goodness for our local wound care center. I underwent hyperbaric chamber treatments every day all summer long until my heel filled in and closed up again. I didn't think it would happen, but it did. Our docs can do amazing things these days.

Good luck to you on your followup on the 24th!

Yellowrocks said...

I am a little confused by "Thumper." I thought it meant "if you can't say anything good, don't say anything." In my mind it would apply to MEH clues, ones that were real stretches, or grossly unfair. It seems that some dub a difficult puzzle or one that they DNF as a Thumper. If a puzzle is particularly difficult and I do not finish, I can still rate it a great puzzle if it seems fair. Usually something I missed is picked up by others, so it must have been okay, or at least doable. I count it as a learning experience for me. There are very few puzzles with real groaners or really, really twisted themes. Those would be my Thumpers.

Vidwan827 said...

Argyle, so happy to find out you are feeling better and on the mend. At our age, we should be grateful for little favors. Take care of your health. My mother had borderline diabetes, but the neuropathy was extensive. It is something I always remind myself of, though I don't have diab. yet.

Happy Birthday, Steve, the foodie king, and many, many more. We Virgos seem to be a creative bunch.

Cc thank you for your nice blog. Peter Collins, thank you for a wonderful puzzle - really, really enjoyed it.

Thank you Bill. G. For a the Animal tracks, which I very much love to look at .... And also for that clock worker's automaton - the writing boy doll.. Is it powered by electricity - which probably wasn't invented at that time, or is it manually turned, and the energy stored in a mainspring, like a windup clock. ?

The puzzle had an awful lot of names, and many foreign languages, so hence it was a challenge...... But I somehow managed, also I never saw any of the circles, though the clues said they were there, but that did not detract me from enjoying the puzzle.

I knew the words "tossed salad". were correct.

Have a nice day, you all.

Vidwan827 said...

Thank you YellowRocks for your lovely and evocative poems, and your always intelligent and thoughtful posts. I don't often get a chance to say, how much I enjoy them.

I agree with your comments about Thumper, as above.

PK, I hope you feel better. Take care of your health.

Good wishes to all.

Bill G. said...

D-O, it hadn't occurred to me but I completely agree with you about the pre-downbeat part of The Typewriter.

Irish Miss, I'm glad you liked Animal Tracks. :>) I agree with you about cursive. I'd hate to see it go.

Happy birthday Steve. I appreciate your regular contributions.

Some Bach for your enjoyment.

A man is in bed with his wife when there is a rat-a-tat-tat on the door. He rolls over and looks at his clock, and it’s half past three in the morning.

He drags himself out of bed and goes downstairs. He opens the door and there is a man standing at the door. It didn’t take the homeowner long to realize the man was drunk.

“Hi there,” slurs the stranger. “Can you give me a push??” The homeowner slams the door. He goes back up to bed. She says, “Dave, that wasn’t very nice of you. Remember that night we broke down in the pouring rain on the way to pick the kids up from the baby sitter and you had to knock on that man’s house to get help to get us started again?

“But the guy was drunk,” says the husband.

“It doesn’t matter,” says the wife. “It would be the right thing to help him.” So the husband gets out of bed again, gets dressed and goes downstairs. He opens the door and shouts, “Hey, do you still want a push??” And he hears a voice cry out, “Yeah, please.”
He says, “Where are you?” And the stranger replies, “I’m over here... on your swing.”

Irish Miss said...

HG @1:30 - I have nothing against computers or even printing instead of cursive, but I feel not learning cursive is a disadvantage. If one can't write cursive, how can one read it? To me, that is sad.

Similarly, so many young people never learned to tell time other than by the digital clock. Someone mentioned just the other day that she said ten to five (or ten till five) and the other party didn't know what she meant. Oh, 4:50! And I doubt that the majority of younger cashiers would be able to give you the correct change without the cash register display.

I am not picking on young people; I am just lamenting some of the changes in teaching and learning that I see as not for the better. This, of course, is just my own opinion.

HeartRx said...

Bill G., you knew you'd get me with those animal tracks. I don't know which I liked better - the baby panda or the charming little cheetah...

But the automaton was amazing!

JazzB, I cracked up at your comment about Mackinaw pointing at St. Ignace...

PK, get better soon!

Yellowrocks said...

