Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Zachary David Levy

On the Book Shelf.  Today we get both books and the supports that hold the books upright.

These bookends are for people who read between the lions.

17-Across. Garlic bread option: TEXAS TOAST.  Text.

22-Across. Column of super-heated ash and sulfur dioxide during an eruption: VOLCANIC PLUME.  Volume.

44-Across. Nightshade relish: TOMATO COMPOTE.  Tome.

51-Across. Reading on a decibel meter: NOISE LEVEL.  Novel.

And the unifier:

33-Across. One of a pair on a library shelf, as well as one of a pair in each set of circled letters: BOOK END.

The circles spell out another name for a book:  Text / Volume / Tome / Novel.  The other portion of today's theme was a bit tricky, for me at least.  {Many thanks to my fellow commentators for seeing the second portion of the theme.}  Note that the circles are at the beginning and the end of each theme clue, thus the circles form a sort of "bookend" for the clue.  Unlike many puzzles that have circles, in this puzzle circles are integral to the theme.

Across:

1. Use for support: RELY ON.

7. PC key below ~: TAB.  The Tab Key is also found under the Tilda on the Mac keyboard, too.

10. Distort, as data: SKEW.

14. Calm and Restore skin care brand: AVEENO.  [Name adjacent.]

15. MLB stat: RBI.  Runs Batted In in Major League Baseball.

16. Valley west of Sacramento: NAPA.  Known for its wineries.

19. Site with a Craft Supplies section: ETSY.  [Name adjacent.]

20. "Spider-Man" trilogy director Sam: RAIMI.  Sam Raimi (né Samuel M Raimi; b. Oct. 23, 1959) has directed a number of films, including the Spider-Man trilogy, which has such original names as Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3.  [Name # 1.]

21. "Come on down!" announcer Johnny: OLSON.  Johnny Olson (né John Leonard Olson; b. May 22, 1910 ~ Oct. 12, 1985) was an American radio personality and television announcer.  Olson is best known for his work as an announcer for game shows, including To Tell the Truth the Match Game and the iconic The Price Is Right where he shouted out "Come on down!"  Hard to believe that he died nearly 40 years ago.  [Name # 2.]

25. Superficial layer: VENEER.

26. Statistician Silver: NATE.  In 2009, Nate Silver (né Nathaniel Read Silver; b. Jan. 13, 1978) was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time.  He is an American statistician, writer, and poker player who analyzes baseball, basketball, and elections.  [Name # 3.]

27. Not here anymore: GONE.  All I could think of was Away, but that was too many letters.

28. Word that can follow goal or detail: ORIENTED.  As in someone may be Goal-Oriented, or Detail Oriented.

32. __-country music: ALT.  As in Alternative Country Music.

36. Joey pal of Piglet: ROO.  Think of Winnie the Pooh.  A baby kangaroo is called a Joey.  And Roo is the baby kangaroo friend of Piglet.  [Name # 4, Fictional.]

37. Saddle attachments: STIRRUPS.

39. "Can't you take a __!?": HINT.

40. Flow slowly: OOZE.

41. Broad neckties: ASCOTS.

48. Geological period: EPOCH.

49. Cries miserably: WAILS.

50. Casual get-together: SESH.  Short for Session.

56. Elm or ash: TREE.

57. "Noah kept bees in the ark hive," e.g.: PUN.  Cute clue.

58. Act as a go-between: LIAISE.  A fun word with lots of vowels.

59. Utters: SAYS.

60. 18-wheeler: RIG.

61. Begins, as a project: SETS TO.

Down:

1. Lab animal in a maze: RAT.

2. Night before: EVE.

3. Superman foe Luthor: LEX.  This supervillain makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  [Name # 5, Fictional]

4. Jack Black film with the tagline "Meet your ancestors": YEAR ONE.  I must have missed this 2009 movie.

5. Available for purchase: ON SALE.

6. Recognize: NOTICE.

7. Rail rider: TRAIN.

The Caption reads: Ted did you know there's a miniature woman tied to the train tracks who looks remarkably like me?

