Theme: FOURced entry.
In today's puzzle by Beth Rubin and Owen Bergstein, the theme entries are arranged symmetrically among the Across answers.
16. Surfaces for playing board games: TABLETOPS. As kids, we played board games on the floor, but now that we are old and creaky, we play them on top of the table. In keeping with today's theme, we give a shout out to the FOUR TOPS, who helped establish the Motown sound in the 1960s.
29. Lateral handsprings: CARTWHEELS. Harking back to youth again, CARTWHEELS were popular with the girls, but this blogger never learned the trick. But I did see the theme here: FOUR WHEELS are typical of wheeled vehicles.
34. Collections of episodes overseen by showrunners: TV SEASONS. IMDb says: "Showrunner is the unofficial title given to the top-level creative decision maker and manager overseeing all episodes of an individual season of a television/episodic series." I didn't know that a showrunner typcially controls an entire season, but I did know the FOUR SEASONS.
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| Artist Diane Getty made this quilt called "Green's View" featuring one scene in four seasons. |
45. Triangular snack chips from PepsiCo: POPCORNERS. Have you seen or heard of PopCorners? Although this snack has only three corners, a typical room in a house has FOUR CORNERS. Four Corners is also the place where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet.
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| My kiddos at the Four Corners Monument in 1990. |
58. Round after the Elite Eight, and what the ends of 16-, 29-, 34-, and 45-Across are?: FINAL FOUR. In the NCAA men's Division I basketball championship or the NCAA women's Division I basketball championship, the "Elite Eight" comprises the final eight teams, representing the regional finals, or national quarterfinals. The winners advance to the Final Four. There are further distinctions made for the various Divisions. For purposes of today's puzzle, the FINAL part of each theme answer can be paired with the word FOUR to form a common phrase: FOUR TOPS, FOUR WHEELS, FOUR SEASONS, and FOUR CORNERS.
Let us now go FOURth to solve the rest of the puzzle:
Across:1. Misses: GALS.
5. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.
9. In addition: PLUS. Not "also" this time.
13. "The Reader" actress Lena: OLIN. In "The Reader," Swedish actress Lena Olin played a Jewish survivor of the Auschwitz death march at a trial in the 1960s, and as the woman's daughter twenty years later.
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| Lena Olin in "The Reader" |
14. Pedicure targets: TOES.
15. Tuscan city: SIENA. Since darling daughter married a Tuscan man, we have had the opportunity to visit a few Tuscan cities. I wouldn't know the towns of other regions in Italy off the top of my head.
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| The Ex, the Daughter, her F-I-L, NaomiZ, and the Groom in Siena before the wedding. |
P.S. I am not short! These people are tall.
16. [Theme clue]
18. Disconnected: APART.
19. Actor Vigoda: ABE. Abe Vigoda (1921-2016) was an American actor known for his roles in The Godfather and Barney Miller.
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| Abe Vigoda |
20. "Super cool": RAD.
21. Homeric journey: ODYSSEY.
23. Zeroes out for container weight, say: TARES. To TARE is to adjust a scale on which an empty container has been placed so as to reduce the displayed weight to zero. I do this with the kitchen scale to weigh what I'm going to put into a container without having to subtract the weight of the container. Until this moment, I didn't realize TARE could be used as a verb.
25. One that might get turned into stone?: SCREW. Really? To screw into stone, you generally have to drill a hole and sink an anchor in there for the screw. A little forced, if you ask me!
27. That girl: HER.
28. Big name in cinema: IMAX. IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio and steep stadium seating.
29. [Theme clue]
31. __ Alto, California: PALO.
32. "__ seen worse": I'VE.
33. Finishes up: ENDS.
34. [Theme clue]
38. Help (out): BAIL. You can BAIL someone out of jail by providing a security deposit, or BAIL them out of a predicament by lending assistance. You can also BAIL water out of a boat, and if you are in a boat with a friend, I guess you're bailing them out at the same time.
40. Rap battle VIPs: MCS. MC, or Master of Ceremonies, is a term used to describe a rapper who is also a performer with a variety of skills, including crowd control, stage presence, and hosting abilities.
41. Collection of Norse poems: EDDA. EDDA is an Old Norse term that has been applied by modern scholars to two Medieval Icelandic literary works: what is known as the Prose Edda and an older collection of poems now known as the Poetic Edda. Both works were recorded in Iceland during the 13th century in Icelandic, although they contain material from earlier traditional sources, reaching back into the Viking Age. The books provide the main sources for Norse mythology.
