"AP English" - January 8, 2021

[WDunbar]

Ashore. Got there pretty quickly after only a little muddling around this time.

[LittleGood]

On the beach now, but feeling like a bit of an eediot as I was indeed missing something obvious.

[eagle1279]

Ashore! Learned some new words en route. As the mechanism did not reveal itself to me until after my head hit the pillow, I’m enjoying a cup of Taylor’s of Harrowgate Yorkshire Gold.

[PeterLeea1a]

Sometimes you get lucky and guess the route at the outset, which happened to me this time, but I appreciate how I could have equally found this to be very difficult. Ashore.

[tigerfly222]

On shore, after Mega Daughter confirmed that I was on the right path. Can't say that I fully understand the process, but I'm sure the answer I've derived is correct.

Mega Daughter had questions so I have PM'd her with information. She has not responded yet

I do not see any PM from you, Bob

Also undecided whether to be thrilled or offended by my new accidental moniker, "Mega" Daughter
Reminds me of a Nintendo game my brother and I used to play as kids, called MegaMan. I can still remember the theme music.

[DrTom]

Ashore! Learned some new words en route. As the mechanism did not reveal itself to me until after my head hit the pillow, I’m enjoying a cup of Taylor’s of Harrowgate Yorkshire Gold.

Sounds lovely! Have you ever tried Lifeboat tea? The story goes that it was the tea the men who manned the lifeboats drank to stay warm and alert. It is also Yorkshire, or at least the original was. I find it a delightful, and VERY full bodied tea.
https://marktwendell.com/order-imported ... feboat-tea

[DrTom]

Epiphany! Found it. On shore.

and only three days too late - at least for the feast of the Epiphany, but I guess yours was more a feat of the epiphany?

[Bob cruise director]

On shore, after Mega Daughter confirmed that I was on the right path. Can't say that I fully understand the process, but I'm sure the answer I've derived is correct.

Mega Daughter had questions so I have PM'd her with information. She has not responded yet

I do not see any PM from you, Bob

Also undecided whether to be thrilled or offended by my new accidental moniker, "Mega" Daughter
Reminds me of a Nintendo game my brother and I used to play as kids, called MegaMan. I can still remember the theme music.

I resent the PM

Be honored about MetaMom and Metadaughter - you have joined the ranks of the Beth's (ACT)

[DrTom]

2 Hours and 6 minutes? Dr. Tom... And I had such high, holy hopes.

BTW: On shore. Grid was tough. Took almost 50 minutes! But the meta came to me (in a shaft of light, a burning bush, and a dream...) after a minute or two.

Sorry I was delayed while becoming invincible....I had to go get my second Covid-19 shot today, it has been 3 weeks since my first so I had to go to the hospital and finish the series. Delighted to say no AEs or SEs so far, my arm doesn't even hurt as much as the first time. However, I expect (actually hope a little) that I do feel a little crappy tomorrow just to show me it worked. I mean it is like drinking LOTS of really good bourbon. If you wake up the next AM feeling fine you have to wonder what it was you consumed.

Anyway, the dose was at 3:30 so by the time I got back it was 5 something so I solved the META and then started reading the forum. I guess I will just have to do better in the future. I'll keep looking tomorrow to see what is posted while I wait to see if I get and adverse effects. So if I get sweaty psalms of something, and unless I have a memory apse, I'll report it - and that is the gospel truth.

Oh, and leftover wine....

I have to confess I have in the past had left over wine. We had a party once where I bought a group of themed wines for a tasting/bacchanal. I had purchased 36 bottles of various wines from Southern France (the theme was "There's no place like Rhone") and put brown paper bags around them so the tasting was blind. Two interesting outcomes: (1) People rated the wines and the hands down winners were the two least expensive of the lot, confirming the oft stated "cost doesn't make it better only more expensive" (2) when trying to "taste" wines people drink less so that (and here is where we get to the "left over" part) there were at the end of the night 8 unopened bottles, mainly representing the upper end of the Rhone offerings (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Cornas, Hermitage) and by definition, left over. Luckily I was able to persuade some of the stalwarts to return the following evening and rectorfy that unnerving and unnatural situation).