8. Core group?: ABs.  As in the Abdominal muscles that make up one's body core.

9. Drill insert: BIT.

10. Herman whose chart is topped with a giant "E": SNELLEN.  I never thought about who came up with the Eye Chart before, so this was my learning moment.  In 1862, Herman Snellen (Feb. 19, 1834 ~ Jan. 18, 1908) a Dutch ophthalmologist, introduced the Snellen chart to study visual acuity.  [Name # 6.]

11. Panko-breaded chicken dish: KATSU.  Katsu is not a Tuesday word.  Panko in the clue should have led you to Japan.  Chicken Katsu is Japanese-style fried chicken.

12. __ salts: bathwater additive: EPSOM.  The name Epsom salt came from the town of Epsom, England where in 1618 a farmer's cows refused to drink the local water because of its bitter taste.

13. Hockey Hall of Famer Gretzky: WAYNE.  Wayne Douglas Gretzky (b. Jan. 26, 1961) is a former professional hockey player.  He played in the NHL for 20 seasons with 4 different teams.  He is considered one of the greatest hockey players of all times.  [Name # 7.]

18. Actor Sharif: OMAR.  Most of the movies that starred Omar Sharif (né Michel Yusef Dimitri Chaloub; Apr. 10, 1932 ~ July 10, 2015) were before my movie-going time, but I have seen Doctor Zhivago.  Tomorrow would have been his 92nd birthday.  [Name # 8.]

21. Chose: OPTED.

22. Starbucks size: VENTI.

23. Memo phrase: IN RE.  Today's Latin lesson.  It is a Latin phrase meaning in the matter of.

24. Abel's brother: CAIN.  A Biblical reference.  In Genesis 4: Cain slew Abel.  East of Eden by John Steinbeck (Feb. 27, 1902 ~ Dec. 20, 1968) is recreation of the biblical Cain and Abel story as told through two generations of brothers who betray one another.  [Names 9 and 10, Biblical.]

25. Battery unit: VOLT.  In 1881, the Volt was named in honor of Alessandro Volta (né Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta; Feb. 18, 1745 ~ Mar. 5, 1827).  Alessandro Volta was an Italian physicist and chemist who was a pioneer of electricity and power.  He is credited as the inventor of the electric battery and the discoverer of methane.  [I originally stated that the Volt is a unit of measurement regarding the strength of an electric current, however, in the comments, Jinx informed me that this is incorrect.]

27. Need for some hybrids: GAS.  Best Hybrid cars of 2024 - 2025 according to Edmunds.

28. Approves: OKs.

29. Like stale expressions: TRITE.

30. Ages: EONS.

31. Ellipsis element: DOT. ... 

33. Liquid diet component: BROTH.

34. Anise-flavored aperitif: OUZO.  Ouzo is a dry anise-flavored aperitif that is commonly drunk in Greece.

35. Cartel whose "O" does not stand for "oil": OPEC.  Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.  Everything you wanted to know about OPEC but didn't know to ask.  It came into being September 10–14, 1960, and the first countries in OPEC were Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

38. Kitchen invaders: ROACHES.

39. "On the spot" spot: HOT SEAT.

41. Part of a basic Latin conjugation: AMAS.  More of today's Latin lesson.

42. Showroom pitches: SPIELS.

43. Dog with a strong herding instinct: COLLIE.

44. Battery units?: TESTS.  As in a battery of medical tests.

45. Verdi composition: OPERA.  Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813 ~ Jan. 27, 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas.  The Houston Grand Opera will be performing his 1853 opera Il Trovatore next season.  [Name #11.]

46. Amble: MOSEY.

47. Yet to be paid: OWING.

51. Steve Inskeep's network: NPR.  Steven Alan Inskeep (b. June 16, 1968) is a radio journalist for National Public Radio.  [Name # 12.]

52. French yes: OUI.  Today's French lesson.

53. Sue Grafton's "__ for Vengeance": V IS.  Sue Taylor Grafton (Apr. 24, 1940 ~ Dec. 28, 2017) wrote a detective series that featured private investigator Kinsey Millhone.  This was an "alphabet" series, with each book beginning with a letter of the alphabet.  The series started with A is for Alibi, which was published in 1982.  Her final book in the series was Y is for Yesterday.  Sadly, she died before she could finish/publish the last letter of the alphabet.   [Name # 13.]

