Theme: STRIKE ZONE (59. Home plate ump's concern ... or what the answer to each starred clue can be?)
17. *Sensei's studio: KARATE DOJO.
22. *Loud, wet weather event: THUNDERSTORM.
37. *Source of crude: OIL WELL.
49. *Site of spares and splits: BOWLING ALLEY.
Boomer here.
Yup, it's really me. I begged my way out of the hospital last Monday and now I let C.C. think she is taking care of me. I need to use a walker but beside that life goes on with three meals per day and some of the coldest Minnesota weather.
Also, I imagine that 17A, 22A, and 37A could possibly produce a STRIKE, but I have never heard of 49A. The ALLEY is outdoors, usually behind the Bowling Center.
Oh another bit of
shocking news, When I checked out of the hospital they weighed me at
160 pounds. I used to be 237, and when I got diabetes I went down to
185. I guess the malignant tumor that they whacked out of me, must
have weighed 25 pounds?
Across:
6. Lee with desserts: SARA. "Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee."
10. Way cool, in the '90s: PHAT. As above, maybe I was PHAT in the 90's
14. High school experiment site: SCIENCE LAB. Ours was Chemistry, and it always smelled like smoke and fire.
16. Mishmash dish: HASH. Not my favorite. At least the hospital did not try that on me.
18. Poker pot starter: ANTE. Five cents in the caddy shack.
19. Khan of Khan Academy: SAL.
20. Greek T: TAU.
21. Rage: ANGER. After two weeks I had to hold it in. Finally a
great occupational therapy doc was on my side and fixed me up with a
discharge without an AMA (Against Medical Advice).
26. Big jets: JUMBOS. 747, a great 3 game score.
29. Fictional lawyer Perry: MASON. A favorite show in the 1950s. I still watch reruns.
30. Leave red-faced: ABASH.
31. Central points: FOCI.
33. Hat-tipper's word: MA'AM.
36. Beer barrel: KEG. KEG parties were big when I was younger. However I never acquired a taste for beer.
40. Edible hero: SUB. I pass by the SUBWAY fast food. My mouth is not that big,
41. Stonestreet of "Modern Family": ERIC.
43. Climbing plant: VINE.
44. "In __, there is always too much singing": Debussy: OPERA. Noye's Fludde by Benjamin Briton. See also 10. "The __ of the 44-Across": PHANTOM.
46. Game with settlers: CATAN.
48. Noisy quarrel: FRACAS. The MLB channel has many reruns. Managers always lose to the men in blue.
53. Fed. security: T NOTE. Not in my portfolio.
54. What the ewe said: BAA. Poor little lambs who have lost their way.
55. Cashew or almond: NUT. Or Boomer?
58. Emerald Isle: EIRE.
63. "High Voltage" band: AC/DC. I think they were popular in the 90s. But not for me.
64. Places for astronomy buffs: PLANETARIA. Plural of planetarium. I think we visited a place like this in San Francisco, years ago.
65. Screen door stuff: MESH.
66. Wile E. Coyote's supplier: ACME.
67. Funny sketches: SKITS. Been there, done that.
Down:
2. Final Four org.: NCAA. The big tournament is coming soon, unless COVID won't let it.
3. One of a group who "just wanna have fu-un": Cyndi Lauper: GIRL. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun".
4. Meadow: LEA. Minnesota has a city named Albert LEA. I never knew the LEA meant meadow.
5. Sinus doc: ENT.
6. Four-door, usually: SEDAN. You do not hear this much any more. SUVs have taken over.
7. Not whispered: ALOUD. What?
8. Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory": RAJ.
9. Blood type letters: ABO. I am O negative. They say that is universal.
11. "Wait, I'll be right there!": HANG ON A SEC. I just call C.C. and she helps me move.
12. Daisylike flower: ASTER.
13. Unit of heat energy: THERM. Not many of these flying around Minnesota the past few days. Brrr!
15. Whale constellation (anagram of CUTES): CETUS.
21. Stubborn animal: ASS. No comment.
22. "American Dad!" channel: TBS. I watch it sometimes. I think it is out of Georgia.
23. Santa's jolly syllables: HO HO. OH OH, we won't see him again soon.
24. Awards show host: EMCEE.
25. Skateboard park feature: RAIL.
26. Actor Gyllenhaal: JAKE.
27. __ Eats: delivery service: UBER. We had to use Uber when I left the hospital. I did not want to leave the Santa Fe in the VA parking lot for two weeks.
28. Abracadabra et al.: MAGIC WORDS. "You are free to go home" were the MAGIC WORDS for me.
31. Casual love affair: FLING.
32. Accept blame for: OWN. I am not accepting blame for the cancer, but I guess I own it.
34. Celestial glow: AURA.
35. CFOs' degrees: MBAS. Master of Business Administration.
38. Lendl of tennis: IVAN. 61 years old now.
39. Campfire stories, say: LORE.
42. Pasadena engineering sch.: CAL TECH.
45. Fork over: PAY. I have Medicare and my VA card. I guess I still have to fork over a bit.
47. Reason for extra innings: TIE.
48. Snow speck: FLAKE. We have seen plenty this year, I would not call them SPECKS.
49. Second-string squad: B TEAM.
50. Chilling: ON ICE. The Wild played one at Target Field last week - below zero!
51. The "A" in James A. Garfield: ABRAM.
52. Singer Frankie: LAINE.
55. Sushi roll wrap: NORI.
56. Inch or yard: UNIT.
57. Tazo products: TEAS. for TWO?
59. Pampering place: SPA. The hospital did not have a SPA.
60. Pampering, initially: TLC. Tender Loving Care.
61. UFO crew: ETS.
62. Drummer Starkey, son of Ringo: ZAK.
Boomer