45. [Theme clue]
48. Greek god of war: ARES.
49. Freezer cubes: ICE.
50. Crystal-lined rock: GEODE. A hollow, spherical rock that contains masses of minerals, often in the form of crystals.
51. Material: CLOTH.
52. Like futuristic tech: NEXT-GEN.
54. Govt. org. employing ecologists: EPA. Environmental Protection Agency.
56. Poker prize: POT.
57. Harsh light: GLARE.
58. [Theme reveal]
61. Bull on glue bottles: ELMER. The brand was introduced by Borden Inc., and Elmer was meant to be the mate of advertising mascot Elsie the Cow. The original Elmer's glue contained dairy products, but it is now synthetic.
62. Once more: ANEW.
63. Energy field read by a psychic: AURA.
64. Spinal column element: DISK.
65. Little bits: TADS.
66. Marketplace with personalized gifts: ETSY.
Down:
63. Energy field read by a psychic: AURA.
64. Spinal column element: DISK.
65. Little bits: TADS.
66. Marketplace with personalized gifts: ETSY.
Down:
1. "Care to share your expertise?": GOT A TIP? Right at 1-Down, you are going to annoy some solvers with this conversational prompt.
2. The Crimson Tide of the NCAA: ALABAMA. DH's cousin's daughter went to 'Bama, so I sorta knew this. Anyone else with a sports allergy find this difficult?
3. Generous: LIBERAL. Liberal usually means broad-minded or tolerant, but it can also mean generous. Perhaps you are liberal with the olive oil, or the salt, or pepper?
4. NBC skit show, for short: SNL. Saturday Night Live.
5. "__ baby!": "Way to go!": ATTA. We've had ATTA boy and ATTA girl in the puzzle before. I have not heard ATTA baby, but Urban Dictionary says it is "A congratulation for doing something beasty or awesome." I thought this was forced, but it seems I was just uninformed.
6. "Talked your way out of trouble there!": GOOD SAVE.
7. Gym unit: REP. Short for repetition. So commonly used in the gym that there was no prompt for an abbreviation, although I guess "gym" is short for "gymnasium."
4. NBC skit show, for short: SNL. Saturday Night Live.
5. "__ baby!": "Way to go!": ATTA. We've had ATTA boy and ATTA girl in the puzzle before. I have not heard ATTA baby, but Urban Dictionary says it is "A congratulation for doing something beasty or awesome." I thought this was forced, but it seems I was just uninformed.
6. "Talked your way out of trouble there!": GOOD SAVE.
7. Gym unit: REP. Short for repetition. So commonly used in the gym that there was no prompt for an abbreviation, although I guess "gym" is short for "gymnasium."
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| Forced reps require a spotter to assist. |
8. Arrange by category: ASSORT. To distribute into groups of a like kind. "Sort" means the same thing. Do you use ASSORT as a verb? Or do you sort things to create an assortment?
9. Gladys Knight & the __: PIPS. An American R&B, soul, and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early 1950s.
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| Gladys Knight & the Pips |
10. Like a dog in a crowded park, ideally: LEASHED.
11. Lets out, as a fishing line: UNREELS. Unwinds from a reel. Fishing with my dad, I performed this motion, but did not know this word. I thought this answer was forced, but maybe I should have been forced to learn more verbs.
12. Mythical forest folk: SATYRS. Lustful, drunken woodland gods. In Greek art they were depicted as men with horses' ears and tails, but in Roman art as men with goats' ears, tails, legs, and horns.
11. Lets out, as a fishing line: UNREELS. Unwinds from a reel. Fishing with my dad, I performed this motion, but did not know this word. I thought this answer was forced, but maybe I should have been forced to learn more verbs.
12. Mythical forest folk: SATYRS. Lustful, drunken woodland gods. In Greek art they were depicted as men with horses' ears and tails, but in Roman art as men with goats' ears, tails, legs, and horns.
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| Greek Satyr |
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| Roman Satyr |
15. Drink pourer's words: SAY WHEN.
17. Hectic hosp. areas: ERS. Emergency Rooms. Abbreviated clue calls for abbreviated answer.
22. Morning drops: DEW.
24. Otherworldly: EXOTIC. From another country; unusual; alien.
26. __ spinach: CREAMED. How to take a healthy vegetable and make it not that.
29. Lead-in to gender: CIS. Cisgender describes a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth, that is, someone who is not transgender.