54. Superlative suffix: -EST.

55. Sign between Cancer and Virgo: LEO.  And a shout-out to our very own Leo III.  We miss you, Leo.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

For those in the path of the eclipse yesterday, I hope you got to enjoy the full experience.  There won't be another total eclipse that crosses the United States for another 21 years.  If you weren't in the path, this is what it looked like:

Monday April 8, 2024 Christina Iverson

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with an eye opening puzzle from Christina Iverson.

Theme:      I See What You Mean

 

Let's see if we can shed some light on this one.

TBH, thinking about eyeball anatomy and diseases makes me feel squeamish
so I am narrowing this down to just one diagram that has
all we need for today:  ROD, IRIS, CONE, and  PUPIL.

These are the themers:

17 Across. Curtain holder in a bathroom: SHOWER ROD  

I like these curved ones. They give me just a bit more space.

25 Across. Purple flower with a fuzzy patch: BEARDED IRIS.  

These lovely IRISes belong to my former neighbor and current friend.

51 Across. Orange marker in a construction zone: TRAFFIC CONE.  

64 Across. Student at the top of the honor roll: STAR PUPIL.  

Then the reveal:

39. "We're almost there!," and what can be said about 17-, 25-, 51-, and 64-Across?: THE END IS IN SIGHT.

The ends of all the themed clues (ROD, IRIS, CONE, and PUPIL) are  parts of a human eye and are essential to sight.  

This theme seems an excellent fit for viewing today's total solar eclipse. I think that was Patti's plan. What do you think?

PSA from The Corner:  Prioritize your eye safety. Do not look directly at the sun during an eclipse.  Turn around!  

Bonnie Tyler (1983) Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn around)

<You knew I had to work this in.>

Across:

1. Have an ugly cry: BAWL.  a baseball reference  😜

5. Fly through the air: SOAR.

9. Barked: ARFED.

14. Eight, in Spanish: OCHO.  ¡Canta conmigo! (Sing with me!)

15. Give a darn: CARE.

16. "__!" ... "Polo!": MARCO.  It's a hide-and-seek game played in a swimming pool that holds a distinction in that everyone who ever played it also cheated at least once.

19. Situation with a player at first, say: ONE ON.  another baseball reference.

A runner at first sets up the opportunity for my favorite thing about baseball -- the double play.  

20. Peaceful: SERENE.  Def.:  (adj.) marked by or suggestive of utter calm and unruffled repose or quietude.

That's you ... in the canoe.

21. Commercial lead-in to "bnb": AIR.  This clue feels like a lot of work for something as ubiquitous as AIR. "Commercial" here refers to business as opposed to a TV advertisement.  

Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their property with people who are looking for accommodations, typically for short stays.

23. Gaelic speaker: CELT.  

24. French fashion initials: YSL.

28. Country singer Loretta: LYNN.  (Apr. 14, 1932 - Oct. 4, 1922)  Her website says that she is the most awarded lady in Country music.

29. Scotch's partner: SODA.  A Scotch & Soda is an alcoholic beverage ... and the first line of this song by the Kingston Trio.  

30. Naked: BARE.  Here's a clip from a TV show called Naked and Afraid from The Discovery Channel. You can think of it as Survivor on crack. It is now on its 17 season.  

33. Stomp on the gas: GUN IT.  Let's move on from this one as quickly as possible.

36. Govt. intel org.: NSA.  National Security Agency

43. Unnaturally pale: WAN.  

44. Construct: ERECT.  

45. Film spool: REEL.

46. Root vegetable in Nigerian cuisine: TARO.  TARO, aka cocoyam (pronounced "KOH-KOH-YAM"), is a crop cultivated in many regions including Africa and the West Indies / Caribbean. The crop is a staple food in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Ghana. It can be prepared a variety of ways.

48. Lawn tool: RAKE.

55. Work on a quilt: SEW.

58. Wild canine: WOLF.

59. "Dance the Night" singer __ Lipa: DUA.

60. Like some albums: DELUXE.  A "deluxe edition" usually means it contains extra content, compared to the standard edition.  This is the album cover for 59A's DELUXE edition.  

(tiny writing at the bottom says "deluxe edition")

62. Show host: EMCEE.  I learned the other day on WWDTM that a British English term for an MC (Master of Ceremonies) is compere.

