"Endnotes" - January 22, 2021

[Susan Goldberg]

Got the grid yesterday, and the meta today. Happy to be on shore with all of you! Sad that it’s still ‘dry January’ for me, but not for much longer

Me too! 8 more days!

[Susan Goldberg]

I’m on shore....quickly got step one and didn’t see the final step til now! Yeah!

I’m still searching for the final step. You’ve inspired me! Bob, I’m still at sea - or maybe on a raft toward the shore...

[Nlobb]

Ashore! Back to making a baby quilt for my new grand daughter.

[DrTom]

Got the grid yesterday, and the meta today. Happy to be on shore with all of you! Sad that it’s still ‘dry January’ for me, but not for much longer

Me too! 8 more days!

Yes PLEASE you two, get back on the wet side, it is tough trying to make up for your absence. Oh, you weren't aware that if part of the group stops drinking the others are honor bound to take up the slack? Fair warning, if ever a couple of us (Joe, Chris, Al, Bird, me) stop you are all in for a bumpy and liver taxing ride!!!

[HunterX]

Good Saturday morning fellow muggles.

I am constantly amazed at the continuous ways that Matt, Mike and the gang can construct metas in different ways. For those who are new to metas, the only rule is that there are no rules which is what makes it fun and challenging.

We have 23 on the ship and 110 on the shore with our newest muggle being tobinillanovi.
........

And on the shore with more than a few needing resuscitation before making their way to the tiki bar are
......
Good luck to all and stay safe.

let me know how many on the shore I have missed.

Think you missed me at #203.

(Or you were just too dazzled by my many, wonderful music references.)

Blinded by the light! You just got him All shook up! Sometimes you just Catch a wave and, assuming you don't Wipeout, find yourself Sitting at the dock of the bay. Other times you end up kicking like mad Just to keep from drowning. But even if you are stuck on the Love Boat or the Poseidon, There has to be a morning after and that is usually (you know what is coming) Monday Monday.

I was hoping to get you started Dr. Tom.

And I knew you weren't narrow minded, otherwise you'd tell me, "Don't Come Around Here No More." But I'd reply, "I Won't Back Down!" Then you might Breakdown and yell at me "You Don't Know How It Feels!"

And then we'd be calling you (wait for it....) Dr. Tom Petty.

(I've got 15,000 songs from over 1,000 artists in my iTunes list. So I could do this Eight Days A Week. Just sayin'.)

(But don't worry. I won't.)

[PeterLeea1a]

Hoping for some post-enlightenment...

[HunterX]

I'm back home after two weeks at scuba instructor school.
....
No morning cocktail for me today--I'm going spear fishing today, so the alcohol must wait until later.
....

Scuba instructor school? Spear fishing?

And I thought my life, spending all day in my apartment working for hours on end on my computer until darkness has descended and my fiancée and I, exhausted, log off, and scrape together a 10pm salad to eat before crashing, was an exciting life.

Oh, I logged plenty of computer and cubicle time.

Sometimes early retirement is acquiescing to an employer’s decision to pay someone younger less money to do one’s job.

“How’d you manage to retire so early?”
“I didn’t manage anything. They stopped paying me.”

Very proud of my 28 year old son who quit his job as a cyber security engineer for a defense contractor to work full time on the business he had on the side. “Dad, I can’t be an engineer in a cubicle for thirty years. This is my chance to get out.”

I admire those who can follow their passions. Fortunately, I like my company and work with great people. And most of the time I've enjoyed what I do. But after 30+ years with them, it's getting old. (As am... eh-hem... I.) I switched myself out of management and onto a special project thinking I would retire when it was done. But we keep extending the Go-Live date. And to add compliment to injury, when the pandemic downturn hit, they cut costs by offering a bunch of senior people I've been working with for many years packages to retire, AND THEY DIDN'T OFFER ME ONE! My fiancée keeps saying, "You don't owe them anything at this point, and you're working like crazy. Just retire!"

I will. But not until after the next annual bonus payment!

[mel87]

On shore after a couple of rabbit holes—fun one!

[ccmac]

Oh my gosh! I’ve got it! I always surprise myself when that happens!!

[Prozach]

Ashore. Twice. After quickly landing on a rather bland shore, with no chairs or umbrellas, Joe and the rest of the crowd convinced me that there is a much better shore a few miles north. So, I made my way up there and arrived at a much more crowded and far prettier strip of land.

[rosiegirl]

Good Saturday morning fellow muggles.

I am constantly amazed at the continuous ways that Matt, Mike and the gang can construct metas in different ways. For those who are new to metas, the only rule is that there are no rules which is what makes it fun and challenging.

We have 23 on the ship and 110 on the shore with our newest muggle being tobinillanovi.

