Sunday October 3, 2021 Mark McClain

Theme:"Preparing for Takeoff" - Last words orderly describe a plane trip.

23. *Attraction with exotic animals: SAFARI PARK.

33. *Former NASA project: SPACE SHUTTLE.

47. *Jump-start connection point: BATTERY TERMINAL.

63. *IT executive's concern: NETWORK SECURITY.

84. *Berlin monument that's a symbol of Germany's reunification: BRANDENBURG GATE.

97. *Something to go back to when things aren't working out: DRAWING BOARD.

113. *Brew pub sampler: BEER FLIGHT.

This describes nicely our annual trip to Las Vegas in February. No shuttle in Minneapolis though. We use Sun Country. After we park, we take an elevator and arrive at the terminals. After we arrive in Vegas, we do need to take a shuttle to the car rental place.

Super smooth grid from Mark. He's not one of the constructors who go low on word count or black square count. I actually don't recall a Saturday grid from Mark. He won't stump you with strange Abbr. or obscure names. Total pro!

Across:

1. Brownie group?: BATCH. Mark wants to trick you with TROOP.

6. Francis, most recently: POPE.

10. Scornful comment: TAUNT.

15. Self-righteously proper sort: PRIG.

19. Fancy to extremes: ADORE. Argyle used to visit Agnes and sat in one of those chairs. He'd then email me about how neat Agnes's house was.

Agnes's Home

20. Caspian Sea feeder: URAL.

21. Come after: ENSUE.

22. Single: LONE.

25. It may be skipped: STONE. And maybe CLASS too, for these kids.

26. SLR setting: AUTO.

27. Self-absorbed: SMUG.

28. Works in a museum: OILS. Noun "Works".

29. Oops provoker: SLIP. Thanks for the various buttons, D-Otto! You're just a genius!

30. Got rid of: TOSSED.

32. Knob-handled tools: AWLS.

35. Range option: AMANA.

38. Massage therapist's employer: SPA. Our Melissa used to be a massage therapist. We also have 77. It may need massaging: EGO.

39. Dismiss casually, with "at": SNEEZE.

40. Piece of land: TRACT.

41. Release predecessors: BETAS.

43. Embellished: ADORNED.

52. Word on an Irish euro: EIRE.

53. Basics: ABCs

54. Tickle pink: ELATE. Friendly combo, hence its frequent appearance.

55. Silent __: White House nickname: CAL.

56. Pet store rodent: GERBIL.

58. "Grey's Anatomy" showrunner Rhimes: SHONDA. Her company is called Shondaland.

60. Flier in a show: AEROBAT.

62. Bishop's purview: SEE.

68. Go downhill fast: SKI.

71. Obsolescent wrong number cause: MIS-DIAL.

72. Omelet request: ONE EGG.

75. Move stealthily: TIPTOE.

78. Brown shade: BEIGE.

81. "Sunday Night Baseball" nickname: A-ROD. Now he co-owns Timberwolves. Why didn't he just buy a baseball team?

83. Jazz home: UTAH.

87. Sleeping bag alternative: BEDROLL. Never used it. Not a camping person.

90. Wonderland cake instruction: EAT ME.

91. Café lightener: LECHE. Spanish for "milk". Looks like this in Chinese. Most Chinese just drink soy milk.

92. Contemptible: ODIOUS.

95. Trauma ctrs.: ERS.

96. Causes of much yawning: BORES.

101. Moved like the wind: BLEW.

103. Potato color: RUSSET. We use Yukon Gold for potato salad.

104. Crop unit: ACRE.

105. Fireplace duct: FLUE.

106. Forget where one put: LOSE. Boomer always puts his keys and wallet over the fridge.

110. Golden rule word: UNTO.

111. Bert's chum: ERNIE.

115. Wise adviser: GURU.

116. Its code is BOS: LOGAN.

117. Murray with a star on both the Canada and Hollywood Walk of Fame: ANNE.

118. Judge who excelled in the Field of Dreams game: AARON. Boomer has riffed on his names many times. Here comes the Judge.

119. Notice: SPOT.

120. Avocet cousin: STILT.

121. Puts in: ADDS.

122. Climate activist Thunberg: GRETA. If she does not win Nobel Peace this year, then it's the WHO. We'll know next Friday.

 

Down:

1. String section instrument: BASS.

2. Fall figure: ADAM. The fall of man.

3. Vegan protein source: TOFU. My grandma used to make tofu & chives dumplings every Saturday when I was home from college.

