NYT Spelling Bee

[ab_grp]

Well, I am calling it a day.  I should have figured getting QB fairly easily would not bode well for the other puzzles.  Didn't manage to get a 2-fer (not even any really good contenders) on LB or solve the medium or hard sudokus! But I did get some publication revisions completed and out, so I guess I will consider that an accomplishment (that pales in comparison to puzzling accomplishments!).  I hope the rest of you had better luck than I did today.

[Langue_doc]

Well, I am calling it a day.  I should have figured getting QB fairly easily would not bode well for the other puzzles.  Didn't manage to get a 2-fer (not even any really good contenders) on LB or solve the medium or hard sudokus! But I did get some publication revisions completed and out, so I guess I will consider that an accomplishment (that pales in comparison to puzzling accomplishments!).  I hope the rest of you had better luck than I did today.

Sounds like a major accomplishment, ab_grp.

I'm probably a word or two short of QB, and haven't even looked at LB. It's getting to be the time of night for tomorrow's crosswords and sudokus to be released, so that's probably my priority.

[Parasaurolophus]

Pangram took me forever to find, but it took me to genius, so there's that.

[Langue_doc]

Pangram took me forever to find.

Me too. As for today, made it to 140 but still at amazing despite the pangram which I just found. Got to QB last night; it took me forever to find the last word which was 'pact'. Didn't even get to LB, so I'm rather uncurious about the solution.

Last night I completed today's crossword and the sudokus which were relatively easy.

Easy and happy solving, all!

[ab_grp]

I actually managed to get yesterday's pangram right away, thankfully.  I've been trying to go back to that approach so I don't get caught up in letter patterns later on and overlook it.  It did take me a bit to get today's, but I finally got to genius, so good enough for now.  Congrats on QB last night, Langue_doc! My final word was "adapt".  I was nowhere near the LB solution yesterday.  Hope today's is easier. 

And a Christmas present arrived yesterday, the NYT Puzzle Mania! After much hoop jumping, husband was able to secure two copies for me.  I've never had one before and am looking forward to trying all those puzzles at some point.

[ciao_yall]

Yesterday - Never found the panagram but made genius. Plenty of 3fers but no 2fer. Still, like ab_grp there were some accomplishments outside of puzzle world. Took a few long walks, caught up with a few friends and did some Spring prep.

Back to it...

[ciao_yall]

LB - tripped over a strange 2fer this morning, gonna keep it even though it's probably not the official solution.

Yesterday I actually got close. I would have had sympathetic-crab but for the same side thing. Didn't know crabmeat was one word.

[ab_grp]

Yay for your accomplishments yesterday and 2-fer today! Sometimes I am unclear on what they will consider to be one word or not.

We finally gave up on the bee and checked answers.  Missed a couple long ones, primarily.  I completed the medium sudoku without having to check answers but in an unexciting time.  Struggling a bit now on the hard one, but I'll go look at LB again.  I only have one contender thus far.

[cathwen]

Ap_grp, what a wonderful Christmas present!  Have fun with that!

I am 35 points away from QB.  That may be the closest I've ever come to that exalted status!

Today's LB solution remains elusive, but I've solved the sudokus.  I haven't attacked the crossword yet.  Wednesday is usually when the crossword gets interesting. 

Yesterday was a busy day, so I barely looked at the puzzles.  But I am quite sure I would never have thought of crabmeat for LB.  Two days ago, though, I got cajoling and grumbling, as some of you did. 

[ab_grp]

Yes, it was a great and thoughtful gift.  I had mentioned it a year or two back, but we are not in a delivery area so could not figure out how to procure one.  Whee! And great job on the bee.

I finally got what seems to be a really good LB contender that used up almost all the letters, but I can't figure out a word to go with it! Argh.

[Langue_doc]

And a Christmas present arrived yesterday, the NYT Puzzle Mania! After much hoop jumping, husband was able to secure two copies for me.  I've never had one before and am looking forward to trying all those puzzles at some point.

