Hello Cornerites!
sumdaze here. Today we have a fun Monday puzzle from constructor David Tuffs. David is a student at University of California, Santa Cruz, where he has been busy with finals.
David started constructing CWs during covid to keep from being bored. I reached out to him and asked what he thought might be a good title for today's puzzle. I liked how he incorporated some crosswordese into his response -- which is now our theme:
Scaredy Cats, et al
The last word of each of the 4 themers is something many pets fear. David certainly knows what my dog dislikes. I thought that anyone who is this Spot on about pets must have one of his own so I asked David to share a pic.
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| David's dog Penelope 7 yr old English Springer Spaniel Ahhhhhhh! Super cute! |
Let's look more closely at the 4 themers:
17. Across* Post-workout relaxation spot: STEAM BATH.
23. Across* Experienced pro: SEASONED VET. A SEASONED VETeran is someone with years of experience.
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| This dog is about to change his opinion on VETs. |
33. Across* 1990 action film with cameos by famous NASCAR drivers: DAYS OF THUNDER. I read that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman met on the set of this movie then got married 6 months later.
44. Across* Absence of clear leadership: POWER VACUUM.
Cambridge Dictionary: a condition that exists when someone has lost control of something and no one has replaced them.
a cats & robot VACUUM video...naturally!
Then the reveal:
55. Across. Irritating behaviors, and what the ends of the answers to the starred clues may be?: PET PEEVES. I am pretty sure Cornerites well know the meaning of this term. 😘
(Oh, David Tuffs, your puzzle has opened the door to so many clever quips in the Comments section!)
While most solvers have their own PET PEEVES, the PEEVES in this puzzle, i.e., BATHs, going to the VET, THUNDER storms, and VACUUM cleaners, belong to household PETs.
Let's fetch the rest of the clues:
Across:
1. Touchdown signalers: REFS.
5. Similar (to): AKIN. Analogous, related, comparable, equivalent, and similar are all words akin to AKIN.
9. Short golf strokes: PUTTS. CSO to Husker Gary!
9. Short golf strokes: PUTTS. CSO to Husker Gary!
14. Hotel corridor word in red: EXIT.
15. Not worth discussing: MOOT. difference between MOOT and mute
16. "None for me": I PASS.
19. Lone Star State resident: TEXAN. CSO to our TEXAN Cornerites!
20. Enchilada wrap: TORTILLA. Also, the first word in the title of an early John Steinbeck novel, Tortilla Flats (1935). goodreads link
21. Trig ratio: SINE. Today's math lesson #1
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| Questions? See me after class. |
22. Slick: SLY.
27. "New Girl" girl: JESS. I have seen the TV show New Girl but I could not remember if the main character's name was Tess or JESS. Perps helped.
27. "New Girl" girl: JESS. I have seen the TV show New Girl but I could not remember if the main character's name was Tess or JESS. Perps helped.
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| Zooey Deschanel (center) played cute & quirky Jess in New Girl (2011-2018) |
28. Tiny bit: TAD. and 7 Down. Tiny bits: IOTAS.
29. Abbr. on NYC maps: AVE. Park Ave. (?)
30. Feb. follower: MAR. Points for an alliterative calendar clue!
31. Sound after a gut punch: OOF. This is going to be my new word whenever friends text about a difficult day and I want them to know I empathize.
exclamation
- expressing discomfort, as from sudden exertion or a blow to one's body.
- interjection
- an exclamation used to sympathize with someone else's pain or dismay, or to express one's own.
This "OOF" song goes on for 3:12 minutes. OOF!
32. Brainchild: IDEA.
37. Pea holders: PODS.
I eat my peas with honey.
I've done it all my life.
You might think it's funny.
But it sticks them to my knife!
(children's rhyme)
38. "__ Misérables": LES.
38. "__ Misérables": LES.
"One Day More" Les Mis 10th Anniversary Concert
London's Royal Albert Hall (1995)
39. Balloon filler: AIR. Neither "clown" nor "helium" fit.
40. Poem of praise: ODE.
41. Drill insert: BIT.
40. Poem of praise: ODE.
41. Drill insert: BIT.
16.27 min. of BIT bliss for all the Makers out there!