I reserved The Good Lord Bird at the library and received it on Monday. It got rave reviews here at the Corner and on the Internet. Amazon readers rated it 5s and 4s, with only one three, nothing lower. I have read so much about the Civil War, John Brown, Bleeding Kansas and the Border Wars that I was sure it was right up my alley.
Now I feel like the odd man(woman) out. I usually read a book that size in 2 days. After three days I had read only 2 chapters and had to force myself to keep reading. I quit and returned the book. It include too many of John Brown's rambling, incoherent sayings, which totally turned me off. I never got to the meat of the story.
Does it finally move along faster? I have read that the older you get the less time you should waste in letting a book get interesting.

Tinbeni said...

YR
Sounds "to me" that "for you" THAT book was a Thumper ...

("One man's trash is another man's treasure").

JMHO ... your mileage may vary.

CrossEyedDave said...

OMG Bill G! that automaton was amazing! (I may not post for a few days as I keep pressing the Previous & next buttons on that website...)

The puzzle? One of the most enjoyable DNFs' I have had in a long while. (No, I am not maturing,,, I am just getting older...) It just took a year & a half of LAT puzzles to realize that late week puzzles can be fun. While I don't care for "kiddo," It was the clue, not the answer that bugged me. (I spent all afternoon trying to find a better clue, without success...)

37A Riot Act had me totally perplexed. I just did not see it. The clue was "reading in an unruly class," & the answer to me was "Rio Tact." (hmm, Brazil knows something we don't know?!?!?) I was so flummoxed that this was the only salad I forgot to even look for...

HBD Steve!

48 Names for Things You Didn't Know Had Names.

Pookie said...

Happy birthday to YOU, Steve!
Hope it's fun.
DNF today. Big slog for me.
Goes after: pursues...follows?
Take down a few pegs: debase? demote?
Totally messed up CHEAPO.
Had GET A "D"
Chris NOTt
Changed STA to STn (we've had both)
That gave me DTENPO. Aaack!
Still don't agree with SOLI
North of Mexico GIVES you the answer, could have been Texas?
CAB is part of a pickup...period, not a pickup line.
Totally not in awe of UNAWED.
I wish we could get a difinitive spelling for the dreaded UEY.
And for that matter AAH or AHH???
Hatoolah I love your Maxfield Parrish avatar!!
YR: This wasn't a Thumper for me it was a
YOSEMITE SAM
(credit CED for the clip)

Pookie said...

CED That was a BIG mistake posting that video... now constructors are going to start using those obscure words in their puzzles.
Nice goin', KIDDO ^o^

Anonymous said...

At the airport or after concert cabs wait in a pick up line.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Steve. I hope it's been a great day.

Bill G.--thanks for the "The Typewriter" link. I love Leroy Anderson's works.

fermatprime--I just enjoyed a gluten-free lasagna! Nice to have pasta once in a while.

Argyle--glad to hear that you're on the mend. Hope it continues to get better.

Good evening

Pat

Pookie said...

ANON @ 3:59
Thanks, I didn't think of it that way!
I couldn't figure out why C.C. thought it was a great clue. Duh.

Bill G great joke! Told yours from yesterday to B and SIL. They loved it!
"Alcohol and calculus don't mix,so
Don't drink and derive."

And "ALCOHOL! Because no great joke ever started with someone eating a SALAD!"

Avg Joe said...

Thanks for that explanation, Anon at 3:59. I accepted the answer, but was thinking: "OK, hood and fenders (aka front clip) cab, box. Fine. That's a line, but it's weak. Not once did a line cabs come to mind. Of course it didn't help that I'd started with "Can" as in "Can I buy you a drink?" Or less politely "Can I get you under the sheets?" as the start of a pickup line.

PS, glad to hear you are on the mend Argyle. Scary episode! Take care of yourself. You too, PK.

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, I was very late in getting yesterday's puzzle finished, but I did get it all on my own. Today's puzzle was a different story. Too many unknowns for me--German, French, Yoga, etc. I always learn something, though, when I have to go to the blog and get my answers.

Thanks C.C. for helping out ME and Marti today.

Happy Birthday, Steve, and many, many more.

I've been extremely busy with meetings almost everyday this week and we leave tomorrow for four days down south for our grandson's wedding.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I'll catch up when we return.

Chickie said...

Argyle--Great news. Now make sure you follow Dr.'s orders!

Manac said...

