"A Year to Watch" - December 31, 2021

[lbray53]

FINALLY on shore. Thanks Dr. Tom for tapping me on my shoulder and redirecting me from the deep, deep rabbit holes I was digging. I was sure that I spotted a direction in a clue and was adamant that I should follow it. I tried several methods, but all based on my false assumption. My skin got very wrinkled on my swim to shore.

[Joepickett]

Ok I need a nudge. Found the obvious starting off point but I've been stuck there all day.

With a nudge, I am on shore. I really should have figured that out myself but I guess I'm blind, too stubborn to try something else when I'm stuck, or I just never ever can get a Gaffney.

[HunterX]

I got it, I think, but I'm missing something. My solution seems to work but one piece of it just bugs me. Oh well, until Monday.

I'm guessing I know what you are referring to. And if I'm right, if you analyze it a bit, you may see what the missing piece is. It's a 100%'er once you get that piece.

[vandono]

oh my goodness, i think i found it. at least it's the name of a show and seems to fit the requirements. either i'm finally (for once) ashore, or Isaac has over-served me to the point of hallucination. if that's the case, no one wake me up. just let me enjoy the imaginary sand.

[otlaolap]

Stuck on board this week, "Manuel, you know nothing" sloshing around my brain and sounding more and more appropriate after a suitable rename. (That was one great show.) Happy New Year anyway, and since the puzzle is dated last Friday I guess I still will not have suffered a 2022 loss on Monday. Just when you think "but I learn . . . I learn, I learn . . . I get better", along comes an awesomely opaque puzzle made up as usual of simple words.

[ADS]

I think I am ashore. Found this one very unsatisfying. I hope I am right.

[Dave C]

It’s been busy, so I didn’t get a chance until today to think about it, but when I did, it came quickly.

[Relic]

Been 67A all day with some friends and sympathizers. Finally hit on a possible mechanism, and thank Google it played true. Took a couple swings and misses on how to apply. Then thought, "what if", and there it is.

No longer 67A but ashore.

I'll have an Irish whiskey, neat. Sure hope the solution is right.

[DrTom]

and now for something completely different....those Muggles on the Zoom call will remember sewyoung promising me her Dad's pound cake recipe. Well she was good to her word and I am here to tell you, it is a WINNER!!! I got rave reviews and requests for seconds. It is incredibly easy, requires no fancy ingredients, no incorporation of egg whites, baking soda - nope just butter, flour, sugar. vanilla and heavy cream and your reward, well see below!

It was delicious, crispy outside, dense and moist inside. Had I greased the darn fancy Bundt pan I have (too many nooks and crannies for the age old shortening and flour method to prevent sticking) it would have looked beautiful too. I darn near iced it to cover up the sins but it was too good to mask with anything. Thank you for the recipe.

[caroline]

On shore! Fun one - solved it pretty quickly for a change. Unfortunately I can't see how to submit the meta answer on the WSJ site!

[BarbaraK]

On shore! Fun one - solved it pretty quickly for a change. Unfortunately I can't see how to submit the meta answer on the WSJ site!

Looks like the online submission is not set up this week. So just use the email submission method from the PDF:

"Email your answer—in the subject line—to crosswordcontest@wsj.com by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time Sunday, Jan. 2"

[Jarrod]

Ashore! Happy New Year. I should be 100% for 2022!

[vandono]

and now for something completely different....those Muggles on the Zoom call will remember sewyoung promising me her Dad's pound cake recipe. Well she was good to her word and I am here to tell you, it is a WINNER!!! I got rave reviews and requests for seconds. It is incredibly easy, requires no fancy ingredients, no incorporation of egg whites, baking soda - nope just butter, flour, sugar. vanilla and heavy cream and your reward, well see below!

IMG_3686 (1).JPG

IMG_3690.JPG

It was delicious, crispy outside, dense and moist inside. Had I greased the darn fancy Bundt pan I have (too many nooks and crannies for the age old shortening and flour method to prevent sticking) it would have looked beautiful too. I darn near iced it to cover up the sins but it was too good to mask with anything. Thank you for the recipe.

That looks like it would pair really well with whatever I'm drinking right now.

[David R]

Pretty easy but like many hard easy metas, too many distractions and I can see why people are struggling. Once I saw the right path it all came together quickly.

[DrTom]

and now for something completely different....those Muggles on the Zoom call will remember sewyoung promising me her Dad's pound cake recipe. Well she was good to her word and I am here to tell you, it is a WINNER!!! I got rave reviews and requests for seconds. It is incredibly easy, requires no fancy ingredients, no incorporation of egg whites, baking soda - nope just butter, flour, sugar. vanilla and heavy cream and your reward, well see below!

IMG_3686 (1).JPG

IMG_3690.JPG

It was delicious, crispy outside, dense and moist inside. Had I greased the darn fancy Bundt pan I have (too many nooks and crannies for the age old shortening and flour method to prevent sticking) it would have looked beautiful too. I darn near iced it to cover up the sins but it was too good to mask with anything. Thank you for the recipe.

That looks like it would pair really well with whatever I'm drinking right now.

Oh, it is, it IS. I believe I have new preparation steps for bourbon soaked pound cake:

• 1. Prepare pound cake (sewyoung recipe suggested)

• 2. Pour bourbon

• 3, Take mouthful of pound cake

• 4. Take mouthful of bourbon

• 5. Chew

• 6. Repeat

[Colin]

On the beach, but keeping my mask, snorkel and fins on because I might pop back in for a swim around the lagoon looking for sunken treasure from the “Aha” galleon.

[eagle1279]

Still off shore; I think I have the first step but can’t finish. Brain fogged by too much TV yesterday (parade, bowl games, movie, then a couple of Laurel & Hardy shorts). But interspersed with some time with grandkids and a lovely nighttime visit to the Chihuly exhibit at Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix.

[grwinski]

Ashore!

Usually, by Sunday, if we don't have it, we don't -- perhaps it was the holiday weekend, football games, or something else that kept us at this, but we finally got it!

Rita and George

[MMe]

Got it, but I think I don't follow the mechanism. Parts of it look like a little googling will serve up the several unrecognized parts, but the googling was -- well, there are always "hits," but some of these were not at all confidence inspiring.

[caf.caf]

Ashore! the aha moment separates the impossible from the easy....