42. Plumber's challenge: CLOG.
47. Sixth sense letters: ESP. ExtraSensory Perception
Bill Murray's ESP scene in Ghostbusters (1984)
50. Sunburn balm: ALOE. Seeing "ALOE" in CWs always makes me think of my grandfather. Do you remember the dad with his Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)? My grandfather was like that with his ALOE plant. Here's a 30 sec. clip:
51. Protect with plastic coating, as an ID card: LAMINATE. This is one of the two 8-letter fills. There are also two 9-letter fills. Nice work for a Monday puzzle, David!
53. __-card stud: poker variety: SEVEN. 13 Poker variations
56. Upright: ERECT. Can you hear the difference between an upright and a grand piano? Answer is at 5:13.
57. Traditional Indian wedding dress: SARI. Indian brides avoid wearing white because it is a symbol of mourning.
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| So gorgeous! |
58. Ravioli option: MEAT.
59. Fail to make use of: WASTE. Waste not, want not.
60. Remove wrinkles from: IRON. Remember in the 1980s when crimp IRONs were used to add wrinkles to hair?
59. Fail to make use of: WASTE. Waste not, want not.
60. Remove wrinkles from: IRON. Remember in the 1980s when crimp IRONs were used to add wrinkles to hair?
61. Norway's capital: OSLO.
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| Me (center), teaching a roping clinic outside of Oslo, Norway in 2003. |
Down:
1. Puts one's feet up: RESTS. I first had "relax" but perps changed it. Looking at it now, I see that the verb form in the clue would have called for "relaxes". I'm learning!
2. Praise highly: EXTOL.
3. Passionate: FIERY.
4. ER doc's "Now!": STAT. Used as a directive to medical personnel during an emergency situation; is from the Latin word statim, which means “instantly” or “immediately.”
1. Puts one's feet up: RESTS. I first had "relax" but perps changed it. Looking at it now, I see that the verb form in the clue would have called for "relaxes". I'm learning!
2. Praise highly: EXTOL.
3. Passionate: FIERY.
4. ER doc's "Now!": STAT. Used as a directive to medical personnel during an emergency situation; is from the Latin word statim, which means “instantly” or “immediately.”
5. Walks along: AMBLES.
6. Fluffy-eared marsupials: KOALAS. I took this pic at the Taronga Zoo in Australia in 2009. There was a nearby sign which read, "Not drunk, just digesting." #Aussie humor
8. To the __ degree: NTH. Today's math lesson #2:
Basically, the nth term is a mathematical expression that enables us to find the value of any term in a sequence. The 'n' stands for the term number. So if I have 5+n and if n=1 then it would be 5+1 = 6. Likewise, if n=2, it would be 5+2=7. And so on. Since there are an infinite amount of values we can give to n, the sequence can go on to infinity. That idea of "going to infinity" has given us the idiom "nth degree", meaning "as much as possible" or "extremely".
9. Felt sorry for: PITIED.
10. Topple: UPEND. Anyone else have "upset" before UPEND? (I'll try not to be upset if I'm the only one.)
11. IRS auditor's target: TAX EVADER.
12. Airport safety gp.: TSA. Transportation Security Administration
13. Govt.-issued ID: SSN. Social Security Number
Prior to June 2011, the first 3 digits of SSNs were assigned according to US States. You can look up yours here.
18. Penny pinchers: MISERS.
18. Penny pinchers: MISERS.
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| "The Miser" Jan Steen (oil on panel, between 1641 and 1679) |
21. Utter fiasco: SNAFU. The first known use of SNAFU was in 1941. Other words from 1941 include area code, bad-mouth, centerfold, Freudian slip, gung ho, long johns, optimize, ready room, thunder egg, and yikes. see more words
24. Texter's "however": OTOH. On The Other Hand
25. "Be it __ so humble ... ": EVER. There's no place like home.
26. Brewed beverage that may be hot or iced: TEA. Hot herbed for me, please.
27. Blue birds: JAYS. I love the blue JAYS that visit my yard. Sometimes they cause trouble, digging through my flower pots. I forgive them because I enjoy their antics and they help keep the more troublesome bugs under control.