30. Ratify with a stamp, quaintly: ENSEAL. Enseal is an obsolete verb that means to impress a document with a seal. As a teenager, I loved to seal the envelopes of letters I sent to friends with sealing wax, but obvs I was missing this verb.
17. Hectic hosp. areas: ERS. Emergency Rooms. Abbreviated clue calls for abbreviated answer.
22. Morning drops: DEW.
24. Otherworldly: EXOTIC. From another country; unusual; alien.
26. __ spinach: CREAMED. How to take a healthy vegetable and make it not that.
29. Lead-in to gender: CIS. Cisgender describes a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth, that is, someone who is not transgender.
30. Ratify with a stamp, quaintly: ENSEAL. Enseal is an obsolete verb that means to impress a document with a seal. As a teenager, I loved to seal the envelopes of letters I sent to friends with sealing wax, but obvs I was missing this verb.
35. Many a YouTuber: VLOGGER. Vlogger is a portmanteau of video and blogger. Anyone who posts video updates to an online journal or weblog can be described as a vlogger.
36. Sifted through, as candidates: SCREENED.
37. CIA predecessor: OSS. The Office of Strategic Services was an intelligence agency of the United States during World War II.
38. Italian tenor Andrea: BOCELLI. Andrea Bocelli was born with congenital glaucoma, and lost his eyesight completely at age 12 after being hit in the eye with a football. He has had a brilliant singing career in spite of these difficulties.
36. Sifted through, as candidates: SCREENED.
37. CIA predecessor: OSS. The Office of Strategic Services was an intelligence agency of the United States during World War II.
38. Italian tenor Andrea: BOCELLI. Andrea Bocelli was born with congenital glaucoma, and lost his eyesight completely at age 12 after being hit in the eye with a football. He has had a brilliant singing career in spite of these difficulties.
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| Andrea Bocelli |
39. HS tests taken for college credit: AP EXAMS. Many colleges offer course credits for High School Advanced Placement tests.
42. Quit school: DROP OUT.
43. Roundabout routes: DETOURS.
44. Container in a smoking lounge: ASHTRAY.
45. Made unwanted sounds, as an engine: PINGED. An engine can ping (or knock) due to an improper combustion process, because the engine is too hot, or because of improper gasoline octane.
46. Food Network host Drummond: REE. Anne Marie "Ree" Drummond is an American blogger, food writer, and television personality. Known for her blog, The Pioneer Woman, which documented her life in rural Oklahoma, Drummond has starred in her own television program, also titled The Pioneer Woman, on The Food Network since 2011.
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| Ree Drummond |
47. Like some yogurt: NONFAT.
51. Nev. neighbor: CAL. Nevada is next door to California.
53. Lengthy hike: TREK.
55. Rabbit's feet: PAWS.
59. Food Network host Garten: INA. Ina Garten is an American television cook and author. She is host of the Food Network program Barefoot Contessa and is a former staff member of the federal Office of Management and Budget.
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| Ina Garten |
60. Neopronoun sometimes spelled "fey": FAE. Fae/faer/faers are gender-neutral pronouns. Which would be great, as an alternative to using cisgender plurals for singular persons, but there are too many new ones to be practical. Besides fae/faer/faers, there are ze/zir/zirs, xe/xem/xyrs, ae/aer/aers, ve/ver/vers, ne/nem/nirs, and per/per/pers, among others!
Are we done yet? I found this to be a tough Tuesday. It was also:
Here's the grid:
Or did you finish with an ATTA baby?
-- NaomiZ
Notes from C.C.:
Happy 81st Birthday to dear JD! Here's a picture of Jill, Garlic Gal, Chickie and JD, all of them used to read our blog regularly.
33 comments:
Good morning!
Failed to find the theme, even after looking for it. Thanx for leading the way, NaomiZ. (You do look very short in that photo. Loved your take on CREAMED spinach.) Thanx, too, for the exercise, Beth and Owen.
ALABAMA: Gimme for d-o, but only due to the Denzel Washington/Gene Hackman move Crimson Tide about a nuclear submarine.
SEASONS: Rudy chose Four Seasons in Philly for a news conference, failing to read the "Total Landscaping" part of the company name. Too funny.
Happy birthday to world traveler, JD.
I got most of this puzzle with no problem, however “pop corners” and “fae” were new ones to me. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
FIR, but shrew->SCREW and sytar->SATYR. BAD SPELARS OF THE WORLD, UNTIE! Yeah, I guess I was thinking of Lot's wife, the shrew.
