XWord Muggles Forum

KscX wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 11:22 am As life opens up and I’m spending more time with people outside my family, it is difficult to explain my new weekend “job” of the the WSJCC to them. When I entered the pandemic I had never heard of this! I sat with friends on a beautiful porch looking out on Table Rock, Hawksbill and Grandfather 🏔 yesterday morning working the grid. They looked on to my puzzle with less than curious eyes… but I’ve dragged other friends in with me so that’s good!

Me, too! In recent weeks I got my sons, my daughter, & her friend, involved in my weekend addiction “WSJCC”!!

Ergcat wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:33 pm

KscX wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 11:22 am As life opens up and I’m spending more time with people outside my family, it is difficult to explain my new weekend “job” of the the WSJCC to them. When I entered the pandemic I had never heard of this! I sat with friends on a beautiful porch looking out on Table Rock, Hawksbill and Grandfather 🏔 yesterday morning working the grid. They looked on to my puzzle with less than curious eyes… but I’ve dragged other friends in with me so that’s good!

Me, too! In recent weeks I got my sons, my daughter, & her friend, involved in my weekend addiction “WSJCC”!!

Me too! I read my impromptu limericks to my brother today. Unclear whether he was impressed.

sanmilton wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 5:00 pm

femullen wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 8:51 am (2,1)(4,8)(2,5)(6,7)(5,3)(8,2)(1,8)

I think you mean (6,8)(1,3)(2,8)(1,7)(4,1)(4,5)(7,4)(1,3)(8,1)(2,6)(3,4), but I'm not sure!

You could well be right, but I won't know till Monday morning when the mystery of the parens is revealed. This weekend I have occupied my customary stool with Isaac. I've absolutely no idea what to make of the meta.

My own parenthetical two-word phrase here is a Cartesian puzzle of ambiguous origin. Some people here could surely crack it in a minute or two.

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 11:53 pm I didn't want to say this on the first page for fear of being ticketed by the POE-lice, but how about Wendy, rocking #1 like a boss! And KayW also breaking 30 minutes...

I want to give full props to @KayW, who is frequently in the #1 position (or #2 or #3) with a time between 11 and 18 minutes.

DannyWalter wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:24 pm Once again, this is beyond my feeble skills. I thought I had an aha moment, but it only works for half the clues, and even then I don't know what I would do with it. I can't stop staring at it though. Anyone online care to give me a nudge?

Thanks to all you nudgers, I got confirmation that I was on the right track, but am still only 50% (maybe 75%) of the way through step 1. And I have no idea what step 2 would be. And just not in the mood to crawl again through the prior puzzles with parentheses to try and find a path.

Happy at this point to wait the answer and then gripe about it

I finally broke down and asked for help. I had all the pieces but could not put them together. I abandoned an early strategy which was my downfall. The 25% confusion plagued me as well, largely because Google got me to the 75% so quickly. The correct solution is fair in my opinion. It just depends on one’s familiarity since the internet was of less help.

On another note, thanks to this forum, I am still in the game. After a week of being lost at sea other than the Gaffney week one I was considering giving up metas.

Thank you all for your direct and indirect encouragement.

SReh26 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:36 pm

Ergcat wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:33 pm

KscX wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 11:22 am

Me too! I read my impromptu limericks to my brother today. Unclear whether he was impressed.

I still insist on my husband sitting and listening to my very dramatic description of how (IF!) I solved it every week. He is very patient with me.

On rare occasion he even gets involved, which makes it the best of solves!

lbray53 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:02 pm I finally broke down and asked for help. I had all the pieces but could not put them together. I abandoned an early strategy which was my downfall. The 25% confusion plagued me as well, largely because Google got me to the 75% so quickly. The correct solution is fair in my opinion. It just depends on one’s familiarity since the internet was of less help.

On another note, thanks to this forum, I am still in the game. After a week of being lost at sea other than the Gaffney week one I was considering giving up metas.

Thank you all for your direct and indirect encouragement.

Hey man,
Thank you for being a part of this forum.

Was away last week so I solved the last 2 weeks today. i really enjoyed this week's puzzle. now on to the MGWCC for the Trifecta hopefully.

I’m ashore. No brainwaves until about 20 minutes ago, and then it clicked. Tough one.

Bonnibel wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:29 pm Oh man I am really trying but continue to paddle around in circles. I thought this morning's mimosas on the lake would help! I am now back to the puzzle but none of the many things I observe make sense with those numbers. I need a bit of help to get back on course..

Safely ashore for a while now, thanks to a very helpful nudge from CPJohnson and confirmation that I was, after all, headed in the right direction. Thankful for the very nice members of this forum. And wine-ding down as I write this.

boharr wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:04 pm

lbray53 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:02 pm I finally broke down and asked for help. I had all the pieces but could not put them together. I abandoned an early strategy which was my downfall. The 25% confusion plagued me as well, largely because Google got me to the 75% so quickly. The correct solution is fair in my opinion. It just depends on one’s familiarity since the internet was of less help.

On another note, thanks to this forum, I am still in the game. After a week of being lost at sea other than the Gaffney week one I was considering giving up metas.

Thank you all for your direct and indirect encouragement.

Hey man,
Thank you for being a part of this forum.

I almost quit metas last week but kind words, nudges and solves pulled me back. Which makes me think there may be Seven Stages of Meta involvement... anyone?

Enthusiasm / Confidence
Defeat / Disillusionment with Self
Sour Grapes / Depression
Hope
Solves w Fewer Nudges
Getting the Hang
Addicted!