66. Jump back, say: REACT.  This is how it's done:

67. Sheet of paper: PAGE.

68. Hatchling's home: NEST.  A pair of intrepid birds have built a nest in my hose holder. Needless to say, I will not be using that hose for a while. I know this is not a great picture but I did not want to upset them. The mom is in there. They were well-protected during our recent storms, my dog will keep cats away, plus I have a lot of miner's lettuce going to seed in my front yard for them to forage. They chose well, don't you think?

69. Cities with harbors: PORTS.

70. Post-blizzard blanket: SNOW.  Cute clue!

71. __ and crafts: ARTS.

Down:
1. Like an overbearing older sibling: BOSSY.  Lucy immediately came to mind.

2. Is sore: ACHES.

3. Pattern of spirals on a fingerprint: WHORL.  You don't hear this one everyday.  

A fingerprint analyst is a professional scientist who obtains, studies, and analyzes fingerprints as well as palm prints and footprints as part of a crime scene investigation.

4. Actor Rob of "Parks and Recreation": LOWE.  He played Chris Traeger, an intensely cheerful and enthusiastic character.

5. Bug keeper-outer on a window: SCREEN.  

perhaps an underappreciated moment of brilliance

6. Rowboat rower: OAR.

7. Noisy, as a crowd: AROAR.

8. Fixed up again: REDID.  past tense of "redo"

9. "Yo te __": AMO.  Spanish  

10. Putrid: RANCID.

11. Allowed to roam, as chickens: FREE RANGE.

You can feed your RANCID fruit to your FREE RANGE chickens.

12. Gut bacteria: E. COLI.

13. Heading on a list of actions to avoid: DON'TS.  

18. Phonetic term often associated with they/them pronouns: ENBY.  It is "phonetic" because it sounds like N-B, as in non-binary.  

22. Sticky tree secretion: RESIN.  I learned on this U.S. Forest Service website that RESIN in hops gives beer its unique aroma and bitter taste.

26. "The Hate U Give" writer Thomas: ANGIE.  goodreads link

27. Connect the __: DOTS.  The 2018 Guinness World Record is 52,901 dots!

28. Big name in jeans: LEE.  Their marketing campaign uses a 'regular guy' approach.

30. Short "While I'm thinking of it ... ": BTW.  By The Way....

31. Exclamation of understanding: AHA.

32. Vehicle picked up at an airport, maybe: RENTAL CAR.  Good clue! It reminds me of what happened to the rental cars in Hawaii during Covid. Most tourists visiting Hawaii get a rental car. Tourists stopped flying to Hawaii during Covid. Suddenly there was no room to park all the rental cars that would normally be checked out to visitors. The solution was to park them at Aloha Stadium. They filled the parking lot!

34. Golden State sch.: USC.  University of Southern California

California has "University of ___" schools and "CSU, ___" schools (e.g., CA State University, San Diego). Both are 4-year degree schools. UC schools operate as residential campuses focusing on research and graduate education. CSU schools, in contrast, tend to enroll more commuter students. The UC system is generally considered more prestigious -- and more expensive.

35. The "N" of TNT: NITRO.

37. "__ Persisted": children's book by Chelsea Clinton: SHE.  goodreads link

38. Ga. capital: ATL.  Atlanta is the capital of Georgia.

40. Maker of squishy darts: NERF.  

super squishy

41. Humanlike robot: DROID.  

For the record, I want our future AI overlords to know that I supported them

by posting this very favorable 1:20 min. video.

42. Anger: IRE.

47. Move emotionally: AFFECT.

49. Composer Lloyd Webber: ANDREW.  (b. Mar. 22, 1948)  I learned from reading his bio on his website that he has EGOT status.  This is Patti LuPone singing With One Look from his musical, Sunset Boulevard.  

50. Save: KEEP.

51. Little troublemaker: TWERP.

52. Juliet's partner: ROMEO.

53. Zodiac transition points: CUSPS.  These are the days bordering the sun's transition to a new sign. For example, those born between April 17-23 are in the Aires-Taurus CUSP. They are said to be influenced by both the Aires and Taurus zodiac signs.