I used to hear ATTA baby as part of baseball chatter. Like when a pitcher or catcher gripes about the ump's "ball" call, the third base coach might say "ATTA baby, ATTA baby, good eye, good eye."
I knew BOCELLI without a single perp. Just wish he could try singing some country music.
I did not know REE, but as I've said before, redheads are my kryptonite. Think I'll see if DW can be entertained by cooking shows. I knew INA, but only from crosswords.
I'm not a CISmale, I'm a male. I have no idea whether I'm a FAEmale or not, nor do I want to know. Hopefully this effort to find boxes to assign folks to will go the way of the Myers Briggs pigeonhole system.
Thanks to sumdaze for another clever review. I agree that SCREW was clued in an unnecessarily convoluted and inaccurate way. All in all, this one's juice wasn't worth the squeeze, IMO.
Forgot to link the tribute to the Crimson Tide in Steely Dan's fabulous Deacon Blues.
Today's lowly King Features Crossword by Eugene Sheffer has "arduous journey" for TREK and "Taj Mahal city" for AGRA. Ektorp knows no bounds.
I found this to be a typical Tuesday, not too hard with REE DRUMMOND a complete unknown. I thought CREAMED was real green paint fill as CORN, BROCCOLI and ASPARAGUS are equally popular. I agree that ENSEAL should be sealed in the vault of passe words. EDDA used to be common fill. I have eaten POP CORNERS in my search for a healthier replacement for potato chips.
Beth who is a librarian and who has been here since 2022 likes collaborations; thanks to you and Owen. Naomi I enjoyed your write-up but it really looks like you are short, which is fine as I am.
The Reveal at 58A is poorly written and inaccurate. It should have said to ignore the first word of its answer (FINAL) when you apply its directions to 16-, 29-, 34-, and 45-Across. Otherwise--as clued--you have Final Four Tops, Final Four Wheels, Final Four Seasons, and Final Four Corners, all of which are nonsensical.
Took 6:33 today four me to finish.
II knew today's actress (Olin), but only knew half of the Food Network hostesses (Ina, not Ree).
Enseal seemed off, but not as much as the screw clue.
I've had Pop Corners and I've been to Four Corners.
High Tide!
FIR, but i have problems with some of the answers. Atta baby? Fae? Ree? And "one might be turned into stone" as screw, not happening in the real world without the use of a drill and a plug of some kind.
I got the theme at least, although Pop Corners was unfamiliar to me.
Overall not an enjoyable puzzle.
Good Morning:
This was an offering that had more negatives than positives, IMO, all self-inflicted. For example, the theme was cute and the reveal was a popular and timely term. The themers were solid in-the-language phrases, except Pop Corners which I’ve never heard of. That said, some of the cluing was unnecessarily vague (Screw, MCs, Atta, Tares, etc.) and some of the fill was questionable, i.e., Enseal, Next Gen, as clued, Fae, Unreels, etc. Naomi used the word “forced” twice in her review and that’s the exact word I had in mind throughout the solve. The five fill-in-the-blanks clues and the four quote/conversational clues added to the overall negative solving experience.
Thanks, Beth and Owen, and thanks, Naomi, for a very detailed and spot-on expo. That’s a great photo and whether you appear tall or short, I love your hat! Thanks for pinch-hitting for Hahtoolah.
Happy Burthday, JD! 🎂🎁🎈🎊
Have a great day.
Sorry, Happy Birthday!
FIR in 12:41, requiring much perp help as usual. Never heard of POP CORNERS and DNK what Showrunners are. I did know EDDA, OLIN, REE, and INA, but only from CWs. Had to pause to see if it was lowfat or NONFAT, disc or DISK. FAE was a total unknown, I’ll never be able to keep up with the plethora of pronouns, being introduced at a high rate, and will undoubtedly refer to someone with the wrong one.🤷♂️. Thanks Beth and Olin for the puzzle.
NaomiZ ~ thanks for again filling the Tuesday slot in Hahtoolah’s absence! I agree with you and others who thought the clue for SCREW was a little lame, wood or metal would have made sense. As you said, stone would require a threaded anchor inserted into a hole bored with a concrete drill bit or hammer drill, most often secured with a bolt and NOT a SCREW. Nice family photo from Italy, yes hanging out with tall people does make you look a little vertically challenged 😂.
Thank you, Beth & Owen, and thank you NaomiZ
Easy-peasy, bright and breezy. A very nice, Tuesday level crossword. I liked the theme and the reveal was perfect. I didn't see it coming though, because the answers were coming so freely, and I didn't take time to study the obvious theme answers. A few of the clues must have been changed at the editor's hands. Anyway, for the W!
