Double Secret Probation

That’s what I am putting myself on.  Yes, I am taking some time off again.  I had successful surgery to repair my separated shoulder, but my arm is still in a sling for three more weeks.  Add to this a family illness and it is time to take another break.  I hope to be back for puzzling duty when the sling comes off and things just settle down.  Let’s try for April 9 with the goal of a spring and summer full of puzzle-rific fun!

Confessions of a One-handed Typer

Took a week off.  The separated shoulder will require surgery, with a mid-March date pending.  I will be posting a puzzle tomorrow, and I hope to have a regular Friday-Monday-Tuesday posting schedule this week.  Thanks for your patience.

Crosswords in Brooklyn and Cross Words at My Shoulder

2/24/2010:

I am very bad at one-handed typing.  That’s just one of the things that I have found out about having a separated shoulder.  Another thing is that when something else goes wrong, it is impossible to cover for it.  I attended the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament last weekend at the Downtown Brooklyn Marriott, and I had a really nice time.  I met some smart, funny, dedicated people.  I partnered with a just a lovely 3rd grade teacher from Boston during Friday night’s visual clue Siamese Twin Crossword puzzles.  I met a crossword puzzle constructor from New Hampshire, a pilot from Hawaii, and the president of a Pillowfighting League.   Seriously.  I had lunch at the Arby’s that took over Gage and Tollner’s space.  I also tried to solve six puzzles on Saturday and completed 3 of them.  You can just feel the But coming, can’tcha? 

Well, BUT, the pain in my shoulder was still enough to affect my performance, both as a blogger and a solver.  I forgot to bring a camera to the proceedings.  I found that painkillers do not help cognitive skills (Shocker!), and when my wife’s nagging sinus infection took her down, I was unable to attend Sunday’s finale.  Plus, the pilot from Hawaii had broken his shoulder blade and I was not even the best one-handed crossword puzzle solver there!   

I managed to finish 151 out of 161 rookies and 632 out of 643 entrants overall.  So uh, maybe I’ll just volunteer next year.

2/25/2010:

I grew tired yesterday and did not finish the post.  I went to an orthopedic surgeon today, and while I expected him to tell me that I just needed to keep my arm in a sling and rest up, I now know that I will need surgery to repair my separated shoulder.  Turns out that I has a Grade 5 separation, which means my collar-bone is 300 percent out variance.  in layman’s terms, it is sticking up 3x higher than it should.  The operation should be within the next 2 weeks, but it is arthroscopic surgery and should be minimally invasive.  Sigh.  I don’t really know what else to type save that I will try to have a puzzle up tomorrow.

Puzzle #34 Brain Teaser: Where Ya’ Been? (Answer Included!)

Hello.  There was no puzzle posted last Friday, but I am able to post one today.  Why the week’s delay?  Solve the puzzle to find out.  Since I missed a week, I will include the answer today instead of Monday.  Also look in the answer section for a special announcement.  Happy Puzzling!

So, you can’t figure out what happened to me?  OK, click below for the answer.

Answers to Puzzle #30 Wordplay: Gone but Not Frgttn

If you tried Friday’s puzzle and could not come up with the answer for number 2 on the list, it is because I really blew it.  The lost NYC fixture that was the answer for number 2 was incorrectly done, spectacularly incorrect in fact.  The puzzle was to figure out the names of famous New York institutions that are no longer with us, in which I removed the vowels from each said institution.  Well, for number two I completely brain farted and removed all of the consonants.  IAAI!!!!!!!!  I was enamored with my own cleverness of providing nothing but an apostrophe for a clue, and failed to realize that I had COMPLETELY REVERSED THE PREMISE OF THE PUZZLE.  Sigh.  No matter, like the ancient Persian rug maker, I shall incorporate my mistake into my puzzling tapestry in the form of a bonus puzzle.  To wit:  Can you figure out the New York City iconic place that recently disappeared where if you removed all the consonants you would be left with a sole apostrophe?  The answer for this will appear tomorrow.  The answers for the eleven solvable puzzles can be found by clicking below.

Answers Tomorrow, Comedy Tonight?

Actually we can scratch the comedy as well.  Sick toddler this weekend, and daddy had to stay home to watch him today.  He’s fine now and he will be back in daycare tomorrow, so the answers will come tomorrow with or without observations.  Either that or the answers will appear tomorrow and observations on Wednesday.

Sorry for the delay, but this does mean that someone submitted the correct answers, so there is that.

See y’all in the morrow.

 

I Have a Broken Toe

Or severely sprained.  Cliff Notes:

Saturday:  Stubbed Toe

Sunday:  Toe Turned Purple

Monday:  No Doctor’s Hours

Tuesday:  Doctor Looked at Toe.

My doctor compared what I did to my toe to popping the drumstick off a chicken.  In all fairness, nothing’s hanging oddly, but I did a number on the joint.  So, my Tuesday post will appear Wednesday, after the ice and pain killers do their medical mambo.

Bugs

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!   Posts that won’t publish!  Sick toddler!  This weeks puzzle will be posted ASAP.  Answers will still be Monday.  God willing.