30. Caused a disturbance: MADE WAVES. Katsushika Hokusai's Under the Wave off Kanagawa (also called The Great Wave) is an iconic example of Japanese art. I guess you can say he "MADE WAVES". more info
30. Caused a disturbance: MADE WAVES. Katsushika Hokusai's Under the Wave off Kanagawa (also called The Great Wave) is an iconic example of Japanese art. I guess you can say he "MADE WAVES". more info
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| woodblock print (1831) |
31. Tense NFL periods: OTS. Over TimeS
32. Quaint "Gotcha": I DIG.
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| not a PET PEEVE for a dog |
33. Extinct bird: DODO.
34. Greek salad ingredient: OLIVE. (Kalamata) and 35. Greek salad ingredient: FETA.
34. Greek salad ingredient: OLIVE. (Kalamata) and 35. Greek salad ingredient: FETA.
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| Greek Salad |
36. "Moonlight" actress Harris: NAOMIE. Naomi Melanie Harris is an English Actress born in 1976. She was nominated for an Oscar in 2017 for her work in Moonlight.
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| She also played Moneypenny in Skyfall (2012). |
37. Lead-in to rock or Rocks: POP. Good clue! The upper case "R" is a hint to a product name.
OTOH, pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its (typically) guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music.
Example: I Feel Fine by The Beetles
Whose idea was it to put Ringo on the stationary bike???
41. "Jane Eyre" novelist Charlotte: BRONTE.
42. Spanish four: CUATRO. so many related words in English
43. Group together: LUMP IN.
42. Spanish four: CUATRO. so many related words in English
43. Group together: LUMP IN.
45. Vote into office: ELECT.
46. Easy to understand: CLEAR. See 21A.
47. Roof overhangs: EAVES.
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| decorated EAVES for Christmas Eve |
48. Swipe: STEAL. Sometimes I forget if it is "ee" or "ea" so I use the memory trick "STEAL a deal".
49. Basil sauce: PESTO.
52. Fish sought by Marlin and Dory in a Pixar film: NEMO.
49. Basil sauce: PESTO.
52. Fish sought by Marlin and Dory in a Pixar film: NEMO.
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| (l to r) Nemo, dad Marlin, & ditzy Dory in Finding Nemo (2003) |
53. Attach a button, say: SEW. What?
54. Time period: ERA.
55. Tire pressure meas.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch.
54. Time period: ERA.
55. Tire pressure meas.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch.
The average psi for car tires is 32-35. The psi for my road bike's tires is 100-120 psi.
Here's the grid:
In Memoriam
Douglas "Boomer" Burnikel
(1947 - 2022)
Thanks to David Tuffs for taking the time out of his busy week to answer my email!
That's all for today. I look forward to reading your thoughts!
30 comments:
FLN: I’m sorry circumstances prevented me from participating yesterday in the outpouring of love and grief at Boomer’s passing. I can do nothing more than add my condolence to C.C. and add my voice to the assurance that, yes, he is now in a Better Place. May “all who mourn be comforted.” Amen! Now, as to the puzzle, I had no idea what linked all the theme answers until the reveal - then it made sense. FIR, so I’m happy (though still sad for C.C.).
14 to FIR, with W/Os RELAX:RESTS, QUATRO:CUATRO. Like Sumdaze I didn’t pay close enough attention to 1D clue wording. I very much appreciated the paucity of proper names. Clever, entertaining CW, thanx, DT. Thanx too to Sumdaze for the terrific write-up.
Good morning!
Went wrong with my SEASONED PRO, and TESS before JESS (Hi, Sumdaze). Missed the reveal. Again. And as a result, missed the theme. Again. I'll accept the CSO at TEXAN, though I think it's a really lame name for a team. Fitting, though. Thanx for the outing, David, and for the excellent expo, Sumdaze. (We need to hear more about that roping clinic.)
I hope C.C. is coping with all that's going on in her life now.
FIR without erasure. DNK JESS or NAOMIE.
