"Keep on Truckin'" October 14, 2022

[LadyBird]

Ashore--at last. I wasn't seeing even a rabbit hole, but I kept TRUcking on. Sat down to watch the Amazing Race, glanced at the puzzle and the metanism finally juMPEd out at me. I strolled through the sTERn garden, jumped overboard, and SWam to shore. I cAN see the cabana boy coming over with some nice hot tea.

[MaineMarge]

Ashore--at last. I wasn't seeing even a rabbit hole, but I kept TRUcking on. Sat down to watch the Amazing Race, glanced at the puzzle and the metanism finally juMPEd out at me. I strolled through the sTERn garden, jumped overboard, and SWam to shore. I cAN see the cabana boy coming over with some nice hot tea.

@LadyBird, I’ve said it before, and now say it again- you are a treasure to our Muggledom community. Always a Lady with your hidden birds woven seamlessly into your status posts. We see and appreciate the time and effort involved.
You go, girl

[JeanneC]

You know how sometimes you just look at the puzzle and look at the puzzle...and put it down, then look at it again...and then, finally, like a bolt of lightning, it JUST HITS YOU, and everything just falls into place, plus that whole "wow, I can't believe I didn't see that sooner" thing--heh, always such hoot--I mean, you know?!??

Well, this is not one of those @#^%ing times.
(Still on this ship, and it's at least some consolation that Isaac and I are now singing camp songs.)

On board as well. When the camp songs are finished, can we do TV theme songs?

[Cinny]

Finally ashore! Sometimes I just seem to overlook the obvious which can be very frustrating.

[woozy]

I got to remember. When something looks odd and bugs you, look closer. ....

The trouble comes when lots of things look odd.


======

You know.... there is often one place I try to look and this game.... I just didn't. Would have gotten it if I had looked but.... I didn't. (That's my huffy afterword come-down of "Oh, I gotta know the answer, oh I gotta know the answer, just a hint, just a hint, pleeeeeeeease" to ...... "Oh, I ... I could have... *rats*...." justification.)

[lacangah]

There was lightning outside when (insightful) lightning hit us indoors - ashore!

Happy solving - good health and good cheer,

[DrTom]

Hi all. Hope everyone is well.

I am at a hotel
I hope everyone is well
The hotel doesn’t smell
The views from my window are swell

I am traveling for work
My boss is not a jerk
A raise is a little perk
I haven’t had time to lurk

How is the hotel food?
I’d say it’s really quite good
It doesn’t taste like wood
Some of it is stewed

I gained a little weight
I hope it isn’t too late
To get that to abate
So I can get back to size eight

Miss you all, my peeps!

That's quite a poem 🖋
To write while you roam
Did you get a travel gnome
To bring with you home?

Enjoy your travel and don't unravel

T

[Collegetowngirl]

Still with Isaac. Hoping for the light bulb to turn on tomorrow!!

[debbierudy]

First meta solved in our new house. I woke up to owls hooting down by the creek in our backyard, and took a look again at the incomprehensible puzzle, and there it was!

[SusieG]

Sitting with Isaac, wondering if I have forgotten how to solve metas!

[Miki]

If you're counting people lost at sea, count me in. So lost...

[chriscross]

Not the answer I was hoping for when I saw the clue, but I am onshore! Time to enjoy the weekend!!

Now I’m curious what answer you were hoping for.

That also reminds me of friends who, when they watch jeopardy, try to guess the answer to final jeopardy after the category is announced but before the clue. Maybe I should start keeping track of guesses of the answer before I complete the grid, and see my track record. From the times I’ve remembered having to guess, so far it’s a solid 0.

[chriscross]

I got to remember. When something looks odd and bugs you, look closer. ....

The trouble comes when lots of things look odd.

This was my experience too, particularly with this puzzle but it always rings true. A great heuristic, but somehow harder to follow than it ought to be.

[Streroto]

I’m in Yarmouth ME visiting the kids and grandson and doing a little early retirement house shopping. Hi Marge and other Mainers!!! As such have had little time to metananalyze but got it during Finn’s nap just now. Amazing construction. Thank Mike for another great one.

Stay well all

[Dplass]

Not the answer I was hoping for when I saw the clue, but I am onshore! Time to enjoy the weekend!!

Now I’m curious what answer you were hoping for.

That also reminds me of friends who, when they watch jeopardy, try to guess the answer to final jeopardy after the category is announced but before the clue. Maybe I should start keeping track of guesses of the answer before I complete the grid, and see my track record. From the times I’ve remembered having to guess, so far it’s a solid 0.

I do that sometimes too! I don't do it every time, maybe 1 in 10, and get it right about half the time.

[Bob cruise director]

Good morning muggles. I sense some struggling going over and above the sound of camp songs led by Isaac and Kas.

We have 22 on the ship and 109 on the shore so odds might be good for wining the elusive mug

Joining the singing party in the ship's lounge are

Commodore
copperriver
woozy
Miki
Kas
Collegetowngirl
SusieG

And making their way to shore or already there but I failed to notice WWLW are

Wendy
Schmeel
Steveb
DavyGravy
streroto
Cinny
Lacangah
Debbie
patpatchica
ErikThor
ladybird

Good luck and if you are stumped or just want to chat with other muggles, don't forget the 8 pm ET zoom call

[Berto]

Finally ASHORE!
Was close to giving up on it but the clouds finally parted, the waves died down, and once I saw the beach it was an effortless swim.

[woozy]

Joining the singing party in the ship's lounge are


woozy

I'm actually ashore but I looked at the gangplank, then at my feet, then at all the shoes everyone else was wearing, someone tossed my a shoe, I decided to put it on and walk to shore but felt anti-social and guilty so I got out my phone and spent the night texting the people on the ship and talking about "us" and "we" and about what the lights looked like from a distance.

[Wendy Walker]

@MaineMarge , we also have a lot of Amish families around here. There's even a corner of the shopping center parking lot reserved for their buggies.

[Qmark]

After filling in the grid and noticing a couple of things, I had to let this sit for a day or so...then had another look early this morning and bingo, there it was...

Now have joined you folks on shore.

I enjoyed this meta mechanism very much.