Wednesday, Jun 11th, 2025 ~ Dylan Schiff

 Once Upon a Time....Happily Everafter

The End...

Continues~!??

I am unsure how to call this crossword puzzle; on the one hand, it was a solid mid-week challenge for me; on the other, it took a cheat peek to find out why I did not get the "ta-DA~!".  Then, after staring at the theme answers for longer than I care to admit, I finally figured out the common thread ( only due to the fact that I recognized the first two as titles ) and it left me feeling less than pleased / satisfied; sorta disappointed it was not "more", I guess.  YMMV.  I did a count; 191 letters, and with the three spanners, a whopping 65 dedicated to the theme; that's 34%.  Impressive, but - too many names again, even if they are fairly familair - I am not even going to bother linking to them this week; no circles,  a balance of 21/22 3LW& 4LWs, and two unique fills (*); 

17. Australia's unofficial national anthem: WALTZING MATILDA - Matilda, the book

23. Bite-sized treats: DONUT HOLES* - Holes, the book

37. Wide-eyed awe: CHILDLIKE WONDER - Wonder, the book

52. Cares: GIVES A HOOT* - Hoot, the book

61. Perfect resolution, or a feature of 17-, 23-, 37-, and 52-Across: STORYBOOK ENDING - the four theme fills END with the title of a story/book - yet the fill itself was in a crossword 30yrs ago.  BTW, I "wrote" the "book" that is the title of this blog post, so don't make me enforce ©opywright infringement 😁

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Play mates?: CAST - I do the Down clues first, and I never saw my errors here in the NW . . . .Sigh

5. "31 Days of Oscar" cable network: TCM - Turner Classic Movies

8. Electric current unit: AMPERE

The "naughty" version on my blog page

14. "The Traitors" host Cumming: ALAN- name #1

15. __ Speedwagon: REO - name #2, getting tired of this clue/answer - don't like the band, either....

16. Folk medicine figure: HEALER - I had _ E A _ _R, pondered "REAPER" - hey, technically, death is a "medical" thing 

20. Punk subgenre: EMO - seems like every week now we get this fill

21. Debate topic: ISSUE

22. Obi-Wan portrayer Guinness: ALEC - name #3

26. Took a dip: SWAM

28. Former Russian ruler: TSAR - music interlude; here's an instrumental from Black Sabbath

They would open their show with "Supertzar" playing in the background

29. Bout ruling, briefly: TKO - Technical Knock-Out

31. Dug-out material?: ORE - yeah, I figured this was the common O-R-E fill, trying a different approach  on the cluing - I'll admit, it's not bad

32. Overture follower: ACT I

35. Sign of things to come: OMEN

36. Go (for): OPT

42. Protein in a Monte Cristo: HAM

Now I'm in the mood for a sa'mich

43. Sisters in habits: NUNS

44. Analogy phrase: IS TO

45. Afore: ERE

46. "Your point?": "AND....~?"

47. Tried to buzz: RANG - a bit Meh.

50. Onetime Volvo rival: SAAB - two Swedish automakers

57. Highlands family unit: CLAN

59. "Barbie" director Gerwig: GRETA - name #4

60. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU - name #5

64. Sore: TENDER - my feet are sore - I have walked my neighborhood every day but one since I joined the gym; I need to get me some comfortable hiking footwear - suggestions~?

65. "__ the fields we go ... ": "O'ER"

66. "Diana" singer Paul: ANKA - name #6

67. "Voilà!": "PRESTO~!"

68. Hosp. workers: MDs

69. Outperform: BEST


DOWN:

1. Imitated a crow: CAWED - bleery-eyed, I read this as "imitated a COW", so I put in MOOED; that didn't work with "Waltzing...", so I switched to LOWED, and never checked my Across; hence my black marks in the grid below....

2. San Antonio field trip destination: ALAMO - name(ish)

3. Place to find high rollers?: SALON - high on one's head kind of rollers

4. Red block in Minecraft: TNT - good WAG on my part, but then again, three letters . . . .

5. "How Do I Live" singer Yearwood: TRISHA - I did recall this was spelled "SHA", not "CIA" - still, name #7

6. One who may remove a curse?: CENSOR - Think bloopers

7. Tycoon: MOGUL

8. "Now I've got it!": "A-HA~!"

