XWord Muggles Forum

RPardoe wrote: ↑Sun Jul 18, 2021 10:40 pm

KayW wrote: ↑Sun Jul 18, 2021 7:56 pm I'm holding off on submitting to get a Wednesday solve and a buzzer beater in one swell foop, but this one is 100%.

Good luck, and DON'T FORGET!

(I think there should be an achievement for the LAST submission as well as the first. Imagine the fun of trying to get that one.)

You read my paranoid mind. In addition to forgetting to submit, I imagine both my wifi and my phone self-destructing at 11:55 ET Wednesday. I've already scheduled a "backup" email submission at 11:57 ET (hoping this very lapsed former math major did the time zone math right for once!) and plan to set an alarm on my phone. And now I imagine the Russians hacking gmail servers that morning just to thwart my submission. (Because of course THAT's the worst possible repercussion of such a hack )

Seeking post-enlightenment. This could be my streak-ender.

Whew, beam me up!

Such a classic Gaffney puzzle, IMHO. Honestly, I've gotten terrible at solving Mike Shenk because I've been too pre-programmed by Matt's brain with puzzles like this. He's like an animal in the forest with his own unique footprints – hard to uncover sometimes, but unmistakeable and fun to track when you do.

And speaking of forest animals, I swear he runs these through a Rabbit Hole Machine of some sort because I was WAAAYY down in one with a leap I thought would take me to the end. Had to stop, go back and follow the trail as laid out, and it took me to a different place entirely. Loved it!

Beam me up! (EDIT: confirmed)

Almost sent a PM for a nudge after seeing the first step, but put down the puzzle for a couple of hours and then it clicked. Fun one and happy to solve this one solo after help on the Gaffney WSJ puzzle. On to the MMM!

This was one where I kept chipping away at the puzzle, with moments of enlightenment intermixed with head scratches, until everything fell into place. A rare week three solve for me.

Beam me up. I needed a little help extracting myself from a deep rabbit hole of my own making. It made little sense in retrospect.

I may have gotten this one months ago because I used to try something with every puzzle that always proved fruitless. Well, until now! Too bad I gave up on it.

LOL, OK this is a new one. After days of struggle, finally cave and send a PM asking about nudge prospects. Shortly thereafter (before the PM is read, let alone replied to), inspiration strikes, and 10 min later, hey presto (technically awaiting confirmation, but pretty confident-- UPDATE: confirmed!). Need a term for PM enlightenment

Any time now, post-enlightenment....Any time now, ok?

Fun one! Wish this one had fallen on a week when I could do it right when it came out… might have been on page 1. We just got back from a trip this afternoon… sat down with it after unpacking & starting laundry, did the grid, fell asleep (big exercise & eating weekend zzzz) and then woke up & solved the meta.

I found the mechanism pretty quickly in one place, but scrambled for the rest until I realized something that I assume others mentioned they also had missed for a while, which made it much easier!

Beam me up!

ajk wrote: ↑Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:28 pm LOL, OK this is a new one. After days of struggle, finally cave and send a PM asking about nudge prospects. Shortly thereafter (before the PM is read, let alone replied to), inspiration strikes, and 10 min later, hey presto (technically awaiting confirmation, but pretty confident-- UPDATE: confirmed!). Need a term for PM enlightenment

This happens to me too. My theory is that once we ask for help and know help is coming, it releases some of the stress in the brain and thinking becomes clearer. This theory, which to say is mine, is mine.

Awaiting beamage.... nice when the "come back later and stare at it again" strategy works twice (no pun intended) in one weekend.... curious to see what others felt they missed along the way.

Edit: 167!

Phew, that took many "second looks" but finally got it. Great aha moment here.

I was coming here to ask for a nudge until the thread reminded me that I have until tomorrow. I have a bad feeling that this one involves a trick I haven't seen before. I'll keep at it for now.

If you're already done, or want a change of pace, there are still 3 hours to go before the deadline on my most recent meta contest. Link in signature file below.

in search of post-enlightenment. keep coming back to it but no aha moment yet.

Thus ends my 29-week streak of solo solves, probably my longest ever.

Tina wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 1:20 pm Thus ends my 29-week streak of solo solves, probably my longest ever.

The deadline is noon ET, tomorrow.

I finally got it! Woo hoo!

Edit: 189

Joe Ross wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 1:41 pm

Tina wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 1:20 pm Thus ends my 29-week streak of solo solves, probably my longest ever.

The deadline is noon ET, tomorrow.

I know, but yesterday I finally decided I had spent way too much time on this already and asked for a hint. At least I can get back to my life now.

I *finally* got this one almost immediately after taking my first ever sip of Red Bull. (We won some in a drawing at a bar.) If I start buying/drinking that crap, I'm going to blame Matt.

Kudos once again to DrTom for a gentle nudge - he got me off a track that would have wasted more time than I care to think about and aimed me in the right direction. Not confirmed yet, but can’t see how my answer could be wrong.