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Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 3:55 pm
by Nlobb
I am not either. I have an idea but can't make it work...

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:13 pm
by Lucksta
Phew! High and dry.

Re: "City Blocks" September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:15 pm
by KRM
Tony S wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:40 pm
KRM wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:13 pm Started doing the WSJ contest puzzles about 2 months ago. Just could not get the meta for the first few weeks. And now this is the second consecutive week that I got the meta. Does that mean I am getting the hang of it? Or was this one just too easy?
Think of the Friday puzzle as a drug dealer --- you get a couple of hits for free, you get hooked, then you get owned. As hard as you try, you can't quit.
This dealer owned me after the first meta I attempted...literally spent the entire weekend thinking about it...could not decipher it...felt inadequate after seeing the answer...am in awe of the ones who seem to be "getting" it week after week. Hopefully there will be some free hits from time to time.

Re: "City Blocks" September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:18 pm
by KRM
Wendy Walker wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:21 pm
KRM wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:13 pm Started doing the WSJ contest puzzles about 2 months ago. Just could not get the meta for the first few weeks. And now this is the second consecutive week that I got the meta. Does that mean I am getting the hang of it? Or was this one just too easy?
Well done, KRM! We've had a run of genuinely tough puzzles, and the past two weeks have been a welcome end-of-summer break. I would NEVER say "too easy" because it is tempting the Meta Gods big time and they have VERY GOOD memories. You are definitely getting the hang of it!
Thanks Wendy. Will remember not to offend the Gods because I hope to solve a few more of these metas :)

Re: "City Blocks" September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:43 pm
by BarbaraK
Tony S wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:40 pm
KRM wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:13 pm Started doing the WSJ contest puzzles about 2 months ago. Just could not get the meta for the first few weeks. And now this is the second consecutive week that I got the meta. Does that mean I am getting the hang of it? Or was this one just too easy?
Think of the Friday puzzle as a drug dealer --- you get a couple of hits for free, you get hooked, then you get owned. As hard as you try, you can't quit.
And then you start paying for the harder stuff:)

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 5:23 pm
by mitchel674
At my lake house this weekend and thankfully on shore. Two weeks in a row for me!

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 5:27 pm
by flamingbear
I'm on shore. Two weeks in a row. :fireworks:

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 6:17 pm
by sphorning
On shore! Had an idea how to solve for the meta, but had to make a few adjustments. Step two came staring at my face. Happy Labor Day to all!
No outdoor BBQ for us. Way too smokey here in Boulder, CO.

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 6:38 pm
by SewYoung
sphorning wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 6:17 pm On shore! Had an idea how to solve for the meta, but had to make a few adjustments. Step two came staring at my face. Happy Labor Day to all!
No outdoor BBQ for us. Way too smokey here in Boulder, CO.
Well then, you don't have to fire up the grill; you can just put the meat out on the porch for a few hours, then slather it with BBQ sauce.

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 7:19 pm
by hcbirker
sphorning wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 6:17 pm On shore! Had an idea how to solve for the meta, but had to make a few adjustments. Step two came staring at my face. Happy Labor Day to all!
No outdoor BBQ for us. Way too smokey here in Boulder, CO.
We're not BBQing either - it's 113 degrees!

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 7:25 pm
by Martin
I'm making pizza on the grill. It's 106 outside but the pizza bakes at 750 so the 106 is like air conditioning when I open the grill.

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:30 pm
by joequavis
Late to report, but I am indeed ashore. My beach is very smoky though :( ...twilight at my house even though the sun doesn't set for another hour. But we get snow in a couple of days, so that should help. Crazy weather!!

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:42 pm
by Hector
hcbirker wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 7:19 pm We're not BBQing either - it's 113 degrees!
That is indeed warm, but I'm guessing you have A/C? Here it was only 103 or so, but nobody has A/C.

Posting from down in our garage.

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:07 pm
by Plymouthrock
Do we have KAS rating on this one?

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:24 pm
by DBMiller
Plymouthrock wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:07 pm Do we have KAS rating on this one?
The KAS scale rates how any one person looks at the puzzle, and some of the ratings relate to finding out the answer after failing to figure it out.

Most of the solvers this week probably have it as a KAS-1, a few may have it as KAS-2. Someone stuck on board but eventually making it to shore might call it a KAS-3. No one who has solved it would ever rate it as a KAS-4 or KAS-5.

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:31 pm
by hcbirker
Hector wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:42 pm
hcbirker wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 7:19 pm We're not BBQing either - it's 113 degrees!
That is indeed warm, but I'm guessing you have A/C? Here it was only 103 or so, but nobody has A/C.

Posting from down in our garage.
Climate change has forced a lot of my coastal living friends to install A/C. Hang in there Hector! We thankfully have it, but there have been rolling blackouts, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed! Put some wet towels in your freezer to put around your neck.

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:41 pm
by hissongcle
Onshore for the first time in more than a month.

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:47 pm
by Bob cruise director
Our final report

We broke the old record and have 217 on the shore and 4 on the ship.

Staying on the ship with Isaac are MatthewB and Nlobb

Making their way to shore since noon are
mitchel674
flamingbear
joequavis
Lucksta
Susan H
hissongle
DaveWa
and K Pi

As I have done before when we have set a record, I will check in the morning to make sure we include everyone who makes it shore before midnight.

Good luck with the long odds in winning the mug

Don't forget the Q&A on Thursday

Re: "City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 10:15 pm
by rexthree
Got a late start after spending all weekend at the actual beach here in NJ but count me on shore now at the "virtual" beach too.

Re: "City Blocks" September 4, 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 11:47 pm
by PJM
cbarbee002 wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 11:16 pm
bhamren wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:53 pm On the beach - I think it will be quite crowded!

Buffalo Trace neat, please (if you can find it)!

Speaking of Buffalo Trace, here in Ohio it is VERY hard to find. Most stores get one case maybe once a month. Then a year ago I went up near Winnipeg for my brother in law’s 50th birthday. The liquor store in Steinbach Manitoba (which didn’t exist when I lived there 16 years ago because it was a dry town), had a large shelf full of it as well as little airline bottles of it. What gives?
All of the Buffalo Trace distillery bourbons are difficult to find (Buffalo Trace, Blantons, Rare Eagle, Michters). Fortunately (or unfortunately), in PA the state owns all of the liquor stores (State stores we call them), which makes the Commonwealth of PA the largest purchaser of wine and liquor in the US. the downside is that, well, it's state run. The upside is that they get ample allocations of lots of usually hard-to-find wines and spirits. When the pandemic hit, I had to get several bottles of each of the brands mentioned above because, hey, the state stores were going to close down and who knew when they would reopen?
You are not the only one who stocked up!