9. Social media parent company: META - 'they' own Facebook and other social media outlets, I think, and the company is going with "Social Technology" for a title, promoting "virtual reality" goggles - I have tried a set with a model I built in Revit of a church pipe organ; I was impressed, but it made my modeling skills look lame by comparison.  The webpage

10. Equipment for building sand castles: PAILS - what about the shovels~?

Methinks this is called "cheating"

11. "Legally Blonde" protagonist: ELLE WOODS - full name #8

12. Place to see stars: RED CARPET - the kind of stars whose NAMES appear too often in crosswords these days...

13. Historical span: ERA - the most over-used crossword fill

18. Comic strip about a teenager: ZITS - name(ish)

19. "I'd like to see you": "MEET ME."

24. Gas or elec.: UTILity - there's no gas lines in my area; I have to buy oil this week; my water heater is on the furnace

25. Distort, as data: SKEW

Don McMillan, Technically funny

27. Paris subway: METRO - another WAG on my part

30. Creative mind behind the Imagine Peace Tower: ONO - name #9

32. Feels yesterday's workout: ACHES - just in my legs

33. Thespian's role: CHARACTER - ah, good fill

34. Chance for an introvert to recharge: TIME ALONE - I am all for time alone - my ex-wife once called me "anti-social", which was a bonus - it meant I was diagnosed with a disability, and didn't have to participate - 😜

35. Says "Go ahead," say: OKs

38. Genetic material in Rosalind Franklin's "Photo 51": DNA - a "pivotal diffraction X-ray image" of the strand in 1952 - the story here

39. Source of inspiration?: LUNG - Breathe in~!

40. Rainbow band: INDIGO - I toyed with "ROY G BIV", but once I had some crossings, I see it was just ONE band of color

41. Nearby: NIGH - Ah, that kind of nearby, like the end is NIGH~!

( the second guy's sign has the definition of nigh )

47. Made a big stink?: REEKED - I once managed a nightclub that had live bands on the weekends, and one of the groups was called "REEKING HAVOC" - I tried to explain that it's WREAKING, but they're heavy metal, so their name was "better" 🤘

48. Daisylike blooms: ASTERS

49. Side with tandoori chicken: NAAN

51. Medieval poets: BARDS

53. Revved engine sound: VROOM

54. QB protectors, in football lingo: O-LINE - The offensive group of  five (~) guys in front of the quarterback in the NFL

55. Pen sounds: OINKS - That kind of pen

56. Gently pull on: TUG AT

58. Opposite of da: NYET - Tsar-speak for yes and no

61. Valvoline rival: STP - another common crossword fill

62. "Dude ... ": "BRO..."

63. Smidgen: DAB - hey, at least it was not 'A DAB'

Splynter

Here's a picture of me with Picard at the UCONN sign, a mere five mins from my home in CT.

Here's the link to Ginger Roots to see some more pictures

Wednesday, Jun 4th, 2025 ~ Joe Marangell

SHHH~!

TurkiSHHH Delight

My first time covering a crossword from Mr. Marangell.  His first LA Times was here, back in November 2024.  Yes, circles, two days in a row, but very few names, and chunky triple sevens in all four of the Down corners; I think that's why my solve time was higher than usual - I got slowed up because I start with the Down clues.  Overall, a tight group of four unspoken ways to express joy, anger, approval and indifference, "quietly" hiding in the circles;  

17. Credit card promotion for frequent fliers: BONUS MILES - SMILE  😁 - I don't have any credit card with frequent flyer bonus miles - travel for me was always covered by the company; the pipe organ company did not take full advantage of this perk, go figure 🤔

Smile - it looks like it might a good trip; I should become a frequent flyer

24. Etsy purchase, perhaps: CUSTOM PRINT - STOMP 😡 - I don't make prints, but I do build wood furniture - I can see myself selling some pieces through etsy

This one is SOLD already, but I could make one just like it

34. Key partnership?: PIANO DUET - NOD 😉 - The internet says a piano duet is TWO pianos, not just two piano players, this "duet" is hysterical...and then there's this one;

Heart & Soul - "chopsticks"

50. Handwoven products at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar: TURKISH RUGS - SHRUG ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Colorful; I have an abstract-patterned one waiting for a place in my home

58. "Is that so?," or a hint to the communication methods found in this puzzle's circled letters: YOU DON'T SAY - tacit, non-verbal means of expressing one's response

And Away We Go~!

