ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS MONDAY] 
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]

PROGRAM: [Java]

PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS MONDAY]

PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]

Ah, I’m back, rested, refreshed and all the other re- words you care to throw my way. Nice to get away from the grind just a little bit. And it’s great to be back on-line. Jesus, I just had no concept of how much stuff I was doing on-line lately once my phone/wifi was taken away. But anyway I covered this already. Back to the puzzle grind (and also, back to the rambles underneath puzzles).

Took somewhat of a vacation from crosswords last week. I say “somewhat” because I’m defining “crosswords” as solving the two Times puzzles (New York and L.A.), the Onion and whatever puzzle is tossed over my transom by whoever wanted me to see something. (I guess to a lesser extent, “crosswords” could be defined by reading the blogs too. When I was catching up with the older puzzles yesterday, I was wondering what Rex might say.)

I did not, however, have a puzzle-free weekend. I am an addict, and like all addicts, I have to have my fix every day, dammit. I start itching if I haven’t solved a puzzle. If I know I’m going overseas and I’ll be screwed because it’s either mots croises or crucigramas or nothing (or cryptics, if Liz is buying The Guardian), then you know damn well I’m packing a couple two three puzzle books. I’m an addict, and I need my puzzles. And let’s face it, I never know when the jones is coming down, so I’m walking around every with them constantly. My pockets are constantly stuffed with puzzles to solve. Not to make, but to do. (People always assume I’m making a puzzle when I’m quickly filling in puzzle on paper. Why is that? I’m an international man of leisure! Why do I want to carry work with me?)

Even last week, while my family was admiring the (admittedly) jaw-dropping beauty of the Redwoods, I would occassionally sneak a peak and fill in a few squares here and there. And since you asked, I was working on Frank Longo’s “Vowelless Crosswords” and Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon’s “Atlantic Cryptic Crosswords” collection this past week. Both are great.

I guess this is really nothing new. Liz says she wants to step out for some shopping for whatever, and that usually means I need to grab a couple two-three puzzles to do whilst she touches everything in the store. I was relieved to see that when Liz and I met up with Tyler Hinman for brunch during our abbreviated San Francisco visit, Tyler had managed to bring a whole damnfool puzzle magazine to pass the time. But then again, when you’re a genius and you’re the fastest solver in the U.S. five years in a row and counting, you probably need a whole magazine to keep you occupied for ten minutes. Us addicts are everywhere.

A quick couple things: thanks for all the comments from last week. I’m just getting around to them now. Belated congratulations to blogger extraordinaire/women’s suffragist Amy Reynaldo for putting her money where her mouth is and getting her very-first crossword by-line. More please. And lastly, R.I.P. Steve McNair.

Comments (26)