Dead tree solving - eco edition! 
Best of both worlds - paper and pencil/pen solving, but rather than curled up with the newspaper, you're curled up with your tablet/iPad/Android! Write, even draw, in the grid, directly on the screen. 

Perfect for rebus puzzles, like this one from a recent Thursday NYTimes puzzle. Use a stylus, for the feel of really writing, or just use your fingertip - it is remarkably easy and is your real writing... I filled this one out using my finger - the stylus is just there for show. (The rebus was MAN - as in TAXMAN at 54D...) If you would like to try it out, click on "About Me" on this page and send me an email.

American Crossword Puzzle Tournament 2012

If you had told me a year ago that I would be sitting in the bar at a Marriott in Brooklyn with a Pinot Grigio in one hand, a Merlot in the other, in the throes of a wild game of Bananagrams, there are many things I might have said, but "Why yes, I believe you're right..." would not have been one.

This was a most surreal weekend.  Not the expanse of seated solvers scribbling furiously with the glaring LED clock counting down...that I expected.  But solvers everywhere - on the floor, in hallways, in the lobby, lounge... on paper, an newspaper, on iphones, ipads, tablets -- during the breaks!!

This more than anything showed me that I was not quite diehard enough.  You folks most certainly knew "Polo of 'Meet the Fockers'" and what the I in I.M. Pei stands for.

But in spite of being the polar opposite of a speed solver, I had a blast.  As for lots of us, it's the chance to be able to hang out with like-minded folks.  Sure, we all have friends who do puzzles, even some who won't miss a day, but hardly any who fully share or understand our obsession.

My Perfect ACPT Puzzle!
I was kindly taken in by my adopted puzzle relations that I met in Westport and in Rexville.  imsdave was the Event Coordinator, making sure everyone had a place to sit and reservations for dinner.  And of course, the Bananagrams were his.  I had never been routed at that game before!

It's late...here are a few pics of mine and sent to me by my favorite ACPT judge, Judge Jen.
I hope we'll see more in Rexville...






5 comments:

  1. Really neat, Tita. I love them. Thanks.

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  2. It looks as though it was great fun - and I see that even nonpuzzlers were allowed at dinner! ;-)

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  3. Fantastic! Took me a while to figure out how to get the "slideshow" but it was well worth the effort. Thanks for putting familiar names to all of those unfamiliar faces.

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  4. Yes, your slide show is very well done. I almost feel as though I were there with you!

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