Our blue JAYS are aggressive, and sometimes dive-bomb people and pets strolling by.
The devil is NOT in the details. He is in the VACUUM. Ask any dog.
Zoe loves her SEASONED VET. She hates impulse noises, including THUNDER, fireworks and Dumpster dumping.
Thanks to David for the fun, easy Monday eyeopener. And thanks to Sum for the colorful review. That Larson cartoon is in my top ten list of Far Sides.
FIR, nice Monday puzzle, got the theme half way through.
This one took 4:02 to neuter.
I didn't know today's actress (Naomie Harris) or the New Girl girl (Jess), but I am thankful for Monday puzzles without circles.
Who am I kidding? Any puzzle.
I didn't consider "Days of Thunder" an "action movie." I'll have to give that some more thought.
Thanks to the nice review, I'm also waiting to hear more about Sumdaze's origin story.
Hola!
Thank you, David Tufts for the neato puzzle and sumdaze for the Monday review. Well done.
In my early days of going to the gym, a STEAM BATH was available and felt so good after a workout.
CSO to every TEXAN on the Blog. You know who you are. I'm looking at you, d-otto and Tony, primarily.
I used to have very strong ESP but it has diminished over time. It really helped with some students. One time my classroom keys were missing and I instinctively knew who took them. Luckily my car keys were on a separate ring and I drove to his home. Yes. He had taken them. He looked shocked to see me.
Please have a peaceful day, everyone. Every day is a gift!
Good Morning:
This is a prefect Monday puzzle for newbies, IMO, as it offers pretty straightforward cluing, basic fill, and a cute and clever theme, easily discernible once the well-hidden reveal is filled in. I didn’t know Naomie or Jess, but perps took care of those in short order. I liked the Olive/Feta clecho. Funny, I did another puzzle yesterday and for the same Greek Salad clue, I confidently entered Feta, but the correct (?) answer was Goat Cheese; are they interchangeable?
Thanks, David, for a most delightful start to the week and thanks, Sumdaze, for giving us some comic relief, temporary thought it may be. I loved, loved all of the creatures, great and small, but I must say my favorite was the Vet-bound pooch. Tutored, indeed! If I were a cat person, I’m not sure how I’d feel about the Roomba video antics. Seeing koalas always make me feel warm and fuzzy but as cute as the Snacking snakes were, I think I’ll stick with the more domesticated four-legged cuties. Thanks for the info on David and for sharing Penelope with us. Most of all, thank you for the tribute to our beloved Boomer.
We got about 6” of snow but the roads look clear. I’m happy about that as I have a doctor’s appointment later this morning. The challenge in winter driving in Troy is the hilly terrain, especially on my route to the today’s destination.
Have a great day.
The bird had to be a (blue) JAY hence JESS
I'm still licking my wounds from the Saturday disaster. Wait til next Saturday
So, this was a nice walk in the park.
CC, you showed us what true love(and devotion) is all about
WC
Sorry, perfect, not prefect, and eliminate “the” before “today ‘s destination”.
CC, my heart goes out to you on reading yesterday's sad news. Your valiant struggle kept Boomer with us and with you much longer than might have been, due to your love and support. Boomer was an admirable man, witty , kind and very brave. He will be sorely missed. I admire the way he faced these last months. CC, you are in my thoughts at this difficult time.
Musings
- A fun puzzle as we try to adjust to our loss
- Out kitty Lily lets me VACUUM within inches of her and doesn’t even flinch
- The five-foot putt counts the same as a 250-yard drive
- If you fail to win the lottery to build a vacation home, the location of that home is MOOT
- College athletes that feel they are WASTING time on a school’s bench now enter the transfer portal
- Teaching roping in Norway? We gotta hear the rest of that story!
- The shriek of a JAY may be the most distinct “song” we hear around our feeders
- The story behind the BRONTE sisters’ pen names
-Not CLEAR – Getting help over the phone from a non-native English speaker
A fun offering from David today, complete with appropriate dog picture. Thanks! I managed to FIR with a couple of WOs due to spelling issues (KOALA-KaoLA-KOALA) and jumping to conclusions (TAX EVAsion, which didn't fit, and MADE a fuss, which did fit but perps didn't work. Anyone else MAKE a fuss?