Across:

1. Tree with papery bark: BIRCH

6. Opera set in Memphis: AIDA - crossword staple

10. Part of a Cape Cod, familiarly: CRAN - "A" Cape Cod is a vodka cocktail with cranberry and a slice of lime; I noted that if one is not careful, when buying the Ocean Spray cranberry "cocktail", the amount of  "added" sugar is insane; I buy the "diet" version ( ironic ) that has 1g of 'natural' sugar

14. Japanese lager brand: ASAHI - AND - 47D. Japanese dogs: AKITAS - our constructor must have an affinity for things "A" Japan, as AKIRA was in his first LA Times

15. Ignore: SNUB

16. Main character: HERO

19. Simplicity: EASE

20. Explosive sound: BLAM - I usually wait on perps, as there are dozens of "sounds" this could be

21. Blackjack card: ACE

22. Elizabeth __ cosmetics: ARDEN - the website

23. Hor. map line: LATitude

27. Latin catchall: Et Alii - and others, typically seen as "et al."

29. Annually: PER YEAR

30. Checkout option: DEBIT - I get 5% cash back/points with my Discover & Amazon credit cards - I use my debit card at the gas pump because credit is usually higher priced.

31. Sharp-witted: KEEN

33. Wily: SLY

38. HS exams for coll. credit: APs - Meh.  I don't care for the plural abbrs in crosswords 

41. Hit or __: MISS

42. Athlete who may run four laps: MILER - Ah- I was just a week too early with this fill . . . . 

46. Takes a turn: ROTATES - Literally - not 'your move', during a game

49. Second-most-populated city in Oregon: EUGENE - behind Portland, I am guessing

53. Contribute: ADD

54. Amazon biz: eTAIL

55. U.K. constituent: ENGland - Nottingham was the place both my parents grew up

This image can be purchased on etsy

56. Upper hand: EDGE

57. Prime condition: MINT - I tried BEST

61. Actress Swenson: INGA - I knew her from "Soap" and "Benson" - her IMDb.  My buddy's ex-wife chose this name for their second daughter, so that she could be nicknamed "Iggy"

62. "How __ can I put this ... ": ELSE

63. "Dragon Ball" genre: ANIME

64. Goes out with: SEES

65. Counterpart: PEER - KEEN, SEES and PEER today

66. Subsides: WANES

DOWN:

1. Talked excitedly: BABBLED

2. Keep away from others: ISOLATE - I prefer "solitude" to crowds; I am an introvert

3. Accumulated charges: RAN A TAB

4. Buddy: CHUM

5. That fella's: HIS

6. Nike competitor: ASICS

7. Shore recess: INLET - yeah, but meh; I grew up on Long Island, and the "inlets" were channels to the Great South Bay

8. Expected: DUE

9. Situp muscles: ABs - I do not work on the ABdominals at the gym yet - my trainer "Brett" says my "keg" is in the way - har-har....that's WHY I am going to the gym 😜

10. Manhattan garnish: CHERRY - Manhattan, the rye/vermouth cocktail

11. Prepares: READIES

12. Premier League club known as the Gunners: ARSENAL - oh, my dad would be so disappointed I did not know this immediately - he ate, breathed and slept "European" football - soccer

13. "Stay out": NO ENTRY - we had this identical entry also in the Down in his debut LA Times puzzle

18. Home of Haleakala National Park: MAUI - figured it was Hawai'i, I tried OAHU

22. Start of Q2: APR - The second quarter of the year is April, May, June

24. __ Field: home of the Mets: CITI - Knew this because I grew up on Long Island - but it was Shea back then

25. Sides of a paper?: OP-EDS

26. Restaurant offering: MENU - I WAGed this

28. Body part used in kissing and telling: LIP - cute

31. Kosher deli snack: KNISH - pronounced "Kuh - nish"

Looks tasty

32. Greek goddess of the dawn: EOS

35. City near the geographic center of Iowa: AMES

36. Big birds: EMUS

37. Comedian Notaro: TIG - more here

38. NASA moon exploration program since 2017: ARTEMIS

39. Dish with fries and gravy: POUTINE  - Fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy

I made my own hash browns in the air-fryer this weekend

40. Offbeat: STRANGE

43. Shows through the door: LEADS IN

44. Checkmate phase: END GAME - Not "YOU LOSE"

45. Flights that may serve dinner and breakfast: RED-EYES

48. Shorthand for sharing a new realization: TIL - I was thinking in terms of text messages, like "FYI".  Meh.  I found this, so it's legit

49. Waffle choice: EGGO

51. Second word in an ecological mantra: REUSE - Reduce, - - -, Recycle

52. Working for: UNDER

56. Italian volcano: ETNA - Had this Monday.  Etsy plus Etna today

58. "Uh-huh": YEP - AND - 60D. "Uh-uh": NAW - Slangy verbal communications 

59. Flamenco cheer: OLÉ

Splynter

Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 ~ Sala Wanetick & Emily Biegas

 IT'S A TRAP~!

