Notes from C.C.:
Hahtoolah is in Texas to take care of a loved one. Today's post was written by Splynter, our Saturday guide from 2012 to 2018. Welcome back, Splynter!
Guess who's back~?
Back again~?
I am back to blogging, just for today, and back in Connecticut after a week in Washington, D.C. to remove parts of the pipe organ at the National Cathedral - an impressive place, and really the first time I have truly stepped into a Gothic-style masterpiece of architecture. For those who didn't know, I moved to CT from NY ( insert spiritual comment here ) and work for the "F.B.I.", a pipe organ restoration company.
This would be my first "theme" puzzle, as I did only Saturdays for my time on the blog, so I am going with -
THEME:
AIL-ing
- just like my blog skills, as I thought this would go much smoother than it did - guess I have been out of the game a little too long...
The theme entries are all "long A" rhyming words
20. Rhyming term for a dead letter?: SNAIL MAIL FAIL.
27. Rhyming description of "Moby-Dick"?: PALE WHALE TALE.
45. Rhyming discount for week-old leafy greens?: STALE KALE SALE.
54. Rhyming hazard for cyclists on shared-use track?: RAIL TRAIL NAIL.
And Another Thing~!
Across:
1. Words before a start date: AS OF.
5. "The Sopranos" chef Bucco: ARTIE. - Never watched it; I have only begun streaming TV since I bought my house in CT last March....I have gotten thru two seasons of "The Mandalorian"
10. Pen tips: NIBS.
14. Eric of "Munich": BANA.
15. Florida city with a Little Havana neighborhood: MIAMI.
16. "The Simpsons" bus driver: OTTO.
17. Glamping shelter, maybe: YURT.
Me thinks it misses the point of being out in nature....
18. Bass staff symbol: F CLEF.
19. Pull: HAUL. - We hauled the pipes and chests in a 26ft truck all the way back to CT
23. Rat Pack member __ Davis Jr.: SAMMY.
24. Canine checker: DENTIST.
31. Director Kazan: ELIA.
32. Salami choice: GENOA.
33. Storyteller __ Christian Andersen: HANS.
37. Metric weights: KILOS.
40. Spreadsheet lines: ROWS. Rows and rows and rows of pipes....
Something like 10,650 in all
41. Kept __: held off: AT BAY.
43. Fluttered down to a perch, say: ALIT.
50. Took up the challenge: HAD AT IT. - watch that parsing....
51. "__ luck!": LOTSA. - Reminds me of Pulp Fiction, but I'll refrain from the link
58. Mosque prayer leader: IMAM.
60. Traffic jam: TIE UP. - We had to take the "long way around" because of the collapse of I-95 in Philadelphia en route to Washington D.C.
61. Baby-voiced red Muppet: ELMO.
62. Sidewalk eatery: CAFE.
63. Supreme Court justice Kagan: ELENA.
64. Detroit NFL player: LION.
65. Founded, as a co.: EST'D.
66. White-water transports: RAFTS.
67. Yin and __: YANG.
Down:
1. Deep gulf: ABYSS.
2. Steamy setting at a spa: SAUNA.
3. Freeway entrance: ON-RAMP.
4. Shrine site in Portugal: FATIMA.
5. Radio band toggle: AM/FM.
6. Costa __: Nicaragua neighbor: RICA. - The daughter of the VP of my Pipe Organ company got married in Costa Rica at the end of March
7. Anklebones: TALI. - Plural of Talus
8. "Vera Drake" Oscar nominee Staunton: IMELDA.
9. Paris tower engineer: EIFFEL.
10. Pitcher's dream game: NO HITTER.
11. Lingua di Roma: ITALIANO.
12. HVAC meas.: BTU. British Thermal Units
13. Pine-__: cleaning brand: SOL.
21. Country singer Lovett: LYLE.
22. Rare blood type, informally: A NEG. - I am "B(e) Positive", which I try for every day....
25. "__ and steady wins the race": SLOW. - This is my ring tone - ROCK Bagpipes....
"Lyrics" @1:17
26. Assam, Darjeeling, etc.: TEAS. - I found a cinnamon tea I like
28. Large deer: ELK.
29. Nintendo game console: Wii.
30. Islamic equivalent of kosher: HALAL.
33. Corned beef concoction: HASH.
34. "__ girl!": ATTA.
35. Selection process for Bucks and Bulls: NBA DRAFT.
36. Greeted with a respectful bow: SALAAMED.
38. World Cup cry: OLÉ.
39. Girl of the fam: SIS.
42. Cooler brand named for a mythical creature: YETI.
44. Like most basketball players: TALL.
46. Off-__: askew: KILTER.
47. Leader of the Huns: ATTILA. - Also Billy Joel's first band
48. Needing company: LONELY. - Makes me think of this 80's hit
49. List-shortening Latin term: ET ALIA.
52. Reality TV judge Cowell: SIMON.
53. __ for the ride: ALONG.
55. Coral habitat: REEF.
56. Mom's sister: AUNT. - I am close with my AUNT Judy, but we lost Uncle Kurt in March this year
57. High-ABV beers, typically: IPAS.
58. Freezer cubes: ICE.
59. Some graduate degrees, for short: MAS. - Master of Applied Science, according to Google
Well, I'm back,
da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Fix your bent antenna tune it in and then I'm gonna
Enter in, endin' up under your skin like a....
Splynter
( a little Slim Shady/Eminem reference )