I guess it goes to show that if you do not want anything left over from the last supper you need a pack of good disciples. (Oh, and the tale is true, not a set up for this ending, I just could not resist....

Congrats on the booster! May you have the AE you want, and nothing more. Go for the bourbon AE's.

As for the theme of your wine tasting being "There's no place like Rhone," I would have expected no less. Gotta have a pun, or people would just get bored-oh the party.

Starting the timer....

Sleep, getting in the way of quick retorts on your reports wouldn't you know it. Yes some of the others were "Italy you Something", "Burgundy, it's Not Just a Color", "There's a Brand New Zeal for Wine", Let me Ex Spain it to You", "I Believe in Devine Provence Dance".

So if you drop by I'll open up the wine cabernet and see if there is any of that blanc I've been sauvignon for a mediterranean day. I'll pour it into a sand geo vessel, then we can all sit around in our Mountie chinos and discuss the despicable acts of barberians. Oh, grenache, look at the time I'd better just say syrah later and get going. I'm always afraid if I linger too long I'll start showing my mourvedre sense of humor (see I never mataro a pun I didn't like, even one that cause a little wine)

[DrTom]

Solved! Hope everyoNE is having a warm and safe weekend. I thought of Lady Bird when I sNappEd this shot in the volcano national park.

Jg77F32BBF-4DBD-415A-BBC4-69D8773B7178.jpeg

Favorite bird of cruciverbalists ...of a certain age Is it just me, or has the poor NENE gone extinct within crossword grids? I think it's been years since I ran across one there. But that might be because I migrated more to metas than standard puzzles.

Wait! So the whip and the nene are NOT birds in that song? Here I thought someone was going out of town and wanted their friend to look in on their pets....

[Gman]

Epiphany! Found it. On shore.

and only three days too late - at least for the feast of the Epiphany, but I guess yours was more a feat of the epiphany?

Better than feet of the epiphany . It was indeed a fortunate coincidence with the liturgical calendar. Of course, no magi will be coming to visit this mere mortal.

[eagle1279]

Ashore! Learned some new words en route. As the mechanism did not reveal itself to me until after my head hit the pillow, I’m enjoying a cup of Taylor’s of Harrowgate Yorkshire Gold.

Sounds lovely! Have you ever tried Lifeboat tea? The story goes that it was the tea the men who manned the lifeboats drank to stay warm and alert. It is also Yorkshire, or at least the original was. I find it a delightful, and VERY full bodied tea.
https://marktwendell.com/order-imported ... feboat-tea

Thanks for the recommendation, sounds like the perfect brew for a muggle who is often lost at sea.

[DrTom]

Ashore.
This old person still in pajamas was finally able to establish the meta beyond a reasonable doubt this morning. But not before tussling with a sly rabbit.
F3E054AD-BA92-4E7B-8768-95D457CBBE8F.jpeg

Like this old guy, who has been known to slip me a few meta answers while on guard duty here by the pond. His sidekick, Louie the goose is standing on the seating bench that houses the big pond pump.
Full disclosure will reveal that we call this “the coffin”, as that’s exactly what it looks like. Its boards are from the deteriorated silo at my childhood farm. Its marble top from a garden bench that no longer had a leg to stand on.
As the world turns...What a fun garden.
Early May photo

Hey wait a minute, I believe I have met Louie's cousins in Sarlat-la-Canéda

Oh, and if that pump ever starts to run amok, just give me a call and I'll see if I have anything to stop that coffin (yes, yes, tremendously old joke but I could hardly pass up the perfect lob!)

[DrTom]

Ashore! Learned some new words en route. As the mechanism did not reveal itself to me until after my head hit the pillow, I’m enjoying a cup of Taylor’s of Harrowgate Yorkshire Gold.

