NYT Spelling Bee

[ciao_yall]

Ugh. In the middle of packing we got a message that our flight was cancelled! So we rescheduled everything, went out to a local restaurant and to bed early.

QBwH and a new-ish word, monomodal. LB was pretty close with a 3fer few-walkout-through then got a hint to consolidate it to few-walkthrough.

Happy solving!

[Langue_doc]

Happy New Year!

Pangram and above genius. Hope there aren't any more pangrams today as I'm out of ideas for more words. Missed monomial and a couple more words.

walkthrough/heft

Had a nice long video chat with relative and two kids who did a show and tell of their Christmas presents, mostly books and paint brushes, paints, and a few toys. Pre-teen whose birthday is coming up and who got a book for Christmas on camping in the wilderness showed me a list of possible presents--bear-skin jacket, hatchet, matches (to light a fire at the campsite), night-vision binoculars, etc. Mom and I pointed out that the first one was probably difficult to find as well as illegal, I pointed out that I would be in serious trouble if I sent the second, Mom and I noted that it was probably illegal to ship matches, and Mom also came to my rescue by noting that the binoculars were probably quite expensive. I found an inexpensive tent for two on Amazon, so that's what she's getting for her birthday.

Went for a walk and saw a peregrine falcon fly down by the water's edge and then get into the water for a bath. The bird seemed quite happy--will post details on the bird thread later today.

Happy solving!

[ab_grp]

Good morning/afternoon!

Got to genius with the pangram.  Pangram was thankfully much quicker than previous days, but it took me a while to get to genius! We missed team QB.  I think we were missing monomania, llano, idiom.  I was also missing almond, but I forget what else. 

No luck again on LB! I didn't really get much time to look, which sounds dumb given that we were up until after midnight.  Congrats, Langue_doc!

And that sounds like a nice video chat.  Always interesting to talk to youngsters and hear their thoughts! I can only imagine trying to send a hatchet to a child as a birthday present.  The tent sounds like the best option out of all of her ideas! And I'm glad you could start off the new year with a bird sighting!

Ciao_yall, what a let down! I hope you will still get to go, just on a different flight.  Hopefully it won't eat too much into your vacation, but ugh!!

We did nothing exciting, ate the same things and watched the same things, but we did manage to stay up past midnight and we were together! Most of my friends and loved ones are on the east coast, so I just celebrate with them at that time since nothing happens out here to mark the change to the new year.

Happy solving and happy 2023!

[cathwen]

Good afternoon and Happy New Year!

QB yesterday with help for dolma, monomania, and monomial. Today I'm at genius with the pangram.  Whenever E is the central letter, it always amazes me how challenging it can be to find words with E, given that it's the most frequently used letter in English.

LB:  I had walkthrough-heft also.  No 2fer yet today.

Langue_doc, the choice of a tent was a great decision.  Safe, legal (unlike the bearskin jacket!), and relevant to the girl's interest in camping. 

Ciao_yall, what a disappointment that your flight had to be rescheduled!  Dinner out and early to bed sounds like a lovely, cozy evening. 

Ab_grp, just being with your husband must have been the best way to celebrate 2023. 

Uncharacteristically, we went to a NYE party.  I don't really like such parties, but this was a small gathering of people who belong to my husband's choral group—so, not wild and crazy, and interesting to talk to.  The hostess prepared an excellent dinner, accompanied by lots of laughter, eating, talking, and some moderate drinking.  A little before midnight, we turned on the TV and watched the ball drop in Times Square.  We all agreed that you would have to be nuts to go there on New Year's Eve.  We also noted that most of the people were very young.   Anyway, I did have a good time.  Today will be lazy!

Happy puzzling!

[ab_grp]

Congrats on your 2fer too, cathwen! And that is a great observation about the bee with a central E.  So true! Your party sounds just right.  Not too big, not too crazy, just an enjoyable celebration.  My brother was just texting me about having gone to Times Square once.  I said I have not and would not ever go there for NYE.  It looks cold, I don't know that there are great bathroom options, and crowds make me anxious! It looks exciting, but if there ever was a time for that in my life, that time has passed.  We met a nurse during preop testing who had been to NYC once and just for that purpose.  I know that is something that folks around the country really see as part of their bucket lists!