Sounds like a fitting present. I looked into this on the NYTimes website, but it is listed as "sold out".

I'm probably a couple of words short of QB. As for LB, got one word, and decided that it was too much hassle to try to find a two-fer.

I'll be taking a break from the fora the next couple of days--might look in, but not post.

Happy New Year fellow puzzle aficionados. May you all be blessed with lots of puzzles!

[ab_grp]

Hope you have a very happy and wonderful New Year, Langue_doc! Enjoy your time!

ETA: I just recalled that my husband said the puzzle mania was sold out when he looked, too.  But he said he was able to put some sort of email alert on for when it was back in stock (I looked and don't see that option, so I will ask him how he pulled that off, unless I just missed it).  He had told me that there was another gift he was trying to get and that if he received an email he'd have to drop whatever he was doing and go attend to it, but I had no idea what the gift was until yesterday.

[Langue_doc]

ETA: I just recalled that my husband said the puzzle mania was sold out when he looked, too.  But he said he was able to put some sort of email alert on for when it was back in stock (I looked and don't see that option, so I will ask him how he pulled that off, unless I just missed it).  He had told me that there was another gift he was trying to get and that if he received an email he'd have to drop whatever he was doing and go attend to it, but I had no idea what the gift was until yesterday.

Yeehaw! I just found my pack in the Dec 13th paper. I'm glad you posted about the puzzle pack, as these pages would have gone into the recycling pile and onto the curb tonight. It was wedged in the Real Estate section that I never open.

The presents you get by reading the fora! I'll probably be pigging out on the Twilight Zone and other shows, but am looking forward to tackling these puzzles next year.

ETA I get only the weekend NYT, so I didn't have to look through several piles of papers.

[cathwen]

I finally got LB, but frankly, one of the accepted words (tried in desperation) sounds like a fake word.  Tomorrow I'll be curious to see what others have found.  I'm at 200 points on SB, and feel wrung dry.  No QB for me!  Perhaps another day.  Hope springs eternal!

[ab_grp]

ETA: I just recalled that my husband said the puzzle mania was sold out when he looked, too.  But he said he was able to put some sort of email alert on for when it was back in stock (I looked and don't see that option, so I will ask him how he pulled that off, unless I just missed it).  He had told me that there was another gift he was trying to get and that if he received an email he'd have to drop whatever he was doing and go attend to it, but I had no idea what the gift was until yesterday.

Yeehaw! I just found my pack in the Dec 13th paper. I'm glad you posted about the puzzle pack, as these pages would have gone into the recycling pile and onto the curb tonight. It was wedged in the Real Estate section that I never open.

The presents you get by reading the fora! I'll probably be pigging out on the Twilight Zone and other shows, but am looking forward to tackling these puzzles next year.

ETA I get only the weekend NYT, so I didn't have to look through several piles of papers.

Fantastic!! What a find! I'm so glad you have the pack and hope you enjoy it after your show binge.  I asked husband last night, and apparently he started looking in the NYT store online early in December and was able to put an email alert on while it was "coming soon", not sold out.  He had called to see if he could subscribe for Sunday print version (we have online subscription) just to get it, but no delivery anywhere near here, unfortunately.  Guess we'll have to keep an eye out this year.  Anyway, yay!!

And great that you found a 2-fer, cathwen.  It never feels as good when you get one but feel iffy about one of the words, as I did with my first one and the "spotch".  I haven't looked at the official answers yet because I still have yesterday's hard sudoku on my screen and want to see if it will let me try to finish that.  If I switch over, it might reset to today's puzzles.  The contender I had that used the most letters was "confirmed", but I couldn't figure out what to do with the remaining letters.  Definitely keep up the QB hope.  It is tough.  And today's bee has a LOT of points.  I am still not at genius, something like 15 points to go despite having a ton of words.  Gotta make some pizza dough and try again later.