"Counting Calories" - December 20, 2019

[Hector]

Hmm. I definitely have the answer, but wonder if there is some aspect of the meta I don't yet "get."

[Cindy]

Solved

[Softie]

As a side note, this week I was wondering if we have muggles from all 50 states (and DC). In looking through what I have, I could confirm muggles in all states except: Alaska, Arizona, Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah and Washington state.

I am sure that I have missed muggles from these states but let me know.

After lurking for months, I'll join the online ranks. And represent Washington!

Being from a coastal state, I have plenty of shores to spend time on, but I am still trying to find my way to THIS shore...

[Bird Lives]

What impresses me every week is the idea for the puzzle. I didn’t find this meta particularly difficult, but I did find it satisfying because it was such a cool idea. The execution might have been fairly squeezy. Many people with a little construction experience and that website anjhinz posted a couple of weeks ago could have created a grid like this.

How do Matt and Mike keep coming up, week after week, with new ideas for these puzzles?

[TMart]

On shore - interesting mechanism on this one. The answer is one of my favorites.

[higgysue]

As a side note, this week I was wondering if we have muggles from all 50 states (and DC). In looking through what I have, I could confirm muggles in all states except: Alaska, Arizona, Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah and Washington state.

I am sure that I have missed muggles from these states but let me know.

As a side note, we have muggles in Ontario and Switzerland. Not sure if there are any other countries that people live in.

I will be the muggle from Minnesota.

[Tom Shea]

As a side note, this week I was wondering if we have muggles from all 50 states (and DC). In looking through what I have, I could confirm muggles in all states except: Alaska, Arizona, Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah and Washington state.

I am sure that I have missed muggles from these states but let me know.

As a side note, we have muggles in Ontario and Switzerland. Not sure if there are any other countries that people live in.

Bob,

I am retired, so live in a lot of places. Not sure if these count, but I am in Sydney, Australia for 3 months. I am also a semi-regular in Hawaii (3 months last year, 2 this, 4 next). However, my tax return says NH if I can only count one place.
---
Currently at sea, grid done. Isaac, I'll have the prosecco with lunch.

[TMart]

His eyes how they sparkled, but I a bit leery,
His metas I knew, often made me weary;
His droll sense of humor, was apparent at first,
And the sly grin on his face made me fear the worst.

The stump of a pencil was held tight by his ear,
And the scribblings, erasures and worksheets were near;
He had broad knowledge and skills that can’t be denied,
That made me nervous and dreadful, to that I will not lie.

He was clever and sneaky - the most dangerous constructor alive,
And I said ‘Oh no what’s this, don’t tell me a KAS5?’;
Though a wink of his eye, and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He had a broad face and a little round belly
He laughed and he said "I am not Marie Kelly!"

[MarkL]

After a brief grinding of the mental gears it all meshed nicely. Ashore and predicting plenty of space on the beach this weekend - due more to folks having other things to do.

Merry Christmas to all! May your holidays and the New Year be healthy, happy and prosperous.

Cheers!!!

[FKelly]

Got it! Amazed at how Gaffney worked D21 into it.

[LesY]

Oh, ashore. I was too lazy to jump in the right rabbit hole the first time I passed by it. Shame on me.

Looking forward to the Chriswords meta suite - thanks Barbara K!

And Happy Holidays to all!

[MajordomoTom]

Muggle from Missouri, reporting from the bar on the ship.

[FrankieHeck]

That took me a while, but I'm on shore. Have a great weekend, all!

[oldjudge]

On shore. Grid went quickly, meta fairly quickly too. Enjoyable puzzle-thanks Matt!

[Scooby]

At sea, no shore in sight...

[BethA]

On the beach! 🏖

Enjoyed it!

[Bob cruise director]

As a side note, this week I was wondering if we have muggles from all 50 states (and DC). In looking through what I have, I could confirm muggles in all states except: Alaska, Arizona, Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah and Washington state.

I am sure that I have missed muggles from these states but let me know.

As a side note, we have muggles in Ontario and Switzerland. Not sure if there are any other countries that people live in.

Bob,

I am retired, so live in a lot of places. Not sure if these count, but I am in Sydney, Australia for 3 months. I am also a semi-regular in Hawaii (3 months last year, 2 this, 4 next). However, my tax return says NH if I can only count one place.
---
Currently at sea, grid done. Isaac, I'll have the prosecco with lunch.

I will go where your tax return is
thanks

[Bob cruise director]

As a side note, this week I was wondering if we have muggles from all 50 states (and DC). In looking through what I have, I could confirm muggles in all states except: Alaska, Arizona, Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah and Washington state.

I am sure that I have missed muggles from these states but let me know.

As a side note, we have muggles in Ontario and Switzerland. Not sure if there are any other countries that people live in.

I will be the muggle from Minnesota.

And a new muggle to boot. We welcome new muggles all the time. My high school friend who lives outside Minneapolis says it is very cold there now

[Meg]

Some metas just jump right out at you. Not this one! I am, happily, on the shore.

[Eric Porter]

I'm no longer 20A!

I don't really like these kinds of puzzles. I saw some red herrings which had to be put in there to throw me off. I wasn't making any progress for a while as I took a break at work to look at the grid every once and a while.

I was feeling really tired today. When I got home, I lay down in bed and figured it out very quickly.