54. Board game that dropped "The Settlers of" from its name: CATAN.  I have blogged this fill before but I still could not remember it. Oof! Perhaps another visual image will help lock it into my cerebral cortex. If not, my neurons will play CAT ANd mouse looking for this name.  

55. "Terrific!": SUPER.  

56. Are: EXIST.

57. Swollen marks: WELTS.

61. Name that means "moon": LUNA.  If you are around anyone named LUNA while watching the eclipse today, you can say, "Down in front!"

63. UFO pilots: ETS.

65. Back in time: AGO.

"Now in time", we will take a look at the grid:  

See you later!

Sunday April 7, 2024 John Michael Currie

 

Theme: "Amendment Needed" - The circled letters orderly spell out "THE FIFTH". And each circled letter is the 5th letter in the theme entry. 

25. *Accidentally scorch the appetizers?: CHART A COURSE.

31. *"You can't wrestle a chimney sweep and come out clean," e.g.?: SOOTH SAYING.

44. *Mission of the Blue Origin rockets carrying William Shatner and Michael Strahan?: STARES INTO SPACE.

56. *Finish a crossword with a spelling error?: GO OFF THE GRID.

82. *Say no to a date?: PASSION FRUIT.

92. *Run-ins with soft cheese?: BRIEF ENCOUNTERS.

108. *Exhale in a game of hide-and-seek?: SIGHT UNSEEN.

115. *Florists who specialize in purple bouquets?: IRISH SETTERS.

Reveal:

130. With this puzzle's circled letters, exercise a certain constitutional right, and how to answer each starred clue: TAKE.

Our blog tag shows this is John's first Sunday puzzle. Congrats, John!

After reading the reveal clue and strung together the message, I still did not get into the 5th letter aspect. Talk about layers. Amazing.

Across:

1. Oldest Simpson kid: BART.

5. Casino convenience: ATM.

8. Model plane wood: BALSA.

13. Motor City pro: PISTON. Detroit Pistons.

19. State with an astronaut on its quarter: OHIO. An early "Happy Birthday" to Jeff of Pepper Pike, Ohio!

20. Aunt, in Acapulco: TIA.

21. Lures: BAITS.

22. "Knock, knock!": I'M HERE.

23. Tactful one: DIPLOMAT. And 93. 23-Across's base: EMBASSY. My former boss James, now a diplomat. Do you like my hair then?

 

James & C.C.

27. Basket maker, e.g.: SCORER.

29. Gibbs of "The Jeffersons": MARLA.

30. Stomped (on): TROD.

36. D.C. VIPs: POLS.

37. Typeface word: SANS.

38. Displace: UPROOT.

39. 3D ring shape: TORUS.

41. Amarillo-to-Austin dir.: SSE.

43. Very small: ITTY.

51. Unknown degree: NTH.

52. Burn soother: ALOE. Was trying to reach a bag of dried white fungi from the cupboard over our stove last week. The hot pot burned my belly button. Ouch. But the soup was good.

54. "Only Time" artist: ENYA.

55. Fervency: ARDOR.

61. "The Hangover" role for Ed Helms: STU.

63. "Eureka!" elicitor: IDEA.

64. Golden Fleece seeker: ARGONAUT.

65. Colleague: PEER.

66. Drawbacks: CONS.

67. Unlikely to be discussed: TABOO.

69. Classic Ford, familiarly: T-BIRD.

71. Takes turns?: SPINS.

73. Credit: CITE.

74. Airbnb alternative: VRBO. Vacation Rentals by Owner. 

77. Twice-monthly shoreline occurrence: NEAP TIDE.

80. Minnesota representative Ilhan: OMAR. 49. "True Grit" filmmakers: COENS. They grew up in
St. Louis Park, MN.

81. Aquaman's domain: SEA.

86. Arctic seal refuges: BERGS. Hello cutie.

88. __'acte: ENTR.

90. Lamb mamas: EWES.

91. Package opening?: PRE. Prepackage.

97. Watery defense: MOAT.

98. "Srsly!?": OMG.