Star Wars, The Return of the Jedi, It's a trap #1

Once more we have the duo of Sala and Emily offering up our Wednesday workout, and I can literally take my review from their last construction ( here on Mar 5th ) and post it word for word, as today's crossword practically duplicated that one; it felt like deja vu all over again.  I do the Down clues first, so this grid, like the one in March, opened with a muscial concept I could grasp, but also like the last one, it had a plethora of names, two of which formed a Natick ( I'm looking at you, 16A/11D. ) which did me in when I solved the Monday puzzle, as well.  Sigh.  YMMV, but, like thier last crossword, I felt the theme was weak and just didn't hit the mark for me.  It was suggested the last time I did a review of the girls' construction that I be "honest", so that all constructors could improve upon their puzzles ( I myself have had a couple of co-created, published crosswords ) - I say, keep trying, ladies~!  The themers - three "set ups" - and reveal;

17. Potentially awkward encounter: BLIND DATE - I was "threatened" with a blind date the last time I was on Long Island; my friend's wife "really thought I should get together with this friend of hers."

26. Deceptive undercover ploy: STING OPERATION - this is the "poster song" for any "STING"

The Entertainer - Scott Joplin

43. "American Ninja Warrior" feature: OBSTACLE COURSE - I've been diligent in the month of May - went to the gym every other day, then walked 30-40mins in my neighborhood on the off days - and I would love to get into shape just be able to attempt this . . . .

59. "We've been fooled!," or what can be said about 17-, 26-, or 43-Across: "IT'S A SET-UP~!" - I certainly feel like I've been "had"

Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, "It's a trap" #2

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Move from the freezer to the sink, perhaps: THAW

5. Pod that may be pickled: OKRA

9. Barbershop sharpening tool: STROP

14. Hall of Fame golfer Isao: AOKI - name #1 - a crossword staple, with all those vowels - I only knew this name because I learned who he is by doing crosswords; he's the same age as the man who started the Pipe Organ company

15. Some summer babies, astrologically: LEOS - a bit 'meh' in the plural

16. "Defying Gravity" singer Cynthia: ERIVO - name #2, got me - see the little black triangle in the grid solution below.  Natick.  Pure. And. Simple. Period.  Her web page - I do like the album cover

19. Come-ons: LURES - not RUSES; I was 60% correct

20. Burned a bit: SINGED - I once sing-ed a song for karaoke . . . .

21. Stimulant in some soft drinks: CAFFEINE 

I'm fine, no really, I'm good, I just need a cup of coffee

23. Jumbo suffix: TRON - as in Jumbotron, the big screen at sports arenas, etc.; I'm feeling 'meh' about this, too

25. Cooling systs.: A/Cs

33. Coffee mug defect: CHIP

Yup, definitely "chipped"

34. Square-jawed canine: BOXER

35. Supersecretive org.: NSA - Dah~! Not CIA; 33% correct

36. Chicago airport code: ORD - due to O'Hare originally being Orchard Field - the Wiki

37. Gallivant: TRAIPSE - now here are good $2 words for clue/answer

39. Beanie, e.g.: CAP

40. Pool stick: CUE - had this Monday, too

41. Pay bump: RAISE

42. Sheet in a book: PAGE - at least it's not a name; i.e., Jimmy PAGE

47. "C'est la __!": VIE

48. Adjust the pitch of: TUNE

49. Musical place for a partridge: PEAR TREE - another good clue/answer

54. Tennessee NFL team: TITANS

58. Frowned upon: TABOO

61. Shady garden area: ARBOR

62. "Shoot": "DANG."