Alan H wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:10 pm Was away last week so I solved the last 2 weeks today. i really enjoyed this week's puzzle. now on to the MGWCC for the Trifecta hopefully.

Well that's ironically amusing!

SReh26 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:42 pm

boharr wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:04 pm

lbray53 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:02 pm I finally broke down and asked for help. I had all the pieces but could not put them together. I abandoned an early strategy which was my downfall. The 25% confusion plagued me as well, largely because Google got me to the 75% so quickly. The correct solution is fair in my opinion. It just depends on one’s familiarity since the internet was of less help.

On another note, thanks to this forum, I am still in the game. After a week of being lost at sea other than the Gaffney week one I was considering giving up metas.

Thank you all for your direct and indirect encouragement.

Hey man,
Thank you for being a part of this forum.

I almost quit metas last week but kind words, nudges and solves pulled me back. Which makes me think there may be Seven Stages of Meta involvement... anyone?

Enthusiasm / Confidence
Defeat / Disillusionment with Self
Sour Grapes / Depression
Hope
Solves w Fewer Nudges
Getting the Hang
Addicted!

Well I think there is also a 12 step program if you find yourself too addicted. Problem is that around step 6 or 7 you are looking back at previous steps to see if they spell anything.....

It seems like, just as with any new skill, there is a significant feeling down phase that one just has to work through.

For sesame street fans, check out kermit Mary Had a Bicycle on youtube. Its a great lesson in not giving up even when things are bleak.

As they often are in this Alice in Wonderland coal mine alternate universe.

SReh26 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:36 pm

Ergcat wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:33 pm

KscX wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 11:22 am As life opens up and I’m spending more time with people outside my family, it is difficult to explain my new weekend “job” of the the WSJCC to them. When I entered the pandemic I had never heard of this! I sat with friends on a beautiful porch looking out on Table Rock, Hawksbill and Grandfather 🏔 yesterday morning working the grid. They looked on to my puzzle with less than curious eyes… but I’ve dragged other friends in with me so that’s good!

Me, too! In recent weeks I got my sons, my daughter, & her friend, involved in my weekend addiction “WSJCC”!!

Me too! I read my impromptu limericks to my brother today. Unclear whether he was impressed.

When reading Muggle poems to your kin
In order to make them all grin
They may never smile
Plus think you senile
And the time that you wasted a sin

But at this point I couldn’t exist
Despite often missing the gist
As I struggle to solve
And my skills to evolve
Doing Metas that turn as they twist

SReh26 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:42 pm
I almost quit metas last week but kind words, nudges and solves pulled me back. Which makes me think there may be Seven Stages of Meta involvement... anyone?

Enthusiasm / Confidence
Defeat / Disillusionment with Self
Sour Grapes / Depression
Hope
Solves w Fewer Nudges
Getting the Hang
Addicted!

...and then lather, rinse, repeat when I hit the inevitable next slump...

C=64 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:53 pm

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 11:53 pm I didn't want to say this on the first page for fear of being ticketed by the POE-lice, but how about Wendy, rocking #1 like a boss! And KayW also breaking 30 minutes...

I want to give full props to @KayW, who is frequently in the #1 position (or #2 or #3) with a time between 11 and 18 minutes.

...for which I am now seriously overdue

(but aw garsh, thanks guys!)

SReh26 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:42 pm

boharr wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:04 pm

lbray53 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:02 pm I finally broke down and asked for help. I had all the pieces but could not put them together. I abandoned an early strategy which was my downfall. The 25% confusion plagued me as well, largely because Google got me to the 75% so quickly. The correct solution is fair in my opinion. It just depends on one’s familiarity since the internet was of less help.

On another note, thanks to this forum, I am still in the game. After a week of being lost at sea other than the Gaffney week one I was considering giving up metas.

Thank you all for your direct and indirect encouragement.

Hey man,
Thank you for being a part of this forum.

I almost quit metas last week but kind words, nudges and solves pulled me back. Which makes me think there may be Seven Stages of Meta involvement... anyone?

Enthusiasm / Confidence
Defeat / Disillusionment with Self
Sour Grapes / Depression
Hope
Solves w Fewer Nudges
Getting the Hang
Addicted!

I started doing the WSJ puzzle contest before this forum existed. No nudges or help. You just keep plugging along, learning as you go, successes and failures are what fuel my drive to master these enigmas, and along the way you realize it’s just a puzzle.

Bonnibel wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:27 pm

Bonnibel wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:29 pm Oh man I am really trying but continue to paddle around in circles. I thought this morning's mimosas on the lake would help! I am now back to the puzzle but none of the many things I observe make sense with those numbers. I need a bit of help to get back on course..

Safely ashore for a while now, thanks to a very helpful nudge from CPJohnson and confirmation that I was, after all, headed in the right direction. Thankful for the very nice members of this forum. And wine-ding down as I write this.

And I should mention that sometimes my head just isn't in the right place. I have to unscrew my brain a bit - some days it's easier than others. Today I realized that sometimes I have way too much of my self worth wrapped up in the ability to solve these metas, which is ridiculous! For sure, WSJ puzzles literally saved me during the pandemic, and I am so grateful. Matt Gaffney is a god! Although things in California are finally opening up (and we are vaccinated), resuming the pace of the prior life is not so easy nor is it always desirable! I am going to stick with the puzzles, whatever it takes. And thanks again to the nice people here, both at sea and ashore. I heart you.

Lost at sea x3 this weekend

nothing for WSJ
nothing for Gaffney
nothing for Pandora