Once again, I enjoyed the well-written review. You are an excellent communicator, NaomiZ. It's obvi to me that one of the commenters should have read your review.
"Until this moment, I didn't realize TARE could be used as a verb." So you are saying, "I was today years old when I realized..." I'm guessing that expression will not stand the test of time. Some probably cringe when they hear that expression because it is quickly becoming cheugy.
I don't think that I use ASSORT much except in crosswords, but do have occasional need for assorted and assortment IRL.
I like spinach, but never had CREAMED spinach until I tried it at Morton's. I was sus, but it was bussin' I tried to make it home. Not even close, and I haven't had it since. I'll stick to fresh.
Later gators. TTYL. I gotta BAIL.
Beth and Owen, I blanked on one of my compliments. Nice collab!
Tuesday puzzle. Wednesdayish.
My 4 corners failures were in Arizona. VZ views provided enjoyable tie ins.
Musings
-POPCORNERS are not on our snack list
-During our visit to SIENA I had a fun exchange with a small electronic store owner as I was looking for a European electricity converter.
-TARE: My instructions in my labs were to tell kids to “zero out” or your balances
-Yes, that is an odd clue for SCREW and ASSORT as a verb
-ICE: We have two heated bird baths for this time of year. They are always busy.
-GOT A TIP seems to be an “any port in a storm” fill
-A 9 – 4 record for ALABAMA this year was a disappointment to their many fans
-Many political appointees will be thoroughly SCREENED starting today
Not a fun puzzle and definitely not a Tuesday one.
As for the constructors, I meant Owen, not Olin. 🙄
This was a fun puzzle with the themes at the end of long answers instead of the more common front of the answers
REE Drummond's Pioneer Woman show is one of the most popular on the Food Network. For awhile she has had a destination restaurant/bakery/store to visit in Pawhuska, OK - which is also the headquarters of the Osage Nation of crosswordese fame. A lot of women who are into Food and home Network shows go on a road trip with friends where they visit her place and then head down to Waco, TX for the Magnolia Silos, Magnolia table, etc made famous by Chip and Joanna Gaines
https://www.themercantile.com/
The Four CORNERS was the highlight of a western national park trip for our youngest son- he was very much into maps and geography
Thanks Naomi for blogging and Beth & Owen for the puzzle
and HBD to JD
I’m always amazed when cornerites breeze through á CW and I can’t finish it, then other times it’s the other way around.
I thought this was á Saturday puzzle, mostly blanks. I also lost interest and decided I had other things I needed to do.
Thank you NaomiZ for your nice write up and the lovely photo.
Puzzling thoughts:
Happy birthday, JD!
Thanks, Naomi for explaining the theme/puzzle today and for your wonderful recap - I might need you to pinch hit for me in a few weeks when I undergo my two cataract surgeries. They've not yet been scheduled but I am guessing it will occur in February or March at the latest
As others have said, the forced fill, at times, seemed a little tedious
I'll be here if you need me, Mr. Chairman!
Another interesting, well-written recap by NaomiZ to brighten up my morning! The puzzle, however, not so much. Poor clues, forced clues, paraphrased clues, (which are not really clues IMHO) and just plain wrong (SCREWy?) clues, and a lame theme. Meh.
Hola! I have yet to meet a puzzle that I did not finish though this one almost made the list. SCREW gave me the most doubts, POPCORNERS was second as I've not heard of it but of course I don't snack much; VLOGGER I've learned from cwpuzzles, and ENSEAL seemed forced.
I know of REE Drummond because I have many of her products: bowls, butter dish, etc. all available at Walmart.
TREK always reminds me of Picard who is such an avid hiker.
Happy birthday, JD! I hope you've traveled much and are enjoying your grandchildren.
I had a big error at IMAX where I put IMAC instead and did not notice EcOTIC. Drat!
Once I had a beautiful GEODE from the former AZ Rock Museum and it has mysteriously disappeared.
My bucket list item of visiting AGRA will sadly not happen.
Thank you, NaomiZ for the recap; I liked your photo and I join you as one of the short ones. It was never more apparent to me than when I saw the entire Phoenix Suns basketball team at the airport. It was like walking through a forest!
Have a great day, everyone!
Somewhere I have a similar photo of me at the Four Corners.
Thanks to Beth and Owen. I liked how there were FOUR themers, creating FOUR phrases of the style Four ____.