63. Connecting point: NODE

64. Bombards with texts, say: SPAMS - again, in the plural, a bit 'meh'.

65. Michigan's __ Royale National Park: ISLE - I'm betting Jazzbumpa knew this one

66. Chatted privately, briefly: DMed - Direct Messaged

DOWN:

1. Guitar player's aid: TABS - short for tabulature, which shows the fret number you hold with your finger(s) on the "lines" representing the strings on the neck; it's how I learned to play, but lately, I have gotten better with the actual note names

"Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" - Van Halen

2. Colorful Hindu festival: HOLI - I had this back on Apr 16th

3. Related (to): AKIN

4. Shape of some eyeliner applications: WINGTIP - this makeup detail

At least it wasn't the shoes

5. One who's past the age of learning, in a saying: OLD DOG - that is, you can't teach an - - - new tricks

6. Hawaii's Mauna __: KEA - geographic name - LOA, or KEA~?

7. Campus mil. group: ROTC - Reserve Officers' Training Corps - more here

8. Offshore: ASEA - yeah, but meh.

9. Focus of a "me day": SELF CARE - I figured it was something like "SPA - - -"

10. Most authentic: TRUEST

11. "SOS" singer, to fans: RiRi - OK, I get it, I'm old.... The artist Rihanna; the song, which samples MY generation's "Tainted Love" from Soft Cell, this 80s one-hit-wonder.  RiRi's Wiki; name #3

12. Tandoor, for one: OVEN - More here

13. Sit (for): POSE

18. "Marriage Story" Oscar winner Laura: DERN - name #4

22. Kayak listing: FARES - Tried HOTEL; the website - Kayak choice would have been more deceptive

24. Goal of some criminal justice reform efforts: NO BAIL - had N, O, L via perps, so a WAG on my part

26. Hedge element: SHRUB - a shrubbery~!

MP and the Holy Grail

27. Gravitational phenomena: TIDES

28. Composure: POISE

29. Anticipate: EXPECT

30. Quechua speakers: INCAS - name(ish)

31. "August: __ County": Meryl Streep film: OSAGE - no clue, so I'm calling name #5

32. Area hidden by a turtleneck: NAPE - could not be "neck" because it was in the clue

33. American tennis phenom Gauff: COCO - the Frawnche Open is this week; like the British open, known as "Wimbledon", the offical name of this tennis championship is Roland-Garros - name #6

37. Turncoats: TRAITORS

38. 5K participant: RACER - I knew we were looking for a "runner", which didn't fit; I tried MILER

42. Make believe: PRETEND

44. Den: TV ROOM - mancave didn't fit

45. Power interruption: OUTAGE - a nuisance, if you're watching a movie in your 44D.

46. Colleges, to Aussies: UNIversitieS

49. School fundraising orgs.: PTAs - again, the plural is a bit 'meh'

50. "Tombstone" character Wyatt: EARP - even if I know this, it's still a name, #7

51. "SOS" singers: ABBA - the "other" SOS song - still a name, #8

52. Cash gift given on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha: EIDI  - Islamic holidays - more here.  Really~? on Wednesday~?   Sheesh.  The Wiki

53. Waze figs.: ETAs - Waze, the driving app, a cute play on "WAYS"

55. Basic particle: ATOM

56. Like a streaker: NUDE

57. Stepped on the gas: SPED

60. Marcello Hernández's show, for short: SNL - his IMDb - name #9

Splynter

Wednesday, May 14th, 2025 ~ Brian Callahan & Tim Giannetti

 MORNIN', SUNSHINE~!

I loved this theme~!  We have two authors today; Mr. Callahan has been a frequent co-collaborator for the LA Times, and this appears to be Mr. Giannetti's debut - well done, sirs~!  The theme, again in the Downs for me ( I had a similar puzzle Apr 16 - plus circles ), is a graphical depiction of the word STAR as it "rises" from the bottom of the answer phrase through the middle phrases, and finishing up at the top of the final phrase.  I felt it was a tidy construction, lots of names and circumreferential clues, yet at the same time sort of weird - as if it were an exercise in obsucrity AND a texbook array of crossword entries with chunky corners; the result being a puzzle that didn't feel like a Wednesday level, but that's exactly where it needed to be.  The best I can do to "express" the theme;

9. Secret passed down by Nonna, perhaps: PASTA RECIPE - Nonna = Granny in my family

                        11. "Don't try to do everything at once": START SMALL

                                                      20. Some turnpike turnoffs: REST AREAS

                                                                   23. Certain business quota: SALES TARGET

29. Up-and-comer, or a progression found in 29-, 23-, 20-, 9-, and 11-Down: RISING STAR

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. HS class with many average lessons?: AP STATS - I did not know this class was available

8. Twitches: SPASMS - As I get older, I can no longer have caffeine late in the day - otherwise, my legs twitch when I go to bed

14. Greeted from afar: WAVED HI - um, yeah - such an odd fill, but OK

15. MSU athlete: SPARTAN - MSU = Michigan State University; their website

16. Top rank in a tournament: ONE SEED

17. Can compete with the best: HAS GAME - the only "game" I have is Monopoly

18. Fisheye __: LENS

M.C. Escher, Three Spheres

19. Blood bank fluids: SERA

21. Crooner Mel: TORMÉ - name #1

22. "__ live and breathe!": "AS I . . ."