On the ship are
Tom S
RobM
spotter
Peter
rosiegirl
SewYoung
MatthewB
ladybird
EVJ
jakenherman
Scott M
JaneGummy
hunkra
woozy
matty_p
chbarbee002
ReB
escapeartist
seahawks seashanty
ImOnToo
Worsdmith
meowmiao71
and Gman

And on the shore with more than a few needing resuscitation before making their way to the tiki bar are
Kay
Al
MikeH
oldjudge
joequavis
Andrew B
the Beths (ATC)
sanmilton
Toby
stmv
MileHighsolver
Cap'n Rick
paige11
TPS
Heidi
Dannyvee
Meg
laura
Tom Mueller
BarbaraK
damefox
Jace54
Tina
Anita
Wendy with her raccoons
M and M
Les
higgysue
mattythewsupuzzler
Dan A
boharr
Jordanian
BrianMac
Tmart
Cosmo
HeadinHome
streroto
LizD
sharkicicles
Homer
markhr
dplass
joes
Chris
Franklin
Trey and Marion
SusieG
dudeski
EmilyW
Tripod
seans
Frank
MajorDomoTom
Bill
Steveb
Dave C
Schmeel
RDaleHall
JimJim
Rex
LittleGood
JRS51
Plymouth Rock
scraps
Fred
otlaolap
Copper River
Jennifer
Grover
tobivillanovi
whimsy
TeamDoubleTow
Ed S
the Thurman8er
C=64
ky-mike
michaelm
edot
lbray53
Flananigans
JeanneC
Blair
bread-girl
moi - having been pulled to shore by the life guards
b4alltime
Fishoutowater
MaineMarge
Cindy N
Debbie
Jud
cinemagical
Glyn
kdubs
Bird Lives
ajk
Lacangah
dk letter
DrTom
halseymac
Lyman
Orsys
Rita and George
Crest
maprasad
Billy M
Omnibus
jhseeman
and eagle1279

Good luck to all and stay safe.

let me know how many on the shore I have missed.

I think you missed me, Bob! I was staring out at the island at post #68, doing the dog paddle near shore at post #85, and had my toes in the sand at post #112.

[tim1217]

On shore!

[LKushner]

On shore. FYI, you do not need musical knowledge to solve the meta. But a modicum of musical knowledge will help you get there by providing more info. I see no inelegance either way. I do want to add, however, that one of the posts inadvertently gave me a clue as to what to look for.

[NDStegs]

Solved. Finally figured out how to get past Step 1 and now see how people skipped it.

Also, since my husband and I solve together, he submits on the form, then I email. I wonder if that negates are submissions, since it shows up as two submissions from the same IP address. I worry that it means they'll never take our answers.

We only submitted once this week, so we'll see if that makes a difference.

[Susan Goldberg]

Got the grid yesterday, and the meta today. Happy to be on shore with all of you! Sad that it’s still ‘dry January’ for me, but not for much longer

Me too! 8 more days!

Yes PLEASE you two, get back on the wet side, it is tough trying to make up for your absence. Oh, you weren't aware that if part of the group stops drinking the others are honor bound to take up the slack? Fair warning, if ever a couple of us (Joe, Chris, Al, Bird, me) stop you are all in for a bumpy and liver taxing ride!!!

I promise to make up for it in February. Whether at the bar or on the shore. (And I’m certain it’s why I’m in such a January slump with metas.).

[EVJ]

Whether folks solve short, long or some combination of both, as long as they enjoyed doing it that is fine. Heck if they did NOT solve short, long or some combination that is equally fine under the same constraints.

Stealing a line from a different cruise line:


in truth it may well be 98% of the fun. After I get the answer the fun part becomes talking about how I got there, kind of cuddling up and reliving it rather than rolling over, having a virtual cigarette and going to sleep. It of course kills me not to be able to solve something, but that is not because of the win it is because I enjoy our community so much I don't want to be left out of the fun, and the fun is definitely more intense if you have solved because of the chance to describe your twists and turns. Granted for me it is often as much fun to describe how I did NOT get there but got somewhere else instead that certainly looked like there at the time.

I liked this puzzle when I solved it, I LOVED it when I was nudged into how to REALLY solve it, but (and after seeing the MGWCC I realize this may be my only week-end solve) what I am relishing is the online banter. I mean where can you get this type of repartee, exchange of ideas and cultural nuance ANYWHERE except a meeting of a society that I probably would net be asked to be a member of. I participate in FAR too many different groups where idea exchange is the goal and believe me there is NOTHIGN like the Muggle board that I have run across. I feel safe here, I can make stupid comments here and they are smiled at not jeered at. You have even suffered through my Pundemic in the Pandemic without collecting a lynch mob (wait is that villagers with pitchforks and torches outside - no, phew, just the garbage man). So solve or not solve, long or short, easy or hard, direct or scenic, I'm just happy to be here and agree with BirdLives on his evaluation; I don't gulp wine, read the last few pages of the book or check IMBd for the plot and synopsis of the movie I am going to see.

[flyingMoose]

I do want to add, however, that one of the posts inadvertently gave me a clue as to what to look for.

Rats!! Now I am compelled to go back and carefully re-read a veritable plethora of posts.

[Joe]

OK, so, I submitted because I'm sick of looking at it. I must have gotten to my answer the brute force way because it can't be mere coincidence. I'm looking forward to having my eyes opened to the puzzle's elegance. Now back to banging my head against the Gaffney.

Count me on a beach of some kind. Not sure if that's a bunch of people I see or just a mirage.

[Jacksull]

Reached the shore at last. 🏖

[SewYoung]

On shore. FYI, you do not need musical knowledge to solve the meta. But a modicum of musical knowledge will help you get there by providing more info. I see no inelegance either way. I do want to add, however, that one of the posts inadvertently gave me a clue as to what to look for.

Which one, which one? I will go back and look to see if it helps me, too. (Just joking of course)