Managed to finish today in spite of the names and foreign words.
I knew Diaz which filled in zeit.

I could only think of THIS for pick up line ( couldn't find one in a Home Depot thou ).

Pas, I have a better rant than Yosemite but I usually save it for Bill's math puzzles

Thunder boomers shaking the house real good right now. Quite the light show.

Avg Joe said...

The news of flooding out of Boulder and the Denver area keeps building. Are there any followers of this blog that live there that can shed any light on the matter?

Ol' Man Keith said...

Yellowrocks @ 3:02,

I read THE GOOD LORD BIRD (two books ago) and cannot say I found it all that rewarding. I too have had an immersion in John Brown lore. I found McBride's view interesting for filling in some things from a black narrator's (and black novelist's) perspective. I think it brought in a breath of fresh air by helping readers to understand how few slaves were really eager to join another white man's revolution.
Occasionally I enjoyed the rolling lingo, part authentic and part invention, but often felt it was repetitious padding. There is also a feeling of repetition in the descriptions of battles. McBride is scrupulous in tracing the historic conflicts, but they seem very much alike.

My favorite parts come later--especially with his treatment of Frederick Douglass.

- Kf

PS. If you, or anyone, would like a more sympathetic (and probably more accurate) treatment of Douglass, try Colum McCann's TRANSATLANTIC.

Manac said...

Pats vs Jets in Foxborough tonight.
This could get interesting...

CrossEyedDave said...

I remember posting salads in response to a crossword about a year ago, & I pretty much covered the subject at the time. But there was one thing that stood out:

Public Service Msg...

If you want to go green...

Spitzboov said...

Happy Birthday, Steve.

Husker Gary - this DOD Link shows rank equivalence.

TTP said...

Avg Joe,

My devout friend at work sent an email earlier today said that his ark was coming along fine, but that he was having trouble getting all of the creatures two by two...

It must be significant.

Lucina said...

TTP:
How are you doing with your passport?

Avg Joe said...

Thanks TTP. I talked to my sister in Westminstern a little bit ago. That bridge that washed out is only 4 miles from them, but she said so far it's been around their edges. The big concern now is in Big Thompson canyon, cuz they've had over 10" of rain over the last 24 hours. That equal to a normal year. But at least that's north of the metro, so the worst might be over for Denver. Lets hope, and if any of our readers are in the area, I hope you stay safe.

Anonymous T said...

How You Doin'?

Thanks for that Manac! And Bill G for writer, pas for YS rant. Argyle, glad to see you up and at 'em again. And HB to Steve!

C.C. you've been doing double-duty this week and even treated us with a Monday NYT.

Now, Mr. Collins.... I've got some cartoon cussin' (Grawlix) to share with you on this fantastic puzzle. I got 99% of it with only 1 Google in the NE (which is a blob of ink now).

WEES +
21a Humble
56 DeerGREEN
Z at 51 was the last to fall (and I put that because I ran out of alphabet!)

I didn't steal minutes at the office today and that made the puzzle more pleasurable (even with the frustration) as I sipped my evening beer and sussed it out.

1a, 37a, and 67d all tied for fav non-theme c/a pairs. I would put 13d, but that took way to long with too many write-overs (even after TRANSIT came to mind SOLo didn't want to change).

I was going to post a Venus Flytrap video, but the best I found (teaching the atom) I think was posted here a few months back.

CED - I'm suddently very hungry for a lettuce wrap :-)

Cheers, -T

Anonymous said...

While you all are looking at the map to see the Michigan mitten, look at Louisiana and see the boots (because his feet are in the water...the gulf), Arkansas for the legs, Missouri for the hip area, Iowa for the torso and Minnesota (with a cap because it`s cold) as the head of the guy with the mitten (Michigan.) Most students can remember this lineup of states when they can remember no others.

TTP said...

My dear Lucina !

I, TTP, am the ex Houstonite toiling away in Chicago.

Anonymous T is the ex Chicagoan (or Illini) toiling away in Houston.

Bill G. said...

I just learned some word meanings that were fun. Dunno if I will remember them though.

Crapulous - really crappy feeling
Grawlix - string of symbols to indicate cussing
Contronym - a word that can be its own antonym such as; Weather - to wear away or erode or weather as in to safely come through a storm; Seed - to add seed to your lawn or to remove seeds from a pomegranate; Left - remaining or departed

Manac said...

I said the game could get interesting.

