"We Were Just Leaving" April 21, 2023

[Franky_T]

Ashore. Missed the Zoom call, but got it nonetheless.

[SReh26]

We were just leaving …

The goodbye we never said
I didn’t even turn my head
Saw your wave out of the corner of my eye
But waited until I was alone to cry, briefly
I didn’t even try, but instead
I just let the time go by

The goodbye we never said
As down the garden path you led me
And only with your eyes that said
What we’d wanted in our dreams to be
Was never actuality,
A chimera, a figment and a casualty

Why you touched me in this way
It would never know the light of day
It remained unsaid, where it will stay
I’ll save the sorrow for the month of May
And pretend all is okay this way
And take it day by day

Did you wonder why
I didn’t come to say goodbye
Did you feel the pain express
as coldness,‘Twas a lie
I was trying not to die, before you
In tears and your caress

[this is actually pretty good - I might submit it somewhere. If anyone knows whether Kenyon, Beloit, Paris Review, NYer or the American Poetry Society is best, kindly PM me.]

[Jackie J]

Ashore…finally! But what a process! Look at the grid, nothing pops out, put it down! Pick it up later, look and nothing again! Repeat! Repeat! And then brother wham! It hits you like a ton of bricks and you know absolutely that you’ve got it and you are once again at peace with the universe. Just way too much fun! Kudos to our brilliant meta constructors and to my fellow Muggles.

[aschuchert]

On the beach!!

Hope everyone had a lovely tax season!!! I'll have a mai tai. Actually, just give me the bottle of rum.

[Ben B]

On shore! I guess that is one good thing about a delayed flight. Now what do I do for entertainment?

[LadyBird]

I am on shore. Actually, it WAs Mr. LadyBird who supeRBLy got us to the beach! I saw the first step yesterday and then was spendING my time on fruitless searches. I was at my WHITs end, so I showed what I had to Dave. After about 3 seconds, he said "I sEE it". We've said good-bYE to Isaac and are waiting at the tiki bar.

[batfella]

On Shore. Mexican food and Mexican beer tonight!

[Crest]

Safely ashore! Quickest solve to date.

[EmilyW]

Ashore!

[Notbitter]

On shore.

[Fishoutowater]

Ashore.

[JoeS]

On shore. Wrestled with grid. But meta came pretty quickly. Clever construct. Stayed in these hotels many times traveling for work.
Natasha back next week - looking forward to solve rate going back to something respectable.

[Kas]

On shore.

Oh, sorry…I meant, “ON SHORE!!! MWWAAAHH HAAA HAAAA!!!!”

[JJD]

Ashore.
That was a pretty one.

[Libbypibby]

Ashore

[mkmf]

Ashore. Check-out time: 9 am PST (when the MGWCC week 3 drops).

Edit: Apparently we scored a comp-ed night on the beach. Matt delayed the puzzle another 24 hours.

[HunterX]

Alas, have to report in as on the ship with Isaac. In one hotel chain, here in Lisbon, Portugal. Moving to another one today.

Downloaded the puzzle and did the grid on a bus to Nazare yesterday, where I had hoped to be on the beach. Nazare is where you can see the largest waves in the world. I say “you can” because we didn’t. Not the right time of year. Also, it was hard to stay awake while doing the difficult grid, after all the late nights of drinking in Spanish and Portuguese bars over the last two weeks. Hard enough remembering all the various local alcoholic specialties. In the adorable town of Obidos, we had shots of Ginja in chocolate shot glasses. (We had to! It’s the tradition!)

Well, we fly home tomorrow. So I’ll have time to work on the puzzle then. (Or catch up on sleep.) Now off to another day of exploring beautiful Lisboa!

[mrmd]

Ashore. Found the first step and then spent 20 minutes trying to make some connection and then showed my wife who instantly said the answer. Duh. Happy Saturday evening from a cool BBQ joint near the Rainbow Bridge.

[Qmark]

Ashore...enjoyed it. Solved while waiting in line to get my winter tires off the vehicle.

[eagle1279]

Ashore, after struggling with the grid and then making the meta too difficult.