"Drawbacks" - October 2, 2020

[Richard]

Would like the link also.
this'

[JAQT]

Towed ashore with so much help that it was almost necessary to send the actual answer. I'm swimming back to the boat, ashamed and beaten again by a clever puzzle.

[MileHighSolver]

The link would be great. My weekend has involved building patio furniture for my new deck and this puzzle. Only one of the two are complete. I'm just drained...

[Jeremy Smith]

It appears I’ll be at the bar for the remainder of the evening.

[ReB]

I think I'm ashore after the getting the past contest references from Joe - still took me several fruitless trials before getting an AHA moment that at least produced something that wasn't gibberish.

[Commodore]

Stubing, take back the 33-across. I'm off in search of Isaac and 5-down.
Another week asea, is Admiral Shenk's task for me.

[Hidden in 3D]

I am on shore, though I'm not sure it's the right shore, and I have submitted an answer. Doesn't matter to me at all this weekend, though. I have had way too much fun helping our granddaughter celebrate her second birthday. This afternoon we played with Bitty Baby for almost two hours!

[hunkra]

I think I'm ashore after the getting the past contest references from Joe - still took me several fruitless trials before getting an AHA moment that at least produced something that wasn't gibberish.

Me too! With the puzzle references, I was able to take a less complex route than the one I had gone down and am finally ashore. Now, time for some apple crisp, an Irish coffee and some final season binge-watching of Schitt's Creek. ps. won't be submitting, but will give myself a gold star

[Jeanrosz]

There are (at minimum) 2 past WSJ Contest Crosswords that use a very similar mechanism. Seeing their solutions will solve this puzzle's meta.

Post within this topic that you wish to receive both puzzle's titles & their publication dates and you will, via PM.

[EDIT: If you've submitted your answer, send it via PM & I will reply with the two puzzles.]

Need nudge

[Hector]

Funny how just having a birder acquaintance makes you more excited about sightings. In Golden Gate Park this afternoon we saw tons of coots and a solitary snowy egret. I guess the white coloring makes them hard to see for fish against the daytime sky? They sure are salient from land.

Plus crazily casual racoons. My photos continue to get rejected as too big but here's a recent published one taken on the same path: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/ ... 591893.php

And LadyBird congrats to your niece; it's been hard to see life milestones happening in these strained circumstances but also energizing.

I am ashore! I'll save my drink for this evening--a glass of champagne at my niece's wedding.

I still have hours to go in this car ride to southern Indiana. Fortunately, KayW suggested another meta for me to try.

[Joe Ross]

Funny how just having a birder acquaintance makes you more excited about sightings. In Golden Gate Park this afternoon we saw tons of coots and a solitary snowy egret. I guess the white coloring makes them hard to see for fish against the daytime sky? They sure are salient from land.

Plus crazily casual racoons. My photos continue to get rejected as too big but here's a recent published one taken on the same path:

And LadyBird congrats to your niece; it's been hard to see life milestones happening in these strained circumstances but also energizing.

I am ashore! I'll save my drink for this evening--a glass of champagne at my niece's wedding.

I still have hours to go in this car ride to southern Indiana. Fortunately, KayW suggested another meta for me to try.

[Jeanrosz]

With a nudge I’m on shore...

[LadyBird]

Plus crazily casual racoons. My photos continue to get rejected as too big but here's a recent published one taken on the same path: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/ ... 591893.php

I've had that problem as well. I found an app that decreases the size of the pic (Lit Photo in my case). My only problem is that I can never remember the size it needs to get down to so I usually have to try it a few times.

[Bob cruise director]

Would like the link also.
this'

Nice polar bear picture - Churchill or Svalbard?

[Bob cruise director]

Our final report has 20 on the ship with Isaac and 114 on the shore

Emerging to the ship's bar are
Janet
Bird Lives
streroto
Commodore
Jeremy
and MileHighSolver

And getting to shore sometimes requiring some resuscitation are
the Thurman8er
edot
PJM
Nalugirl
RichA2
alan H
phofer
Patty
norrin2
Gman
JAQT
Hidden in 3D
bskptkl
Jean
hunkra
RdB
and NDStegs

Good luck to all winning the mug and stay safe

[PQ63]

Clever one. Way too many wabbit wholes.....Grey Goose Martini with a lemon twist.

[FrankieHeck]

Well that's the closest I've ever cut it. I was sure my streak was ending, but not this week, Mr. Shenk.

[SusieG]

I was towed to shore. I’m sitting next to the tiki bar — easy to recognize, wearing a dunce cap. Good luck to those of you who figured it out!

[boharr]

I was towed to shore. I’m sitting next to the tiki bar — easy to recognize, wearing a dunce cap. Good luck to those of you who figured it out!

Many of us have taken a turn wearing that dunce cap. They keep it behind the bar.

[SusieG]

Plus crazily casual racoons. My photos continue to get rejected as too big but here's a recent published one taken on the same path: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/ ... 591893.php

Sometimes when raccoons or skunks get close to humans it’s because they’re rabid.