"Left Up In The Air" May 24, 2024

[ZooAnimalsOnWheels]

Ashore for the long weekend. Fun A-ha with this one.

[Kas]

Hm. I think I need a nudge.

I'm feeling that very specific brand of puzzle irritation that comes with the near virtual certainty that when I do finally see the solution, there's a reasonable likelihood that the forehead slap will be severe. In the rare instance that I grudgingly ask for/accept a nudge, that slap risks crossing over to full-on brain injury.

We need a word for this. Crosswordisfunction? Lexiconcussion? Being puzzlobotomized? I open the door to suggestions.

[Mirage]

Still at sea. I look forward to Patrick Berry’s puzzles but his meta this time has stumped me. I keep revisiting the same rabbit hole and can’t find my way out.

[Cindy N]

Forgot to post yesterday - ashore. The Friday Zoom call got me straightened out. I had most of it right, but the one part I had wrong had me completely stymied.

[CdnMG]

Happy to be ashore, it's been a few weeks...already had my wine with dinner.

[KayW]

WE INTERRUPT YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED POSTING FOR AN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY:

Anyone interested in an afternoon of puzzling entertainment in Chicago?

The Enigmatist
Shakespeare Theatre at Navy Pier in Chicago on Sunday June 23rd at 2pm

From the The Enigmatist website:

Can you crack the code? Following wildly successful runs in New York City and Los Angeles, renowned magician and The New York Times crossword constructor David Kwong brings his immersive experience of puzzles and cryptology to Chicago. The Los Angeles Times raves that Kwong “creates a magical sense of togetherness” and The New York Times declares, “it’s like a spin class for the frontal lobe… by the time Kwong finished, the room was loopy with delight.” Clues are everywhere, so keep your eyes open and be ready for surprises behind every multi-layered illusion.

Pre-Show Puzzle Garden! Upon arrival, you’ll encounter four puzzle walls in the lobby. Arrive early so you can solve them before taking your seat in the theater (plan for 20–30 minutes). While not mandatory to gain entry to the performance, completing the puzzles will enhance your overall experience.



@LadyBird, Mr. LadyBird (GentBird? BirdMan?) and a friend and I are attending this performance. We thought other Chicago area muggles might be interested in attending the show and meeting up. We'll get together for food and/or drinks after or before, tho that's still TBD.

Tickets are $78 - $90 dollars.
If you are driving, Shakespeare Theatre offers discounted 6-hour parking for $21.
Run time is 95 minutes, no intermission (plus 30ish minutes for the pre-show puzzle garden)

I look forward to hearing from anyone who'd like to join us!

We now return to your posts already in progress.

[Collegetowngirl]

Definitely on the ship. Seeing glimmers that then just sputter out.

[burak]

Step 2 has been really elusive so far, and judging from the comments it's gonna be a real head slapper if I can't figure it out till midnight tomorrow.

[Mister Squawk]

Nudged to (a) shore.

[Miki]

“Does anyone think people might get "pageanted" with this one?”

I sure hope not. If that’s in play, then the Meta is not as simple as I thought.

I know what you mean. Definitely thought about it and double-checked before submitting. An extra step is almost called for.

Miki

[bread-girl]

Lost at sea over here! I would appreciate a nudge on this holiday weekend

[bread-girl]

Lost at sea over here! I would appreciate a nudge on this holiday weekend

Received a nudge and I have gotten to shore

[Ben B]

Ugh. Getting nowhere on this one. At sea. Hope this is a learning opportunity on Monday. Trying not to get discouraged.

[SingleMalt]

On the Beach!

Have played 12 rounds of golf since my last post. 9 in beautiful Pinehurst North Carolina. PM me if you want some insider tips on how to have a GREAT golf week without being soaked on the resort property.

I tried to play last week but last week's meta was too tough for me armed only with my mobile phone on the ride home.

I'll have a refreshing Hendricks and Tonic these evening with a cucumber, of course....

[pilsbandy]

Got my bearings long enough to crack the first step, but now I'm back to being lost at sea. Any chance for a nudge?

EDIT: Made it to shore thanks to a solid nudge!

[Joe]

Finally on shore.

[Adajeo]

Ashore - time to dust off the grill and get out the Popsicles.

[pilsbandy]

Whew, crawled onto shore with the help of a very good nudge. As usual, I was overthinking. Today marks 62 days sober so a virgin whiskey sour for me (lemonade plus egg yolk and bitters?)

[Bob cruise director]

Good Sunday muggles

Isaac has asked me to announce that the tenders will only be going to shore once an hour because the number of passengers has dropped since yesterday. You are always free to swim or paddleboard to the shore.

So far we have 16 on the ship and 147 on the shore.

Relaxing in the ship's bar are

otlaolap
Collegetowngirl
Mirage
Ben B and son
Pilsbandy
Kas
Burak
Wordnerd23

And getting to the shore are

Mister and Mrs. Squawk
Laura
dpl11
joe
Lacangah
Beth T
Cindy N
bread-girl
Steveb
SingleMalt
ZooAnimalsOnWheels
dk letter
eagle1279
dudeski
CdnMG
Adajeo
Justmarebear

Have a good weekend and memorial day

[Aragorn]

Ashore! Had an answer that did not make sense until I realized I had it in the wrong order.