And yep... given that we weren't even sure we'd be back for NYE and had our hotel res through 1/2, this was a great evening.  I had the brilliant idea of trying to get the live stream of the ball drop up on my phone, but there were a few minutes left, so we kept watching our show while trying to keep an eye on it.  Naturally, we missed it and only came in at New York, New York.  So we watched a replay for our own midnight.

[Langue_doc]

I too found today's bee to be difficult. It wasn't just the e, but also the w which didn't seem to pull its weight.

As for NYE, I would never venture into Manhattan after 1 or 2 PM on that day, just because of the crowds and the bathrooms (lack thereof). I've been to St. Patrick's Day parades which are quite different and also fun. When I lived in Philly, we would go to a NYE party hosted by the relatives of a close friend of mine, who would travel down from northern NJ for the event. The guests at the first party were people known to the hosts, including a couple of academics, my friend and her husband, and a guest, also an academic, of one of the invitees. The guest and I ended up becoming good friends and would spend time in Ocean City where she lived for a while, and also in Philly. Sadly, she passed some years ago. The last party I went to was when we ushered in 2000. I remember these parties fondly because of the good company, good conversations, and good food.

Channeling another thread--I fondly remember Borders and Barnes & Noble, not just for the books and cafes, but also for the bathrooms. I knew the location of all the branches along the main drag(s) in Manhattan. Now whenever I go to Manhattan, I have to see what bathroom facilities are available near my destination(s).

[Langue_doc]

Good morning!

Pangrams and above genius. Made it to QB yesterday, but don't recall the last word or two.

lawsuits/semicolon (I think)

Happy solving!

[ciao_yall]

QBwH to remember colonel. LB was economical-lawsuit.

Let's see if we make it to Hawaii today.

Happy solving!

[Parasaurolophus]

GW2P.

[cathwen]

Good morning!

QB yesterday with 1L hint for last word:  ocean.  Today I got to QBABM!

LB:  I also had economical-lawsuit. I have a 2fer today as well.

Langue_doc, I also used to plan my shopping trips in Manhattan around bathrooms.  Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor, Barnes & Noble were always dependable.  Otherwise, it was a little dicier. 

Bon voyage, ciao_yall!  Enjoy Hawaii!

We're leaving for New Orleans tomorrow, spending tonight in the TWA Hotel because our flight is an early one.  I'm really looking forward to the trip, although I really should be working—I was offered a second course at the last minute when the instructor assigned to it suddenly couldn't do it, and I foolishly accepted.  Eek!  Well—it will work out, simply because it has to.

Happy puzzling, everyone! 

[ab_grp]

Good morning/afternoon!

Got to genius but just with 1 pangram so far.  Husband has both.  Wow, congrats on your QBABY, cathwen!! Yesterday we had team QB.  I needed help with aeon, colonel, locale.  Congrats on your QBABY yesterday, Langue_doc!

And congrats on all the 2fers! I am still having no luck, though I have a pretty good contender for today.  Congrats on yours today, cathwen!

Lord & Taylor is one of my mother's favorite bathroom stops in NYC! I trust her clean bathroom finding skills and have made use of their hospitality myself on numerous occasions.

Crossing my fingers for your flight, ciao_yall! I've never been to Hawaii but hear it is beautiful. 

And I hope your New Orleans trip goes well and smoothly too, cathwen! I've never been there at this time of the year.  Now I'm getting hungry.  I'm sure the course will work out.  Enjoy your trip.

Happy solving!

[ab_grp]

Hey I got QBABY and a 2fer with my first contender! Feels like I haven't had a 2fer in quite a while.

[ciao_yall]

Made it to Hawaii! Got QBABM on the plane. And a 2fer.

[Langue_doc]

Good morning!

Pangram and above genius. Last word yesterday was fictive, which I didn't think was a word, but tried it just in case.

forum/mobilization

cathwen, I was in New Orleans around this time of year several years ago and remember having a good time. Good luck with the prep for the extra course--I was once offered a course on a Sunday, with classes starting the following Tuesday.

As for the bathrooms, the Lord & Taylor on Fifth Ave closed several years ago. Even before its closing, I would rely on the bathrooms in the MidManhattan branch of the library (it now has a new name and new bathrooms) which is almost across the street, at 40th and Fifth, and also the ones in the main library, on Fifth, between 40th and 42nd. In the good old days, you could also walk into any hotel lobby and use the bathrooms, including the fancy ones in The Plaza.

Happy solving!

[ciao_yall]

Morning! Last word yesterday civic, LB forum-mobilization.

Happy solving!