It's Harrogate!

Ah I see, from the old "could I W for a cup of tea?"

[eagle1279]

Ashore! Learned some new words en route. As the mechanism did not reveal itself to me until after my head hit the pillow, I’m enjoying a cup of Taylor’s of Harrowgate Yorkshire Gold.

It's Harrogate!

I sip corrected!

[DrTom]

Epiphany! Found it. On shore.

and only three days too late - at least for the feast of the Epiphany, but I guess yours was more a feat of the epiphany?

Better than feet of the epiphany . It was indeed a fortunate coincidence with the liturgical calendar. Of course, no magi will be coming to visit this mere mortal.

Well I guess you toes me, but better de feet than defeat!

They CERTAINLY won't visit me, I think I offended them when I was trying to draw them and kept getting the perspective wrong, finally I just said "I ain't gonna work on magi's form no more!"

[Lyman]

After many, many short trips down dead-end rabbit trails, solved. Once found, a quick trip to the solution.

[bread-girl]

Ashore! Fun one!

[gdshort]

After spending some time with Isaac due to the attractions of a particularly delectable rabbit I finally reached Nirvana.

[Bob cruise director]

Good Saturday morning

It is time for Bob's weekly typing class as we have 5 on the ship and 143 on the shore.

And our newest sort of muggle is ajk who has made several posts for the WSJ metas but I have not picked it up before.

This contest is a bit of a change from our normal Matt and Mike which is great having new constructors as each one has their own style.

Currently on the ship are
Colin
Richard
802puzzler
MatthewL
and Sara Dacus

On the crowded shore are
Al
Kay
Dannyvee
Heidi
Mike H
Joe Ross
our Beths (ACT)
Jace54
LesY
Meg
streroto
Wendy
Peter
Anita
TheBrunonians
Amanda Hugginkiss
Scott M
Ky-mike
mattythewsjpuzzler
bskptkl
Eric P
Jeremy
Flananigans
majordomoTom
DBMiller
CallMeShane
michaelm
Toby
joe
Tom Wi
edot
tim1217
stmv
Jim and Anita
Dan A
Bird Lives
Joepicket
Jeanrosz
M and M
RobM
boharr
C=64
lbray53
Moi
oldjudge
spotter
Cindy
Tmart
steveb
Georgeall
dplass
dudeski
higgysue
Laura M
SewYoung
MikeM000
Powers2020
Dave K
joequavis
Dave C
sanmilton
otlaolap
Lacangah
Frank
Schmeel
EmilyW
Bob Kerfuffle
RDaleHall
sharkicicles
Chris
Omnibus
the Thurman8er
NDStegs
kas
Tina
Dow Jones
mikeh
Tori.I
flyingMoose
mbryant
Tom S
Franklin.Bluth
Kris
Littlegood
metadaughter and metamom (tigerfly222 and Cynthia J)
whimsy
madhatter5
escapeartist
JimJim
PQ63
DrTom with has new haircut (both of them)
Cosmo
John B
Homer
Andrew
Ladybird
wb93
ImOnToo
NuYear68 (a year older)
ADJ
ajk
Cap'n Rick
Tom Mueller
Miki
Mister Squawk
SusieG
Jackie88
Billy M
Grover
Trey and Marion with Trey loafing once again
Susan G
ddb13
HunterX
KscX
rexthree
kdubs
Mmac
JenIrvin
Devilbunny
TeamDoubleTow
Paul D
Dom
John77
dk letter
joes
MaineMarge and we love her gardens
Plymouth Rock
Matthew B
Debbie
BeTheLight
meowmiao71
cbarbee002
eagle1279
Peter L
fstadler
Daniel G
Wdunbar
Gman
Lyman
and bread-girl

Let me know if I missed anyone among the comments (many of which are mine) on puns, wine, crosswords, birds and random other things