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You've got questions, she's got answers. Be among the first to read Elise Mac Adam's new etiquette guide.
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Wakeups around here have suddenly shifted, and not in the direction that I would consider ideal, or even preferable. This may be the result of traveling and Felix's excitement to not only greet the dawn, but cheer its approach from some distance, as if it wouldn't feel welcome otherwise. Or it may just be pique.
Anyway, the thing about the dawnish hours and entertainment is that the Felix has his own things that he does and really only requires that I observe him and ply him with snacks of his choice (which sadly have lately been the white peaches I selected for myself and are now nearly out of season... and the occasional waffle). So I've taken to keeping myself awake with crossword puzzles, inspired by the pretty charming crossword documentary Wordplay.
Now, when I mention that I like crossword puzzles, everyone reveals himself to be an expert. How did this happen? One friend said he does the New York Times puzzle every day and pretty much always finishes it. Someone else said that she can do the incredibly tricky ones that I haven't even seen where there are no black spaces at all. "Diagramless," is the puzzle genre, if you're curious.
Impressive. Everyone is impressive. Suddenly the world certainly feels that much more competitive. I've been snuggling with my "200 Easy New York Times Crossword Puzzle Omnibus" (complete with a picture of a slice of PIE on the cover, making its point very clear) and feeling neither here nor there about it, just happy that I'm intrigued and awake enough to keep Felix from investigating the electric sockets, when actually I am far, far behind. When was I supposed to have started doing the puzzles? Is puzzle accomplishment as helpful as, say, mastering the art of cocktail party chatter? (This isn't a rhetorical question really, since the summer has been entirely devoid of cocktail parties at which I could exercise my skills, the ones I have tried to hone in lieu of crossword mastery.)
If you're a beginner, and I have a hard time believing you are, since I have encountered only Advanced Beginners and Intermediates since I started this hobby, here are a few Constant Clues that you may as well learn now.
Margarine = Oleo
Part of a Church = Apse
Early Gas Company = Esso
Most Likely Bible Name to Appear in a Puzzle = Esau
Government Agent = T-Man (not often G-Man, strangely)
Hockey Great = Orr
There. Now you have a leg up.
Do I sound defeated? Just you wait; the countdown is on to the hideous phone marathon for preschool applications. Right now I imagine my dialing skills are about as sharp as my crossword ones compared with the expertise around me. I'll need some luck.
posted by Elise at 6:51 PM
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said...
:) That list is dead on. I would only add one thing more
Oven = Oast
8/31/2006 8:53 AM
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