24. Thompson of "Men in Black: International": EMMA - name #2 - AND - 4D. Thompson of "Men in Black: International": TESSA - not the same "Thompson" - name #3

26. Paving goo: TAR

27. World Autism Mo.: APRil

30. Roadie's charges: AMPS

32. Planets, poetically: ORBS

34. __ tai: MAI

35. Future JD's exam: LSAT - crossword staple, Law School Admissions Test

36. Fishy fellow: MERMAN

Family Guy

39. "I'm home!": "IT'S ME~!"

41. Chem class site: LAB

43. __ Case: White Castle purchase: CRAVE

Man, I have not had White Castle in long, long time - now I AM craving

44. Branch of Islam: SHI'ISM

46. "The Amateur" actor Malek: RAMI - and the "bad guy" Lyutsifer Safin in the last James Bond movie; his IMDb - name #4

48. Fabrication: LIE

49. Quick scribble: NOTE

50. O.K. Corral surname: EARP - name #5

51. Acid letters: LSD - LySergic Acid Diethylamide -the Wiki

52. URL option: ORG

54. Actress Jessica: ALBA - frequent grid visitor; name #6

56. 36-Across's realm: SEA

58. Civil rights activist Chavez: CESAR - name #7

60. Brief "Get it done!": A.S.A.P.

62. "Frozen" princess: ELSA - name #8 - AND - 3D. "Frozen" reindeer: SVEN - name #9

"The Blonde & The Beast"

66. Immune response trigger: ANTIGEN - the Wiki, if you're curious

68. Stressful situation: HOT SEAT

70. Heads: LEADERS

71. NASA or NASCAR: ACRONYM

72. "Gosh darn it!": AW RATS

73. Ticket for a black diamond enthusiast: SKI PASS

DOWN:

1. Mil. no-show: AWOL - Absent WithOut Leave

2. Window installer's unit: PANE - I had one break on me last year; no sense in fixing or replacing it - I plan to replace both windows with a set of French ( Frawnche ) doors

It broke when I opened the window in a near-perfect arch

5. Sports drink suffix: ADE - GatorADE, e.g.

6. PC game with Livin' Large and Hot Date expansion packs: THE SIMS - I have not played much of this game - I preferred being the Mayor of my own Sim City

7. Hash browns, e.g.: SIDE

8. Club with cucumber slices?: SPA - Nice.  I was contemplating "BLT" - but I like this fresh clue

10. Golden Fleece vessel: ARGO - name(ish)

12. ABBA's "__ Mia!": MAMMA - AND -  25D. Lisa Bonet, to Zoë Kravitz: MOM - a couple of days too late for this past Sunday

13. Vile smile: SNEER

15. Part of a bedding set: SHAM - the part I never bother with when I buy a set; I hardly use the top sheet, in fact - it's the fitted bottom sheet, with side pockets that I like best - I can hang my electric blanket controller there

27. Brest friends: AMIs - I missed the "r" on the first pass in Brest ( France )

Frawnche Friends

28. Way: PATH

31. Buddy: PAL

33. "I c-c-can't feel my t-t-toes": "BRR~!"

37. "We try harder" car rental chain: AVIS

38. "... should the __ arise": NEED

40. "'O Sole __": MIO - how 'bout Elvis' take on the melody~?

I dig the sideburns, man~! - the song Wiki

42. Farmyard bleat: BAA

45. Filmmaker Brooks: MEL - name #10

47. Vulcan salute giver: MR. SPOCK - name #11

52. Sunshine State city: OCALA - I made it as far as Jacksonville, FL - name #12

53. Subscribe again: RENEW

55. Prohibits: BANS

57. "The Tortoise and the Hare" teller: AESOP - the Fabulist

59. Verdi opera: AIDA

61. "I see now!" cries: "A-HAs~!" - the plural is a bit Meh.

63. Emmy winner Waithe: LENA - name #13; her IMDb

64. Declares: SAYS

65. Twentysomethings?: ATMs - A HA~!  Trying to find an alternative to this crossword constant, not as clever as the one for SPAs

67. MD workplaces: ERs

69. Tetra- minus one: TRI - Four, less one, in prefixes equals Three

Splynter