4. Rocky projection: CRAG.

5. HRH part: HER.

6. Eye opening: PUPIL.

7. Rigorous exams: ORALS.

8. Scorecard standards: PARS. We used to have a couple's season ticket for Ceder Creeks. I was not long but I was always straight.

9. Moose cousin: ELK.

10. Model 3 maker: TESLA. Does anyone on our blog own a Tesla?

11. Marxian activities: ANTICS. OK, it refers the Marx brothers.

12. Arthur Ashe Stadium is its main court: US OPEN. The next largest is the Louis Armstrong Stadium. We also have 36. 12-Down contest: MATCH.

13. Sister: NUN.

14. Achieved a baby milestone: TEETHED.

15. Classic wall worker: PLASTERER. TTP is one. Total DIYer.

16. Awaken harshly: ROUST.

17. Mole's collection: INTEL.

18. Crystal-bearing rock: GEODE.

24. Hoover was the only president born there: IOWA. Gimme! No president was born in Minnesota.

29. Twitch, say: SPASM.

31. Taverna aperitif: OUZO.

32. Meridian opening: ANTE.Antemeridian. Before noon.

33. Trunk item: SPARE.

34. Aquatic carnivore: SEAL.

35. Iraqis, mostly: ARABS.

37. Doesn't ignore: ACTS ON.

38. Editor's "keep it": STET.

40. Sched. uncertainty: TBA.And  42. GPS projection: ETA.

41. Club rules: BYLAWS.

44. Avian bills: NIBS.

45. Pennsylvania county or its seat: ERIE. Hello, Abejo, can you see us?

46. Editor's "cut it": DELE.

48. "Power" accessory, perhaps: RED TIE.

49. Cold treat brand: ICEE.

50. Dealer's pursuer: NARC. Drug dealer.

51. First Dominican MLB manager Felipe: ALOU.

56. Somersaulting dive: GAINER.

57. Kitchen suffix: ETTE.

59. Dory's friend: NEMO. Voiced by Ellen DeGeneres in "Finding Nemo".

60. Gestural comm. syst.: ASL.

61. Sturdy shoe: BROGUE.

64. River through Frankfurt: ODER. Along the German/Poland border.

65. Capital of Latvia: RIGA.

66. Particle also called a K meson: KAON.

67. Sound barrier breaker Chuck: YEAGER.

68. E-ticket's lack: STUB.

69. __-Eating Tree: "Peanuts" phenomenon: KITE.

70. 2010 Apple debut: IPAD. I first saw an iPad when Boomer's daughter-in-law visited us.

73. Common prayer: GRACE.

74. Invaders of ancient Rome: GOTHS.

76. Discards: THROWS OUT.

78. Trimming target: BEARD.

79. Thyroid MDs: ENTS.

80. "Big Blue": IBM.

82. Actor Billy __ Williams: DEE.

84. Poster's medium: BLOG.

 

85. Company with an antlered animal logo: DEERE.

86. Pleasant feeling: GLOW.

88. Pooch with a large tongue: ODIE.

89. Horizontal door beams: LINTELS. Directly over the door.

93. Congo tributary: UBANGI.

94. __ media: SOCIAL. In Chinese WeChat, you can see who likes your posts and who comments, but no one else can, unless it's from a mutual friend. For any of Carmen's posts, I can't see who likes or comments, unless it's from Lesley, since Lesley is also a friend of mine.

96. Major Nebraska product: BEEF.

97. Puts under: DRUGS.

98. Accumulate: RUN-UP.

99. Houston MLBer: ASTRO.

100. Ain't perfect?: AREN'T.

101. Barista's creation: BLEND.

102. Entices: LURES.

105. Ward (off): FEND.

106. Wearer of hot pants?: LIAR. Liar, pants on fire.

107. Fairy tale monster: OGRE.

108. Useless, now: SHOT.

109. Sicilian mount: ETNA.

112. Hogwash: ROT.

113. Shearing day sound: BAA.

114. Jet __: LAG. Proper ending!

Some extra notes:

1) Come here tomorrow for an exciting LAT debut of a regular on our blog!

2) Thank you so much for the cards and best wishes for our sweet Agnes! She's very encouraged. She's seeing her doctor on Wednesday then her oncologist on Thursday. Hopefully we'll know more about the next steps then. 

The road ahead will be tough, and she'll need our thoughts and prayers and songs.

C.C.