I just did something new (to me) and am happy!

[thewayne]

I completed the New York Times Monday crossword - by myself! 18 and a half minutes!

Russet has been doing it for ages, and I would help her out occasionally on music and some other older pop culture references. When we were doing long-distance driving at night, I'd load up the puzzle on my iPad and we'd thrash it out while driving - she driving, me working the iPad.

About three months ago we started doing it together every night. When she worked, I'd call her and we'd do it over the phone. She liked the higher difficulty level of not being able to see it, though last week there was a tough one and I'd pause it, she'd pick it up, and eventually we thrashed it. Last night's was interesting: there were eight "locks" - the theme was safe-cracking, and each lock would rotate, and the four letters it contained would change the words as it rotated! It was pretty cool.

Tonight I was infusing and she decided it was nap time for her, after my infusion was over I grabbed my laptop and went to it. Now, granted, Monday is the easiest of the week's puzzles as they increase in difficulty with the weekend being the most challenging, but I was still pleased with completing it entirely on my own, and in a fairly good time as the two of us together usually take 15-20 minutes on early week puzzles.

Her specialty is jigsaw puzzles. She has competed in tournaments and will flip a completed puzzle over and do the blank back! Have I mentioned that she's just a teensy-bit insane?

Comments

[garote]

Congratulations! That crossword is notorious :D

[motodraconis]

Is that a cryptic crossword? My granddad used to do the Times Cryptic (UK Times Newspaper) daily.

[silveradept]

Congratulations on getting the Monday puzzle by yourself in a reasonable time.

[fairy69]

"About three months ago we started doing it together every night. When she worked, I'd call her and we'd do it over the phone." LMAO! You know it's married life when this is not a sexual statement! And yes, Russett is insane with blank jigsaw puzzles...wtf? LOL

[richardf8]

Congrats. The pattern for the puzzles are M-W themed puzzles from easy to moderate difficulty. Thursday: Weirdass. Friday-Saturday themeless, toughest cluing. Sunday: Wednesday level cluing difficulty but BIG. Though this Sunday had more of a Thursday than Wednesday feel to it.

[gingeriana]

maaan, i have to try this! sounds very tempting!

subscribed several months ago, and just ignored that part altogether

[bibliofile]

Hey, good job on the puzzle!

When I lived for six months with a friend whose house received the paper, between us we could finish most days (me for pop culture, at least). A fun joint project, for sure.

I didn't know there were jigsaw puzzle contests! Doing the blank back? Have you & Russet talked about how visual you each are, and how that manifests? I'm thinking of photography for you, at least.

[kaishin108]

Oh wow, congratulations! Gene does that puzzle, but not in 18 minutes. And he mostly does just Mon, Tues and Wed as it gets harder as the week goes on. I don't even try, hah!

[kellan_the_tabby]

Congratulations! My mom does crosswords to keep her brain working, although I don't know if she does THAT one. I helped her out a bit, when I was living with her, though mostly only historical references; I was PANTS at pop culture.

[disneydream06]

WOW... Impressive. :)
I've never done the NYT's puzzle.
I have completed a few of the only Washington Post puzzles. :)
They seem to vary greatly. Some fairly easy to some impossible, at least for me. lol.......
Hugs, Jon