I did figure out the theme but only after the reveal. Fun!
Sumdaze, you are doing very well with the reviewing job. You have the right combination of information and humor, plus hints of your interests. (roping clinic in Oslo?!) The Boomer memorial today was a nice touch.
C.C., know that our thoughts and sympathy are with you this week as you sort out all the necessary tasks ahead. Take care of yourself too.
What a cute theme. I agree with IM, perfect Monday CW.
I have been dive bombed by blue jays before and so have my dogs. I never knew what we had done to offend them.
Loved sumdaze’s little cartoons and videos. Cats are cool. Those in the video learned to live with the robot vacuum cleaner. My sweet schnauzer used to just leave the room when I vacuumed. Thunder and fireworks are probably dogs’ worst PET PEEVES.
Pet friendly Monday puzzle. Fun theme.
Cantcha AMBLE with a crowd? (Oh,, wait I thought it said "walks" alone 🙄)....Almost put lame for MOOT but perpwaited. Pour on the FETA but don't like OLIVEs so I fish them outta my Greek salad for DW. Round here we call it a steam room..
Not a fan of blue JAYs. They scare off the other song birds from the feeder. Happily they are rare visitors. I actually remembered JESS from "New Girl"
Sumdaze you must be too young to remember when
Girls used to IRON their hair to get it perfectly str8 (my HS daze (63 - 67))
Have a friend, TAD with one grandparent from Japan. We tell him he's a TAD Japanese.
A plumber getting a little behind while fixing a CLOG
Inkover: exalt/EXTOL, moas/DODO,
Hoover or Dyson but not a Bissel floor sweeper....POWER VACUUM.
What the US Navy did between 1942 and 1948....MADEWAVES
Identical: "like two whales in a _____ "....POD
Boss prone to sacking...FIERY.
Thanks you David. I hope "TUFFS" doesn't apply to your future puzzle challenges 😉
Delightful Monday puzzle, many thanks, David. And helpful, pleasant commentary, Sumdaze, thanks for that too.
Is a TAX EVADER likely to be a MISER who MADE WAVES to try to UPEND the system, maybe by voicing his PET PEEVES with FIERY comments in the newspaper? What a WASTE of time. Why doesn't he just STEAL some time to get some REST and enjoy some FETA cheese with OLIVEs and PESTO and no MEAT, and ELECT to take a STEAM BATH. I'd be more likely to EXTOL him for that.
Have a safe trip to the doctor, Irish Miss.
And have a good day, everyone.
Quick solve - but I had to come here to figure out the theme- very clever. Our dog Jale' (pronounced Holly) definitely was annoyed by all of those!
Thanks SD for the fun blog and David for the puzzle!
Neat to see all the outpouring of love for CC and Boomer
Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, David and sumdaze (thanks for the tribute to Boomer).
I FIRed in good time, and saw the PET PEEVES. All of my cats have hated trips to the vet. Of course, if you only go to be neutered or get a needle, you would hate it too!
My inkblot was in the mid SE (Kentucky? not TEXAs). I WAGged the O and final E in NAOMIE, but had qUATRO instead of CUATRO (thinking of the French Quatre). DH could not think of any Q shaped pipes. Finally the CLOG was unplugged.
That Q had me looking for a pangram, but I had to remove it, plus we were missing a Z.
I noted ERECT crossing ELECT.
We had bit and bits in the clues for IOTAS and TAD, and then the drill BIT as an answer. Perfectly legal since the meaning of bit is different.
A Canadian would have clued those Blue JAYS as our Toronto MLB club.
Hand up for thinking of Tess before JESS.
Continued thoughts and prayers for C.C.
Wishing you all a good day.
I'm happy to see you all enjoyed this puzzle, too.
Jinx @ 7:27. devil in the vacuum -- poor Zoe!
Ray-O @ 10:54. You are in top form today!
IM @ 8:45 & ATLGranny @ 9:59. Your posts make me fell like I am on the right track. Thank you!
