"AP English" - January 8, 2021

[Jud]

Ashore!

[John77]

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.

I haven't seen Asta, Nick, or Nora recently either. Very suspicious.

[DrTom]

I know a few of you were doubting me about the birds and why I thought the were being mentioned in that song. Well true to my nature, here is the proof:

I have a strong commitment to the truth. So much so that many truly feel I should be committed!

[Horsesense]

Ashore.

[BarbaraK]

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

I believe you missed me - unless I just missed seeing it in that big crowd

[Bob cruise director]

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

I believe you missed me - unless I just missed seeing it in that big crowd

I just missed you. Thanks for picking it up

[JeanneC]

I am finally onshore. I must admit I really had to mentally restart my analysis. Stuck in a two day rabbit hole.

Had robins in my North Florida backyard this morning. Poor guys came all the way down from the northeast only to be greeted by a frost warning. What the hey!!!!!!!??????

[mel87]

On shore (after going down a wrong rabbit hole!)

[RichA2]

Shore is in sight, but not yet there. This one is fun.

[HunterX]

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)

Would love to stop by and have you rummage in that wine cabernet. Did you get those wines from the mal-back before the pandemic?

[cinemagical]

On shore!! This was a fabulous meta!

[HunterX]

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!"

Doc's on quite a roll today folks! Seems his booster vaccine might have one teeny-tiny, punny little side effect.

[Jacksull]

I’m on the 🏖

It must be Spring. I saw a group of young meadowlarks on the golf course yesterday. An exaltation of (meadow) larks, I guess.

[Cindy N]

Made it to shore last night. Tried one solve, but got no further than fitting with only one entry, so discarded it. Realized what I needed and the search was on. I think it was too late when I started because it took way longer than it should to find the last two that I needed. Liked this one.

[JennyByrd]

Bob,

I think you missed me in the roll call. I am indeed on shore (with my NeNe)

[flamingbear]

I’m among the shored. I’ll take a strong one today.

[Prozach]

On Shore. First shower solve!

[Powers2020]

Since we're sharing puzzles, finished this one up today! It was a good one and a welcome distraction from 2021 so far!

[RichA2]

I’ve now completed the last few strokes to shore. The dry land feels good!

[Scraps]

I didn't expect to have time for the puzzle this week because I'm in a training program that has us busy all day and working on homework and presentations all evening. I didn't even look at the puzzle Thursday or Friday because I knew I had to stay strong and focus on the task at hand.

My resolve crumbled this evening. Just one little peek, I promised myself, and I'll get right back to work. But then I saw so many friends ashore and figured it shouldn't take too long to join them.

And so it is that I am a little bit behind in my training, but happily ashore with the other muggles.

Alas, nothing from the bar for me tonight. Back to the grindstone.