POPCORNERS is new to me, too. "PepsiCo" in the clue helped me change my car noise from dINGED to PINGED. Pepsi is a soda POP.
FINAL FOUR always makes me think of my cousin. She did not like basketball. After weeks of basketball talk she was happy when it was "finally" FOUR.
Happy birthday to JD!
Thanks to NaomiZ for her lovely write-up! I liked your clever "FOURced entry" theme and your comment about CREAMED. Thanks, also, for sharing your beautiful family.
Not bad. Some crunch. Forgot to work out the theme though
Is it crossword kosher for a clue to contain the same letter as the answer? “fey” FAE? 🤔
“Assortment”, “assorted” but not familiar with the verb ASSORT. If it’s a 4 letter “LENA, actress” it’s always OLIN. Haven’t seen EDDA in a while. Come to think of it I can’t remember the last time I saw an ASHTRAY. Didn’t know “Drummond”
DISK: when I dictate the term my word recognition software prints disc … Never heard of POPCORNERS (where do they find triangular pop corn kernels? 😆)
“Tuscan” Etruscan. SIENA. Some Etruscan cities are recognized by the ena or ennaending like Ravenna. Other Etruscan names were changed by the Romans, Fluetia became Florentia, Florence…Felsinia the most important city in Etruria became Bononia (after the Boii Gauls,in the Gaulish language “bona” = fortress), Bologna…. OK OK end of AP European history course 🤓 … after all that I spelled BOCELLI wrong 🙄
One of my favorite comedy series “A.P. Bio”
“Bull on glue bottles” “this product will repair anything” 🤨. At least ENSEAL is qualified as “quant”
Headed out to buy a new vehicle. Remember when of all the options the power that made it go wasn’t one of ‘em? Now it’s gas only, electric only and everything in between 😖
Neat Tuesday puzzle, many thanks Beth and Owen. And your commentary with all those lovely pictures and images, including the one with you, was a pleasure, NaomiZ, many thanks for that too. And, in addition, it was nice to have you check in with us, C.C., and have us wish JD a happy birthday, and give us a look at the photo of JD and friends.
As for the puzzle, it looked to me as though those GALS had a pretty good time on this day. After taking their AP EXAMS in the morning, they went to the gym and did CARTWHEELS. Then they enjoyed a healthy NON-FAT lunch with CREAMED spinach and a variety of afternoon snacks, including POPCORN. After supper they indulged in the various shows that were part of the TV SEASON, and ended up going to bed aglow with a happy AURA from having enjoyed a good day. A pretty good day, I'd say.
And so I wish you all a pretty good day, too.
I thought yesterday's CW was a swamp of names but upon counting found not that many. But today's CW is an endless sea of names, 21 by my count. Fortunately I only DNK 6, which included POPCORNERS, which I am surprised I had never heard of. Anyway, I managed to FIR in 16, and, holy smoke, even remembered to look for AND FIND the theme. (GASP!!) Thanx BR&OB. Thanx too to NaomiZ for the fine write-up.
NaomiZ Thanks for the review. I have a strong sports allergy, but ALABAMA and CRIMSON are burned together in my mind from crossword repetition. Nice SIENA photo. I have a few.
Hand up never heard of POPCORNERS or the crossed names BOCELLI or REE. Learning moments. REE just seemed wrong. Hand up FAE??? I don't get it and it is not likely to become part of our language. Got the theme when I was all done. Hand up SCREW clue like a third grade joke. FIR.
Lucina Thank you for the TREK shout out. It is a double CSO for me.
You can see Merlie smiling big at the summit of the TREK I led on Sunday.
That Mission Ridge hike is the toughest TREK I lead all year. We had a good group and perfect weather. Very fortunate not to get smoke from the LA Apocalypse.
Years ago I was walking into a casino in Las Vegas as a group of very tall (all taller than my 6'-0") women were walking out. I reacted with a feeling similar to seasickness, but milder. I sat a blackjack table and told the dealer about the women. She said that (I don't remember the university) was in town to play UNLV. Most were too young for casino play, but they wanted to check out the action.
Great view from the summit, Picard! Happy hikers.
For many years I was an avid hiker and went every Saturday to Piestawa Peak, (formerly Squaw Peak) with my niece, Eydie, and sometimes to Hole in the Rock. At other times I would just walk around my neighborhood. Scottsdale has a lovely green span of ten miles and though I never walked the entire ten miles, I walked about half of it.
I meant to say "greenbelt" instead of green span.
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