Also, according to the internet, feta cheese is made with either all sheep's milk OR with mostly sheep's milk mixed with some goat's milk. IMHO, goat cheese has a 'heavier' texture but would also be delicious in a Greek salad.
CEh! I'm sorry I missed the opportunity to give you a CSO with the Blue JAYS. OOF!
Thank you David for a FURRY PHEMED Monday FIR. Busy week with 3 GC events so I'll keep this brief [collective sigh of relief]. And thank you sumdaze for picking up a heavy baton and running with it. Word on the Corner is that you've got a lot more to share.
Favs:
17A STEAM BATH. After every BATH we gave our LABS, they go out and roll in the mud. Part of the problem was that they weren't tutored.
23A VET. One of my all time favorite LARSONS too (the cartoonist, not the constructor).
55A PET PEEVES. Some of our solvers seem to have a lot of PET PEEVES about some of our editors.
41A BIT. I just used a 5/8" spade bit to drill a hole in the bottom of the trunk of this year's Christmas tree to keep it in place in the holder.
Okay, I promised. See y'all in 3 days.
Cheers,
Bill
Puzzling thoughts:
FIR in short order
EXALT/EXTOL
TAX RETURN/TAX EVADER
DRIP/CLOG --> before seeing the perp
I didn't "get" the theme/reveal until reading sumdaze's fun and fact-filled review. Clever
Enjoy the week ahead ... just a couple of shopping weeks left until Christmas
Just read the news about Boomer, very sad. He showed all how to deal with it in style and grace.
All my sympathy to C.C. and Boomer’s family.
This just in - I was doing some research on the "NYT XWord Info" site and who pops up but Tony and C.C. It looks like his NYT debut, and C.C. could sure use something to lift her spirits.
I liked this puzzle. As Irish Miss said, it offers pretty straightforward cluing, basic fill, and a cute and clever theme. Sumdaze, your write-up was also very enjoyable reading.
Very nice puzzle!
We start the week with a PZL from Mr. Tuffs, marshaled through the system by sumdaze...
(Say, might those be Hot Fudge, those sumdaze?! Hmmm??
Just askin'.)
Whoever came up with that characteristic shape for a dog bed must've made a fortune...
That's all I can say.
~ OMK
____________
DR: three diags, all on the far side.
The main diagonal gives us today's anagram (12 of 15), by which we recognize the coolest of cats--he who does not rise to the occasion as expected whenever we try to rile him.
This is the rarest of beings, he who is...
"VEXATION-LESS"!
Hi All!
What fun to solve a PET puzzle the same day C.C. & I had GO FETCH in the NYT!
//My name's in the NYT!* I'm Somebody Now! (and Rex has it out for me ;-))
Nice job and thank you for the grid this morning, David.
I'd have preferred TROPIC THUNDER (another flick w/ Tom Cruise in it (y'all have to Google it 'cuz it's too vulgar to link - but funny as heck. And, I didn't even recognize Tom Cruise in it!)).
//My Brothers made me watch it - it's totally non-PC f'd up Blazing Saddles-wise.
Sumdaze - wow! What a fun post-puzzle review. I loved the comics (Larson is one of the best) & clips. Thank you.
WOs: SEASONED pro (hadn't grok'd theme yet), enamalATE(?)->LAMINATE
ESPs: JOSS
Fav: I gotta go with the clechos at Greek salad: olives, feta - what's not to love?
Waseeley - I think you were the first to notice the NYT. Thanks for calling it out.
I gotta get back to work - we're switching out IDS/IPS (Intrusion Detection / Protection Systems) this week and ... Oy! why at the end of the year?!?
Cheers, -T
*and it's not the police beat :-)
-T @7:46 PM Why? Cuz it was one of management's last year's New Years resolutions and this year's hourglass is almost out of sand. Beside it'll be your fault if goes South 🙃
sumdaze- no problem- I get enough CSOs with ESSO.
May I add that I enjoy your blogs.
AnonT- congrats on your CW fame. I need to go back and try out Saturday’s.
Tony, congratulations on your increased fame. I enjoy your output.
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