Anonymous T said...

Bill G.

I knew Aglet, Contronym, Palindrome, and a few others. I've heard Grawlix before, but can never recall it when I need it. I intend to use it at least 3 times tomorrow (if only in my head) to get it to sink in.

Speaking of... i palendrone i from TMBG on Letterman when Paul had hair! HG - pay attention to the title of the album :-). Cheers, -T

PK said...

AvgJoe, my brother in Longmont, CO, just told me they had 8", still raining. Their new house is okay yet, but their old neighborhood had to be evacuated. Their church where he is a minister is set up as an evac center. I lived in Gunnison, CO the summer Big Thompson had flash flood that killed many. Scary!

Happy Birthday, Steve! You are an asset to the blog.

Thanks for the get well messages. Helped lift my spirits. Really weak, just want to sleep. Up for meds again & messages.

Lemonade714 said...

Argyle and PK continue healing

Bill G. said...

Hear, hear.

Yes, yes.

Heal, heal.

Be well!

PK, best wishes for your brother and his neighbors. I like rain but that looks crazy!

Anonymous T said...

Keith:

From the what-your-daughter-doesn't-tell-you file...

I just got off of Puzzle Talk w/ MIL. She told me that my daughter was worried about the dry read (is that really the right term?) and was afraid. I didn't know this when I shared your stage prep story with her. I know it helped.

So, thanks for sharing. Even from CA you helped a budding actress...

TTP - you can't make me go back; I won't sign on to the trade deal :-). I do miss having 4 seasons, but a Christmas visit with family is all the snow I want to see.

Cheers -T

Blue Iris said...

Get well soon, PK!

Argyle, glad you came thru surgery and hoping you heal soon.

HBDY, HG and Steve! Your combined musing and amusing comments keep me returning to the blog.

Wisconsin travel commercial is really cute. I've grown to appreciate Kansas over the years. No big tourist attractions here, but I can travel in any direction and be half way there. Plus while I'm home, there is something to be said for feeling safe.

I'm still struggling with painful Achilles tendon. Doctor says it's not healing because I have degenerative arthritis in my foot. I'm going to start singing the song, "Gloom, despair and agony on me..." LOL

Bill G. said...

Blue Iris, here's my Achilles tendon experience. I first injured it stepping in a small gopher hole on the local elementary school playground playing a pickup game of soccer. With my continued activities including jogging, basketball, soccer, softball, etc., it stayed sore. I went to the doctor several times, got orthotics, took anti-inflammatories, got cortizone shots, etc. It never got well. I ran the LA Marathon one year which didn't help. I had minor surgery where the doctor smoothed off the point of my heel bone. It helped a little. Finally, running between second base and third on a hit in a softball game, it let go completely. I thought I'd been shot in the heel. I went to the local sports surgeons, the Jobe-Kerlan clinic (where they invented Tommy John surgery for pitcher's elbows). They reattached the achilles tendon to my heel. Then recovery, physical therapy, etc. Afterwards, I was better than new.

So what's my advice to you? Dunno. Nothing I did before the surgery solved the problem. I'd say take lots of anti-inflammatories and live with it as best you can. Good luck from me for sure. (Let me know if you want training advice for a marathon.) :>)

Lucina said...

TTP:
I'm so sorry; there are so many Ts to remember!

AnonymousT:
How are you doing with your passport problem?

Anonymous T said...

Lucina - I called the State Dept. and they told me my options. It seems if I wait for an "emergency" (e.g. I gotta fly in 3 days!), they will get it done quickly. Otherwise, mail it in and wait 2-3 weeks. I'll let those above my pay-grade make the decision :-). We don't even know yet if I will get that gig.

PK - So sorry to hear you're not well. Keep heeling along with Argyle and now Blue Iris (the Agony of da' Feet?).

Bill G - Marathons? The last time I ran more than a few blocks (chasing kids on bikes), was in the Army. I'd rather cycle (it wasn't an option at boot camp.)

Cheers, -T

Ol' Man Keith said...

Anonymous T,

A "dry reading" might be a local version of a "cold reading," a term heard frequently. But a cold reading means reading aloud some material that hasn't been seen in advance. If the cast knows the script ahead of time and has a chance to look over it individually, we just call that a "read-through."
The rehearsal period for a play going into production usually starts with a "first read-through."
I'm v. glad my info helped.