99. Corp. hierarchy modification: RE-ORG.

100. Like: AKIN TO.

102. Fitbit unit: STEP.

106. Darlin': BABE.

111. Posh: LUXE.

112. Not just once: AGAIN.

114. Pan-fries: SAUTES.

119. Took control of, as a competition: BLEW OPEN.

123. Olympic projectile: DISCUS.

124. Sarnia's lake: HURON.

125. Simu of "Barbie": LIU. He was born in Harbin, China.

126. Hostile: UGLY.

127. Tangible thing: ENTITY.

128. Sewing kit item: SPOOL.

129. Mo. before May: APR.

Down:

1. Figure, casually: BOD.

2. Pacific tuna: AHI. Want some?

3. Paper problem: RIP.

4. "War and Peace" novelist: TOLSTOY.

5. Tops: AT MOST.

6. Pageant crown: TIARA.

7. Chum on a boat?: MATEY.

8. Telly channel: BBC.

9. Apt rhyme for spa: AAH.

10. Youngest Hemsworth brother: LIAM. Liam, Chris and Luke.

11. Gets ready for a ride: STRAPS IN.

12. Space City pro: ASTRO. Tony's team.

13. Cubism pioneer: PICASSO.

14. Texter's qualifier: IMO.

15. Closes: SHUTS.

16. Earth, in some sci-fi: TERRA.

17. Director Welles: ORSON.

18. Cries out for: NEEDS.

24. Calle __: street in Miami's Little Havana: OCHO. Learning moment for me.

26. "You're in good hands" sloganeer: ALLSTATE.

28. EGOT winner Moreno: RITA.

31. Taking to court: SUING.

32. Decide one will: OPT TO.

33. Gardening brand: ORTHO.

34. Neither companion: NOR.

35. Ph.D. seeker's test: GRE.

40. Cheaper, perhaps: USED.

42. Hockey great Tikkanen: ESA. Finnish hockey player.

 

44. West End district: SOHO.

45. Many a YA hero: TEEN.

46. Where Ferrari is RACE: NYSE. Very cool.

47. Like business vis-à-vis coach: PRICIER.

48. Extra option: ADD ON.

50. Historical chapters: ERAS.

52. Prefix with futurism: AFRO.

53. Newsom and Hochul, once: Abbr.: LT GOVS. Kathy Hochul, the New York governor.

57. Jeweler to the Romanovs: FABERGE. 96. Many pieces by 57-Down: EGGS.

58. Spanish cat: GATO.

59. Spice mixture: RUB.

60. Turner memoir: I TINA.

62. Bearlike: URSINE.

65. Smartphone precursors, for short: PDAS.

67. Proctor's tool: TIMER.

68. Nintendo rival: ATARI.

70. Hi-__ audio: RES.

72. Many e-forms: PDFS.

73. __ salad: COBB. Do you guys like microgreens?

75. Come back to the table: RE-ENGAGE.

76. Judge's seat: BANC.

78. Fishing spot: PIER.

79. Helps to water-ski: TOWS.

82. Leith of "The Great British Baking Show": PRUE.

83. Barely leading: UP ONE.

84. Seeing red: IRATE.

85. "Grand" peak: TETON.

87. Airport near San Jose, Calif.: SFO.

89. Did exceedingly well: TORE IT UP. Great fill.

94. Many stats: NOS.

95. TNT start: TRI.

97. Skip an epic party, say: MISS OUT.

100. Filmmaker with a distinctive style: AUTEUR.

101. Was sure: KNEW.

102. Playground feature: SLIDE.

103. Italy's first capital: TURIN.

104. Be: EXIST.

105. Joe of "Bupkis": PESCI.

107. Jacuzzis, e.g.: BATHS.

109. "Se __ español": HABLA.

110. Spring bloom: TULIP. So pretty.

113. Fictional sleuth Wolfe: NERO.

116. Modest digs: HUT.

117. Down Under hopper: ROO.

118. NBC skit show, for short: SNL.

120. Tour gp.: PGA.

121. Large deer: ELK.

122. Bill for education?: NYE. Bill Nye.

Some of you might still remember the friendly challenge Splynter and I had back in January. He'd like to lose 10lbs by Easter and I wanted to swim fly for a lap sans fins.

I was able to swim only a length last month and I have not even tried once since then.

Splynter has lost 6lbs so far, He actually lost 8, but gained 2 more back. The most important thing is that he joined CrossFit and he now goes there regularly. So proud of your achievement, Splynter!

Splynter