On Solving the Crossword Without a Stopwatch
That settles it. Racing against the clock truly ruins the experience.
On Monday, I timed myself while solving the Times crossword, thinking it would be a good idea to start training now for the Stamford tournament next spring. I didn't even notice the theme, which was organized around the concept of twos.
Today I decided to do the puzzle just for fun. And that's exactly what it was. Time slipped away. I entered my happy place. I developed a deep appreciation for the constructor, Nancy Salomon. The elegance of her mind set off fireworks in mine. The grid somehow seemed to engulf me, and I became attentive to the full pleasure of the experience in all its anatomy.
I hear the cries of sour grapes already: because I don't stand a chance of ever winning at Stamford, therefore I've concocted an elaborate justification for why I should not try.
Maybe. But the lyric that has earwormed its way into my head today is this: "I want a man with a slow hand."
On Monday, I timed myself while solving the Times crossword, thinking it would be a good idea to start training now for the Stamford tournament next spring. I didn't even notice the theme, which was organized around the concept of twos.
Today I decided to do the puzzle just for fun. And that's exactly what it was. Time slipped away. I entered my happy place. I developed a deep appreciation for the constructor, Nancy Salomon. The elegance of her mind set off fireworks in mine. The grid somehow seemed to engulf me, and I became attentive to the full pleasure of the experience in all its anatomy.
I hear the cries of sour grapes already: because I don't stand a chance of ever winning at Stamford, therefore I've concocted an elaborate justification for why I should not try.
Maybe. But the lyric that has earwormed its way into my head today is this: "I want a man with a slow hand."
posted by DO at 1:13 PM
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